St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Basketball Postgame Quotes - Towson
St. John’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rick Pitino, forward Dillon Mitchell, graduate-student Bryce Hopkins met with the media on Saturday after defeating Towson
Head Coach Rick Pitino
On Defensive Effort and Three-Point Coverage…
“The way this team can beat us is from the three-point line. That's the great equalizer of size, talent, and everything else. We did a very poor job of that in the first half and that’s why they had the lead. I believe from the three-point line in the first half, it was like they were plus 12, and that was the difference in the game.”
On Zuby Ejiofor’s Growth and Leadership:
“I've been trying to hit him over the head with a sledgehammer, telling him how they're going to come after him. His reputation as a hard worker is going to be tested and it was tonight. They're going to block him out with everything they can. He's going to be a marked man every single game. I use the analogy of what made Michael Jordan so great in the first half he got his teammates the ball and got movement, and in the fourth quarter, he'd score 35 points.”
On Defensive Performance…
“From a tempo standpoint, they're 300th in the country. That's the way they play. Hard-nosed, slow down, basketball possession basketball. So it wasn't, now you'll see something the complete opposite against Michigan, and then you'll see something that's scary with Alabama in terms of pace. So this was a great first game for us to learn so many different things.”
Bryce Hopkins
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“I try to do whatever Coach asks me to do and take it as constructive criticism. I know he only wants the best for me and he’s going to push me to be the best I can be.”
On returning to full health…
“It feels amazing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the court and actually playing. To be fully healthy again just means a lot.”
On team camaraderie…
“We’ve been playing against each other since June, so just to get out there with the guys and continuing to build chemistry felt really good.”
Dillon Mitchell
On early-season takeaways…
“We’re going out there playing to win, but we’re also learning about our team and what we need to get better at. It’s our first time going against competition, not just each other.”
On defensive focus…
“Communication is the biggest thing. We’ve got a great group of guys that are skilled offensively. For us, it’s all about defense. That’s our calling card.”
On positional versatility…
“We have a group of guys that are very versatile in the frontcourt. Between me, Bryce [Hopkins], Ruben [Prey] and Zuby [Ejiofor], we can all play together. That’s an advantage not a lot of teams have.”
On Defensive Effort and Three-Point Coverage…
“The way this team can beat us is from the three-point line. That's the great equalizer of size, talent, and everything else. We did a very poor job of that in the first half and that’s why they had the lead. I believe from the three-point line in the first half, it was like they were plus 12, and that was the difference in the game.”
On Zuby Ejiofor’s Growth and Leadership:
“I've been trying to hit him over the head with a sledgehammer, telling him how they're going to come after him. His reputation as a hard worker is going to be tested and it was tonight. They're going to block him out with everything they can. He's going to be a marked man every single game. I use the analogy of what made Michael Jordan so great in the first half he got his teammates the ball and got movement, and in the fourth quarter, he'd score 35 points.”
On Defensive Performance…
“From a tempo standpoint, they're 300th in the country. That's the way they play. Hard-nosed, slow down, basketball possession basketball. So it wasn't, now you'll see something the complete opposite against Michigan, and then you'll see something that's scary with Alabama in terms of pace. So this was a great first game for us to learn so many different things.”
Bryce Hopkins
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“I try to do whatever Coach asks me to do and take it as constructive criticism. I know he only wants the best for me and he’s going to push me to be the best I can be.”
On returning to full health…
“It feels amazing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the court and actually playing. To be fully healthy again just means a lot.”
On team camaraderie…
“We’ve been playing against each other since June, so just to get out there with the guys and continuing to build chemistry felt really good.”
Dillon Mitchell
On early-season takeaways…
“We’re going out there playing to win, but we’re also learning about our team and what we need to get better at. It’s our first time going against competition, not just each other.”
On defensive focus…
“Communication is the biggest thing. We’ve got a great group of guys that are skilled offensively. For us, it’s all about defense. That’s our calling card.”
On positional versatility…
“We have a group of guys that are very versatile in the frontcourt. Between me, Bryce [Hopkins], Ruben [Prey] and Zuby [Ejiofor], we can all play together. That’s an advantage not a lot of teams have.”