JUST IN: What Kenny Payne, Louisville Players Said After 72-50 Loss vs. Notre Dame

Returning home to face Notre Dame, the Louisville men’s basketball team suffered a third straight blowout loss, dropping 72-50.

Here’s what head coach Kenny Payne and forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield said after the loss:

Head Coach Kenny Payne (Opening Statement)

“First and foremost, I want to give credit to Notre Dame for coming in here and playing the way they did. They outperformed us in terms of energy, effort, focus, attention to detail, and toughness. For me, down the length of the game, with eight minutes remaining and an eight-point lead, we had not performed well. We’re fighting, it’s time to make a run, and [Braeden Shrewsberry] hits two threes in a row. It gets to 14. You could see it in our body language from that moment forward. We didn’t fight hard enough to stop their run, and they went on to win 16-2. At the end of the day, we’re trying to teach these youngsters how hard they have to fight. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing with; everyone is an excellent player. If he has a jersey on his back, you must pay close attention to detail, be vigilant, concentrated, and fight with everything in your body. If you don’t, you’ll be burned. It’s a difficult lesson for young athletes to grasp because they have all been told they are the best. The reality is that you have to earn it. You earn the respect you receive on the basketball court, both individually and as a team.

(What Skyy (Clark)’s playing through injury says about him as a player)

“I admire him for wanting to return and for putting in the work and effort that we require from him. It was refreshing to see. Even when he returned to practice yesterday or the day before, he did not make contact, so seeing him play like that, fighting and playing with enthusiasm, and shooting the ball with rhythm at moments, was great to witness.”

(On how Notre Dame got Braeden Shrewsberry open looks from outside the arc.)

“I believe we relaxed. I believe they perform a lot of movement before he appears on TV. The cliche is that you never shoot a gap with a three-point shooter. You’re always connected to the three-point shooter. You always know where he is. So, if there are two players and we’re in a scramble situation with a non-shooter and a three-point shooter, you use your voice to say ‘I’m going to help,’ but you’re not. You will never leave the best shooter on the floor. We did this repeatedly. We encountered holes. Hats off to him. He made some difficult shots. He made a few good shots. He made some wide-open shots, which are sometimes the most difficult shots for shooters to make. He shot it with instinct and confidence, and he scorched us for, I believe his career high was 25, but he had 23.”

(About the issues presented by Notre Dame double Brandon Huntley-Hatfield on the block)

“Over the last three days, we worked on a few items. One is making reads. Bigs make reads. Bigs are making reads after ball screens, popping, driving downhill, and reading plays. Is this a pass to the corner, a lob, or a skip pass? We worked on it for three days. It’s the same as attempting to get trapped in the post. So there were moments where Brandon had to make a decision between two players, and he opted to hit Kaleb (Glenn), which resulted in a turnover, but Tre White was wide open on the perimeter. He needs to read it better. He needs to process things better. Unfortunate. Hopefully, he learns from this. I’m not worried since he’s going to try. He strives to do better. But he needs to improve his ability to read what’s going on in court.”

(How you make sure guys don’t get flat during the last stretch of the season)

“Well, I can just tell you that myself and all of the coaches were saying them, ‘Guys, we’ve got nine minutes to go, eight minutes to go, keep battling. ‘It has the ability to turn. However, weak brains and young individuals are sometimes preoccupied with ‘I haven’t made a three, I haven’t made a jump shot. The guy made a challenging shot. For example, a player stated, ‘I was there, I contested the shot.’ That’s not what the victorious players say. I protested the shot, but he made it regardless. Winning players, difficult players, championship players, and the greatest players will all want someone to miss a shot. They’ll will the ball to rebound, not say, ‘He hit me first.’ I am aware of this, and I want to strike them first. So, we’re trying to educate them everything about what they say they want to be, what they want to be, and how to get there, which is difficult for young athletes. What I’m trying to tell them is that it’s not about basketball, but about life. You don’t get the rebound; someone pays for it. If you don’t stop that, your squad will die. That’s the mentality you must have. That is what distinguishes the good from the great. “It’s a difficult lesson, but it is what it is.”

(About the lack of energy and feeling heading into the game).

“To be honest, I observe a few guys to see how they are before the game, throughout the game, and in the early stages of the game. I am concerned and confront them when they do not play with the fight and energy that we require, as they are critical components of our team. For me, it’s about individuals: seeing them focus, seeing them in the stands, seeing them energetic, seeing them attack rebounds with two hands, making the right plays, and playing with the energy required to win. Today, for example, there were some players who were sluggish and behind. That is a concern.”

(On defensive concerns and fighting on a regular basis.)

“It is everybody’s fault. I demand it. But if I demand it and don’t get it, I have to take the blame. I am the leader. When I tell them how we’re going to play, who we’re playing, and how we’re going to win, and we don’t play that way, it’s on me. I get it. That is part of being a coach. I hope my players look at me and say, “Not once did he come in and blame us.” I want my players look at me and say he still smiles with us, laughs with us, wraps his arms around us, and encourages us to be better despite the fact that he is frustrated and upset at times. He sometimes punishes us for doing what we should be doing but don’t.”

Forward Brandon Huntley–Hatfield
(On Skyy Clark’s ability to play despite a recent injury while remaining the game’s leading scorer and rebounder)

Huntley-Hatfield: It’s a true credit to our athletic (training) staff, who do everything they can every day to ensure he’s ready to play comfortably. He went out there and gave us his all, so all he has to do now is keep trying to get healthy.

(On the contrast in performance between the prior two home games and tonight, and why tonight’s game ended the way it did.)

Huntley-Hatfield: I honestly don’t know. This was a game that we expected to win, but Notre Dame dominated us. I did not dominate this game as I thought, and I need to improve. I am confident that I will perform better in the upcoming game.

(On players appearing lethargic)

Huntley-Hatfield: I do not think so. I believe everyone has the correct mindset to compete. I didn’t feel tired or lethargic. But, I mean, I’m in my own world when I’m performing, so I don’t see everything, but I felt like we contributed some positive vibe. I’m not sure how we came apart.

(In the locker room following a loss)

Huntley-Hatfield: It’s not pleasant. No one hates losing, and we anticipated to win this game, but Notre Dame blasted it open in the second half by shooting numerous three-pointers. As a result, we must regroup as a team and correct the situation. We have a week to prepare for Duke, so we’re shifting our attention today.