Feb. 12, 2009

Recap | Box Score | AP Gallery media-icon-photogallery.gif

Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey

On the significance of today’s game…
“To say we needed that would be an understatement. We needed that. I thought we played really well. There is still a lot of basketball left to play.”

On the team’s play…
“It was nice to see our offensive rhythm because that is how we play, that’s how we need to play against teams in this league, and that’s how we have been successful against teams in this league. That is the kind of offensive rhythm to kind of nullify lack of athletic ability.”

On the team’s rebounding effort…
“It is huge. At halftime, you look and you see that on the backboard. Our whole front line, Hillesland, Gody, Nash. Ty Nash gave us great minutes. He gave us that physical presence against these BIG EAST bodies that we need. Those three guys were so active in there on the backboard. Our post defense was the best it was all year on Samuels and Clark and the other big kid. We chested them up and no one really could get much of an angle on us. We really played like that group that I remember but I haven’t seen in a while. Hopefully we can keep that going.”

On returning to the original starting line-up…
“We needed to go back to our starters. Seriously, that is a no brainer. We had to go back to our nucleus. We are coming back home. You have to go with the nucleus of guys that have won a lot of games for us and played well together. That nucleus gets us into that offensive rhythm that we need to compete in this league. So I am happy we competed.”

On building on this performance….
“This is not a young group. We will watch a little film. We have two games coming quick. We have to get some rest. We have invested a lot of energy in this season already. We have traveled a lot. It is very important we get some recovery; we will watch a little film. With an older group that has done it, we don’t need to see what I saw tonight for 45 minutes on the floor.”

On Playing man-to-man defense….
“If you are going to make your stand, you are not going to do it in the 2-3 zone. You are going to dig your heels in the ground, lock up and chest up on people, battle in the paint like we did. You are not sitting in a zone. Confidence in our half court defense is something to build on.”

On the confidence of the team in today’s game…
“I use the word identity. I think that is the thing we really got away from. We got back to that. There is nothing like celebrating in the locker room. We haven’t done that in a while. Just simply celebrating a win in the locker room is good for the soul. “

Notre Dame Players

Kyle McAlarney – Sr.- G

On tonight’s game…
“We dictated the way we play. We stayed within ourselves and I think our frustration in the past two weeks that we’ve been going through really just came out and us just getting back to being ourselves and us just sticking it to them and really not letting up.”

On carrying over the morale boost into the next games…
“This is going to propel us a little bit and we’ll be able to build off of this. We did a lot of things really well defensively tonight and that’s something we can hang our hat on. And offensively I think we found our identity back. We needed this. This is such a good feeling right now and is just going to give us confidence.”

On the locker room post-game…
“Coming into this locker room and celebrating with my teammates, that’s what college basketball is all about. These wins mean a lot and I think we really needed this one for our morale and it will give us a big confidence booster.”

Ryan Ayers- Sr.-F

On the locker room post-game…
“It feels good. We haven’t had this feeling in a while and we’re just going to keep it rolling and come Sunday we’re going to have the same type of identity.”

Luke Harangody- Jr.- F

On out-rebounding Louisville…
“We all got rebounds. Kyle and Tory came down with rebounds. Luke Zeller did great tonight too. It was really a group effort.”

On taking the momentum from the win into the next game…
“We’re not taking anybody lightly. We need to find a way to turn this season over and I think it’s going to be the next few days of practice.”

On the ‘tough love’ approach…
“Coach got into us and the players got in to each other too, which was great. We need that kind of tough love and it’s a big turning point in the season.”

Tory Jackson – So.- G

On the all-around game…
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had that feeling, and I think we found it in practice. We’ve been practicing the way we played tonight, and that feeling is awesome.”

On the team’s confidence…
“The confidence was contagious. I know it was contagious when Zach Hillesland came down and did a (fast break layup). I know it’s contagious. I know it’s really contagious. The way he played was awesome, and the defensive end was great.”

How to take the momentum into the next game…
“The same way we have been doing these past couple of days. We were worked hard at practice. Basically it’s do or die right now. “

Zach Hillsland – Sr. – F

On breaking Louisville’s press…
“They tried to pressure us and tried to make us feel uncomfortable. We really didn’t have that many turnovers on their press like we did last game, and we really got them out of their rhythm.

On taking the momentum into the next game…
“Our emotions our high. It’s a great thing to go on our home court and make a win, especially after what we’ve been doing. It’s good to be back on track and establish our identity. That’s the way we’ve played, and we haven’t played that way in awhile. It really feels good to be back.”

Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino

On playing a team like Notre Dame…
“A few years ago we had to win 8 out of 10 games and our guys dug in like Notre Dame dug in. They didn’t feel sorry for themselves. I think Notre Dame could do the same thing. These guys (Notre Dame) are terrific young men and I hope they rally the same way we did two years ago.”

On the play of Louisville…
“I thought we were going into a hornets nest. I didn’t think we were going into an earthquake. We knew it would be a tough game. I was hoping we would have played better. This was a game they had to have. You have to give all the credit to them. We have to give them credit and move on.”

On the play of Notre Dame Junior Luke Harangody
“We are a little young at the five spot. He (Harangody) kicked everybody who played him. He is one of the premier players in the country.”