NO. 25 KENTUCKY (15-3, 4-0 SEC)
vs. Vanderbilt (12-6, 2-2 SEC)
Saturday, January 20 – 3:00 p.m. ET
Rupp Arena (23,000) ? Lexington, Ky.
TV:
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Riding the nation?s third-longest win streak, Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt looking to extend its win streak to 12 games. Kentucky?s current streak marks the 38th time in school history UK has had a win streak of 11 games or longer, and it?s the Wildcats? third longest win streak of the Tubby Smith Era.
UK own a 129-39 all-time mark against the Commodores, the second most wins against a SEC opponent (137 vs. Tennessee), including a 28-1 all-time mark against Vanderbilt in Rupp Arena. The Commodores finally snapped a 28-game winless streak on the Cats? home floor last year with a 57-52 victory in Rupp Arena. Vanderbilt went on to defeat the Wildcats in Nashville, sweeping the season series for the first time since 1974.
The Cats have gotten off to a 4-0 start in SEC action for the fourth time in 10 seasons under Tubby Smith. The Wildcats have gone on to win the SEC regular-season title the three previous times (1998, 2003 and 2005).
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – JAN. 19
Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening statement?
?Good afternoon. We?re in the middle of preparing for Vanderbilt who is a team that is really playing awfully well. They?ve had some great wins, beating Alabama the way that they did and beating Tennessee and Georgia Tech who are three ranked teams. I know that gives them a lot of confidence. As well as them beating us twice last year, and beating us here last year for the first time in a long time. I?m sure they feel really confident that they can come in here and get a win. We?ve really got to stay focused and maintain our defensive positioning. With the way that they are making threes they really do a good job of spreading the court on you. They are getting even more back-doors and lay-ups because of it. They are really shooting at a high percentage both from threes and from the field. Coming back from the game on Tuesday it was a long night, so we took a day off on Wednesday. Yesterday we had an okay practice. Today will be an important practice as we go over Vanderbilt?s stuff. It?s a game we need to win. We need to find a way to continue to play well and to continue to build on what we?ve been doing, the way that we?ve been playing of late.?
On respecting your opponents?
?One of the things we really try to do is to respect our opponents more. No matter who you play you have to prepare the same way and prepare properly. You have to learn to play the game the right way and practice the right way. It?s tough, because you have to watch the games because there tends to be a slippage when you?re winning and you take things for granted. Neither team is really struggling. I think we have better depth but, you can get a false sense of accomplishment if you?re not careful, especially with a team like Vanderbilt who is as talented as anybody in the league and is playing as well as anybody. We?ve got to get our guys? attention, and I thought yesterday we practiced with intensity. We came in with good focus, but we practiced a little longer than I wanted to yesterday. Their attention waned a little yesterday, but I think we can get it back today I hope.?
On Vanderbilt?s ability to shoot the three?
?The first thing you really have to do is keep pressure on the passer so they are not able to make sharp, crisp passes. They?re going to get open, but you have to make sure you stay out on those guys. They have a team of good shooters. Certainly, (Alex) Gordon is shooting it extremely well. So, you have to pay a lot of attention to him and keep the ball off of him. They can shoot over you and they can put it on the floor. Dan Cage is shooting 44 percent from threes, so he?s their best shooter and he?s really very versatile and effective about knowing when to shoot. He?s a guy you have to absolutely find and challenge his shots and try to keep the ball from him. If you go down the list though, I think everybody on their team made a three in that game against Alabama and probably the Georgia game as well. They had 13 threes in the Alabama game. When you have to go out on the court like that and defend everybody from the three-point line it really opens things up in the middle for them. They get a lot of back-door cuts.?
On his team?s progression?
?It always takes awhile. If we had started practice in September everybody would have been at their best when we started. It takes a while for people to understand their roles and form a team. I think for the most part we try to develop every player. Some of them are going to be called on in games to give us more minutes than others. I like the way our freshmen have developed and their attitude. They?re not as worried about when they?re going to get on the court as what they?re going to do. We demand the same things out of Mark Coury that we demand out of Randolph Morris from day-to-day, so they know. If you?re on the depth chart and you?re third in that position, then you need to be ready because you never know when your opportunity is going to present itself. You always have to be ready to step up. When I sit down with the guys, they pretty much know that I tell them this is how you can help us and it will be very beneficial when you go in the game and give us positive minutes. I think guys like Michael Porter and Sheray Thomas, Perry Stevenson they know that I have faith in them and believe in them and that?s why I can put them in the game in any situation. They are accepting their roles a lot better.?
On Kentucky being a defensive team?
?I think everybody wants a team that is going to play hard, play smart and play together. When we defend we are a better team. We just need to continue to rebound the ball better. I think this is a team that I?m really enjoying working with and really enjoying coaching. They?re very coachable and they?ve done the things that we?ve asked them to do. I thought last year and even the years before that you?re not always going to win as many games as you lose. Sometimes you might have other distractions as we did last year. Some years there are going to be more distractions than others. This team has bought into knowing that in order to be a competitive team night-in and night-out you have to be consistent on the defensive end. Defense instigates everything, because we?ve been scoring points lately. When we move the ball well like we have been, you?re going to score more points.?
On Joe Crawford?s play during SEC games?
?On offense we?re getting a little better spacing. We?re moving the ball a little better and that has helped Joe. We?ve done less screening on the ball and pick and rolls, so that?s cut back on a lot of the dribbling.?
On the play of Derrick Jasper?
?Excellent. Derrick has been outstanding. If I can get him to shoot the outside shot when he?s open, once he gets to that point it?s going to make him more of a threat and it?s going to make us more balanced on offense. His willingness to defend, move the ball, pass the ball is what is making us win. It?s helping us shoot the ball well because he?s finding open people, and it?s contagious too because now other people are willing to do that.?
Kentucky Players
#32, Joe Crawford
On being motivated against Vanderbilt?
?We have been working hard in the weight room and on the court getting ready to play. We are excited about playing them at home. They have two good guards, (Shan) Foster and (Derrick) Byers, and we have to stop them offensively by making a statement with our defense. We need to be prepared and contest the three point shot and allow no easy shots. They just came off a big win against Alabama and they are going to be ready to come here and play us hard.?
On 11-game win streak?
?We are happy but not too happy. We still have to take everything game by game and take every game serious. Right now we just need to focus and play UK basketball, as long as we do that we have a chance to win every game. We are undefeated at home and we want to focus and remain undefeated in Rupp Arena. We are capable of being a top 25 team and go on national television and make a statement to the country.?
On communication on the court?
?It is getting better and better. Ramel (Bradley) is really good at getting everyone to talk and help out. We have to talk a lot on the court to cover all the switches on screens and off the dribble. This year everyone is really good at helping everyone out.?
#13 Bobby Perry
On playing Vanderbilt after losing both games to the Commodores last season?
?We just have to put the past in the past. This is a whole new year. They are a tough team coming in. They?re coming off of a huge win against Alabama and they?ve already beaten Tennessee at their house. So they?re going to be coming in here fired up ready to play. It?s going to be a tough game.?
On the team?s psyche right now?
?We?re definitely on a high note right now. But we realize that we can?t slip up, we can?t fall back. We?re still taking every game one at a time. We realize we can?t get too far ahead of ourselves. We?re happy where we are right now as far as being 4-0 in the conference. We know we have a long schedule ahead of us and a lot of games to be played against some very good teams. ?
On if he feels responsibility as a veteran to keep the team focused?
?It?s important to stay on an even keel. We can?t get too high, we can?t get too low. That is one of my jobs to do in practice to keep that intensity and business-like attitude; try not to get a big head and not to think too highly of ourselves right now.?
On where he expected the team to be at this point in the season?
?We expected to be 4-0 in the league and that?s what we are. We still have a lot to improve on. This team is coming along great. I think since the beginning of the season, we have improved tremendously.?
