KENTUCKY (11-3, 0-0 SEC)
at Ole Miss (11-3, 0-0 SEC)
Saturday, January 6 – 8:30 p.m. ET
C.M. ?Tad? Smith Coliseum (8,700) ? Oxford, Miss.
TV: FSN/SUN
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Riding a seven-game win streak, Kentucky opens its 2007 SEC slate on the road as the Wildcats travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss. Tad Smith Coliseum has been kind to Kentucky through the years as UK has rolled up a 24-8 all-time record on Ole Miss? home floor dating back to their first meeting in the Coliseum in 1966. Overall, UK owns a 93-11 all-time mark against the Rebels, including a 24-8 record in Oxford.
UK went 2-0 against Ole Miss last season, handing the Rebels an 80-40 loss in Rupp Arena followed by a 71-57, first-round victory at the SEC Tournament in Nashville.
The Wildcats have won seven in a row in the series dating back to the 2001 season and have won their last two trips to Oxford.
Kentucky?s defense has been outstanding during the win streak, limiting foes to just 34 percent shooting and 61.3 points during the past seven games.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – JAN. 5
Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening Statement?
?We have a lot of things to be working on this week. We?re trying to get ready for conference play. We feel like we?ve been playing better. Breaking down the Houston game, gave us a lot of problems that we?ll probably see tomorrow. A team like Ole Miss will look to take you off the dribble. (Todd) Abernethy, (Clarence) Sanders and (Bam) Doyne are all kids that can really put the ball on the floor and create their own shot off the dribble. This is a start of another season. We finished with the non-league season. Our goal is to win the SEC. I think our schedule has given us the opportunity to see a lot of different styles of play. Hopefully it will prepare us for all of the different styles we?ll see in the SEC this year. We?re trying to get guys to become more efficient. We need to get better play out of Bobby (Perry) and Joe (Crawford). Those guys have been through the wars a few years and understand it. We?re trying to get our freshmen to appreciate it, especially Derrick (Jasper) and Jodie (Meeks). The environment and atmosphere is going to be pretty hostile and you have to deal with all types of adversities and remain focused and poised. Ole Miss is coming off of a tough loss at St. Louis. (Ole Miss Head Coach Andy) Kennedy has done an outstanding job. I?ve been very impressed with how hard his team plays. He?s got a very veteran team. They will want to prove some things. (Ole Miss Center Dwayne) Curtis is the one that will really carry the bulk. Even though they have some outstanding perimeter people, they look to throw that ball inside a lot. It will be a real challenge to our inside defense.?
On scheduling games prior to the SEC season?
?When you start the schedule there are a lot of reasons you schedule the way you do. We?ve been very involved with players around the country in recruiting, so we play schools like Santa Clara, where we?ve built up a relationship over the years when recruiting players out that way. In Houston, a team from Conference USA we try to get a flavor from different schools. Primarily we?re trying to find teams that make our schedule competitive. I think our schedule prepares us as we go into conference play. We play a lot of games on the road and neutral sites. I think that?s the key to scheduling.?
On whether this team has turned into a good rebounding team?
?It?s hard to judge. Houston is a good team but they spread it out so much with shooting the three. It gave a lot of opportunities. Both teams were missing a lot of shots in that game. Tomorrow will be a better indication as to whether we?ve improved rebounding-wise. I think when we have guys like Jodie looking to rebound more, everybody understands that they have to do their part and box out. We had a lot of people get rebounds during the Houston game. We had a lot of balance there. We can be a good rebounding team, but we?ve got to get better.?
On Ole Miss and their veteran starting line-up?
?Like I mentioned earlier, I think they have a lot to prove. With a new coach, those guys have been through wars and they understand that it?s an opportunity to play at home. I think only three of the last eight years they?ve started at home. They have been playing extremely well, so I know that they are looking to get started on the right foot. I have been impressed with how hard they play. I have been impressed with how Abernethy runs the team. He takes care of the basketball and he finds people open. Sanders shoots the lights out now. I think he is one of the better shooters in the conference. He can get a shot off at anytime; same thing with Bam (Doyne). And now that Curtis is healthy and he is back, I think they will have a lot to prove.?
On comparing this year?s Ole Miss team to previous ones?
?(Kennedy?s) just got a veteran team now. Those guys that were juniors are now seniors, and the guys that were sophomores are now juniors and that always helps. I think the scheduling helps. I guess you are kind of energized when a new coach comes in. Sometimes it gives guys another good look at things, a fresh start, and that?s what?s happened for them. Those teams always played extremely hard. Andy having been at Cincinnati with Bobby Huggins and the way he coaches, he is a very intense and defensive-oriented coach as well.?
On how son Brian is doing as part of Ole Miss team?
?He?s doing well. He?s enjoying playing for Coach Kennedy. He?s enjoying his time at Ole Miss; it will be good to see him. We saw him over the holidays. It?s always mixed emotions when you are playing against relatives or friends. I think the first time I really watched any film on him was just this week.?
On what Joe Crawford needs to do to improve?
?I think he needs to get to the line. I think he needs to attack the rim. I think he needs to be a little more aggressive. I think he could get more in transition and when he has a one-on-one situation.?
On the team?s progress going into conference play?
?I thought we?d be farther along. The Houston game was not up to my expectations. Again they had a very unique style of play and that had a lot to do with it. I think we?re progressing, I?d like to be further along, but I think we are ready to compete in the SEC.?
On the progress of the freshmen up to this point of the season?
?Because we?ve played enough games away from Rupp Arena, they?ve grown. I think that has helped their mental toughness as well as their physical toughness. For the most part, they were recruited for that type of mentality. So it?s just a matter of them understanding, learning the system and applying it.?
Kentucky Players
#32 Joe Crawford
On beginning Southeastern Conference play?
?We know that the teams we are going to play will be tough and strong teams. They will be scouting us harder, so we really need to come prepared and ready to play. These games are the best chance we have to prepare for tournament play, so it?s important for us to play hard.?
On Ole Miss?
?We need to come out ready to play. It?s [Tad Smith Coliseum] going to be a tough environment to play in. I think we?ve had a pretty tough schedule so far. We?ve gotten experience with all kinds of teams; whether they drive in or take outside shots. I think we are prepared, we just need to come out and play hard.?
On his recent play…
?I?m happy to be making a contribution to the team, and that we?ve been winning games. I?m not really proud of the way I?ve been playing. I?ve had trouble getting started. When you?re used to having someone in your face and having to create shots, it?s difficult to get used to having open shots. I just need to be prepared to take more open shots.?
#13 Bobby Perry
On beginning Southeastern Conference play ?
?We?re excited about conference play coming up. We feel like we have prepared well. We are enthused for our first trip in SEC play. We are looking forward to playing a good Ole Miss team on Saturday.?
On how much confidence plays into his shooting?
?When you are able to knock down shots, you gain a lot of confidence. When you miss, it?s tough, but I?ve just got to stay focused and keep shooting.?
On how the veterans are helping prepare the freshmen for SEC play?
?It is hard to tell them what to expect. It is one of those things you really just have to experience for yourself. There?s a hostile environment everywhere you go on the road. You just have to stay focused and execute. I think they?re well prepared for SEC play, though.?
On the team being better prepared for SEC play this season than last season?
?We have played so many different types of teams this season. We are going to see all of those styles of play in the SEC. The teams we have played will prepare us well.?
On whether Ole Miss is a different team with the addition of new head coach Andy Kennedy?
?For the most part, they are the same team. They run a few different sets, but as far as players go, they are still the same corps. They are a hard nosed team. They are very physical down low and we just have to match their physicality.?
#33 Randolph Morris
On the key to conference play?
?Ultimately, it is all about playing as hard as possible. This is definitely one of the top conferences in America, and it is going to be important to play extremely hard every night out.?
On Kentucky being the ?team to beat? in the Southeastern Conference?
?I think we have to have that mentality, and if we can carry out our hard work with that mindset, we will do well.?
On whether the close game with Houston gave Kentucky ?a scare??
?We weren?t scared whatsoever, but I did think it woke us up. We were down one point, but I don?t think we ever thought we were going to lose. It just woke us up and showed us that we need to be more aggressive, take better care of the ball and execute.?
