NO. 22/22 KENTUCKY (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
vs. Miami (OH) (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
Wednesday, November 15, 7:00 p.m.
Rupp Arena (23,000)
TV: FSN South [delayed on BBSN]
Kentucky opens the 2006-07 season by hosting the Miami (OH) RedHawks, Wednesday night at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats posted a 2-0 record in exhibition play, clicking in all facets of the game in the two preseason matchups and outscoring the opposition, 175-104.
The freshmen class was a pleasant surprise, accounting for 38 percent of Kentucky?s offense and 40 percent of the Wildcats? rebounding. Freshman Jodie Meeks led the team in scoring at a 15.0 ppg clip while fellow freshman Perry Stevenson led the team in rebounds (6.5 rpg) and blocks (eight). The Wildcats also displayed Tubby Smith?s patented defensive style of play, limiting the opposition to just 30 percent shooting from the field.
After the Miami game, UK plays its final pre-EA SPORTS Maui Invitational tune-up at home against Mississippi Valley State, Friday, November 17.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – NOV. 14
Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening thoughts on his team and the match-up with Miami (Ohio)?
?Good morning, we started this morning at nine and were reviewing and preparing some things for a very good Miami of Ohio team tomorrow. They got off to a tough start, a tough loss for them against Wright State. Charlie Coles is a good coach. I know he?ll have his team ready; they?ll be ready to play. The last time we played against them I think it was 1999 in the Sweet 16 up in St. Louis. His teams are always very aggressive and very physical. He has a veteran line-up. I look at it and he has some juniors and seniors and a few sophomores. They are a very talented team. I?m trying to get our guys to understand that anything can happen to you if you don?t come out ready to play. Not that they (Miami) were looking ahead to us, but we can?t look ahead at our opening game in Maui either. We have a lot of new faces and I know our young guys are excited about it (the game) as well as our veteran players. This time of the year everything is really serious and the intensity level starts to build. Sometimes players start to see a little different Coach Smith. It is real serious business in how we conduct ourselves and how we prepare. It was a pretty intense practice this morning to try and create game-like conditions. We?re going to miss some guys too. Jared Carter, we?re going to miss him, he went down with a in Saturday?s scrimmage. It was kind of a freakish accident in how the way it happened; his arm just got pulled back. It looks like he is going to be out three to four weeks. We?re really going to miss him though; Jared has been playing as well as anybody. He has improved probably more than anybody, and that is what usually happens between your freshman and sophomore years. For tomorrow?s game the line-up we?re going to start with Perry Stevenson, Randolph (Morris), Joe (Crawford), Bobby (Perry) and Ramel (Bradley). We?ll probably bring Lukasz Obrzut off of the bench. Everybody has some nicks and bruises and Lukasz has a tender knee. Without Jared, that creates a situation where we could probably have started both of them (Morris and Obrzut), but we?re not able to do that especially because Sheray (Thomas) will not be available to us until Friday. Those are the things we?re dealing with when you are a little shorthanded. I hope we can overcome that in tomorrow night?s game. I like how our guys have been playing. I like their energy level. They?ve been really communicating well with one another; especially the veteran guys and the young guys are in there too. It probably won?t be whole-sale substitutions like it was in the exhibition games. We?re probably going to sub one sub here and two subs there. We?re going to try and make sure guys are fresh and get guys into situations where they can help us. We are going to see a team tomorrow that is big, who are going to screen you. They?re going to try and throw their weight because they are very heavy and very aggressive. They have a big front line, and they have some big guards too. Nathan Peavy is an outstanding player who averages like 20 points a game. It looks like it?s going to be a pretty good match-up for us.?
On the communication of his players?
?In basketball, or in any organization really, you have to be able to trust your teammates. You need to be there like when you get beat, but it?s not just talking like ?hey I?ve got the ball, or a screen is coming.? It?s just talking in general. One thing that I?ve noticed, they are helping each other out. If somebody does something they are stepping in and saying ?Hey, do it this way.? They are trying to help each other learn the plays and where they need to be on the floor. I?ve been very impressed with how our veterans have been mentoring our young players and working with them as well as among themselves. I think that is a positive thing and we?ll see if it carries over into the game.?
On the depth of his team?
?I wasn?t concerned about depth at all (coming into the season). You can only play five at one time. I have been really impressed with our freshmen, and they have shown us that they can give us a lot of depth. Let?s just say I have been very pleased with their development. They will help us tremendously. One of them will probably be in the starting lineup tomorrow night. The other ones could very easily be in the lineup, and that?s what I think of the freshmen.?
On the concern of his big men getting into foul trouble?
?That?s one of the biggest concerns we have that is why we are not starting Lukasz (Obrzut). You just have to continue to do that until he (Randolph Morris) proves he can play without fouling. He?s going to foul, that?s part of the game, but we can?t have those fouls where he is out of position or reaching. I think he has really matured in that area and hopefully that will carry over into the game.?
On playing teams from the MAC conference?
?We reminded them (the players) of that (how tough the conference is) and how well they?ve played against Kentucky in recent years. We put that in the scouting report, and most of our guys have played against MAC teams and they know. They know they are capable of beating us if we don?t play to our potential.?
On the calm demeanor of the freshmen class?
?You want to play with energy and play with emotion without being emotional. They have matured a lot because they?ve played a lot of basketball in venues all across the country. They are familiar with what it takes. It is still early yet, and hopefully they will continue to have that type of poise. It is a sign of confidence, a quiet confidence about them. That?s the way it should be. Some players are a little more emotional, like Ramel (Bradley) is a little more emotional whereas Joe (Crawford) is a little more calm and laid-back. Whatever it takes you to get to your level of peak performance you have got to do it.?
On first game jitters?
?I?m pretty nervous. You are always nervous before a game. I think the players probably saw that a little bit this morning at practice. Coach is a little more intense this morning, and that?s just with the changing of the season. Whereas the season is beginning now, so you have to be a little more prepared and raise your level of consciousness and awareness. Not that we didn?t do it everyday, but it?s a little more pronounced now. You are really just starting to work on opponent?s offenses and how to defend them. Now the game is faster, and the team you are playing against is different. You?ve been playing against your teammate for the last few weeks, and now it?s somebody else. In the exhibition games you were up 20-30-40 points, so this is different. Every little thing is magnified because you are playing against better players.?
Commenting on his football playing days now that Kentucky?s football team is bowl-eligible?
?I would love to play wide receiver now in that system (Coach Brooks?). I?d love to play wide receiver in any system with the way they are throwing the ball around these days. Back when I played we just had a guy get it over the line of scrimmage. Actually, I played tailback. Every time I tried to get in the game, Coach would say ?Tubby get your tail back here.??
Kentucky Players
#10 Lukasz Obrzut, Center
On the start of the season?
?I?m ready to start the season. Everybody?s ready, and everybody?s been working hard for it. The team is ready, healthy and strong and we?re ready to go.?
On Jared Carter?s injury?
?I saw it and I was standing right by his side. It didn?t look as bad as it sounded, but he dislocated his shoulder and it had to be popped back in. He was going to the basket, and somebody just pulled his shoulder out of place. It?s so sad to see because he?s been working so hard all summer. He?s put in so much time and effort to prepare for this season.?
On how much better Jared Carter?s gotten over the summer?
?He just has more confidence. He?s listened to what the coaches have said, worked on his strength and conditioning and gotten better.?
On the pressure that Carter?s injury puts on him?
?Randolph and I are going to share time at the post, and we have to make sure that we stay out of foul trouble, go to the boards, set up some screens and make some strong post moves.?
On the progress of his own game?
?My game is coming along well. As always, I?ve kept working, contributing to the team, executing and doing what Coach asks me to do. I?m just trying to help my team win.?
On his confidence in facing the basket?
?I just have more confidence in facing the basket. For me, when I face the basket, I can see the whole picture.?
On staying relaxed when he?s playing?
?I just want to stay relaxed, and do what I have to do to contribute to the team- grab some tough boards, block some shots and go in relaxed.?
#33 Randolph Morris, Forward/Center
On the impact of Carter?s injury?
?It?s tough, because we?re obviously down in numbers, and he gave us a body to work with in the post. We?re just looking forward to getting him back as soon as possible. It?s more comforting to know that you have more people to rely on, and come in to use for quality back-up.?
On the anxiousness to get the season started?
?We?re totally ready to get the season underway. I think we?re a little relaxed, and ready to take it all in stride this year.?
On foul trouble concerns with Carter injured?
?It has to be in the back of your mind. As valuable as I am to the team, I know I have to play smarter. When you think about it like that, everybody has to play smarter, because everybody has to contribute and we need everybody at all possible times.?
On the ?Twin Tower? attack, playing him with Obrzut or Carter?
?It all depends on what we want to accomplish. It depends on the match-ups with other teams; if we want just to overpower teams, so to speak, or if we match-up with the other team defensively. It?s definitely a game of match-ups. [Coach Smith] toys around with the idea, and we?ll see what happens.?
On the progress of the freshmen in practice?
?They?re coming along really, really well. They came to learn, so no news is good news.?
On his feelings about their #22 ranking?
?I don?t think it?s really a concern of the team. We don?t really pay attention to rankings. We?re just ready to get started. We really don?t believe that 21 teams are better than us, so we just have to go out there and show what we can do as a team. You have to have the mindset that nobody?s better than you, and if you have that mindset then it?s possible to be the best team.?
On why their full court defense may be working better than last year?
?I think we have people who are all on the same page. We?re unified, and we?re genuinely the best for one another. We genuinely care about the growth and the potential of each of the players, and we all care about each other. I think it helps us work more as a unit better. If you?re on a team that cares about each other, then you?ll all want to work harder for each other, which may show itself in our intensity and in our defense.?
