Kentucky Basketball Previews LSU
UK MEDIA RELATIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PRE-LSU MEDIA OPPORTUNITY
JAN. 2, 2018
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
John Calipari
On what concerns him with the first road conference game of the season …
“I guess it’s the first game on somebody’s home court, but we’ve been away from home, had to travel, and they’ve performed. I’m not so worried about that. I’m worried about if we will talk more on defense, because if we don’t talk more, then we can’t get better and we’re going to be stuck where we are. Can we create shots for each other versus can I get my own shot? I’m more concerned about that kind of stuff than playing on the road, and that’s why I take them away from here – we go on the road and stay a couple of days. Obviously, our last road game wasn’t real good and did not perform. I’m more concerned about us, like I am normally – just how do we get better?
On why he thinks the team hasn’t communicated as well to this point at times …
“Mostly, you have guys – and this is understandable – they’re concerned about how they’re playing, personally. That’s the first step to being a heck of a team player. You have to be comfortable in your own skin, you have to be comfortable with how you’re playing, and when you don’t talk and don’t share, then you’re really not comfortable with how you’re playing. So, you’re kind of into you, and I’m trying to get them to come in here, worry about great preparation and then just play for each other. It’s funny, guys that don’t worry about offense, the ball finds them. Guys that are really concerned about offense, it just looks bad. You can see – why did he do that? He’s concerned about offense. There’s things they’re still learning and that’s the great thing about watching tape and showing and explaining it. The tape doesn’t lie. ‘I don’t know why he took me out.’ OK, well let’s watch these three straight plays. Do you know now? ‘He did it too.’ What? ‘What about when he does it?’ What? No, that’s not how this works. You asked why you came out and I just showed you. There’s where you came out. This stuff is just fight and energy. We have enough stuff that we can play – whether it’s man and zone in late game, we have enough stuff. None of it’s great, but we have enough stuff. Now we just have to create easy shots. The job for each individual player – you have a question: ‘How do I make this game easier for my teammates?’ And that’s both on offense and defense. Defensively, you just talk and let them know where you are and really be the help on the ball. You’re putting great pressure so that their job is easier because you’re pressuring the ball so much they’re not so apt to be beat. Then, on offense, how do I make this game easy? Well, you create good plays and opportunities for other people.”
On the team dropping one spot in the rankings despite two wins …
“I just said, ‘Look, if we go to LSU and they beat us by 40, then they were all right. If we go down there and win, then maybe they’re not right. It probably won’t change things, but we’ll have to keep proving what we are.’ And we basically haven’t. It’s not who we’ve played. Our schedule is basically a top-20 schedule. So it’s not who we’ve played; it’s that people watch us and really don’t think we’re that good. I said, ‘Either they don’t think you guys are that good or they don’t think I can coach. Or how about this one: Maybe it’s both. They don’t think I can coach or you can play.’ You just use it as fuel. I’ve done this so long. I’ve seen us overrated at times and I’ve seen us underrated at times. Fans will get into it. I just want them (the players) to know you’re not getting the respect, but that means you’re going to have to earn it. You haven’t gotten it yet.”
On if the conference should be getting more respect for some of its nonconference wins …
“The conference wins, you mean? I had a call from a good friend, one of the top coaches, and he said, ‘The Georgia win, to do what you did with as a young team against a rival team and then the follow-up game a day and a half later and your kids performed and won playing poorly, that was a …’ But no one kind of looked at it like (that). It was kind of, ‘Well, Georgia.’ Georgia is really good. They were 9-2. One of the games they shouldn’t have lost. I watched. You got this team, they lost early in Maui and they’ve lost one game since then. Maui, I believe, is November. So LSU. Alabama is playing good. Texas A&M had two of their best players, their two guards, out that last game so they’re going to be fine. Tennessee and Arkansas. They (Tennessee) had Arkansas beat at Arkansas, which tells you how good they are even though they lost that game in overtime. You know, you go right around and you look at the teams in here, I mean, there’s no easy games. You go on the road, it’s going to be hard.”
On the impact Will Wade has had on LSU …
“They’re playing more of an open game. They post it, but they’re more pick-and-roll and open the court. They’re making 10 3s a game. The last five games they’re over 10 3s a game. So they’re playing wide open. They’re playing fast. They’re scoring probably about 90 a game. And I say they play fast, they don’t play as fast as you think. They’ll throw it ahead, but if they don’t get it there, they’re more, ‘Alright, let’s get this in some sort of pick-and-roll and get them out of position. He’s done a good job, I’ll tell you. Watching their tape – I’ve watched probably five of their games – he’s done a good job. They’re defending, playing some zone, 2-3. They play a 1-3-1 at times. Their man-to-man, they’re getting their hands on a lot of balls. He’s done a really good job.”
On if he’s surprised with how Oklahoma’s Trae Young is playing after recruiting him …
“I told Sean (Farnham) – I don’t know if he mentioned it on the TV broadcast (last game) – I knew how good he was, but I didn’t even realize he was this good. The biggest thing in this, and it’s a great lesson, Lon Kruger, who I have unbelievable respect for, basically said, ‘We’re going to play through you. It’s all going through you. You’re going to shoot when you want.’ And he did not lie. He did not lie. What he told that kids – it’s kind of like Bobby Cremins, who used to recruit at Georgia Tech. He would tell a kid what he was going to do and then he did it. My (thing) is, ‘You’re not going to be the only guy here. You’ve got to share the ball.’ Hopefully if he had come here I would have realized early, this kid needs a little more room than some other guys that I’ve had. Hopefully I would have realized that. But I knew he was good, which is why we recruited him so long, but I didn’t realize he would be able to do what he is doing, which is basically 80 percent of their baskets, 70 percent of their baskets, he either scores or assists. That’s a ridiculous number. And he’s got teammates that are letting him play and it’s helping them and they’re winning. And he’s got a coach who, again, one of the best in our business. Said, ‘Here’s what we’re gonna do,’ and he went out and did it for the kid. So I’m happy for Trae. I hope we don’t have to play him, but happy for him. He’s a great kid from a great family. I undersell, over deliver.”
On Canada producing so many good basketball players …
“Canada obviously was hockey for all those years. Toronto Raptors went to Toronto and all of the sudden Toronto is like a basketball town, and the Raptors did it. The Raptors brought basketball to Canada and now you’re seeing their national team if those guys all play should be in the Olympics. Then probably, in my opinion, medal in an eight-year period, 12-year period because they’ve got guys. You’re not doing it because your name is Canada. You’ve got players. The thing that’s happened for most of them, like the kids I have have not been overhyped Canadian kids, including Trey Lyles who’s playing really well right now in Denver. Haven’t been overhyped, and they come in with a little different mentality. I’m happy for Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander). He’s a great kid. Every day a smile. I just told the guys, ‘You guys got to feed off of him a little bit, you know. So he’s done really well.”
On preparing freshmen for a true road game atmosphere …
“They’ve played. I mean, this is a totally different era of where they go play, who they play, the events they play in, the show games they play in. I’m telling you, my concern is how we’re playing, not where we’re playing. I would play on I-95. Put two hoops up, shut the traffic down for a couple hours, let’s play. Doesn’t matter to me. Going on the road, this team, we weren’t ready for some of the stuff early, but we did leave here to play away from this building because this can lull you to sleep when you’re 24,000 (at home). You lead the nation in attendance, and the people at the Georgia game – our fans were great at the Georgia game and the Louisville game. I mean, kind of lull you to sleep, so we’ve had some road games. Some of them we’ve played well, others we haven’t. I imagine LSU fans are gonna be there and it’s gonna be a hostile environment. It’ll be a great learning experience, but you won’t believe this – when I watch the tape I won’t have the sound on. I’m gonna watch the tape and the only thing I see is between the lines. And I’m just concerned, are we talking more? Are we sharing more? Are we playing desperate? Are we grinding it out at the end? Are we attacking to make plays for each other? You know those kind of things.”
On how concerned he is about LSU guard Tremont Waters …
“Dangerous if you watch him. Great with the ball, finds people, has a green light to shoot to the NBA line so he’ll go back there and shoot NBA 3s. Gets to the rim. When he’s getting to the rim, he’ll find you. He’s tough, he’s good. Good foul shooter. He’s a handful.”
Kentucky Players
#0, Quade Green, Fr., G
On how John Calipari changed from the Louisville win to the Georgia win …
“That’s him all the time. He’s like that when we blew Louisville out. He’s still yellin’. That’s him all the time. No, he didn’t change at all.”
On what the difference was between UK vs. Louisville and Georgia …
“Georgia just came out and played harder than us. It was an away game for them so they came out trying to beat Kentucky. That’s all that was about. We just had to step on the gas a little bit.”
On dropping in the polls despite back-to-back wins …
“Yeah, Cal brought it up. But we don’t dwell on that though. It’s a long season.”
On if it bothers them that they dropped in the rankings …
“Yeah, it bothers, but we can’t do nothing about it. That’s people’s opinions.”
On what Coach Cal said to them about dropping in the rankings …
“We just have to fight harder now. Give us motivation.”
On what they need to do to impress people …
“Blow ’em out, I guess. Gotta blow ’em out by 30 now for people to believe that we’re good.”
On the team’s mindset with four of their next five games being on the road …
“Yeah, win every game. That’s what everybody’s mindset should be.”
On preparing for something they haven’t done before …
“We’re going through it right now. Coach Cal is going to help us through that. We’re all freshmen. We’ve never been through that in the college game, so we’re relying on Coach Cal to help us right now.”
On what Coach Cal can do for them …
“Teach us. What he’s been doing, teaching all year.”
On LSU freshman point guard Tremont Waters …
“Yeah, I know Tremont Waters, yes. Played him a couple times.”
On what setting he played against Waters …
“In AAU. Played him a couple times. Camps and stuff.”
On how he would describe Waters’ game …
“He’s a jump shooter, really. Likes getting to the rack a little bit, but he likes shooting the ball.”
On what he’s done to improve his defense …
“Just the pride and the mindset to be a good PG. Good PGs gotta play defense.”
On if he’s played more defense the last three months than he has his entire life …
“Yes, I would say yes.”
On what he knows about LSU …
“I just know they have Tremont Waters, and he’s a good player. So, that’s the main person we have to stop.”
On who Waters reminds him of …
“Like Shabazz Napier a little bit. He’s shifty, can use both hands, can shoot. He gets to the rim but he doesn’t like it too much. He likes to pull up. He’s got different stuff that we have to stop.”
On if he’s friends with Waters …
“Yeah, we’re friends. We’re always friends, but when you step across that court we’re not friends anymore.”
On if the past few games has shown them what taking it to the basket can do …
“Oh yeah, Cal has been preaching that a lot. We gotta take it to the basket because everybody’s been shooting good from the free-throw line. Everything to the rim. Shoot when you gotta shoot and drive when you gotta drive.”
On Shai Gilgeous-Alexander always having a smile on his face …
“There’s no point to put pressure on yourself. You’re living life as you want it. So, what are you mad about? That’s how everybody approaches it.”
On if that’s tough sometimes …
“That’s always a good mindset to have. Always smile because you gotta remember what you came here to do. Always gotta remember (that). So, why not have a smile on your face?”
#14, Tai Wynyard, RS-So., F
On what changes in a true road game …
“Definitely just the fans and stuff. All these younger guys are going to have to learn that there’s going to be some crazy fans in there that’s going to be yelling at you. You’re going to have to block it all out and play the game.”
On whether it’s worthwhile to tell freshmen about playing on the road or they just have to experience it …
“It’s a bit of both. You talk about it a little bit just to be aware of, to expect coming into a road game and stuff like that. It’s a little bit of both. It’s just experience and kind of learning.”
On his progression …
“Definitely I didn’t play very well in my eyes. I want to play better and I need to be more physical and dominant. I had some opportunities out there and I didn’t really take them as well as I wanted to. I still have a lot of room to improve, so definitely just keep improving.”
On what he says to Nick Richards as he struggles …
“Just keep confident. Just keep working and let the game come to you. Don’t drop your head. Just keep fighting and it’ll happen. So he’ll be fine.”
On how much Richards has improved …
“Definitely. His hook shot’s come along well with KP (Kenny Payne). He’s been working out a lot. His touch has gotten a lot better and everything. His all-around game, just the feel for it and everything. So he’s definitely growing as a player and getting a lot better.”
On what the Georgia showed them about what to expect in league play …
“Definitely Georgia was a really physical team. We didn’t really come out defensively match them really well. We were watching film just now and it just showed a lot that they were out-beasting us and we weren’t being as strong as we probably should have. Definitely just coming in more physical and ready to fight and communicate more. That’s a big key as well.”
On whether there are times when he plays that he has to calm himself down …
“Yeah, definitely. If you’re sitting on the bench a little bit and he throws you in, you’re like, ‘Alrght, it’s time to get it.’ You’re not even warm or anything. You’ve been sitting on the bench, but you gotta go out there and fight. That’s my mentality. You just gotta fight for everything and just do it that way.”
On multiple people stepping up, the latest being Shai Gilgeous-Alexander …
“Definitely. Shai’s been playing really well, just getting to the basket, doing what we need him to do, playing physical and just using that length he has to get steals and do everything. He’s been playing a lot better for us and we’re just trying to build on that and trying to get better together with him. Definitely just keep pushing ourselves.”
On dropping in the polls after two wins …
“It’s definitely crazy. There’s not really any words for it. We just have to go out there and prove ourselves. There’s nothing you can say to fix that. It’s just our luck.”
On what they have to do to impress people …
“I would say blow people out by 50 [laughter]. That’s kind of what we have to do here, but nah, keep playing our game and just keep winning. That’s what we gotta do.”
