Louisville HC Kenny Payne Postgame Presser vs. DePaul (12/9/23)
Transcript
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00:40 >> A little bit, we're very disappointed in how we came out today.
00:57 I went into this with a week of preparation and
01:01 talked about what I saw in DePaul and what I thought their team was.
01:07 Don't look at their record.
01:09 I'm watching them, they're scoring points.
01:11 They shoot the ball at a high percentage.
01:14 They shoot the three at a high percentage.
01:15 They play with energy, they fight.
01:17 And so we went out and every day we prepare for that.
01:22 Then we get in the game and to me it felt like we played for ourselves, not for
01:29 Louisville.
01:30 That's a problem.
01:31 And no, nothing against DePaul.
01:36 They played a really good game.
01:38 They did what they typically do.
01:40 And we didn't handle it.
01:44 I thought we did in the second half things pretty decent.
01:47 But we dug ourselves a hole and it was hard to get out of.
01:52 Questions?
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01:59 >> How frustrating or disappointing is it to see some of the,
02:03 it's like one step forward, two step back kind of situation with the zone,
02:09 with the last shot of the half and awareness situations?
02:13 >> Very disappointing.
02:18 I can tell you that we work on the zone every day for
02:21 20 minutes to start practicing.
02:23 The ball is zipping around and we get good shots and we make them and
02:26 we get the ball in gaps and we drive it.
02:29 And we do it confidently to where when the team plays a zone,
02:35 I'm expecting to see the same thing.
02:36 But also, more than just a zone,
02:42 the mentality of no matter what somebody throws at us, we have to handle.
02:47 The mentality of I'm playing for Louisville, I'm not playing for myself.
02:53 Not just one player, multiple players.
02:55 That's probably the most disappointing and that's on both ends of the floor.
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03:07 >> Yeah, it was a tough game for Trey.
03:09 I think he made that one shot there, maybe two or three there.
03:13 I've been in the closing minutes.
03:16 During the first half, he pulled him off and he said he was forcing shots.
03:19 How do you get him to try to, as you've talked about,
03:22 how to keep off this presser, just play for where others are versus playing for
03:26 himself?
03:27 >> Well, Trey's a good player.
03:29 Trey's a caring player.
03:30 But Trey is learning about himself, to be honest with you.
03:34 And he's learning what is he to this team.
03:39 He's vital.
03:41 He's vital.
03:42 And you have to play with a confidence and with a security.
03:46 And knowing you're a good player in that you may go stretches where you don't
03:49 shoot the ball.
03:51 But you're so talented, you can get something in transition.
03:53 You can get offensive rebound, you can get a foul.
03:56 There are so many things that you can do as a player that you don't need
04:01 the ball in your hands to play and force and just try to force your way into
04:07 getting a good shot.
04:08 It doesn't work that way.
04:10 He's learning that.
04:11 I love Trey.
04:14 He's vital to this team, vital to this program.
04:17 I need him to be great.
04:18 But also I need him to understand the responsibility of being one of the best
04:24 players on this team and not just him.
04:26 >> And also want to ask about Caleb.
04:31 This was his first start tonight, JJ was injured.
04:34 But what did you see from him?
04:35 His initial 12 minutes seemed like he was kind of,
04:38 didn't do much during the game in terms of what he started with.
04:42 And then what led you to A, giving him his start and
04:46 B, kind of, already in his minutes throughout the game.
04:49 >> Well, when JJ said he couldn't go, he's the next man up.
04:52 And so we gave him an opportunity.
04:55 I thought he was okay.
04:58 Thought there was nerves there.
05:00 But that's how he learns.
05:02 That's how you learn.
05:03 I'm throwing you in the fire.
05:04 I say it every day.
05:06 If you got a jersey on your back, you better be ready.
05:09 Cuz I'll put you in a game.
05:10 But Caleb is learning.
05:13 He's a freshman.
05:14 He's a good kid.
05:16 He's a hardworking kid.
05:17 And he's gonna be fine.
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05:26 >> Kenny, what does building momentum look like for this team right now,
05:32 in terms of just trying to put things together to go into college?
05:38 >> I think the first thing is competing for longer periods of time.
05:44 Competing together, not just in spurts.
05:49 Don't get down 22 and then go on a 10-0 run.
05:52 Play hard every second that you're on the floor.
05:58 Play together.
05:59 Make people walk out of the game and say, wow, Louisville is connected.
06:04 They're not disconnected.
06:06 They play for each other.
06:07 They love each other.
06:08 They fight for each other.
06:09 And that's hard.
06:12 It's the last piece of the puzzle.
06:14 So for me, the momentum is, I know that we're capable of beating anybody we play.
06:19 But I also know that we're capable of losing to anybody we play.
06:23 And so they have to know that as well.
06:27 They have to know what makes us good and play that way.
06:33 We are one of the best teams in the country when we drive the ball and move it
06:37 and get in the lane and draw fouls and make people fouls and
06:40 making layups and shooting the ball in rhythm.
06:43 But we also go through stretches where we settle.
06:46 And when we settle and we play for ourselves instead of a team,
06:50 we don't look the same.
06:51 When we defend and one guy's not doing what he's supposed to do,
06:55 it breaks down everybody.
06:57 I want this team to be able to step on the floor every second day on the floor and
07:02 play together and play hard and fight hard.
07:06 And you're representing Louisville and represented with a pride.
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07:17 >> Yeah, cuz I know that we're wins, but you have performances like the Indians,
07:21 Texas or Indiana, Virginia Tech on the road.
07:25 But then have letdowns like today,
07:27 you feel like your team has been playing on top of the competition.
07:31 What do you attribute to these consistencies that you guys have had?
07:36 >> I'll say this again.
07:37 When I watched the film of DePaul play,
07:41 I watched a team that could really score the basketball, that played with energy.
07:45 You take the Texas A&M game, they made 11 threes in the first half.
07:52 What was it in the second?
07:55 It was sort of comparable.
07:56 So I don't just look at, okay, what is the record?
08:00 When I watched them play and I'm seeing what they're doing and
08:03 I'm seeing how they can score the ball and how they shoot the three and
08:07 how they get to the free throw line and how they're good in one on one situations.
08:11 I know they're a dangerous team.
08:13 And I know that their coach is gonna force them to play with a fire.
08:19 So I prepared our team and taught our team,
08:22 talked to our team about exactly what DePaul is.
08:25 Don't fall for just looking at a record and think you're gonna walk in here and
08:29 just win.
08:31 That's not gonna happen.
08:32 You're gonna have to fight for this win, and they're not gonna give it to you.
08:35 So for me, getting them to understand, from the outside looking in,
08:44 you look at a one in whatever record from DePaul.
08:47 But from the inside looking in, you understand this business,
08:51 you understand that they are capable of beating anybody they play against.
08:54 And we've had to come in here and respect them.
08:57 And I thought that we had talked about it enough, but
09:01 the first half dug us such a hole we couldn't get out.
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09:08 >> Thank you.
09:08 >> All right.
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