October 20, 1998
Head Coach Tubby Smith Quotes
On his outlook of the season”Were excited about this year. We have a challenging schedule ahead of us. We have the chance to be a good team. Obviously, we lost a lot last year with Jeff Sheppard, Cameron Mills, Allen Edwards and Nazr Mohammed. Those guys were part of one of the winningest eras in Kentucky basketball history. Its going to be tough to replace those guys. But Ive liked what Ive seen so far, and I think we have guys who can step in and do the job.”
On the point guard position”Wayne [Turner] will have to step up and carry more of a scoring load, and he is very capable of doing that. He has worked extremely hard on his outside shooting. Were talking about his outside shooting, but he did shoot 47 percent last year. I would venture to say not many point guards shot better than Wayne Turner did from the floor. Weve been impressed with Wayne and his development. Hes worked hard on his free-throw shooting as well. He pretty much has the complete package. I think Saul [Smith] has really gotten stronger and he has more confidence now. That gives me more confidence to play him more. J.P. Blevins will be an outstanding player as well. He was one of the top field-goal shooters in our fall workouts. We expect him to continue to develop and I think hell give us quality minutes.”
On the two-guard position”That is an area we are concerned about and I think well have to do it by committee this year. Sheppard, Mills and Edwards could all play there. Our two and three men are all interchangeable. Youll probably see Saul and Ryan Hogan at the two at times, you could see Heshimu Evans there sometimes. You could also see Tayshaun Prince, Desmond Allison, and Todd Tackett there sometimes. No one really has the upper hand at the shooting guard spot.”
On the small forward position”Heshimu Evans played there a lot last year. He has really improved his ball handling and his outside shooting, which is key to that position. He has shown that he is capable of stepping up and doing a great job there. Myron Anthony and Tayshaun Prince are also capable of playing there. Its a versatile position in that you are asked to do a lot of different thingsrebounding, scoring, bringing the ball up, and guarding one of the oppositions best athletes. Once our freshmen have gotten stronger, like Desmond Allison and Tayshaun, theyll play there. Even Jules [Camara] could step in and play some three, because he has that athleticism and quickness.”
On the power forward position”Obviously, Padgett is the favorite to start there. He is very deserving of the accolades he has received so far in pre-season picks. He has to continue to work on going inside more. He understands now that he has to utilize all his skills and take whats given to him. He had surgery this summer on his finger, and he has put on some weight, and that will be a help to him. Backing him up, you have a number of peopleJules, Myron, and Bradley will play some four. Hell probably play more five. Im very impressed with how he has improved his strength and his stamina. Hes got to carry more of the scoring load this year, which he was starting to do last year.”
On the center position”Jamaal Magloire is one of the best centers in the country. Hes off to a good start in practice.”
On Kentucky basketball in the 90s”It is amazing, the resurrection that Rick Pitino did here. The support throughout the state is a big key. It took someone like Rick, with his personality, drive and commitment, to bring back Kentucky basketball. Kentucky has become Americas team, the team of the 90s. Rick brought a different style and attitude that a lot of people, especially young people, really like. Plus, he was able to keep the tradition to go along with it.”
On the Southeastern Conference this season “The SEC will be pretty tough this year. It sounds like a clich, but I think this years SEC will be especially tough. In the East, I like Tennessee and their squad and the players they have returning. They had a taste of the NCAA last year, and I know theyre hungry. South Carolina returns a lot of players, and the possible pre-season SEC Player of the Year in B.J. McKie. Georgia is much improved. They have more balance, and they will be solid. Vanderbilt is also much improved. At Florida, Billy Donovan had an outstanding recruiting class. Michael Miller will be one of the premier freshmen in the country. As for the West, Arkansas is ready to get back and respond to the challenge. They have a lot of players returning, and so does Auburn. Those two teams stick out to me. Ole Miss has a new coach, and it will be tough for them to recover from the loss of Ansu Sesay, but theyll be pretty solid. Mississippi State returns one of the best big guys in the country. LSU helped themselves in recruiting, and they are very capable of being a tough team. At Alabama, Mark Gottfried brings a lot of pride to that program because he played there.”
On the UK seniors”Scott Padgetts personality is very outgoing, and hell be the vocal leader of the seniors. He has earned that right in practice, and on and off the basketball court. That is a tough thing to do. You have to be able to put your foot down sometimes and almost be a coach in that regard. Wayne Turner is a leader on the court and in practice. He has never had a bad practice. Hes like that Energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going. In practice, he doesnt like to stay on the sidelines. He is so competitive. The other guys look up to him because he works just as hard or harder than anyone else on the basketball court. Heshimu [Evans] has an energy and sheer athleticism that the guys are in awe of. They have tremendous respect for him that he can do so many different things athletically on the court. All three seniors bring different characteristics to the team with their leadership.”
On the difference from last year and this year “Im very happy with where we are right now. Last year, we came in with a new staff and a new philosophy. We were trying to teach old players new tricks. Thats always tough. Its easier to teach new Cats new tricks. Now the guys know what drills to run, they know what is expected of them, and they get the job done. Its been a very smooth transition.”
On the freshman class”We need our freshmen to be productive. Jules and Tayshaun, position-wise, are the players we need the most help from. Tayshaun, at 6-8, will create a mismatch for people, because he is so skilled on the perimeter. Jules and the athleticism that he has could also create problems for the opposition.”
On the pressure on Padgett and Turner as leaders “Wayne and Scott have both proved they can step up in pressure situations and produce. We try to create scenarios in practice that teach them how to respond in pressure situations and give their best effort. They are highly motivated people, and that is why they have been so successful. They know how to channel their energy in a positive way.”
On the discipline of Jamaal Magloire, Myron Anthony and Ryan Hogan “We have three players who will miss games early in the season, Magloire, Anthony and Hogan. At this time, Im not ready to announce the exact number of games that they will miss. Right now, they are on probation and their suspensions are indefinite. I dont feel comfortable right now saying the number of games, because I want to give them ample time to do what they are supposed to do during their probation period.”
On how he is going to determine each players punishment “Watching how they have responded to the probation has been a big key, and determining if they are disciplined enough not to let it happen again. When you are in the position Im in, dealing with kids futures, the easy thing is to just drop the hammer down. Im going to wait and see where they are, see if they deserve the chance to do better and if they want to do better.”
#42 Jamaal MagloireJunior / Center
(On his off-court incident last summer) “I made a mistake. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I have apologized to my family, my friends, my coaches and my teammates. We’ve all been 20 years old before and we’ve all made mistakes. I think this will make me a better person in the long run.”
“I’m not fearful at all about what might happen to me. I expect this to make me a better player and a better person. I’m here to help my team win another championship and to improve myself as a person.”
“I’ve worked really hard this summer on my scoring, running the floor and blocking shots. I want to be able to contribute and help my team in any way I can. After winning a national championship, the only place to go is down, but we don’t plan on going down. No team in the country works as hard as us and I think we have a chance to win this year.”
#33 Michael BradleySophomore / Forward-Center
“Since Nazr left, I’ll have a lot more responsibility. I’ll need to be even more ready to step into the game and play. I knew I could play. I just had to wait for the opportunity to show it. Hopefully, there will be even more opportunities this year.”
“I stayed here all summer long and worked a lot with (strength coach) Tommy Boyd. I worked on my strength and speed. I think I improved some in all areas, but mainly in my speed and strength.”
“We will need to work hard and get leadership from our three seniors in order to repeat. We’ll have to go out and play the best game we can every night. I’m not concerned about minutes. I just want to contribute in any way and help our team.”
#11 Saul SmithSophomore / Guard
“We worked hard as a team in the weight room and on the track this summer. I especially worked hard in the classroom. Overall, it was a good summer. It wasn’t as long as I wanted it to be, though. Coach Boyd and Chris Rounds did a great job working out with us in the weight room. It probably helped that none of the team went home for the summer.”
“It’s hard work to repeat. You will always have your ups and downs in a season. If you peak at the right times in the tournament, you can definitely make a run for the championship.”
(on the freshman class)”They are great, wonderful guys. I relate to them really well. They have lots of talent athletically and basketball-wise. They’re great students also and that’s what I like about them.”
#5 Wayne TurnerSenior / Guard
“We’re trying to find our identity right now in practice every day. We’re trying to learn the things that Coach wants us to. Right now, we’re working hard in practice and looking forward to playing the California All-Stars. We’re not thinking about Kansas or Duke, yet.”
“I am very capable of being a good leader. So are Scott and Heshimu. I’m the type of guy that’s gotten better over the years at being vocal, but I would have to say that I am a leader by example.”
(On the freshman class)”I don’t think some of the guys from out-of-state realize how important basketball is in Kentucky and the expectations we have to live up to on the court and off. When you put on a Kentucky jersey, you have to wear it with pride and put your heart into it. I’ve been through what they will go through and they know they should come to me to ask questions, or go to Coach Smith.”
“I don’t think a lot of people realize how close we were as a team last year. We were like brothers. What happened between Myron and I was like a big brother taking care of a little brother. We talked it out and came to the conclusion to put it in the past. It was a lesson for both him and me.”
“We have a lot of great shooters on this team. Our big men are coming along really well, with Jamaal, Scott and Myron. It gives me a lot of chances to score and dish to them, also.”
#34 Scott PadgettSenior / Forward
(On the 1998-99 team)”I think we’re a very athletic team. I feel like we’ll be a better defensive team this year than last. The sky is the limit for us. It is still the preseason, but we’re all very focused. Our freshmen are very quick. Jules Camara is probably the quickest at forward. When the season comes around, everybody will know their roles.” #34 Scott Padgett (cont.)
(On the off-court problems)”The guys that had some trouble off the court need to deal with the punishment that Coach Smith hands down and accept it. They need to go out there and play and learn from their mistakes. There’s no need to dwell on the past. I missed a year of playing and winning the national championship, but I don’t dwell on that.”
(On being a senior tri-captain)”I think I’ll be more vocal this year. I want to give my teammates positive encouragement when they make mistakes, rather than saying anything negative. I’ve been here for a long time and I feel like I know the way that things are supposed to go.”
“The only pressure we put on each other is to go out and play hard every day. I feel like I’m a confident person. I’ve always felt like I could come here and contribute. I’ve been a part of some impressive accomplishments for this program and I’m very happy with those. I also know that I have another year left and we have some high goals for our team again this year.”
#14 Heshimu EvansSenior / Forward
(On being a senior tri-captain)”Wayne, Scott and I all have different roles on the team. We need to learn what Coach Smith wants from us and step up as leaders. I feel like I learned a lot from Shep and the other seniors last year. They led by example. I think we need to lead the same way that they did. I’m comfortable in the leader role. I’ve waited a while to get to this point. I look forward to the role. Our freshmen are very coachable. They want to learn.”
(On his defensive skills)”I take a lot of pride when I play good defense. That’s what gets me pumped up to play basketball. We work on a lot of defensive drills in practice. It’s going to take some time for this team to improve defensively.”
(On defending the national championship) “We’re hungry. We know we’re a target for other teams. When you win the national championship, it’s only right that teams are going to want to beat you. We’ve had competitive practices from the start. We need to make some adjustments to win another national championship.”
(On the schedule)”Our schedule is tough. That’s what we live for. We have a very tough December. That will help us prepare not only for the SEC tournament, but also the NCAA tournament.”
v
