Kentucky Basketball Previews VMI
UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
VMI at UK PREGAME MEDIA
NOV. 16, 2018
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
Assistant Coach Tony Barbee
On how UK played defense in recent games …
“Better. Obviously it’s a process with any team. We just want to get as close as possible. You’re not going to play a perfect game offensively or defensively, but we want to get as close as possible to playing a complete game on both ends of the floor. The game before, Southern Illinois, was probably 10 to 15 minutes of a complete game defensively. Last game when we looked and graded the tape, it was probably close to 25 minutes. So it’s a work and progress, but it’s getting a lot better.”
On UK’s last couple of wins after the first game of the season …
“Well, it’s not so much the fashion that we won, it’s about how we played and how we competed on both ends of the floor, especially the defensive end of the floor and the backboard. Those are two areas of the floor that we take a lot pride in, and it’s got to be our signature and our calling card. We’re getting closer to that.”
On VMI’s offense in comparison to the Princeton offense …
“It’s similar. It’s not a complete – refer back to the old Pete Carril offense, all the back doors and the continuity offense. They’ve got versions of that in their offense so there’s some concepts and some principles, but not all the way. It’s a game that we’re going to have to be disciplined defensively because of all the motion, all the movement, all the back cutting. The ability to shoot the 3 and space the floor even from their center so it’s going to be a challenging game from that standpoint.”
On EJ Montgomery …
“He’s just an instinctive basketball player. He makes things happen that I don’t even think he knows that he’s doing. He made a couple of plays in the last game where he was help side defensively. And we’ve only had a few guys – and I’m not going to name names because I don’t want to put them in any category, put any added pressure on them – but he was on the other side of the lane line in help, a pass was thrown by him and he was able to recover to the other side of the lane within one step to go block a shot twice. Very few guys we’ve had have had that instinct and ability to react and then physically go do that. So the more minutes he gets at this level, the more comfortable he’s going to be. The more he understands how hard he’s got to play to be able to sustain that kind of effort, he’ll make us better. He definitely will.”
On PJ Washington and Reid Travis making jump shots …
“We want them to pick their spots. We need those two, with EJ and with Nick (Richards), to dominate the paint. That’s first and foremost from the coaches’ standpoint of what we need out of all of our big guys, but those two just happen to be able to step out and stretch the floor, which makes them a hard matchup. Then when you’ve got both of them out there and one of them is in the paint and the other can stretch the floor, it makes it hard for any team to help and double team.
On maintaining focus on defense despite some fatigue …
“There’s an old saying: ‘Fatigue makes cowards of us all.’ You know, when you get tired, it’s just human nature to want to stop and stand up and look, and when you’re playing at this level of basketball and you do that, offenses are too sophisticated, coaches are too good, and when you study tape, you’re going to pick on people on the other team who you see are the guys that stand up and stop and break down. Being able to sustain through fatigue – we talked to our team before the last game: This isn’t hockey. We can’t sub you on the fly. So, until there’s a stop in the play, there’s a timeout, there’s a dead ball and we can get you out of the game, you’ve got to be mentally tough enough to fight through that fatigue and still sustain that effort, that concentration, that communication that it takes to be a complete defensive player and a complete defensive team.”
On Immanuel Quickley’s game to start the season …
“He’s steady, and right now, we always talk to Immanuel about how he’s being a little bit too careful. We’d like to see him push the envelope because he’s capable of even more, but it’s good to have a steady hand in that position where you know he’s going to take care of the ball, get us into our actions. He has the ability to make open shots, and he has what he’s shown in the last two games, he has the ability to break a defense down and get to that second level of a defense and make little floaters, little pull-up jump shots, and that’s ultra-valuable.”
On Tyler Herro’s better play on Wednesday and if he changed anything …
“We’ve been working with him a lot since the first game of the year (on) creating your shots before you get the ball, and that’s just a habit for all high-school players, really talented high-school players. You’re so good at that level and you’re so much better than your competition that you wait to get the ball and then you can go make any shot you want to happen just because you’re that much better and that much more talented. But at this level, players are too good, defenses are too good, coaches are too good, and they’re going to make you play away from your strengths and to play to your weaknesses. We’ve worked with Tyler on let’s really work on getting your shot off before that ball hits your hands, and when he does that – like we worked with Kevin Knox and guys in that position in the past – then you’ll start to see other things open up because you were shot ready before you actually got the ball.”
On the next step for Ashton Hagans …
“He’s a guy that’s still learning. He’s thinking about what’s next instead of just reacting to what’s next, and that’s just a natural progression of any young player. Sometimes it comes quicker than others. Right now, Ashton’s picked things up (but) not quite at the pace as some other guys. We don’t want him out thinking defensively because he’s so disruptive, and you saw that in the last game. He put pressure on the ball, and if you can disrupt the timing of any offense starting at the point then your defense can be really good, and that’s what Ashton brings to the floor. Now we just need him to pick some of the other things up.”
On if it was intentional to trap on defense more against North Dakota …
“We just talk about when there’s opportunities to go, whether it’s a ball screen, whether it’s in the post, whether a team has a nice little basketball player like they did last game. (Cortez) Seales, a lefty, was really good in isos. Anytime he got downhill on a guy, we wanted to really come crowd him whether you called it a trap or we just crowded him. We wanted to make it hard for him to have lanes going to the basket.”
On if it is normal to have the guys do wall sits and charge, loose-ball drills at this time of the season and if there’s a difference on how it’s being utilized this season …
“We do them both – preseason (and) during the season when things are going how, effort wise, we need them to go. We’ll break them back out. After the first game we needed to bring those back out. Some things we were using early in the preseason and in the summer to get some guys’ attention on it’s about the defense and the effort, the hustle, the toughness. And then the offensive stuff will take care of itself, and that first and foremost, we’ve gotta be a defensive-minded team. That’s when we use those drills.”
On VMI and the challenges it presents defensively for UK …
“A tough challenge because of that style of offense that they play. It’s a pseudo Princeton-style offense with all of the back cuts and the curl cuts and the dribble handoffs and the constant motion. And then anytime you play that style of basketball with a five man who can stretch the floor like they have, it makes it hard because one of your bigs is getting pulled away from the paint. So, it’s a challenge. It’s not just their offense; it’s their defense too. That matchup zone that they play is also something you don’t see every day. It’s not something you work against in practice. So, in a short turnaround we’re going to have to figure out how we’re going to attack it and be good at it so we’re not out there thinking. We’re just reacting.”
On preparing for three games in six days …
“No different than at any other time of the year. I mean, it’s getting ready for one game at a time. Study it. Grade it. Learn from it. Get better from it and move on to the next one.”
On the team’s plans for Thanksgiving …
“Staying here. Everybody’s staying here and we’ll have Thanksgiving as a team. Players’ families and everybody that will be coming in will be doing Thanksgiving at Coach’s (Calipari) house.”
On Jemarl Baker’s status …
“He’s in and out of practice right now. So, it’s hit or miss with Jemarl.”
On Nick Richards …
“He’ll respond because he always has. He watched the tape and he might have gotten a little full of himself after the 19 rebounds. So he got humbled last game. Learn from it. You’ve got to use it as a teaching point. It’s got to be a learning opportunity for him. Know that we expect more consistency out of Nick. He’s a sophomore. He’s been through it. When you’re a freshman you might have some ups and downs, a typical roller-coaster season like typical freshman do. But, now that Nick is a sophomore we expect more consistency. Nineteen rebounds, I don’t know if that’s going to happen every game, but, he’s got to come up with more than he did last game.”
On Coach Calipari talking about how he always forgets how hard it is at the beginning of the season and how he only remembers what a team was like at its best at the end of the year and whether or not there is anyone on the staff who attempts to remind him of how hard it is …
“When you say it, I don’t know what he’s referring too. What’s hard about it? I don’t know. He’s been doing this a long time so I doubt he forgets how hard it is at the beginning.”
UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
VMI at UK PREGAME MEDIA
NOV. 16, 2018
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
Kentucky Players
#23, EJ Montgomery, Fr., F
On Coach Calipari saying he needs to get more playing time …
“I’ve just been putting in work every day, just trying to be on the court.”
On what Coach Cal likes about what he’s doing …
“Just being a block shots guy, having energy and playing defense.”
On who has been willing to give up minutes to get him on the floor …
“I don’t think nobody is trying to give up some minutes. But we’re all trying to work and we all need each other to get the win.”
On how comfortable he is defending away from the basket …
“I’m pretty comfortable, but trying to get better every day. I’m learning every day from the coaching staff, trying to be the best player I can be.”
On what Calipari has told him he needs to do to be a “separator” …
“Just always have energy, talk, play defense and do what I can do on the offensive end.”
On how the team defended against North Dakota compared to earlier games this season …
“I think it was a lot better. We came out ready to compete and ready to get a stop and get transition points.”
On how practice has been the last few days …
“Very hard. We’ve been doing wall-sits, everything from the beginning of basketball, charge drills and stuff like that.”
On if he’s surprised that the team is working on those simple things …
“No. Some people haven’t got there yet. We’re just trying to get better as a team every day.”
On how tough it is to maintain defensive intensity deep in the shot clock …
“It’s definitely a hard thing, but we work on it every day in practice now. We’ve got to stay low and continue to fight.”
On what he knows about VMI …
“I think I’m going to watch a little film on them right now. I don’t really know much about them.”
On the most important thing to get out of the game against VMI …
“Just trying to get a win. Trying to compete. Just go out there, have fun and get a ‘W’.”
On what he’s learned from watching experienced big guys on his team …
“I’ve learned a lot. Those guys compete. They’re physical guys. They show that physicality on the court. I’m just trying to continue to grow and just learn every day from them.”
On how he would like his game to grow …
“I just want to do anything on the court to help my team win. Whatever coach needs me to do. I just want to go out there and do that.”
#5, Immanuel Quickley, Fr., G
On the difference in the defense in the last game …
“I thought the other night we had a lot more energy, a lot more effort. That was a credit to the coaches getting us prepared in practice. We went a lot harder, I think, these last couple weeks or week or so. I think it all started in practice.”
On what was different …
“Really just the energy and the effort, like I said. People were diving on the floor, taking charges. Just the little stuff that I think will help us get wins throughout the year.”
On what Coach Cal is working on with him individually …
“Individually, he’s just trying to help me be a better overall point guard, getting the ball out of my hands early. All the coaches are trying to get me to talk a lot, which I’m still working on. I think I’m doing a pretty good job. Defense, really just everything to help me become a better overall player.”
On preparing for three games in six days …
“It all starts in practice. Trying to go at each other, going hard each and every day, not taking any team for granted because any team can go out here and beat you. Really just coming out and playing hard each and every time you step on the court. That’s going to be the most important thing for us.”
On whether they are making strides toward getting on the right track …
“I think so. And a lot of it I think comes with experience, which is something that this team doesn’t have too much of compared to other teams we play, but I think as the season goes on, as these next couple games go on I think we’ll start getting a lot more comfortable offensively and defensively with things we’re trying to do.”
On practice drills instituted the last week …
“They’ve been tough. Practice has been real intense. I think that’s how we’ll get better, lock in on stance, little things like that. Practice is definitely translating to the games.”
On whether practice has been hard …
“Yeah. These have definitely been some of the hardest practices I’ve ever had in my life. Coming in starting with wall-sits, defensive slides, I think the intensity has definitely picked up these last couple weeks and I think that’ll start to translate to the games. I think we’ll get a lot better.”
On whether that has stoked their competitive fire …
“Yeah. A lot of the drills are actually really competitive, where we’re going at each other. The loser’s on the treadmill, things like that. I think that’s going to help us a lot.”
On whether it surprises him that they would do such basic drills …
“Basketball is always back to the basics. Whether it’s taking a charge out on the floor, the little stuff is how you win games. I think we kind of got away from it and now we’re just trying to get back to that.”
