KENTUCKY (19-8, 8-5 SEC)
at No. 21/17 Vanderbilt (18-9, 8-5 SEC)
Sunday, February 25 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Memorial Gymnasium (14,316) ? Nashville, Tenn.
TV:
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Kentucky hits the road for the third time in five games looking to split the regular season series with the 17th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville.
After opening the SEC schedule with three of four road victories, the Cats have dropped their last two away from Rupp Arena, against Tennessee and Alabama, to stand at 3-3 on the road in the SEC. UK has fashioned an 87-38 record in SEC road games since the league split into two divisions in 1992. In that span (15-plus) seasons, the Wildcats have never posted a losing SEC road record.
Kentucky earned a much-needed win over LSU Tuesday night, which snapped a three-game slide by the Cats. During that game, Kentucky collected its 400th all-time win at Rupp Arena while junior Randolph Morris became the 53rd member of Kentucky?s 1,000-point club.
Earlier this season, Vanderbilt handed the Wildcats one of just two losses at Rupp Arena, shooting 50 percent from the field en route to a 72-67 victory.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – FEB. 23
Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening Statement?
?Good afternoon. We were certainly glad to get the win the other night against LSU. Even though LSU was without Glen Davis, I thought we played a good basketball game. Getting the win was extremely important after losing three in a row. Vanderbilt is a team that has beat us three times in a row now. We have to find a way to guard their three-point shots, because that is what killed us here. Also, we have to limit their second-chance opportunities. I know they are coming off a tough loss against a very good Mississippi State team and are also coming off a big win against a very talented Florida team. I know Derrick Byars is playing extremely well, so they?ve got a lot of weapons that we need to try to shut down. I am more concerned about us getting back to playing the type of defense we are capable of. I thought we came close to doing that the other night against LSU. Our issue now is trying to make sure we are consistent at the offensive end as well. We can?t afford to get off to a tough start down in Nashville. They always have a great crowd, and it?s a tough place to play. We?re still looking to finish and play a complete game. It?s been a while since we have put two good halves together. We?re getting some good, solid play out of Randolph (Morris), and if we can get that play out of him in Nashville, it will be very beneficial. He?s joined the 1,000 point club at Kentucky, and I know that is a major milestone and a great accomplishment for him, especially after missing so many games last year. We still need to work on our mental toughness and fight through some adversity, especially in late game situations.?
On the significance of beating Vanderbilt and earning a bye in the SEC tournament?
?Well, that?s the most important thing. We saw what happened last year when we had to play on Thursday. There?s nothing more important than getting that extra day of practice or rest so you can prepare for a tournament. Last year we didn?t get a bye, and we won two games, but we came up short against South Carolina. It?s always important for several reasons.?
On Kentucky?s mental toughness?
?We?ve got to find a way to control the tempo and control the flow. We?ve been in great positions to finish games the right way, so I know we?re capable of doing it. It?s a matter of getting guys on the same page, taking care of the basketball, and getting the stops. That?s been the biggest challenge this year.?
On stopping Vanderbilt?s offense?
?We need to take away their threes, and we didn?t do a good job of that here. We also need to keep the ball out of the post, and I mean that from a standpoint of stopping the dribble penetration. They are pretty good at that, and they like to put the ball on the floor and pitch the ball to the open man. They do a good job of finding open people spotted up for shots.?
On Vanderbilt?s home court advantage?
?Getting off to a good start is going to be very important. We can?t keep digging ourselves into holes like we have of late. One way to keep the crowd out of it is to make shots, get the lead and keep the lead.?
On Randolph Morris?
?I think he is starting to play more consistent. We need to find him more and get the ball to him when he?s open. I think he needs to be a little more aggressive defensively and work on keeping the ball out of the post.?
On Derrick Byars and Shan Foster?
?We have to defend them with Joe (Crawford), Ramel (Bradley), Jodie (Meeks), and Derrick (Jasper). They have a size advantage on Ramel and Joe, and an experience advantage over Jodie and Derrick. Again, they can shoot over you, and we have to make them put it on the floor, which we didn?t do the last time we played them. They can get in their comfort zone if you don?t make them do something they don?t want to do. That?s what happens in transition, and they do a good job of finding people. Derrick and Shan have a lot of confidence in their shots, and the coaches have a lot of confidence in them. They have the green light to shoot those open shots.?
On Kentucky?s defense as of late?
?Everybody has a scout for you, and we have to make adjustments. We haven?t defended one-on-one. We?ve had breakdowns on the perimeter and in the post. We haven?t had that aggressiveness that we had early on. There are some pretty good teams in this league, compared to the teams we played early on when we had our run. Mississippi has gotten better since then, and Mississippi State has gotten better. By the second time you play a team, you should have a good idea about the player you are going against.?
On getting a technical foul as a motivation to the players?
?I never have done that out of motivation really. My job is to set an example for the players and to remain calm and collected. I hope that they can build on that. I think it?s more about execution than it is about emotion.?
On new facility?
?This facility has been the best thing to happen to Kentucky basketball to my knowledge in a long, long time. It?s been good for us. Our kids are in there shooting all the time. I think our kids feel really comfortable in there and again there?s not a better place in America to have as a practice facility. The Joe Craft Center is the best thing to happen to Kentucky basketball in a long time.?
Kentucky Players
#33 Randolph Morris
On becoming a 1000-point scorer?
?I didn?t even know about it until I did it on Tuesday night. All I can really say is that it is an honor and a real accomplishment for me.?
On Vanderbilt?
?I wouldn?t really say that I got into foul trouble the last time. It was more about me not being aggressive or dominating at all in the paint like I can. I don?t know why I didn?t. I don?t really have an answer for you. I just look forward to trying to change it on Sunday. They have beaten us three straight times now and they?ve had a lot of success against us. We need to change that.?
On trying to earn a No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament?
?I think it?s really important for us. We need to continue to execute and play well in order for it to happen though. We?re trying to not let what happened to us last year, happen again. To earn a number two seed and get a bye is very important and will help us a lot.?
#13 Bobby Perry
On the importance of Kentucky?s game against Vanderbilt on Sunday?
?This would be huge win for us. We?ve lost three straight against them, and we?re playing for second place in the SEC. A win against them would help us get a first round bye in the SEC tournament. We could end up potentially playing four straight days, and we want to save our energy and legs in the tournament.?
On how the offense can become more consistent?
?We have to look for more opportunities to pass, screen and do the little things. There?s no magical formula. We just have to execute and go into the game with the right mindset.?
On Kentucky?s last three losses?
?We just have to concentrate for 40 minutes and sometimes that slips. Turnovers have been a huge key for us late in the game, and our shot selection has hurt us as well.?
On Kentucky?s defense?
?We know that defense wins championships, and we need to play defense like we know how to. If we play like that, we can stop teams from scoring and hold them to low shooting percentages.?
#3 Ramel Bradley
On the height of Vanderbilt?s guards?
?They are very tough to guard because a lot of them are bigger than us. They can shoot over us, so we have to get up high and contest their shots.?
On Vanderbilt?s winning streak at home?
?It is going to be a very tough environment down there. Their fans don?t hold back. At the same time, it is a very good opportunity for us to go down there and get a win.?
On the significance of beating Vanderbilt?
?It?s a very important game for us. There is a bye in the SEC tournament on the line. If we play the first day of the tournament, we?re going to be more tired than if get a bye.?
On Vanderbilt?s Derrick Byers?
?He is about 6-8 and hard to guard. He?s a good shooter, and he can also play the post. He?s a very versatile player.?
