Feb. 18, 2000
Tubby Smith Quotes
Press Conference
Feb. 18, 2000
On the Alabama game:
“After reviewing the tape, I saw that we did some good things in that game that I had overlooked, like taking care of the basketball and rebounding better. We passed the ball extremely well. We defended awfully well. They only shot 32 percent against us. The one negative was that we didn’t shoot the ball that well. We have been working extremely hard, and we are a team that is capable of shooting the ball well. Some of the shots weren’t close as far as going in. One or two went in and came out. The others were long or short.”
On Saturday’s game against Georgia:
“Georgia is a team that is capable of putting up big numbers on you. They have some talented players in D.A. Layne, Shon Coleman and Anthony Evans. They look to score. They are averaging 72 points a game. They are shooting 33 percent from the three-point line. Their inside game really hurt us. Coleman killed us with 26 points and 12 rebounds. So we have to find a way to contain him. In the last game, they got good play off the bench. The key to the game for us will be continuing our defensive intensity. We will have to work hard to stop the dunking and stop them from getting the ball inside, as well as contesting their three-point shooting.”
On the team’s injuries:
“I think when those injuries happened, it may have thrown us off some. We were playing pretty well up until Jules (Camara) went down with the bad foot. Then we had two tough games on the road. At LSU, he played okay, but he wasn’t effective. Then the other night, he showed what he means to us with his offensive boards and his shot-blocking ability. Marvin (Stone) is showing a lot of courage playing with a broken thumb.”
On how the team benefits with Jules in the game:
“He’s an offensive threat. At 6-11, he has a good touch around the basket. He can go inside or outside. He gives you that added depth and allows us to get pretty big if we move Tayshaun (Prince) to the 3-spot at 6-9, Jules at the 4-spot at 6-11 and Jamaal (Magloire) at 6-10. That’s a pretty effective front line. He’s learned to accept the fact that he has to go inside, so it creates a void when he is not there. He has been able to come off the bench and ignite us.”
On bringing Keith Bogans into the lineup:
“When we made the move to bring Keith into the lineup, our turnovers went down. That’s what we did that for. It’s paid off for us. They have turned the ball over less than a lot of teams that have played here at Kentucky.”
UK Players
UK vs. Georgia
Feb. 18, 2000
#42 Jamaal Magloire
On the possibility of guarding Coleman:
“Coleman is a good player. I don’t know what coach is planning on doing, but I will be ready.”
“We didn’t shoot well from the three-point line. We are working on it, the mechanics of it, especially Saul, Tayshaun and Desmond. I tend to stick to my strengths. I wouldn’t feel comfortable (shooting the three).”
“I am pleased with the progress this team is making. We are having a good team effort.”
#11 Saul Smith
On Jules Camara:
“He is 6-11, awesome at jumping, running, defending, blocking shots. He does everything we need him to do coming off the bench at any point in the game. He helps in so many ways. He’s versatile.”
On the fan’s support:
“There is definitely a psychological lift anytime the fans get pumped up. There is a positive extra touch on the ball. The fans have been great this year. They’re not “not” falling because of them. They are the best fans in the world. Some people have said they aren’t like they used to be. We’ll see in Atlanta whose going to fill the gym up.”
#40 Jules Camara
On not playing in the Florida game:
“It’s tough, real tough. I feel bad. Even though I didn’t play with them, I know how they are feeling.”
“Coming off the bench, I try to bring extra energy to the game. I try to run and have some nice dunks. I like to get everyone going and give the starter a rest.”
On Coleman:
“Some games, people have an up game. He’s a good player, but Georgia is not going to beat us with one player. They will have to beat us with their whole team. We are going to do a better job than when we were in Georgia. We’ll play better defense.”
On the team’s 3-point shooting:
“People aren’t missing shots in practice. We have to have confidence and a positive attitude that the shots will fall. It has a lot to do with confidence. When we get to a big game and it’s time for the threes, we know they will fall.”
