Oct. 16, 2001
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Coach Tubby Smith
On the upcoming season…
“We’re certainly excited to be here and be back. From the coaches and managers to the players, I can see the excitement in everyone’s eyes about how much they are looking forward to this year because we have some really talented players. Getting Jules Camara back is a real plus, especially with the loss of Jason Parker, so that’s going to make a big difference.”
On expectations…
“The expectations for this year are the same for every year – we want to compete for the Southeastern Conference Championship. Obviously we feel there are a lot of important games before the SEC season starts and we know that we’ll be tested every game and this year is no different. The good part about this year’s schedule is that we’re not playing as early as we did last year and that is a big help – it gives our younger players a chance to improve and learn our system.”
On the return of Bogans and Prince…
“I think we two of the best players in the country returning in Keith Bogans and Tayshaun Prince. I think Tayshaun has a great chance of being Player of the Year in the country – he’s come back stronger and he’s improved in a number of areas, but most importantly, in his strength. I also think Keith can be an All-American. He’s come back with a renewed enthusiasm. Having tested the NBA waters, he understands how much he enjoys college basketball and there is a lot more to accomplish. I hope that Tayshaun and Keith reach the goals and expectations that they have for this season.”
On the UK talent…
“We have a lot of talent on this team, but talent does not mean a thing if you do not come together as a team and if the chemistry is not right. More talent does not necessarily equate to more wins or anything else until guys get out there and perform. Being in the business for 26 years of coaching, I know that very well.”
On Marquis Estill sacrificing scholarship…
“I want to thank Marquis Estill, I think he’s a real hero in the way he sacrificed his scholarship to allow Keith Bogans to come back. That’s been a big help to us and it will mean a lot to our program this year having Marquis do what he did.”
Breakdown of 2001-02 Wildcats…
Sr. guard J.P. Blevins- “He has trimmed down, streamlined himself by getting on the weights and improving his quickness – something he had to get better at if he wanted to run the team at the point guard spot. He has to be more aggressive defensively and that’s something he’s working on everyday. His shooting has to improve. We’ve been trying to get him to concentrate on just looking at the rim because he has a tendency to just watch the flight of the ball, but point guards have that problem at times. He’s a good shooter and at this point in time, he’s being counted on to lead our team. He’s a co-captain with Tayshaun and being in the program for four years, he understands what has to be done.”
Jr. guard Keith Bogans- “I’m not sure at this point in time if he will start at shooting guard or the small forward spot but he will start. He is a talented player and he realizes what he has to improve on which is his ball handling and his lateral quickness. Once he improves in those areas, the sky is the limit for Keith Bogans.”
Fr. guard Josh Carrier- “He’s really an excellent shooter, I’ve really been impressed with Josh. His conditioning was not quite as good coming in but skill-wise, he’s as skilled as any of the freshman we have coming in. By that I mean his ball-handling skills, his knowledge and understanding of the game, knowing when to pass, when to take the shot.
Fr. guard Rashaad Carruth- “Rashaad has really shown the competitiveness that we know he had and I think that he will contribute a lot to the program.”
Fr. guard Adam Chiles- “Adam came in and he didn’t play much in the summer because of his back, and today, he has an ingrown toe nail so he was limping. I don’t know his status but he’s a kid that has come a long way in improving his stamina and conditioning. He’s a guy that we’ll look at closely as a possible redshirt. He can help us, he’s an aggressive defender on the ball and he’s improving his outside shooting.”
So. guard Gerald Fitch- “You saw what he did for us last year – the aggressiveness he played with turned our season around. We inserted him in the lineup and he gave us energy, enthusiasm and a real defensive presence that we needed. His ability to rebound from the shooting guard spot has just been amazing for his size. I have the utmost respect for Gerald and he comes to work everyday and works extremely hard.”
So. guard Cliff Hawkins- “Cliff has really improved his stamina, endurance and his asthma. It will be a real battle between J.P. (Blevins) and Cliff as far as who starts for us at point guard but like I tell them, I’m more concerned on who finishes the game and teamwork and teamplay than I am about who starts. He’s an excellent on-the-ball defender but we’ve got to get him better at taking care of the basketball and making better decisions with the ball. Once he does that, he could be as good as point guard as we have had here.”
So. guard Matt Heissenbuttel- “Matt is a walk-on whose biggest asset is his understanding of the game. He played exclusively on the scout team last year and he challenged our guys in practice everyday and it made us better. He’s doing an outstanding job. He needed to improve his outside shooting and he has.”
So. forward Erik Daniels- “Erik has taken off, he’s picked up right where he left last year. He’s gotten off to a great start, if you saw the Midnight Special game, he’s making great passes and good decisions with the ball. His outside shooting has improved, he’s gotten stronger and he’s gotten taller. He’s going to be challenging a lot of players for playing time and I expect him to play a lot this year for us.”
Fr. forward Chuck Hayes- “Chuck is as good as advertised. His personality is one of being aggressive and he’s got the physical body to play inside and has the skills and quickness to play on the perimeter. I’ve been very surprised by his outside shooting and three-point shooting. Chuck is a young man who will play some four but will eventually be a three-man for us.”
So. forward Cory Sears- “Cory has really improved his shooting, he’s gotten that shot up now – he had a problem last year where it was always flat when he shot. He’s continued to improve his athleticism and his strength. Cory did a good job for us in practice last season and he’s doing a good job for us now.”
Sr. forward Tayshaun Prince- “I think he’s showing a lot of leadership out there and I mentioned earlier what I think about him and what he brings to this team.”
Jr. forward/center Jules Camara- “I think the year off has helped Jules appreciate what he has and the opportunity to be a basketball player here at Kentucky. He’s come back with more weight and he’s looking and playing extremely well in practice.”
Jr. forward Marquis Estill- “We kept him off his knees all summer long, did a lot of conditioning and strength training to get some more flexibility and mobility in his knees and we’ve been watching him closely. He turned his ankle yesterday but he was back today running so we expect him to be a real force. He is a very skilled offensive threat. Now he has to match that with his defensive ability and he’ll be good.”
Jr. forward/center Marvin Stone- “Marvin has trimmed down and that has helped him a lot. He’s been playing very well. He’s as an intelligent post player as I’ve ever had the chance to coach. He understands how to play the game, what I want him to be is more aggressive and more physical and have more of presence inside – dominate the paint on both ends which he’s very capable of doing.”
So. forward/center Jason Parker- “We know that Jason will not be playing this year, we want to be working with him really closely. We know that we are having our doctors follow him closely. He’s probably going to get another opinion to look at what needs to be done with his knee. When he does that it will probably be another couple weeks before surgery is done again to repair the damage that was done. The key for him is to stay psychologically motivated.”
On the schedule…”This schedule and this league is going to be as tough as we’ve ever had. The good thing about it this year is that we do have experience and veteran players to compete at this level.”
On learning from last season’s slow start…
“Along with having more veteran players and experience, I think that will take care of the toughness of the early season schedule. One good thing about this year is that we’re not playing as early so we’ll have a lot more practices under our belt. Our first game last year was Nov. 9 and this year it’s Nov. 15th.”
On the busy off-season…
“My off season was hectic, but that’s part of the job. I’m one of those guys who stays busy, I could say no, but I take this responsibility and this role as the head basketball coach here at Kentucky as an opportunity to give back and do as much as I can and help as many people as I can – that’s the way I was brought up. I was brought up in a household that mom and dad taught us the more we give the more we receive.”
Concern on Parker being out for season…
“His physical presence – his size, his bulk, his rebounding, his intimidation inside. I think he is a player with his strength and aggressiveness inside, can intimidate people much like Jamaal Magloire did. He could physically go through you to the basket and a lot of guys can’t handle that physical of play inside.”
Keeping players happy with minutes played…
“I don’t even think about happiness, I’m not here to make them happy. I’m really not, I’m here to help them be successful – successful students, successful people, successful players. If that means them not being happy, that’s fine with me. If that mean’s them being excited, overjoyed and elated, whatever it takes for them to be successful, that’s what I do.”
On style of play…
“We want to play an aggressive style. I think we’ll be more of a running team, a pressing team, simply because we’ve added some quickness in the backcourt in Rashaad (Curruth) and Chuck (Hayes) in the front – I think those players will add some aggressiveness. Plus, for our returning players, another year of knowing and learning our press is going to improve our team and the ability to put points on the board, create turnovers and play at a more up-tempo pace. We think we can be a better pressing team – if you can press better and you can force more turnovers, you can be a better running team.”
On forward/center Jules Camara…
“I think Jules is very capable of being a starter in our lineup, he’s started before. He has a defensive presence in his shot blocking ability, which we lacked last year. We’ll be able to block more shots with him in there. He’s got a nice move, a jump-hook, a fade away and can shoot over a guy.”
On potential starting point guard…
“Defense has everything to do with it – if they can’t defend, they can’t play. J.P. (Blevins) and Cliff (Hawkins), if that doesn’t work out, we have Gerald Fitch and others to try there. Because J.P. is a guy who understands what needs to be done, he needs to relax and just play and he’ll be fine. It is between J.P and Cliff.”
On guard Gerald Fitch’s aggressiveness…
“He’s a player, you’ve got a love a guy like him – I know I do. He does all the little things well. Gerald is in the right spot defensively and when he is wrong, he makes up for it in his hustle and his aggressiveness. You can overcome lack of size or other things because of his heart – there is always place for athletes like that.”
On if he’s thinking about the Louisville game…
“Not really, I have too many other things to worry about. Obviously that’s a big game, as is every game on our schedule. Whenever we play anyone Kentucky is usually the No. 1 team on their schedule, and so we have to really focus on getting ready for Western Kentucky and whoever comes next.”
Player Quotes
Tayshaun Prince
Senior Forward
On returning to Kentucky…
“I knew I was coming back as soon as I put my name in. It was just a matter of testing the waters, getting my name out there in order to see and hear things. You want to get a feeling of what’s out there, what people think of you and what you need to improve on.”
What the scouts said…
“The big thing they wanted to see is consistency. It wasn’t a matter of putting on weight or anything, just being consistent. That’s a big part of basketball, and I think that is a key.”
On the expectations surrounding the team…
“We know what the fans want. We know what everyone in Kentucky wants. We know what we want. But at the same time, for us to be a great basketball team, we need to stick together through the ups and downs. We know there is going to be those times during the year. It’s just a matter of what we are going to do as far as staying together, being disciplined, going out and giving 100% every time we step on the court.”
On how he and Keith complement each other on the court…
“I think by me playing the four spot, it should open up a lot for him, especially if I am posting up a lot and getting double-teamed. Then I should be able to kick it out to him or one of the other guys. I think the thing between us is that if we just go out and play hard everyday, we will make ourselves better.”
On Jules Camara…
“His game has improved. He played in Senegal over the summer. Not playing last year has helped him take it more seriously and also enabled him to work on his individual game. I think that should help him out a lot. He has been looking real good in practice so far. Not playing for a whole season has to be hard. He stuck through and overcame all the battles and it’s going to work out for him.”
On the point guard situation…
“They both worked hard over the summer. Cliff (Hawkins) worked hard on his jump shots while J.P. (Blevins) was doing a lot of work on his ball handling. It is not a matter of who starts or gets the most minutes, it’s all about Cliff teaching J.P. things and J.P. teaching Cliff things. They both are going to see different things out on the court. They will have to work together.”
J.P. Blevins
Senior Guard
On being a member of a team with so much talent…
“This is a great opportunity for me. I’m on a team with a lot of McDonald’s All-Americans, but I still have a great opportunity to get a lot of minutes. I am going to try to lead by example.”
On the competition at point guard with Cliff Hawkins…
“It is a competitive battle for the starting spot. Defensively I have a couple of things to work on. I can’t come out and hurt us on defense. So I just have to keep working hard on my game. I’ll have the same mindset if I come off the bench or if I start. I will play as hard as I can, regardless.”
On what he brings to the team…
“I bring a lot of leadership and experience to the table. I think I can come out and hit the open shots, and with this team, there should be a lot of those. Coach Smith is looking for someone who can come out and lead. I think I can do that.”
Keith Bogans
Junior Guard
On his relationship with Tayshaun Prince…
“Tayshaun and I have a great relationship. We have two totally different games. If one of us is having a great game, the other can take some of that pressure off because we both have to be guarded. We complement each other.”
On Tayshaun getting all the attention as a Player of the Year candidate…
“It would be nice to be a player of the year candidate, but it doesn’t bother me that I’m not and that Tayshaun is. That would just cause problems. I am here to play basketball and win ball games.”
On practice so far this season…
“The past three days have been the hardest practices I’ve had here. It is really competitive. No one on this team can overmatch someone else. We could play five on five and it would be an even game.”
On Jules Camara returning to the team…
“Jules brings a little bit of everything to this team. He can play inside. He can bring the ball out. He has quickness and will be hard to guard. He is like Kevin Garnett.”
On how the season ended last year…
“That last game hurt. We know what it takes now. We can’t take one day off, one practice off, one second off. We have to come out and play with intensity all the time.”
Jules Camara
Junior Forward/Center
On sitting out a year and how he can contribute this season…
“I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I have maintained my weight, but I definitely feel a lot stronger. I think I can play the 4 or 5 spot. It just depends on what Coach decides to do. If we play against a bigger guy, like 6-11 or so, we can go big. I feel like I can contribute at either position.”
On whether he plays with finesse or plays a more physical game…
“I would say both, but I play with a lot of finesse. I think most of my blocks come from the helping side. I can go inside with bigger guys, or I can step out and use my quickness to beat them.”
On playing this summer in Africa…
“It was a good for me to play over there to get some more games under my belt. We played some really strong teams, and I think I am ready to get back with the team and play well. It’s good to be out there with this team again.”
Josh Carrier
Freshman Guard
On his role on this team…
“My role right now is coming off the bench, being a spark and shooting the three. It could be hard, but I have to expect that on a team like this. We have 16 great players. I’ll just have to play my hardest and see how it goes.”
Chuck Hayes
Freshman Forward
On playing for Coach Smith…
“My roommate, Keith Bogans, and a lot of the upperclassmen stressed that the best thing you can do to impress Coach Smith is to play defense. You can mess up on offense, but as long as you give your best on defense, you are alright with Coach Smith. In practice, ever since the day after Midnight Madness, defense is what I have been concentrating on. I said to Coach Smith, ‘if you are evaluating me in practice and you see me doing something wrong or see something I need to improve on, just let me know because I will do it.’ In practice, when we do defensive drills, I get pumped up for that because that will have a lot of basis on whether I get playing time or not.”
On Keith Bogans…
“I see that whenever we do a defensive drill, Keith is always the first one, the example. His footwork and how to play defense shows he knows how to play man-up on a guy. He is intimidating.”
On when he decided to come to Kentucky…
“I decided to come to UK after Midnight Madness last year. The people were crazy. I had people come up and ask me for my autograph and I was just on a visit. I loved it. Coach Smith teaches me everything about basketball and even about life. He is like a father figure on the court. I just fell in love with it right then.”
On Big Blue Madness…
“I don’t think between it and my first collegiate practice, I have ever been more nervous in my life. It was something I always dreamed about. My father and I used to watch it on TV, and here I am. We had a little walk down memory lane thinking about it.”
Rashaad Carruth
Freshman Guard
On his game…
“I’m a shooter, but I have been working on moving the ball more toward the basket, and getting to the free throw line a little more. Coach Smith has been working with me in individual workouts. I think that coming here and working over the summer has helped me and I am even more of an offensive weapon now.”
On adjusting to the college game…
“I am learning a whole new game now in the SEC and the college game. I have been listening to what the upperclassmen have to say. If I mess up, I have to deal with it and correct it the next time. So it’s a good learning experience right now.”
On coming off the bench…
“I just have to go out and play hard in practice and work on my defense. Defense is the number one rule here. Defense will turn into offense. I know I can score, so if I play defense then I know it will turn into offense. As soon as I got here, I heard that defense is the way to play. I know that I have to buckle down and play hard nose defense. If I do, I will get some playing time.”
On the college game…
“On TV it looks like a slower-paced game. But once you get out here with these big people, you really have to give it your all. You have to be stronger physically and getting stronger is one of the toughest things to do.”
