Grand Canyon at Louisville Louisville, Ky. | KFC Yum! Center December 5, 2015 Postgame Quotes

Grand Canyon at Louisville Louisville, Ky. | KFC Yum! Center December 5, 2015 Postgame Quotes Louisville head coach Rick Pitino (Opening Statement) "For about 90 percent of the game when we had guys in normal positions, we did an outstanding job. There were a few times in the game where we just allowed the basket to get to the rim without blocking the shot. Outside of that, I can't find too much fault with our performance tonight. I experienced this in the pros and you see it happen quite often, a team plays a game with one night removed, and then you have to travel west to east ‐ it takes a lot out of you. They played a game and won against Central Michigan and then they fly in here to practice. They had to go west to east, and you just don’t have your legs. They are a much better basketball team than that. We just shot the ball well and played well, but they are a much better basketball team than that." (On what you get out of a game like this) "You get a lot out of it. We did a very good job of moving the basketball to get open shots. We did a great job of hitting the offensive glass. We are a good basketball team. I was very impressed with the way we went into a very hostile environment. We are very disappointed that we came away with a loss because we made mental mistakes down the stretch, but physically and emotionally we were ready to go into that place and get a ‘W’, but we didn't, and we were disappointed in that." (On the play of Donovan Mitchell and Ray Spalding) “Yeah, and I think Ray Spalding for the minutes played. He plays 14 minutes, has seven rebounds, seven deflections, two blocks. He did a very good job as well.” (On the possibility of this team being one of the better offensive Louisville basketball teams in recent years) “We’ll see. Obviously, two fifth‐year seniors stopped us from having a rebuilding year. We’re going to be a predominantly man‐to‐ man team on the defensive end. There’s just a lot to teach. With Damion (Lee), one thing we’ve worked on very hard with him from day one is, don’t settle for a jump shot. Drive more. Get to the line. Pull up. Pass more. He’s done a good job with that and it sets up his perimeter game because he is driving more and getting to the line more.” (On the play of Quentin Snider) “What I told him tonight as he was getting ready to go out for the starting lineup, I said, ‘If you miss a shot, don’t stop shooting.’ That was my message to him as he was walking out for the starting lineup. Because he’s really worked hard on his shot, and if he misses one or two he tries to drive when he’s wide open, and you can’t do that. I guarantee you Damion (Lee) won’t do that. I don’t think he had an off game, but I think you’re right in terms of he’s concerned with... And I tell him all the time, ‘Stop counting your shots. Shoot when you’re open, pass when you’re guarded. Paint touches.’ I think he did that tonight. He even pulled up one time when he didn’t have a shot.” (On Damion Lee’s scoring and how he elevates the team) “That will not be his season high I can guarantee you that. I think both of those guys [Damion Lee and Trey Lewis] are very mature men. They physically know the game. It’s the first time they’re not going into places where they’re getting a guaranteed check and going onto the next team to play. They’re on a different stage and I think they’re really enjoying it.” (On Quentin Snider’s ratio of 199 minutes to seven turnovers) “He’s a really good basketball player. If I had a Christmas wish, I wish that Louisville would have more talented players like Ray Spalding and Quentin Snider. In the old days Louisville lived off of players from this area. The more we can get players like that, both of these guys are outstanding, Q [Quentin Snider] is a terrific basketball player and he’s going to be a four‐year guard for us. He knows how to play, he’s improved his shot. He’s a tough kid; and Ray is going to be terrific someday.” (On Quentin Snider’s leadership on the court) “I think he’s grown. I’m glad you noticed that. He’s a smart basketball player he really understands the game, really has knowledge of the game, has a good floater in the lane, more willing to pass, the more he steps up and is a leader like that – next year he’s got to be the leader on the team.” (Is there more ball movement in terms of passing this season?) “Without question. That’s been the point of emphasis from day one. We’re trying to make, before we get into anything, four passes in the span of five seconds so we can go downhill. That’s why I think it’s pleasing to all of us what you’re seeing out there. Before we dribbled, dribbled, dribbled, held and this team we’ve set a pattern of it, the ball is going to be moved and we’re going to make the defense move so we can go downhill, and that’s why we’re having so much success. And then, on top of it we’re making shots.” (On if this group that is doing that, or do you emphasize it?) “No, we’ve always emphasized it, but sometimes guys watch too much NBA TV. I wish they would watch San Antonio more.” (On what film are you showing them to emphasize the ball movement) “We’re not, we’re just working on it each day. Sometimes we’ll say let’s make it four passes in five seconds, let’s make five passes, let’s get two reversals before we even think about. And we still have 21, 22 seconds on the clock and we’ve made four or five passes. It’s fun to see. It’s fun to watch that. Sometimes you can say well the competition… but we did it against Michigan State. Believe me, they’re a very good basketball team. They may be number one this week.” (On the team opening with confidence in its offense) “We left that locker room really disappointed (at Michigan State). I think there were a lot of people saying ‘great effort’ and great effort to us is something that we understand that is a given. You give great effort. But, we were very disappointed we didn’t come away with a victory. There’s only one way to solve it and it is you got to come out and perform great against Grand Canyon. I told the guys, I said look, they’re traveling west to east, and if we get after it early on, it’s tough for guys to respond from that.” (On his team giving great effort every game this year being special) “I think you guys see it with young people today, I think the most difficult thing to instill is not ball movement, not defense, the most difficult thing to instill is humility in people. And this is a team with very little ego. So, they just listen and they move it and they have fun. Like I’ve said from day one, I’ve kept telling them how remarkable they are as young men. This is something I probably won’t experience again. I’ve experienced it once in ’87 and I’m experiencing it now, where you have this humble demeanor. It’s wonderful to see. We could have next year as well with what we have coming in and coming back, but you have two fifth‐year seniors that come in having very good careers but they’re extremely humble as well. It’s fun to be around that. Every single day you drive to work with a smile on your face because you know what you’re coaching and that’s a lot of fun to see.” (On communication on defense) “One of the things that’s difficult. We’ll go out there, because we were in front of our bench, and I tell the guys, all we do is watch hours and hours and hours of films, so we know what’s coming, and you’re right in front of us defensively. So, we can tell you what’s going to happen, but once you go down the other end, especially on the road, you don’t have our voices anymore. It’s up to you to figure out what they’re running and for you to talk. And that’s what happened against Michigan State. We had a lot of problems down the stretch, because we could sort of choreograph with our voices what’s going to happen. We can’t do it on the road in the second half, so that’s where the more they do it, the better we’ll be in the second half.” (On what the points of emphasis for the next couple of weeks is with no game for another week) “You’ll see that Eastern Michigan’s next weekend, so we’re going to concentrate on recruiting the next two days.

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