Oct. 30, 1999
Head Coach Tubby Smith’s Quotes
Blue-White Game
“We had a good turnout and an exciting crowd. I was happy to see the fans. I was pleased with the effort and intensity. The guys have been playing against each other for a while now and they are itching to play others. I was pleased with Jamaal (Magloire), Saul (Smith) and Tayshaun (Prince). Everybody stood out at some point during the game. There was a positive effort by each player. We saw some improvement in the guys in their second year, especially the sophomores. I was pleased with Keith (Bogans) and Marvin (Stone) as freshmen.”
On why he chose to end the game at a tie–
“We have 11 guys. Jules (Camara) was having cramping up. We didn’t want any injuries. They are working hard in practice and they are getting everything done. They like each other, but they can only play each other for so long.”
On the man-to-man, full-court press–
“I think this team is quicker than last year’s. They are very athletic and have that youthful enthusiasm. They are going to make mistakes and the press takes time to learn. The key is to give the guys experience so they understand and can read each other. They have to learn to react to each other.”
On Jamaal Magloire–
“Jamaal is getting more and more patience on the court. He is posting up and working hard on his skills. His positive attitude and leadership are showing. He has always talked, but he is showing some leadership right now. He is doing an excellent job and is very focused. He has been all year in practice.”
On Keith Bogan’s role–
“I think his role is to be a player on the Kentucky basketball team and to get better as a player. I don’t assign roles. They evolve as we go along. We can’t stifle players. I expect everything — scoring, passing, rebounding.”
On the freshmen–
“I thought they did excellent. They handled their emotions and the environment with poise and maturity. It is what I expected from Keith (Bogans) and Marvin (Stone). They are mature basketball players and their skills are excellent.”
“I think the team is where we would like them to be. As a coach, I always feel there are things we could do better. My areas of concern are in the fundamentals. It is hard to measure. We will look at the tapes. Screening was a problem tonight. It is always the timing. Guys are anxious to get the ball and cut too soon. I thought we shot well.”
On Tuesday’s exhibition game–
“I am going to be looking for leadership from the more experienced players. As the game progresses, some players will excel. We will utilize all the players and see where we need to work.”
UK Player Quotes
Blue-White Scrimmage
10/30/99
Jamaal Magloire
On the game:
“I feel like I did okay. The team is looking better, better than we normally do at this time of the year. We are going to continue to work hard. It is a compliment to the coaching staff that they have gotten us ready and prepared to begin the season.”
On being the focus of the offense:
“I am just here to help the team as much as I can. Scoring, rebounding, shot blocking I will do whatever the coach asks of me.”
On confidence:
“I got a learning experience over the summer. My opportunity with the NBA helped me get in the best shape of my life and come back and compete for my senior year.”
On the team:
“Part of the reason that I decided to come back was because of the talent on the team and the potential. We are right where we need to be at this point. The freshmen are playing exceptionally well. For us veterans, it is our job to teach the younger players how to play like the high-caliber team we are known to be.”
Jules Camara
On Jamaal Magloire:
“(Jamaal’s) game is going hard to the basket. He has improved that part of his game from last year and he showed that tonight.”
Saul Smith
On the game:
“It was fun to get out there and play in front of the home fans again. We are still building, but it was good for us to play in a competitive atmosphere.”
On his role:
“We have great senior leadership from Steve (Masiello) and Jamaal (Magloire), I am just trying to follow their lead.”
On UK’s style of play:
“This should be a fun year for us. We will be up in the passing lanes as always, but we will do a better job of getting back on defense. We are a good shooting team and have been ranked high in shooting defense the last couple of years. So if our press works well, we will be alright this season.”
