Men's Basketball
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Head Coach Tubby Smith

Head Coach Tubby Smith

“We have been playing better, I think. After evaluating the Georgia game, I thought there were things we need to do better, obviously the late-game situation. We have worked on that some this week, getting to a point where we can finish the game the right way. When we have a lead, we need to build on it. I think a team has to have that type of personality that they keep playing the same way no matter what the score, and I think we have the tendency to let up.”

“We have to contain South Carolina because they are coming off a big win against a very good Florida team. I thought Jamel Bradley was outstanding in his ability to make three-point shots. He kept them in the game and kept the game close. In the end they had some people make big plays for them down the stretch. Aaron Lucas made some tough plays, he is a very quick point guard and really pushes the ball up the court. Containing him will be a real challenge for us. Their inside play is with Marius Petravicius, a very physical, very strong player. Tony Kitchings is a solid post player, so our post people will be tested. Rolando Howell is a very talented guy who can do a lot of different things. He can go inside, he can go outside. He can shoot with range; he is very athletic.”

“I think our guys are focused. We are getting better play off the bench. J.P. [Blevins] is doing a good job, focusing and playing with a lot of confidence. We have to have Cliff [Hawkins] come in and give us the same type of play he gave us the other night. As we develop the bench strength and that type of confidence, then players coming off the bench will add some depth to us. Coming into tough SEC play, that will be very beneficial to us.”

“I would like to see us attack the basket more and draw the foul, either by throwing inside or penetrating and forcing the defense to foul us. The team we are going up against has made more free throws than their opponents have taken, so they are a team that is very patient. They make you have to play defense. In our late game situations, that is what we are trying to develop.”

“We are not experienced enough to blow out a team. My personality is one where we are never going to be a team that looks to hammer people. We just want to play the same way from start to finish. I want them to be more aggressive and that should equate to being able to pull away from people and finalize things. Again, that comes with maturity. I have that killer instinct in that I want to beat you but do it as fairly and sportsman-like as possible. That’s just the way I am.”

“We are getting that toughness that we need, and now we just need to get the mental focus. We are starting to play and sustain our focus for a long time and that is what it takes.”

“South Carolina was young last year. Now all those guys have matured and gotten stronger, they have played a schedule that helped them grow and get some confidence. I like their team. They have size, quickness and athleticism. They have a heady player in Chuck Eidson, who can do a lot of different things at 6-7. That gives them a lot of versatility in their lineup, which means that they can play a lot of different styles. In this league, you have to be able to adjust and adapt because you can’t force your style of play on anyone. Coach Fogler has been able to do a great job wherever he has been.”

UK Basketball Player Quotes

#42 Jason Parker

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Jason Parker

On closing out games:

“We have to go out there and play hard by leaving it all on the floor. If we can play hard for 40 minutes without relaxing on the defensive end we will be alright.”

On the current winning streak:

“Things are moving in the right direction. We are on a four-game winning streak and we’re looking to improve that to a five-game winning streak against South Carolina.”

On South Carolina:

“I watched South Carolina beat Florida, the No. 5 team in the country, the other day on television. I know they are going to be coming in here with confidence and try to upset us too. We have to be ready.”

On what has led to his improved field goal percentage:

“I am getting better position down low. The main thing is I am being patient in the post when setting up my shot. Coach has taught me to be patient in the post when setting up my shot and it has helped me to remain focused.”

On playing Division I basketball:

“I am very comfortable with Division I basketball. There were some things that I had to learn during the first half of the season that I have learned now and it is making it much easier on me. I still have more things to learn, but I am getting more comfortable with every game.”

#24 Marvin Stone

On developing a killer instinct:

“At the end of games we need to make better decisions. I think we can do it, but we have made bad decisions at the end of our games that have hurt us.”

On the advantage of a deep bench:

“I think it is a big advantage for us. We can go 10 deep and still not lose anything. As long as the guys on the bench continue to play as well as the guys that start, we are going to have a good conference season.”

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Saul Smith

#11 Saul Smith

On not finishing off teams:

“I am not upset about any win. This is the SEC and you have to take wins however they come, especially when you have such tough opponents. Every team is going to be tough. Georgia was a tough opponent. South Carolina is a great opponent. They (USC) proved that by beating Florida.”

On what the team needs to do to close out games:

“We have to have the mentality that when we have a team down 10 points that we are going to continue to put more points on the board. It comes down to us having confidence as a team. Confidence is something that we have to learn.”

Scouting South Carolina:

“Aaron Lucas is playing tremendously and having a good year. He is taking care of the ball better than he did last year when he made a lot of mistakes. This year he is doing a better job and his team is benefiting from that. (Chuck) Eidson is not playing well offensively, but he lead the league in steals last year so he is going to help in other ways. We have to limit their shooter Jamel Bradley. It is just a matter of us playing good defense, executing our game plan and playing Kentucky basketball.”

Keith Bogans #10

On the goals of the teams:

“One our main goals is to go undefeated at home in the Southeastern Conference. We really think we will accomplish this. If we do that, we have a great shot at winning the SEC title.”

On putting teams away:

“We have been focusing on finishing off teams in practice. In the past we have gotten up on teams and then let them get back in the game. We have to learn to keep up the pressure and not let teams back in the game. We are making little mistakes here and little mistakes there. That is starting to hurt us, but once we learn to stay on top of our opposition and not get passive we are going to be a great team.”

On South Carolina:

“They really played Florida well and they seem to be a tough team. They are going to come into Rupp fired up and ready to play. We have to be ready.”

#21 Tayshaun Prince

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Tayshaun Prince

On South Carolina:

“I haven’t really gotten a chance to watch South Carolina play, but coach has told us a lot about them. I realize that they are a very good basketball team. We have to take into consideration that they are going to be ready when they come in here tomorrow night and we will have to play well if we are going to get a win.”

On winning close games:

“We have been winning some close games lately, but we have been going on spurts where we have trouble scoring. We have just been having trouble with execution on the offensive end and defensive breakdowns at times, but we are pulling out the wins and that is giving us confidence. If we want to keep winning those games we are going to have to execute down the stretch.”

On what has been emphasized in practice:

“We have been executing better the past few games. Earlier in the season we didn’t execute like we needed to and now we are getting great ball movement on the offensive end of the floor. On the defensive end, we are really helping each other out. We are coming together as a complete whole and that has been the key.”

Cliff Hawkins #1

On the upcoming SEC schedule:

“Things are definitely starting to get more intense. We really want to win the SEC. It is a major goal for us. Coach keeps telling us that if we want to accomplish our goals we have to stay focused.”

On his game:

“My shot is starting to fall for me and I am more confident now. I have worked a lot on my shot this season and in the off-season with the coaches. It has made me a more complete player.”

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