March 3, 1998
(Re:) On Allen Edwards)
“We are happy to have Allen back. With the passing of his mom he went home and missed the game against South Carolina. I know our players dedicated that win to him. We all go through a grieving period (after a death of a loved one). It is good to have him back among friends and with his extended family here at the University of Kentucky. All of the fans have been so kind and warm in sending their condolences and sympathy. We really appreciate them. I know that Allen wanted me to convey that to everyone.”
(Re:) Allen Edwards’ return)
“He’s done extremely well. I was very pleased with the way he came back. He seemed to have a renewed commitment. He seemed to be focused and he shot the ball well in practice yesterday.” “In Tulsa I had a player lose his father. To be honest with you, I have been blessed because my mom and dad are still with me and all 16 brothers and sisters. I’m sure it is a real empty feeling.”
(Re:) UK’s play lately)
“We have been going early. We have had a couple of days of workouts that have been going well. We took off Sunday. We go again today (Tuesday) and then we leave Thursday evening to go to Atlanta. I like the way we are playing at this point in time. We still have a lot to improve on. I was glad to see us play well in Columbia without the scoring coming from Nazr (Mohammed) and the inside people like we normally have. That tells you the balance that we have in our program right now and unselfishness that we have with a guy like Nazr willing to pass the ball like he did. Jeff Sheppard has stepped up the last few weeks. I want to compliment and congratulate him on being named SEC Player of the Week. He is very deserving of it. It is his fifth year here and I cannot say enough about how much of a joy it is to work with him and all of the players here.” “People are taking away our strength which is our post play and that’s why I am pleased with the way Nazr and Jamaal (Magloire) and all of our inside people have been passing the ball. We have been an unselfish team all year long. I would venture to say that we are one of the best passing teams in the league and probably led the league in assists. That is the sign that guys are accepting their role and recognizing when not to force shots and when to take a shot. So I think it is their maturity taking place throughout the year.”
(Re:) Being a good passing team)
“A lot of our turnovers happen because we do look to pass the ball quite a bit but I would much rather have it this way than to have selfish players.”
“Whenever you have a new system in place with different roles, there is always a learning period. I was surprised with how quickly we picked it up and how well we played early in the year. Again, since we taught passing from the beginning, I think that is why we have won 26 games.”
(Re:) His concern with turnovers)“It always needs attention. We have worked
hard individually on ballhandling over the last two weeks. I attribute that to the decline in our turnovers.”
(Re:) The team’s play this season)
“As I look back over the season, I could be sitting here with only one loss. We had opportunities to win those three home losses but that is in the past and we are concerned about the future right now and getting ready for today.”
“We are pretty much where we wanted to be at this time. We have been consistent in the areas that I think we have to be in order to play championship-caliber basketball. We have great defense, we rebound the ball and we play unselfishly. The players have accepted their roles and they play with the toughness needed to go on the road and win.”
(Re:) What standards do you have for this team)
“My standards are to win every game, be the best that we can be every day that we can, and to play as a team and as a unit and to develop a family type atmosphere. If we don’t live up to those standards we go back and regroup and try again.”
(Re:) Alabama or Vanderbilt as 1st round opponent)
“Both teams are playing well. Alabama feels as a team that they have something to prove. I sense that the team thinks that this is one of the last games for Dave Hobbs. Vandy has a lot to play for because they had high expectations this year and they feel like they have not reached their full potential but the loss of Billy Di Spaltro with a broken foot puts them in a difficult position.”
(Re:) How the Cats will prepare for Friday)
“You have to work on the basics. We never break any specific team down until the day before you play anyway. So you work on the fundamentals. They each present different problems-Alabama is more perimeter oriented with (Brian) Williams and the way he shoots the ball. I am not sure how Vandy will approach it without Di Spaltro although they have had excellent play from Drew Maddux and (Austin) Bates all year long. We try to simulate and utilize zone offense and zone defense every day.”
