Jan. 11, 2002
Coach Tubby Smith
On loss to Georgia…
“We didn’t execute down the stretch or make the clutch plays that we need to make in order to pull games out. This the third time that we’ve done that. We worked yesterday to get tougher, and by getting tougher I mean screening better, diving on the floor for loose balls and not giving up the three-point shots when we tell them to keep the ball off the guy. That’s what I mean about getting tougher and a killer instinct.”
“We’re also working on trying to get the ball to the guys that can make the plays at the end of the game, like Tayshaun (Prince). Obviously teams are going to take certain things away from you, so other people have to step up and make those plays.”
On schedule…
“This is a tough stretch where we play the next three out of our four games on the road. Right now, obviously, we’re not very pleased about how we are playing. We’ve played just good enough to get beat, we just haven’t played good enough to win. We just haven’t been able to put that series or run together in late game situations to pull out a win.”
On off-court distractions…
“Not to make any excuses but we’ve had a lot of changes and distractions throughout the year – the most I’ve been associated with as a coach. But through the personnel changes, injuries and other things that have gone on, we’re staying positive. It’s not a matter of panic. We’ve got good players and a good ball club.”
On play of Keith Bogans…
“Keith (Bogans) is a very tough kid and we need him to step up and make some plays. Obviously he hasn’t had the ball in his hands either in late game situations. We’ve got to find ways to get him and Tayshaun (Prince) shots in late game situations. He missed a shot the other night, but then again, so did Tayshaun and everyone else that we needed to make plays.”
On how to come back after two conference losses…
“It’s just a matter of continuing to work hard, that’s the only way we know how to do it. I told the team that we’re going to work harder than we’ve worked before in those areas that need to be improved.”
On what needs to be improved…
“I think the biggest area is defense. If there is an area that we need to make some changes on it would be in on the defensive side where guys are not really giving the extra effort that we need to win ball games.”
On 0-2 start in the Southeastern Conference…
“You never look at it as unsalvageable. In basketball and in sports, you’re always in those situations. There are a lot of times when you’re behind or when you’re in late game situations and you may not pull it out. Those are just basketball as well as life experiences. You’re going to have ups and downs and adversities. How you deal with it is very important. That’s what we’re telling our guys. Even though it may seem dark at this point in time, there is still a lot of light at the end of the tunnel and we can still achieve our goals that we set at the beginning of the year.”
Chuck Hayes
On what UK has to do to snap the two-game losing streak…
“We have to work hard. This is very uncharacteristic of Kentucky basketball and with our talent there is no way we should be 0-2 in our conference right now. Don’t get me wrong, the SEC is tough, but with our type of caliber and expectations, we have to step up.”
On what advice Keith Bogans and Tayshaun Prince have given about perseverance…
“They emphasized that we need to stay positive and make sure in practice we do the little things. It really comes down to more effort, better execution.”
On what they are doing differently in practice…
“In practice we have been going at each other, bruising each other up – really being kids again. Once you are in the paint, you’re going to get an elbow to get that physical mentality. We are also working on last minute plays to see if we can run it for when we are in last-second situations.”
Keith Bogans
“We are off to a rough start in league play, but we have to just show our character and keep fighting.”
On if his slump has taken a toll on him…
“No, it hasn’t taken a toll on me. As soon as I let it take a toll on me, it will start to affect me. I just have to keep my head up, stay positive and keep playing.”
On how he stays positive…
“The main thing is not to worry about the past. The games that we lost or the games that I didn’t play well in, that’s over now. I can only live in the future.”
On the USC game…
“It is a very big game. We are 0-2 right now and have already dug ourselves a hole. We have to continue to fight.”
Tayshaun Prince
On practices…
“They’re getting pretty intense. After seeing the last two games on film, we saw we have to keep the intensity up the whole game. That’s what we’ve been working on in practice.”
On what they need to work on…
“We have to set more screens and get the offense to run a lot smoother, especially down the stretch. A lot of guys have a tendency to stand around and let someone else try to penetrate and make something happen instead of setting screens and getting everybody involved.”
On the South Carolina game…
“It’s a huge game. No one expected this to happen (0-2 start in the SEC), but at the same time, it’s time to start a new win streak. South Carolina’s been playing really well this year. We’re both trying to get our first SEC win, so it’s going to be a tough atmosphere.”
Gerald Fitch
On distractions…
“They really haven’t affected me. I’ve thought about Quis (Marquis Estill) a lot because of the tragedy he’s gone through. But I don’t let that affect me on the court.”
On the South Carolina game and the SEC…
“It’s a must-win game for us. I thought the Georgia game was a must-win game too. There are a lot of good teams in the SEC. We have to pick up our intensity or we’ll pick up some more losses.”
“We have to turn things around. We have to start from somewhere and tomorrow’s a good place to start.”
