Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening Comments…
?We are practicing early, so that we don?t have any leaving early or coming late to practice because of class conflicts. We get started at 7:30, not sure if we will go later or earlier depending on when kids have class. I want to welcome you to media day. I am glad you all got to watch a full practice. I think this is our sixth practice so it is still early. We have a lot to get done but I like this group, they are really working hard. They are attentive and eager and hungry to learn. I like the freshmen we have, they are exciting and excited to be here. We are getting good leadership from the returning players. We don?t have any distractions like we did last year and that is always a plus.?
On junior guard Ramel Bradley ?
?He is always loud. Ramel has taken on that roll and he is excited about the opportunity to step in and lead the team and lead the team the right way. We will have a lot more verbal exchange because he is a verbal player.?
On having a bigger backcourt ?
?We had some veteran, pretty good guards last year. We will be bigger in the backcourt then last year, simply because we have taller and bigger players. Rajon (Rondo) and Patrick (Sparks) – one clutch player and one great athlete will be tough to replace. These guys have a lot of learning and a lot to do. I am excited because we have everyone here healthy and working everyday.?
On not dealing with roster uncertainty in the preseason ?
?Anytime you don?t have to deal with uncertainty it is a good thing. It cuts down on uneasiness not just for the player but for the rest of the guys. (Lukasz Obrzut) and Shagari (Alleyne) both had the opportunity to step up last season and it was still uncertain. Randolph (Morris), I am sure is a lot more relaxed and he is playing that way. He is a junior now and he is developing. He has always had the athleticism and he is starting to utilize his post moves and his ability to play well at both ends of the court.?
On what will be asked of the freshman ?
?Same thing is asked of every freshman, do your job and do what you are asked to do. They have done a good job and have done everything we have asked them to do so far. They will play a lot, guys like Jodie (Meeks), Derrick (Jasper), and Michael (Porter) are very talented. They will have to play a lot because we lost a lot of guards from last year. We lost five guards and a lot will be asked of the new guys. If they give their best effort we will be fine.?
On how new strength coach Scott Holsopple has impacted the team ?
?It has been a big plus. Scott Holsopple comes to us from Marquette where he developed some outstanding athletes and players there. He has had a chance over the summer and fall where you will see a lot of guys become much more into team togetherness. Not just the guys? bodies but the mental aspect. A lot of that had to do with the loss of Chuck (Hayes) and Kelenna (Azubuike), two of our strongest and most vocal players. They have developed strength and stamina, stuff you have to have to play the game. He has made the guys accountable to one another with different drills and forcing them to help each other. A strength coach probably spends more time with them than the coaches do. That is what stood out to me in the interviews, how involved he was in the mental and emotional building of the team.?
On the new multi-million dollar practice facility ?
?That is something that is needed, we have done alright with Memorial Coliseum but it will cut down on some scheduling issues. Just last night I came in here and we had a couple of players trying to shoot and the dance team was performing. That is just something that we always have had to deal with. It will be a good recruiting tool, kids want newness and up-to-date modern facilities and I can?t thank the folks that have contributed to get this building built enough. Mitch Barnhart and his staff got the ball rolling on it and is something that is definitely needed. It will give our players some privacy and limit distractions. It can also help guys be able to focus and practice and play the way they need to during the game. Thanks to Joe Craft and everyone for making this happen. We are real excited about the new facility.?
On the progress of junior guard Joe Crawford ?
?Last year was a tough year for him injury wise. I don?t think he was ever really completely healthy. He had some surgery and missed a couple of weeks last year and that set him back. But he is healthy and I think the competition will help him like it always does; it makes everybody raise their level of play. Joe has become a lot more vocal and he has always been real competitive and that competitive spirit is helpful. Some of the young guys can learn about how to work as hard as he does. We are going to need his outside shooting and his ability to create his own shot.?
On Kentucky?s preseason rankings ?
?I don?t think (the players) should worry about what other people think. They need to worry about what makes them a better player. I don?t put much stock in rankings or what the experts think. The guys need to concentrate on the present and the future.?
Kentucky Players
#10 Lukasz Obrzut, Sr., Center
On the team this season ?
?We are definitely improved. A new word for me, cohesiveness. We are coming together as a team and working on our communication skills and of course conditioning is getting us ready. We are ready and excited for the season. We just want to be ready for that first game and come out that first game and say thank you to all the fans supporting us.?
On the team cohesiveness ?
?We just spend much more time trying to get to know each other both on and off the court. The upperclassmen are talking closely to the young guys and when a guy gets low we just encourage him and get them up.?
#13 Bobby Perry, Sr. Forward
On the differences between last year?s team and this year?s team?
?We don?t like to look at last year because this year we have a totally different team. Everybody is together this year and we don?t have any injuries going into the season. We have had a strong start in practice and very little if any distractions. We have our minds made up on what we want to do this year.?
On the importance of leadership?
?Leadership is key for our team. You have to have it, and everybody has to be a leader in their own way. I think a lot of it rests in the seniors? hands. We have done a pretty good job thus far. We?re focused and on the right track and I think that is a sign of leadership.?
On what he is focusing on this season?
?I am just trying to play as hard as I can and get my teammates involved. We just want everybody to play together and keep working hard.?
On how last year is a motivation for this team?
?We don?t really look at it. Last year is last year. You have to take each day separately. You have to try and improve each day and that?s the only way you?re going to succeed. Since day one in June we?ve been working hard and trying to get better.?
On if his confidence is increased after a great post-season?
?Absolutely what I did in the tournament I hope it carries over into this season. If I score 20 points a game, so be it, but if I score five points and we?re still winning that is what matters to me. We almost beat Connecticut last season, we only lost by four points and they?re a tremendous team. It doesn?t matter who scores, we just all have to play defense. We have to work on it, and I have to work on it. Whatever happens, happens.?
On the freshmen?
?We have a tremendous group of freshmen coming in. Michael Porter, he is outstanding with the ball; and like you saw at (Big Blue) Madness Jodie Meeks, Derrick Jasper and Perry Stevenson are all going to be tremendous players and they can help us out right away.?
On how this off-season has been different?
?I think we all knew it had to change. It just kind of happened. We are already pretty close as a team to begin with, especially those of us who are returning. But, the freshmen came in here and they just fit in perfectly. They?re a funny bunch, and they?re cool to hang out with on and off of the court. They?re willing to listen and learn and that is what you need. This summer, the weight room was probably one of the hardest workouts; actually it was the hardest workout since I?ve been here. When we got done with the weight room it felt like we just got off the track in 100 degree weather. That?s how hard we were working; we could ring our shirts out. It was like nothing else, but that is what we had to have. Everybody was willing to do that and that?s the biggest difference for us this year. That mentality that whatever we did we were doing to try and win games.?
On whether last year?s ?losing? was a motivator for the new mentality?
?No, the motivation was winning. That?s what we?re trying to do. We?re not thinking about losing or thinking about last year, we?re just trying to look ahead to the future and trying to improve individually and as a team.?
#23 Sheray Thomas, Sr., Forward
On what the freshmen have shown so far this season?
?They have shown flashes of really good play. They are very mature and focused. They want to learn and they are really playing hard.?
On his mindset this season?
?I am just focused on coming out fresh and we are going to start with a clean slate. I want to go out with a bang and have a good year for myself and for my team.?
On whether he thinks UK will be an underdog team this season?
?I don?t see it that way. I think we are going to come out and still have a bulls-eye on our back every time we come out. When you wear Kentucky on your chest, people want to come out and beat you.?
On the difference between last year?s team and this year?s team?
?We are just putting last year behind us and coming in focused this year. We are taking one day at a time.?
On how his game has improved from last season ?
?I just tried to work on all aspects of my game, like getting in the gym and working on my shot. Coach (Scott) Holsopple helped me work on my quickness and strength. That is the biggest change in my game this summer, quickness.?
On the adjustment by the freshman class ?
?This freshman class is picking up things well and real quick. I like their attitude. They have come in focused. They are not really joking around, they came in real mature and ready to contribute.?
On the expectations for the season ?
?We always want to take it one game at time, but at Kentucky we always want to win an SEC Championship and then take it from there.?
#3 Ramel Bradley, Jr. Guard
On the state of the team this pre-season?
?It feels good to finally be out on the court getting ready for the season. There is no negativity ? everything we do is for the team. Everybody is working hard and this team can be as good as it wants to be.?
On his improved strength?
?I?ve been working hard this summer. Ever since we went home for break, I have been eating right and working out. I wanted to come back stronger and the hard work really paid off. I gained about 20 pounds and have a lot more strength. The whole team has been working and conditioning hard.?
On taking a leadership role this season?
?It?s my time and I?m going to try to do the best that I can do. I think that I am ready to step up to the challenge and do the best job possible.?
On what he brings to the team as a leader?
?I don?t like a lot of quiet. I like everybody to be focused and pay attention. Every drill and every second are intense. There?s a big difference in this year?s team.?
On distributing the basketball despite his affinity for shooting?
?I am willing to do whatever it takes to get this team back to where it needs to be. We want to show what we can do and that goes back to leadership.?
On the new practice facility ?
?I haven?t even been in there yet. I am glad we get a new facility but that just means practice can be a little tougher. Any time we need to be in there we can practice. We don?t have to worry about scheduling and that will be a benefit for us.?
On Kentucky modest preseason rankings ?
?We can?t even worry about that. They are going to rank us where they are going to rank us, we are not worried about that. We just have to come in and prepare everyday and give everything we have to give everyday.?
On having fun while playing ?
?You are not going to have too much fun if you are tight. You just have to let loose and go out and have fun. I always think about all the fans camping out in front of Memorial Coliseum and I just want to go out and make those people proud.?
#32 Joe Crawford, Jr., Guard
On how this off-season was different than in years past?
?It was more of a team aspect and we just worked on talking and communicating with each other more. Pushing each other and making sure we were all working hard. It wasn?t just you getting in shape; it was everybody together getting in shape.?
On how the conditioning affects the team?
?I think that is what we all needed. I think that is going to be the difference this year. We?re not afraid to tell each other when somebody is slacking. We?re just more open with one another and that helps too.?
On having a vocal-leadership role?
?As a freshman you were a little nervous to try to push people who were older because they may not want to listen. You?re just not comfortable telling them what to do. This year we?re a whole new team. People are counting us out because of last year, but we?re a whole new team.?
On the season?s expectations?
?I think it (lower national rankings) helps us a little. Now teams might look down on us and we can go in there and surprise them.?
On how this team has improved?
?The communication is the big thing. We?re talking to each other and pushing each other. People are responding. I think the way we worked out together this summer has made that change. One of the things they (the coaches) enforced was us communicating and I think that?s the biggest change.?
On how his game has changed?
?As a freshman and even last year I thought I came in here real fast. I thought it would be completely different. Then in my second year there were games when I was up and games when I was down. This year I am going to make a point to be consistent. This summer I wanted to get healthy and the biggest thing I focused on was my explosiveness to the basket.?
On what position he sees himself playing this season ?
?I think I will be comfortable at two or three. I will be making more decisions with the ball instead of just standing around the wing, being more active. I am healthy and hopefully I can stay healthy throughout the season which should help me get to the basket some more and penetrate.?
On the team?s goals ?
?We have goals that we want to achieve. We are just focused on that. We know that when we play together we can compete against anybody and we just can?t take anyone lightly.?
#33 Randolph Morris, Jr., Forward/Center
On what is motivating this team?
?I think last season is in everybody?s mind. That pushed us to work harder in the off-season.?
On the difference from last year?s off-season to this year?s off-season with him being a part of it?
?I think it helps with my confidence. Last year I didn?t really know my situation or know where I was going to be. But, this year I?m in a very good position where I know where I stand and I know what I need to do. That makes it easier and helps me focus on what I need to.?
On how his game has changed?
?Physically I think I improved in the weight room. But, I think the most drastic steps I?ve taken have been in the mental aspects of the game. I have to play smarter, I?m a year older and I have to play with more experience.?
On the changes to the team without Rajon Rondo and Patrick Sparks?
?I wouldn?t say that we are better or worse than last year, because it?s a different team. You really can?t compare the two players missing from past years because we?re two different teams. Last year we were more dominant in the backcourt and this year, it?s probably more in the frontcourt.?
On whether this team is going to be better than last year?
?I sure hope so, because that is what we?re trying so hard right now to do. Our goals are essentially the same, and that is to win.?
On Perry Stevenson?
?Perry has a tremendous upside to him; he?s a great shot blocker. He has a nice touch around the basket and he?s a great offensive rebounder. He has no where to go but up right now.?
On finding an identity last year?
?I don?t think it was as much as finding an identity as it was finding a mold of guys that clicked together. I think we had like 10 different starting lineups. That was the hardest thing, trying to find five guys that clicked together, because we were always united as a team.?
On being off the radar this year?
?I would have to agree with the statement that we?re kind of off of the radar right now. I think that helps us though especially the younger guys who want to come in here and contribute right away. They?re not going to have to deal with the spotlight as much. Don?t get me wrong, the spotlight is always going to be on us but it will be to a different degree this year. I think that will help the freshmen transition and do really well.?
#43 Jared Carter, So., Center
On the impact of strength coach Scott Holsopple ?
?A couple of times we came in the weight room this summer and there is a TV that is usually never on and there would be the Florida game on or another game where we didn?t play so well. That helps push us in the weight room to keep those let downs from happening this year.?
On his baby hook shot ?
?I have worked on the baby hook some. I want that to be my go to move down low. It is real hard to defend a hook shot from a big man. Anytime I came to practice this summer I would work on my hook shot, or during big man drills.?
On his role ?
?My role will be just to step in and contribute to the team. Whenever we need some big rebounds or some help on defense, just come in and help the team.?
#5 Derrick Jasper, Fr., Guard
On adjusting to the college game ?
?It is not really overwhelming. It is a lot different from high school. Everyone is smarter, quicker which makes for a tough adjustment. Coach (Scott) Holsopple, our strength coach, has got the freshmen really ready over the summer. I got a lot stronger since the summer and that will help a lot on the court, banging with the big guys down low.?
On learning from junior Ramel Bradley ?
?I am just learning a lot from Ramel. He is a smart, vocal player, so I just try to learn from him everyday. Smart passes, how to run the offense quickly, he is real good at communicating to me. He is a great point guard; he is quick and fast and has a real nice shot.?
#20 Jodie Meeks, Fr., Guard
?I just feel relaxed coming in here. Coach (Tubby) Smith made it real relaxing for me. It was frustrating to watch last year, knowing that I could help the team out. Practice is going well; things have been good so far. I think this is a good team that will have a great year this year.?
#1 Michael Porter, Fr., Guard
On what he brings to the defensive end of the floor ?
?I think that it?s just my competitiveness, my drive to win that helps out. Just not letting another player beat me.?
On his outside shot ?
?I feel real confident with my outside shot. I am a little hesitant to drive right now but as long as I keep working, I should be able to contribute as far as the long-range shot goes.?
#21 Perry Stevenson, Fr., Guard
On how the freshman can contribute ?
?Hopefully we can make some kind of impact, whether it is out on the floor or from the sidelines giving another guy support. Whether it is grabbing a cup of water for one of the older guys who just came out, whatever we need to do to contribute to the team.?
On playing Randolph Morris in practice ?
?Randolph is a big guy who doesn?t hesitate to let me know how skinny I am, he and the big guys will run right through me. But after they do it they let me know how I can work on it and improve and get better on defense with little things like denying a pass or getting a hand in their face.?
