KENTUCKY (10-3, 0-0 SEC)
vs. Houston (5-6, 0-0 C-USA)
Wednesday, January 3 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Rupp Arena (23,000) ? Lexington, Ky.
TV: FSN South [delayed on BBSN]
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Kentucky plays its final non-conference game of the regular season and their first of the new year as the Wildcats take on the Houston Cougars for the first time in 23 years.
UK comes into the game on a season high six-game winning streak, their longest such streak since reeling off nine in a row during the 2004-05 season. The Wildcats are also currently riding a sevengame home winning streak, their longest since posting 11 in a row between the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
The Cougars, who started off the season winning four of their first five games, have dropped their last three games heading into Wednesday?s contest.
Wednesday?s meeting marks the first time the two schools have met on the hardwood since the thirdranked Wildcats defeated the fourth-ranked Cougars, 74-67, in Lexington on January 22, 1984. UK holds a 2-0 series advantage against Houston.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – JAN. 2
Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening comments?
?Good afternoon and Happy New Year. It?s good to be here for another year. Certainly the preseason is almost over as far as preseason games are concerned. Houston will be another challenge for us. We?ve put our players to the test, and I think they?ve responded in a very positive way. Houston is a team that has lost a few games in a row, but they are very capable of beating us if we don?t play a smart and heady game. They?re a team that likes to shoot the three a lot and push the ball up the court. They like to attack both offensively and defensively. They?re quite the contrast to Eastern Kentucky, which was very deliberate, executing their motion offense, their Princeton-style offense. Houston is more of an open offense, where they?re going to have a lot of cuts and a lot of movement. They don?t have a real post-up game. Their post men are guys that step away from the basket and try to take you off the dribble so Randolph and other post players will have a challenge there. We?ll have our hands full with their perimeter guys as well. When you look at guys like (Robert) McKiver, (Oliver) Lafayette, (Robert) Lee and (Dion) Dowell, they?re all guys that can do a lot of different things. That?s always a challenge when you bring people away from the basket. It?s been a good week. We?ve had good practices. We got back from the holidays and the guys have come back with a good energy and a good level of enthusiasm. It?s good to see Randolph Morris getting SEC Player of the Week. He?s very deserving of that opportunity. He?s played well all season long. He?s probably been our most consistent player. There are still areas that we need to improve on and we?re working on those everyday.
On Houston?s three game losing streak?
?They?ve played some very talented teams, in UNLV, Nebraska and Creighton. Teams that are very well coached and teams that were able to control the boards and force them into their tempo. Those were games that were played at a neutral site, like the Rainbow Classic. When you?re on the road, it?s not the same as playing at home. That?s why those teams were able to beat them.?
On Derrick Jasper?s outside shooting?
?He?s ok. He?s a guy that?s looking to take it off the dribble. I don?t think he?s that confident in his outside shot right now. When you look at his percentages, he?s not shooting a great percentage, but he?s doing the things we ask him to do. He?s a point guard. We don?t really need him to shoot. We have Ramel (Bradley) and Joe (Crawford) on the wings, so we don?t really need him to shoot, unless someone is sagging back. If they?re giving him the shot, then he should take it. Otherwise, his job is to get us in our offense and create opportunities for others.?
On Ramon Harris?
?He?s doing well. He?s really surprised me with his passing ability. He?s got to learn our defensive system, but he?s really got some skills. He still has to improve his outside shooting. I?m really impressed with his basketball instincts.?
On the improvement of Randolph Morris defensively?
?As a freshman, he was making a lot of poor decisions by fouling. I think he?s become a lot more mature and a lot more poised in that areas. His timing on blocking shots has been better. I think he?s in better shape now, and that?s helped him defensively. It?s helped with his stamina and his consistency on the defensive end as well.?
On the play of Ramel Bradley?
?Ramel has always come with a lot of energy. He?s a high-octane type player. What impresses me is how he?s defended. He?s really taken on the challenge of being a leader in that area, both on and off the basketball court. It?s helping him play better overall. He?s taken on more responsibilities by being able to help Derrick (Jasper). When we put him at the point like last week against Eastern Kentucky and UMass, he?s done a very good job. When he?s scoring from the outside and making shots, it takes a lot of the pressure off of Randolph and Joe inside.
Kentucky Players
#13 Bobby Perry
On playing in the team?s last non-conference game?
?I think we have made tremendous improvements since the beginning of the season, but we still have a long way to go to be where we want to be. We are focused on preparing for a good Houston team. We are going to go in with our heads held high and hopefully we can gain something from this going into conference play.?
On struggling early on in the season?
?It was a tough stretch. We had some tough games out in Maui and then came back and had to face a very good North Carolina team. It taught us a lot that will prepare us for conference play. We are on a six-game winning streak and just hoping to continue that.?
On not gaining recognition from the national rankings?
?We really don?t pay much attention to the rankings. They don?t really matter that much. We are just trying to get quality wins. Hopefully, at the end of the season we will do well in the tournament.?
On the improved play of center Randolph Morris ?
?Randolph has really led us in the post. He causes a lot of problems for opposing defenses. He has opened it up a lot for us. Randolph has played tremendously.?
#3 Ramel Bradley
On whether he has noticed his improvements since the College of Charleston game?
?Not really. I have just been working hard and trying to play better every time out. I am shooting better, taking better care of the ball and doing a better job of getting the ball inside.?
On not earning respect from national rankings?
?We want to continue to improve as a team. If we keep winning games, eventually they have to give us respect.?
On his improving three-point shot?
?I did a lot in the off-season of going around the arc and making shots. I really focused on improving my shot. I have noticed improvement ever since I started working on it.?
#32 Joe Crawford
On not earning respect from national rankings?
?People still don?t believe that we are a good team. It doesn?t really bother me. I am happy we are playing well and going in the right direction.?
On why the team is not receiving respect despite its 10-3 record?
?I think people made a big deal of us losing early on. Those were tough teams and we played them tough. It?s only going to come with time.?
On whether the six-game win-streak has given the team added confidence?
?I think it has allowed us to gain confidence in each other and not just rely on Randolph [Morris]. Ramel has stepped up big, I have been stepping up my game and Bobby [Perry] has played well. We are a better team.?
