June 24, 1999
Jamaal Magloire:
(On his decision to return to UK): “It’s been a long and tough process,but I came to a conclusion and I’ve decided to stay at the University ofKentucky. I owe it to the Commonwealth as well as my coaches and myteammates. It’s a decision I’ve been struggling with for the last sixweeks. I had to make a decision on what would be the best for Jamaaland it was to return here with Coach Smith and the rest of the otherWildcats and compete for another national championship.”
(On whether he made the right choice): “I have no regrets. I know thatthe Commonwealth has been great to me as well as Coach Smith and thecoaching staff, and I feel as if it’s a ‘win-win’ situation with thefact that I had the opportunity to test the waters. I’m glad I had thatopportunity to see what the NBA has to offer. I’ve decided to wait ayear in order to compete for another national championship.”
(On the positives of coming back to UK): “I got back yesterday at about5 p.m. and was still undecided, but I had to go with what my heart wassaying and that was to come back here and play. I had to make adifference in a good decision and a great decision. It was a ‘win-win’situation and I thought the great decision would be to come back andplay for the University of Kentucky. This University has been great aswell as this state. The fans are great and I can’t lose.”
(On Coach Smith’s role in his decision): “The biggest influencethroughout this whole process has been Coach Smith. There hasn’t beenanybody else that I have confided in. I’ve never at any point dealtwith agents so it is just natural that the only person I can confide inis him. I haven’t agreed with everything he’s said, but I definitelyagree that coming back here is the best decision for me.”
(On where he thought he would be drafted): “I felt that I wouldbe drafted in the first round. I never, at any point throughout thisprocess, thought I’d be drafted in the second round or else I would havenever gone through this process. I knew in my heart I would be afirst-round pick, but there will be more opportunities and that chancewill be there next year.”
(On UK’s chance to win the national championship next year):“What comes first is definitely the team. I would like to accomplishanother national championship and the potential on this team is somewhatscary in what we can do next year. I think we can contend, and win,another national title. That definitely swung into play.”
(On what he needs to work on this year): “I’ve worked hard tothis point and I’m not going to stop. Now that I’ve come to a decision,it doesn’t mean I’m going to take any days off. I’m going to build onwhat I started. I’m going to even take it a step further in saying thatI need to work on my defense also. I don’t need to work on just myoffense, I need to work on my offense and defense.”
(On the UK coaching staff’s support): “It’s been a tough sixweeks and it’s been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in mylife. I’m glad I have great people like Coach Smith and the rest of thecoaching staff that have helped me and been patient with me. A lot ofcoaches might have just told me what would be in their best interest andthat’s something Coach Smith didn’t do, and I really admire and respecthim for that.”
(On his play in the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago): “I think Idid well in Chicago. In 26 minutes of play, I scored 20 points and had14 rebounds and had a couple of blocks, which is realistically a game,and I feel I did a good job. I’m not complacent, but I have thatpotential to do a lot better.”
(On wavering on his decision): “I was changing my mind prettyfrequently. Any other 21-year-old that wants to do well for theirfamily might have went to the NBA and taken the money and not care wherethey got drafted. For me, I had to put myself in a much more maturelight and think about what’s best for me long-term and the program herelong-term. We’ve had some other players transfer and I really couldn’tturn my back, and that really weighed in and factored into my decision.This is going to be my alma mater, whether it is this year or next year.The fact that we lost some players this year made it even harder toleave.”
(On if he talked to former Wildcat Nazr Mohammed about hisdecision): “I asked him how he felt on his decision and didn’t ask himwhat he thought I should do. You have to follow your heart. Hefollowed his and I followed mine. We went different paths but we’ll beat the same place one day.”
(On critics’ opinion that he was a second-round pick): “I thinkanybody that thought I was going to be a second-round pick is foolingthemselves. I’ve worked far too hard and I’ve had too much coaching toaccept being a second-round pick.”
(On where he’ll go next year): “Definitely the lottery. I’mgoing to work my tail off and I’m not going to accept anything less.When May and June comes around I can focus on the NBA, and right nowthat part is behind me. I’m a student-athlete now and I’m lookingforward to an exciting year here.”
Coach Tubby Smith:
“We’re certainly excited to have Jamaal back. At the beginning,we announced that we’d go through this process to test the waters to seewhat his value is and where he’d go in the NBA draft. We knew that itwould be a great experience for him all the way around, whether hedecided to play in the NBA which is his dream or return to UK.”
“Jamaal is very deserving of being one of the top players in thecountry, and I’ve told him that all along. I’m glad he agreed with mein the decision that he came to.”
“You saw what he’s capable of doing at the end of the year andhe has that potential to do that every game. He’s going to carry abigger load this year because we really don’t have much experience upfront with our front-court players. He’ll be a focal point of ouroffense and he’s always been a great defender. I think those are theareas he will show he is a lottery pick (next year). We play teambasketball here but within that concept he’s going to carry a biggerload offensively.”
“There aren’t many big guys, if there are one or two, that Iwould take over Jamaal Magloire in the draft this year because I knowhim, I know what he’s capable of, and what his potential is.”
