Kentucky players Cason Wallace, Jacob Toppin and CJ Fredrick met with the media following last night’s win over Florida.
Wallace confirmed John Calipari’s story that Sahvir Wheeler told John Calipari to put the ball in Wallace’s hands down the stretch.
Check out their comments:
Here’s a transcript from UK Athletics:
#0, Jacob Toppin, F
On where his energy came from tonight…
“Honestly… me and Oscar (Tshiebwe) before the game said, ‘who is going to get more
rebounds?’ and well, he got more rebounds obviously, but that is where it came from. We are
always battling each other and trying to see who can get more rebounds and that helps the
team in many ways and that helps us as well, so that is where the energy came from.”
On how big it is to win when Oscar does not score much…
“It is really big, obviously, he helped us in different ways, and he got a lot of rebounds as I said,
but just being able to play basketball and not through him, for once, and being able to win a
game just shows the type of team we are. He got a little down on himself, so I had to pick him
up and tell him you are not going to be great every night and he understands that and
understands he has to be better. So, we move forward and watch film to see what we can get
better at.”
On how good it felt to see Collins play well…
“Really good. You guys know what he has been through. He has been through a lot, and he is
always keeping a smile on his face so that is big time for him. He is a good soul, and he comes
into practice, works out, and he is putting in the work and when his time came, he shined. So, I
am proud of him, and this team is proud of him.”
#1, CJ Frederick, G
On breaking out of a slump …
“It felt good, but I’ve shot so many basketballs in my career, and I put the work in everyday, so
there was no extra emphasis on making shots tonight. Every time I shoot it, I’m trying to make
it. That’s just my mindset going into every game.”
On putting in work in the gym …
“I don’t know if there is a shooter who hasn’t went through some struggles. My job is to come
in and shoot balls. You’re not going to make every shot, but I have to have the mindset of
shooting the ball when I’m open. When you’re in a slump like that, [you have] to continue
putting in the work, coming in early, getting shots up and continuing to do what I do.”
On playing as a complete unit…
“A lot of people stepped up tonight. It was a well-played game. Credit to [Florida]—they came
in and really fought. They’re a really good team. I was telling Oscar ‘Yeah, you only scored four
points, but you got 15 rebounds. If we don’t have you, we don’t win.’ Same thing with Antonio.
They didn’t score the ball a lot, but they did a lot to help us win. Plus, a lot of guys stepped up
and made plays to help us win.”
#22, Cason Wallace, G
On having to step up when teammates, Oscar and Antonio aren’t having their best night…
“It just depends on who’s having their night. Everyone is a great player and is capable of scoring
the basketball, so it just depends on whose night it is.”
On game changing three-point basket by Cason Wallace…
“Honestly, I didn’t know how big it was until after the game. It just shows how comfortable I
was and how my teammates believed in every shot I take.”
On Sahvir wanting the ball in Cason’s hands…
“It gave me a lot of confidence knowing he wanted the ball in my hands. When you get to play
with a teammate that doesn’t care about his own play and wants you to succeed, that’s a great
teammate and a great person.”
