[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]Kentucky Men’s Basketball [/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]November 10, 2011[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]Pre-Marist Media Opportunity[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[CENTER][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B][U]UK Head Coach John Calipari[/U][/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/CENTER]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On what he found after watching film of the Morehouse game …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“We started right; we didn’t start the game shooting all 3s, which we did the game before. The intensity level on team defense was terrific and we ran wide which made the game easier. When we did have opportunities to execute, we did, which is great. When we went to the bench, guys did their thing. It’s hard being up 60 and continuing to play in the second half, and they did, they played hard. With seven minutes left we put in Sammy (Malone) and Brian (Long), and neither one of those guys really practices in practice, let alone get in there and play seven minutes. There were some things, but nothing big. We showed them four or five minutes of offense and defense, some hustle plays and just tried to encourage them that this is what it looks like.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On if he is pleased with where his team is right now …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“I’m fine with where we are; it’s who we are going to play. We just talked today, what if we want to massage the ball, we haven’t done it yet, what do we do late in the shot clock? We just put in out-of-bounds plays. Other teams are way ahead of us and I’m still sticking by there are 60 or 80 teams that could beat us, but the way we played against Morehouse it would be hard for them, it wasn’t just Morehouse it’s how we played.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On Marquis Teague’s progression at point guard compared to former point guards …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Until we are in a big time game and he gets the ball with the game on the line and we see how he reacts, it is too early to tell. I said to him last game that he was really unselfish, he didn’t take a shot for the longest time and then the shots he took were wide open jumpers or he just attacked the rim. Again, seven assists with only two turnovers and I only played him 17 minutes, he’s doing fine; he, Michael (Kidd-Gilchrist), Anthony (Davis) and Kyle Wiltjer (are doing fine). We just need him to be unselfish. He is more of a classic point guard coming in, he scored a lot of points in high school and that was before he had a jump shot.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On how things stand with Stacey Poole Jr …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Because I was out of town I didn’t get to spend any time with him and I haven’t seen him yet today but I’ll sit down and talk with him in the next day or two. I wanted him to take time, you want every player to stay and fight through it, but if the young man doesn’t think his opportunity is here, they all want to play, and I will support him. I am disappointed if he chooses to leave, but he is a great kid that I think is a terrific basketball player.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On Marist …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“I just watched a little tape, they run good stuff; he is running some of the dribble drive. (Marist head coach) Chucky Martin coached with me at Memphis; they play some zone and some man. He is a terrific coach; he took over a tough situation where you lose seven or eight guys from the year before. My hope is this is his breakout year because he has a good job and it’s a great program.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On zone defense…[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“It might (appear in the Marist game). We worked on it a couple days ago and we’ll spend some time on it today. If we go to the big lineup, that might be what we go with. I like the big lineup, Terrence (Jones) at three, Michael (Kidd-Gilchrist) at two, that’s a big team.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On how he plans to use the “big lineup” …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“We’d only run a few things, run in transition and two or three things for that team and that’s it. I like what they did, they went pick and roll with Doron (Lamb). That may be what you run in transition, you run the court and go into the pick and roll, I don’t know yet. That’s what they did and it didn’t look bad.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On the Kansas game coming up …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“I’m not worried about Kansas; I’m just worried about my team. All I want to see (tomorrow) is us play with great intensity, continue to play unselfish and if they do those things that’s all I can worry about. I’m not getting ahead of myself and worry about other teams. Our schedule is very demanding; we know that and each game will be hard.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On the starting lineup …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“It will be decided here, unless something crazy happens, with Doron (Lamb) going back to New York, I’ll probably start him. I start anybody that goes to their hometown, so that will be the case. Maybe he doesn’t do anything during the next couple days but I doubt that. He has jumped on the Josh Harrellson thing. He’s working hard, but you can’t just do that one week, you have to keep doing it.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[CENTER][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B][U]Players[/U][/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/CENTER]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]#3, Terrence Jones, F, So.[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On trying to keep the focus on Marist and not look forward to the Kansas game … [/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Well for me, I’m just excited to play one game at a time. I’m just ready to play tomorrow. The next game will be Tuesday, so that’s when I will be excited for that, after the Friday game.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On if they are ready for the season based off the practices they have had … [/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“No. I feel like we get better with each practice, so we need this practice as much as we’ve needed all the other practices before.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On being on the cover of Sports Illustrated …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“It feels real good to be able to represent the school and the team on something that big; it just makes me proud to be able to be that person.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On how they are getting better at practices …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“I think it is just because we practice so hard against each other, and everyone in practice is so competitive. Everybody that you guard in practice is equally talented, enough to make each other better.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]#23, Anthony Davis, F, Fr.[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On officially starting the season tomorrow night …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“I’m ready for the first game, the season opener. It’s the time we’ve been waiting for. We’ve been waiting for the season to start and now it’s finally here so we’re all just amped up. We can’t wait for tomorrow.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On whether getting to play a little bit at Rupp has helped them prepare for the season to start …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Most definitely. We got used to the rims and the court is way bigger. We’re getting used to the court and everyone is getting excited early. It really helped a lot.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On whether the win the other night led to more relaxed practices …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Not at all. We always have our intensity up in practice. [Coach Calipari’s] standards don’t lower for anyone. He just tries to go out there and make us compete and still play the way that we know we have to play.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]#25, Marquis Teague, G, Fr.[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On how he feels running the offense … [/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“I feel like I’m doing good. I’m just trying to get everyone involved. I need to keep up high energy, and just keep control of things on the floor.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On what he[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]needs[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow] to [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]work[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]on[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow] … [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“I need to keep making sure I am knocking down open shots. I need to keep pushing the ball in transition, and sometimes I need to slow it down. I need to pick and choose when to speed up and slow down.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On what they did after the blow-out win over Morehouse … [/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“We came in the next day and just got shots up and got free throws up. We played tough and played hard.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
