St. John's University Athletics
POSTGAME QUOTES: St. John’s Men’s Basketball vs. Butler
St. John’s Head Coach Rick Pitino
On the team’s 3-point shooting tonight…
“I wanted them to take it, which is fine. Look when you go 1-for 21 and you win the game, and you're not doing very many things right, that speaks volumes of what you're all about. I think that they were all good threes. There weren't any bad ones, they were wide open. We'll continue to work on it.”
On Kadary Richmond at the end of the game…
“I think he took over the game at that time, but I think he needs to do that from the opening tip to the end of the game. That's the way he needs to play and he did take over. He was responsible for this win tonight, but he needs to do that the whole game.”
On Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor…
“I think they were very smart. We had them [Butler] in foul trouble. When they got them in foul trouble, we went inside and continued to break it inside, take it to the rim and get fouled. They used their intelligence at the end of the game by going to the foul line.”
On Butler…
“In the second [half], especially the last eight minutes of the game, we played with a high basketball acumen and we won a tough game. What I told the guys is, ‘Look, this is going to be a tough basketball game. This team lost to Connecticut by four, beat Mississippi State, beat SMU and has three quad-one wins’… We've got the athletes and [Butler] has the shooters. The athletes won tonight; maybe the shooters win another night.”
On the BIG EAST…
“Every game is going to be a war in the BIG EAST. It's not like last year. You see what Georgetown is doing right now, Xavier is good. Look, [Jahmyl] Telford, [Pierre] Brooks, [Patrick] McCaffrey are really improved, and we did a very good job on [Andre Screen] tonight. It's a great conference. It's a war. Winning on the road is very difficult and if you can win four or five games on the road, it's going to be a great year for you.”
St. John’s guard Deivon Smith
On the press defense in today’s game …
“That was our game plan today. In general, just getting to our press defense, deny the ball, try to speed them up. They don't really turn the ball over. We tried to make them get as many turnovers as possible today. … I think we did a pretty good job in our press offense, but we got to take our one-on-one matchups.
On the team’s play in the second half…
“We just put it together and played hard. At halftime, we looked at our mistakes, at our defensive mistakes, and we just took our match-up personally, especially how Coach [Pitino] has been talking about scouting reports and film.”
On why the team is better when they play fast…
“Teams can't guard us. We have so many wings and guards or wings that can play the guards and dribble, get people open, get downhill, so I think we're pretty unguardable once we turn the ball over and get in transition.”
On the three-point shooting in today’s game…
“Tonight, even my shot was off tonight. We're going to shoot better. The lid will open. I'm not really worried. It just shows how much talent we have to win without it, but I think the three-ball will fall.”
On Kadary Richmond’s play…
“He’s a big-time player. He's just trying to get it all together. He's showing his versatility in each and every game. He knows he's capable of being better and playing harder. He's a great player. I think he's still trying to find himself, find his game. He's used to being ball-heavy, but I'm kind of rebounding and starting to break. I think he's just trying to find his role, honestly, but there is no role. We all could get the ball and go. I think it's just honestly playing together, getting out there and having fun. I think once we have fun, it will take care of the rest.”
On if it impresses him the way the team is able to win…
“No, I don't think it impresses me. We’ve practiced really hard since the summer. I knew these guys were ready to compete. We're ready to compete each and every night. Sometimes it doesn't go our way, but I think each and every game, we're right there and we control our own destiny.”
On the team’s 3-point shooting tonight…
“I wanted them to take it, which is fine. Look when you go 1-for 21 and you win the game, and you're not doing very many things right, that speaks volumes of what you're all about. I think that they were all good threes. There weren't any bad ones, they were wide open. We'll continue to work on it.”
On Kadary Richmond at the end of the game…
“I think he took over the game at that time, but I think he needs to do that from the opening tip to the end of the game. That's the way he needs to play and he did take over. He was responsible for this win tonight, but he needs to do that the whole game.”
On Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor…
“I think they were very smart. We had them [Butler] in foul trouble. When they got them in foul trouble, we went inside and continued to break it inside, take it to the rim and get fouled. They used their intelligence at the end of the game by going to the foul line.”
On Butler…
“In the second [half], especially the last eight minutes of the game, we played with a high basketball acumen and we won a tough game. What I told the guys is, ‘Look, this is going to be a tough basketball game. This team lost to Connecticut by four, beat Mississippi State, beat SMU and has three quad-one wins’… We've got the athletes and [Butler] has the shooters. The athletes won tonight; maybe the shooters win another night.”
On the BIG EAST…
“Every game is going to be a war in the BIG EAST. It's not like last year. You see what Georgetown is doing right now, Xavier is good. Look, [Jahmyl] Telford, [Pierre] Brooks, [Patrick] McCaffrey are really improved, and we did a very good job on [Andre Screen] tonight. It's a great conference. It's a war. Winning on the road is very difficult and if you can win four or five games on the road, it's going to be a great year for you.”
St. John’s guard Deivon Smith
On the press defense in today’s game …
“That was our game plan today. In general, just getting to our press defense, deny the ball, try to speed them up. They don't really turn the ball over. We tried to make them get as many turnovers as possible today. … I think we did a pretty good job in our press offense, but we got to take our one-on-one matchups.
On the team’s play in the second half…
“We just put it together and played hard. At halftime, we looked at our mistakes, at our defensive mistakes, and we just took our match-up personally, especially how Coach [Pitino] has been talking about scouting reports and film.”
On why the team is better when they play fast…
“Teams can't guard us. We have so many wings and guards or wings that can play the guards and dribble, get people open, get downhill, so I think we're pretty unguardable once we turn the ball over and get in transition.”
On the three-point shooting in today’s game…
“Tonight, even my shot was off tonight. We're going to shoot better. The lid will open. I'm not really worried. It just shows how much talent we have to win without it, but I think the three-ball will fall.”
On Kadary Richmond’s play…
“He’s a big-time player. He's just trying to get it all together. He's showing his versatility in each and every game. He knows he's capable of being better and playing harder. He's a great player. I think he's still trying to find himself, find his game. He's used to being ball-heavy, but I'm kind of rebounding and starting to break. I think he's just trying to find his role, honestly, but there is no role. We all could get the ball and go. I think it's just honestly playing together, getting out there and having fun. I think once we have fun, it will take care of the rest.”
On if it impresses him the way the team is able to win…
“No, I don't think it impresses me. We’ve practiced really hard since the summer. I knew these guys were ready to compete. We're ready to compete each and every night. Sometimes it doesn't go our way, but I think each and every game, we're right there and we control our own destiny.”