Kentucky’s Jon Hood, Doron Lamb and Josh Harrellson gave pregame quotes for tonight’s game against Vanderbilt (via UKAthletics.com):
[B]#4, Jon Hood, G, So. [/B]
On looking at the upcoming SEC tournament …
“We’re taking it one day at a time. We’re just trying to win (these last games) right now.”
On next year’s team with new recruits …
“I haven’t thought about next year at all. I am thinking about this year and this year only. Next year will come when next year comes just like the next game or next day. That will all take care of itself. Just have to work hard.”
On Josh Harrellson’s role on the team …
“Now, he’s part of the team. He is one of the main vocal parts of the team as far as leadership and everything else goes. This next game (Vanderbilt) is going to be a tough one. Hopefully, everybody comes out. I know there will be 24,000 at this game. I hope they give him a warm welcome. He might cry after, but I know he’ll be smiling from ear to ear the whole game.”
On finishing the rest of the season …
“We really can control our own destiny. I mean, what we do from here on out determines our seeding. We can improve or worsen (our seeding). Like I said, we do control it and it’s just all on how we play. It puts the pressure on you, but at the same time I think it makes it easier. You know what you have to do. At the beginning of the year, we were trying to win everything. But now, we are just looking at our final goal. We are trying to win out so we make sure we get there.”
On what to expect against Vanderbilt …
“(Vanderbilt) won’t beat themselves. That’s the main thing. They never have and there’s something about it. Not like many other teams across the country. It should be a good game. It will be really physical and really tough. I don’t know how fast-paced it will be, but it should be a good Senior Night.”
[B]#20, Doron Lamb, G, Fr. [/B]
On playing better at home …
“We have the crowd with us, we are used to the rims and we play harder. We just want to let everybody know that we can win every game at home. I think we play harder at home. I don’t know why, we just do. I think it’s because we draw energy from the crowd.”
On finishing the rest of the season …
“(Playing Florida) was payback, but we have to win tomorrow’s game (against Vanderbilt). We have to beat a ranked team. We are trying to get a high seed in the tournament in March. So the better seed you get, the easier it is to win. Coach (Calipari) didn’t say we had to win, but that’s what I think. We have to win. He’s just worried about a good seed. But really, we are just trying to win every game we have left so far. That’s our main goal, to win every game.”
[B]#55, Josh Harrellson, F, Sr. [/B]
On Senior Night …
“(Tears) might not run down the cheeks, but my eyes will probably be watering. I will definitely be smiling. If there are tears, (they) will be tears of joy.”
On what to expect against Vanderbilt …
“It is going to be a tough game playing Vanderbilt. Great opponent. One of the toughest teams in the SEC. They are very physical so hopefully we can come out and contain players better than we did last time. We definitely want to beat them. We feel like we owe them something because they beat us down there. They came out with the victory in a very close game. We thought we should have won down there. Hopefully we can come back and get a ‘W’ at our house.”
On playing better at home …
“Being comfortable maybe. Just knowing that when we come home we just play better. Everybody has a different mindset. (We are) more relaxed and not nervous knowing we are playing on the road with a hostile crowd. Everybody is relaxed and able to play better because we are not so tense; home court advantage. Most teams usually shoot better at home and play better at home. So when we’re home, we do the same thing that other teams do. We play better. People have better games. We come out and perform better.”
