[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]Kentucky Men’s Basketball [/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]November 25, 2011[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B]Pre-Portland Media Opportunity[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]
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[CENTER][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][B][U]UK Head Coach John Calipari[/U][/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/CENTER]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On what he expects from the Portland game …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“As I watched the tape of the last game we just have to get better offensively. We turned it over a bunch and played almost confused at points. This is a team that probably needs to play a little more random based on the fact that when you run plays in most cases you are trying to hide a guy or two. When you don’t have to hide one player on the court, the more random you can play the better. Secondly, it forces teams to have to use two defenders to stop a player, now you have advantages. I’m not saying we won’t, but this is a team that should in transition, should on made goals and there should be a lot of random play including against zones so we have been working on that a little bit. It takes a few strings out of my hand but so does the dribble drive. When I say random, a lot of it would be dribble drive, pick and roll, movement against the zone, attacking from the movement and spacing. It takes a lot more teaching in practice but it’s something I think this team should be doing more of. Dribble drive is random. Prior to the dribble drive when I coached I had 10 strings in my hand that I had to hold and after that I had about six. Now I had six strings and a lot of it was in their hands. You’re still coaching them; they understand what they are supposed to do.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On playing random against a set zone …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Well if they are set you’re not really random. The keys to beating a zone, first is beating it down the court. The second thing is you move men and you move the ball. You can’t just move the ball without moving men, you have to move men which distorts the zone and then you have to move the ball. Third thing is you have to get the ball in the lane on a drive or on a post. You do that easier than you do off a set. If you beat them up the court you can get them out of whack and you can move the ball, move bodies and post it quickly. Like I said we’ve got a ways to go. I’m doing this with all young players again so other than Darius (Miller) you are talking about all freshmen and sophomores.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On the danger of selfish play while playing random …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Not with this group, they know how they have played certain ways and that has not been an issue. Again, if you are trying to hide a player you have to run all plays. If your team is really selfish you have to run all plays and I have to call who is going to shoot the ball. If you have all good players who respect each other, which this team is, then you can be more random in how you play because you are going to rely on their decision making and you have to work on it in practice. We’re trying to figure out what’s the best way for this team to play and I need to let them go a little bit which means they are going to turn it over some and make bad decisions. You have to let them go a little bit and then you see what to tighten up a little bit. These kids want to win, they know we can’t play certain ways and win.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On the early season schedule …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“Last year we played a ridiculous schedule and they gave us a four seed so none of that really matters. We’re playing the teams that we are trying to play. Portland is part of a two for one deal. The others are a part of a tournament we played in. In most cases we are trying to play the best teams in any conference. This year, the league is going to be very strong basketball wise, obviously football isn’t bad either. We are just trying to figure each other. I hope it doesn’t take me three months to figure us out like it did last year.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On Sam Malone’s confidence …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“He’s not afraid and the other thing is that when I came back from recruiting at 9:30-10:00 p.m. and went to my office and he was in the gym. I told Brian (Long) the same thing, although he’s not playing much in practice he is going to get minutes. What I would be doing is: I can’t wait for my chance to play. We are keeping it simple when they are in there, playing a zone, playing some motion offense and doing a little pick and roll. They can do all that but why not be in shape so I can come up with a ball, I can make a lay-up or shot so when I get my time I am ready. That is what Sam’s approach has been so now let’s get Brian to have that mindset. “[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]On the team’s excitement when Sam or Brian score …[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow]“It’s neat to see. I’m not really watching what the team is doing but I watch the tape and see the kid score and an eruption on the side line. This team likes each other a lot. Whatever we work on this team is going to do. If we haven’t worked on something and they are confused then that is my fault.”[/FONT][/COLOR]
