UK vs. Kent State
Pregame Basketball Press Conference
Memorial Coliseum
Coach Tubby Smith
On win over Morehead State…
“After watching the tape and breaking down film, I thought we played much better. I thought our intensity was better and we’ve improved significantly in rebounding even though we had the size advantage, we did a better job of boxing out. So there were a lot of positive things in that game but still several areas that we need to improve on. I was pleased with our effort and we’ve had good practices this week and I hope it will carry over into tomorrow against a very good Kent State team.”
On Kent State…
“Kent State is a team that many people have picked as a team that can win the Mid-American Conference and they’ve been ranked in the preseason top-25 by some polls. They had a tough loss against Hofstra, but they played extremely well otherwise. That was a game where Trevor Huffman didn’t shoot the ball very well. He’s a very talented player but they have a lot of good players to go with him. Any time you go up against a senior-laden backcourt like they have it presents a problem.”
Overall…
“It should be a good game and I look forward to going to Cincinnati. Certainly any time you travel away from Rupp Arena or go on the road to play, it’s always going to be a tough game.”
On positives from Saturday’s win over Morehead State…
“I thought we were solid in our defensive principles. We executed basic fundamentals. They are showing they understand the concepts and working together. We need to do a better job of communicating and letting each other know where we are in transition, talking on screens, things that will make us a great defensive team. We have to be a great defensive team to win consistently.”
On UK defense…
“You have to have someone to anchor the defense and it usually starts at the point and center spots. You have to be strong up the middle like in any sport and basketball is no different. J.P. (Blevins) has to set the tone, Cliff (Hawkins) has set the tone defensively, along with the guys in the middle that can protect the basket and be physical. That’s what we’re trying to get, that’s something we were hoping to get and have been working on since day one. I think the guys are starting to understand they have to play that way for us to be a good team.”
On leadership…
“We’ve got to have people stepping up in that leadership role. Every team has a different profile and this team is still trying to find its identity. But we’re going to do it through defense and that’s where we have to focus ourselves. We can be a good defensive team and an outstanding offensive team but we have so many players and pieces that must come together and fit together the right way for us to be successful.”
“Leadership to me means a guy that is doing the right things on the court – taking the charge when he’s supposed to take the charge, blocking the shot when he’s supposed to block the shot and boxing out when he’s supposed to box out. Making the correct pass and getting people in the right spot, that’s leadership to me and we have to have that from everybody. It starts with the seniors because they are the captains.”
On Kent State…
“They’re a veteran ball club. They’re pretty solid, not really physical but they are very aggressive both offensively and defensively. In Huffman and Mitchell they have two guys that can really push the ball up the court. They can shoot the three and they have a 7-footer who can limit your layups and easy baskets.”
Forward Chuck Hayes
On the week of practice…“Practice has been brutal. The coaches are trying to get us to have a tough and physical mentality. Everyday, a couple of us will go at each other and that is what coach wants.”
On the changes in practice…
“We’ve been taking more shots and we have been hitting the weight room a lot more consistently and that has caused our defensive intensity to go up a lot.”
Guard Keith Bogans
On his ability to guard Kent State’s guards…
“A lot of people doubt my defensive ability. I am going to go out there and contain them and play within our system.”
On why he has been getting to the free throw line…
“I think that it’s just the way I play. I play the type of game where I attack the basket on the drive and I will get fouled whether I am in there shooting or getting rebounds and put-backs.”
On the week of practice…
“We have been beating each other up in practice. We play through everything, no foul calls. Plus we have drills where we basically rebound against each other, play each other one-on-one and beat each other up.”
On team chemistry…
“I am sure as the season goes on we will click. On a team with so much talent it could take a while. I think we are more talented than anyone in the country. It is just going to take time for guys to learn their roles and to do exactly what the coaches ask us to do.”
Forward Marquis Estill
On the team’s overall play…“We haven’t played to our potential. We are slacking a little on defense, so we need to work a little harder on that. It just takes some teams longer to get to where they want to be. We will continue to get better.”
On his health…
“I’m not concerned. I’m feeling fine right now. My knee and back are doing okay, and I don’t think it will affect me down the road.”
Forward Tayshaun Prince
On Coach Tubby Smith’s impression of the team after the Morehead State game…“After watching the tape we were able to see that we have improved over the first two games of the season. We still have things to work on, but we are still improving. Coach wants to see more charges taken. He wants us to get more loose balls. Those are the types of intangibles that establish our defense and get us going offensively.”
On a lack of leadership with this team…
“We miss the leadership that Saul (Smith) gave us last year, and we haven’t found a new leader this year. But someone will step up soon to help us through the year.”
