What Head Coach Chris Mack & Louisville Players Said After 85-48 Loss vs. Wisconsin
(Photo of Chris Mack: Mary Langenfeld/USA TODAY Sports)
MADISON, Wis. - Taking the court for the first time in 18 days and short their best player, Louisville found themselves on the wrong end of a blowout, falling to the Wisconsin Badgers 85-48.
Here's what Louisville head coach Chris Mack, sophomore forward Samuell Williamson and freshman center Gabe Wiznitzer had to say following the loss:
Head Coach Chris Mack
(Opening Statement)
We were thoroughly outplayed, outmanned, out-toughed, out-coached. Wisconsin's got a veteran crew, and they look like it. They played like a million bucks, didn't miss a shot from the field, and we never really offered resistance the entire way. It is what it is, we got to move on. We got a game against Pittsburgh, but we got to learn some lessons from this one.
(On if you burn the tape from this game)
No, I don't think you can burn the tape. Obviously, we've got to have - two things we need to worry about, and that is: why things happen the way they did in this game, but at the same time with a quick turnaround against Pittsburgh, we've got to be able to do two things at once, so to speak. At least figure out some glaring, and there were a lot of them, areas that we need to improve, no matter who we play. And then we got to get ready for Pittsburgh on the road on Tuesday.
(On what needs to be improved the most)
I would start on the on the defensive end. Their physicality. I think you're going to look at and you'd say 'Wow, I shot 16 for 25 from three', but their ability to just throw us around in the post, and be able to catch the ball deep, hurt. Our lack of communication, to start the game, with ball screens that were supposed to be switched. When you switch a ball screen, there should be one defender on one offensive player, and one defender on the other offensive player. Our lack of communication gave them, gave (D'Mitrik) Trice two threes, and they ended up making four or five of them, really in the first four or five minutes of the game. If you were in this empty gym, you'd have heard Brad Davidson's voice like no other. He's like a coach on the floor, and you had an eerily quiet team on our end of the floor, unless Gabe Wiznitzer was out there. Just the maturity level needs to grow. At the end, there's a lot of things to address, but I think the communication and the physicality around the basket, stick out to me. Then as time went on, and the score increased, we let a lot of things slip.
(On how big a factor it was that Carlik Jones was out)
It's big. It changes our team. For David Johnson, the ball handling responsibilities solely fall on him. But you're right, it's not gonna make up whatever the deficit was. But it is what it is. The cards were dealt, and we have to come out. Had we fought, and done the things early in the game to give ourselves a chance going into halftime, then maybe the game is different. But we were not - for the energy that we had in warmups, and the spirit we had in warmups, it quickly evaporated with the lack of communication. Some valuable lessons need to be learned from our younger players.
(On the message at halftime)
Well, up to that point, we had not won a four minute segment between TV timeouts. That obviously is gonna put you in a tough spot to say the least. But we talked a lot about physicality, and then to go out in the first four minutes and get posted up five or six times, the message obviously wasn't heard. We got some growing up to do in certain positions, for sure.
(On when Carlik Jones will be back)
He'll be back. He'll be back when we play again. There's a gradual progression that every school makes up. The NCAA sort of gives guidelines, but doesn't mandate it. And so, we made those protocols a long time ago. We're just following them.
(On what David Johnson should take away from this game)
He has to run his team. I think that on the offensive end, you're not going to be able to be effective against a team like Wisconsin just dribbling, dribbling, dribbling and trying to score off a ball screen. That's what our offense resembled for the better part of the day. He's got to run his team, things that we work on every day. From posting up different players, to getting ball movement, all the things that we need to execute in order to be efficient on offense. We've got to be able to execute them on game day. Again, Dave's playing heavy minutes. He's a better player than he played today, he certainly has to take way better care of the basketball with his decision making. Again, we're playing a one of the best teams in the country, and it'll be a learning lesson for not just David, but all of us.
(On his thoughts regarding Samuell Williamson's performance)
Well, Sam has to be better. He just does. I don't think his toe has anything to do with his lack of voice on the floor. Defensively and offensively, he's got to be able to help Dave. One of the more experienced players on our team out there to start the game, settle us down, get us to run, and execute our offense. Not just have one guy dribble the ball. Defensively, Sam's got a ways to go. He's got to go over ball screens instead of under him, he's got to be able to be vocal on switches, he's got to be able to front the post and do it without fouling when he's getting back doored and cut to the post, he's got to do it without holding. And, again, grow up and be a veteran guy - sophomore for us.
(On Aidan Igiehon and what he has to do earn more minutes)
He has to improve! He has to improve. You got to be able, on the defensive end, to understand how to play post defense without fouling. He's got to help his guards when his man sets a ball screen, whether that's in transition or in the half court. Communicate it. He's got to improve in those areas. If he doesn't, then then we're gonna get clipped off and he's kind of foul, and guys are gonna get all the way down the lane and stretch our defense. Offensively, he's got to be able to catch the ball and finish around the basket, and rebound at a high level for us.
(On how much the 18-day layoff impacted the team)
It impacts us greatly. I had an appreciation for Seton Hall taking off 14 days, and then playing us on a two day practice or three day practice turnaround. Coming into this game, we had had partial team for three or four days. Five days of practice, but before that we had taken off eight or nine days off. It's just, it's very difficult, and that's just sort of getting - the cards were dealt. We're not gonna be the only team that comes off of a pause and has to turn around and compete. But again, with a young team and guys trying to catch their wind, and then playing extended minutes because we don't have 12 scholarship guys right now. It just is what it is, and we're going to have to learn some valuable lessons despite all the barriers that our teams facing. Today we're going to learn a lot of lessons,
(On his assessment of Gabe Wiznitzer)
Gabe was terrific. For a guy that really hasn't played in the first four games, I thought his voice and his understanding what was happening on the floor defensively, did not look like a freshman. Where other freshmen who played, they looked like freshmen. Gabe was doing a terrific job of calling out screens, where they were off the ball/on the ball, he fought in the post. And he's going Micah Potter, who's a fifth year senior. Got him on a high low, but then he learned and the next time down tried to run the play, Gabe was in great position and held his position. Offensively, he's got to be able to finish around the basket, and this was a great test for us. One of the best teams we're going to play all year. But I thought Gabe really stepped in and did a really good job in a day when not too many other teammates joined him.
Forward Samuell Williamson
(On how tough it was to play after the 18-day layoff)
Going into it, we didn't think it'd be as tough as it was. But as you can see by the way we played today, it was a tough turnaround, all that time off. But there's no excuse. It's gonna be a crazy year, a lot of teams gonna go through that type of stuff throughout the course of the season. We just got to come out and we got to play better. It's simple. That's all it is. We have to play better.
(On if he's ever experienced a loss of this magnitude, and how difficult it is to learn from something like it)
To answer the first question, no. I don't think, and I can speak probably for most of my teammates, I don't think we've ever lost a game like that. And then secondly, we just gotta take this one on the chin. Get back to practice tomorrow. Do not let this game define us, we need to just build from this. Use it as a bit of a learning curve. Just learn from this game and stay unified stay together, and show up ready to play on Tuesday.
(On what they need to work on)
Honestly, everything. They scored too many points, and we didn't score enough. That's both sides of the ball, offense and defense. We got to work on everything, we got to be a lot better in a lot of aspects of the game.
(On if there's a specific part of the game that's harder to get into a rhythm because of the layoff)
It was a little more difficult - they're a team that moves the ball a lot. Doesn't take bad shots, takes care of the ball wants to get you tired on defense. With a team with, we're shorthanded and not using that as an excuse by any means, but the shorthanded team, those 20 to 25 second possessions on defense can take the wind out of you a little bit. But we just got a bounce back, continue getting in shape over these next few days and bounce back on Tuesday.
Center Gabe Wiznitzer
(On the assessment of his play)
I think that I was just ready to play, and I'm just doing things that I know that I'm good at. Like rolling to the rim, just doing small things like talking and jumping ball screens, just doing things that Coach Mack expects us to do. I wouldn't say I was doing anything special, just kind of doing my job.
(On what the locker room was like after the loss)
It's definitely tough coming off a loss, especially being our first loss and being a pretty bad one. But I'd say, our team's like pretty young, and we have a lot to learn about ourselves and our identity. The biggest takeaway we took from this, is just to use this as, almost like a lesson, like a learning point, and kind of use it to understand the reality of the teams we're going to play against, and kind of use it as almost fuel to the fire in practice. We have another game on Tuesday, so I just say, just a the lesson learned, but we have to bounce back from it.
(On how difficult it is to come back from an 18-day layoff)
It's definitely not easy. But at the same time like, I'd say it's hard not being able to get shots up, and especially workout with each other. We still have to improve our chemistry and just, I'd say, trust each other a lot more. From an individual aspect, it's tough. But from a team, just a larger group, I'd say it's a lot harder just because we're all separated from each other - eight days off. We're doing individual stuff, but it's just not the same moving forward as a team, which is a lot more important than individual play.
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