The UK Hoops team travels to Georgia tonight, looking to avenge a 61-59 loss earlier in the season at Memorial Coliseum.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Just four games remain in regular-season play and Kentucky’s road to receiving its second consecutive first-round bye in the Southeastern Conference Tournament won’t be an easy one. Three of its next four games are away from the friendly confines of Memorial Coliseum, including road contests at Georgia (second in the SEC) and Vanderbilt (tied for third with UK).
“This is a big game for the conference race right now,” UK Hoops Coach [URL=”http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/mitchell_matthew00.html”][COLOR=#0061aa]Matthew Mitchell[/COLOR][/URL] said. “We are a game behind Georgia in the loss column. If we are going to try to gain some ground, and if we are going to be one of the top teams in the conference, we need this game. They (Georgia) were very, very tough against us here in Lexington. They are having a great season. They are well coached and they have great players so it will be a tough challenge for us in Athens.”
Make sure you watch the UK Hoops team tonight on FSN and ESPN3. Gametime is 7pm.
Here are Coach Mitchell’s Pregame Press Conference Quotes:
[I]Opening Statement…[/I]
“Well, this is a big game for the conference race right now. We are a game behind Georgia in the loss column. If we are going to try to gain some ground, and if we are going to be one of the top teams in the conference, we need this game. They (Georgia) were very, very tough against us here in Lexington. They are having a great season. They are well coached and they have great players so it will be a tough challenge for us in Athens.”
[I]On his relationship with Georgia head coach Andy Landers…[/I]
“We have a good relationship. Coach (Andy) Landers and I have gotten to know each other over the years. He has been very good to me. He has been nice enough to share some wisdom with me along the way and he has a lot of it. (Andy Landers) is someone I respect and admire. He has been really good to me in my career.”
[I]On the importance of winning this game in order to get a bye in the SEC Tournament…[/I]
“If you look back in the history of (postseason) tournaments, I just think it’s really hard to win it if you don’t get that bye. Auburn did it one time and that’s the only one that I’m aware of. It’s hard to win. It’s one of the toughest tournaments anywhere to win. So, every advantage you can give yourself is important. It’s crucial that we get that bye and give us every advantage we can to win the tournament.”
[I]On if he thinks his team will be prepared at Georgia…[/I]
“I think we will be prepared. The first game we played seemed so long ago. Both teams have evolved and both teams are probably different than they were that second conference game of the season. We both have had a pretty good run since that game and I think when we play a team twice, the second match-up is always interesting and we are about to enter that phase the last four games of the year. I haven’t been able to find any particular advantages in the second match-up for either side. It just depends on how your team is playing at that time. If anything, it’s just going to be familiarity of personnel. They know what the speed of the game is going to be like. I don’t know how much the first match-up has to do with this game.”
[I]On the last Georgia game sparking A’dia Mathies becoming the point guard…[/I]
“That week, when we lost three games in a row, we didn’t have a lot of time, or I didn’t want to look at a lot of film (from those losses at Duke and Arkansas), and so all three of those losses, all of them had to do with difficulties and breakdowns. That was the last game of those three and we had not played particularly good offense. Georgia had a lot to do with that. But, just coming out of that game, we weren’t moving very well, we weren’t moving the basketball, the freshmen were really struggling at the point (guard). So, that was certainly a catalyst in us changing.”
[I]On how different the two teams are after the first meeting…[/I]
“We aren’t totally different. We have the same players. We are just executing a little bit better. After watching that game and then watching Georgia play, I think Georgia is a lot better as well. It was such an early game in the schedule and I think both teams have had a chance to improve. We are better in half-court execution and scoring in transition.”
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