Kentucky Basketball Previews Auburn
UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS & PR
MEN’S BASKETBALL
AUBURN at UK PREGAME MEDIA
FEB. 12, 2021
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
HEAD COACH JOHN CALIPARI
On if the team has an alpha dog and does it need one …
“Well, at this point I mean we’re kind of – we’re still trying to figure out some things offensively, but these kids are who they are. They’re not going to change into something different. Look, we’re – I’m looking at who we are, who they are, what they’re capable of doing, what I’m going to ask them to do, how we do this. Like I said, I keep telling them they need to see the same picture that I’m trying to see which is look, let’s just get this going and let’s see what happens because we’re so close. You don’t get a break here or there. You don’t get a shot that kicks in. You don’t this. You have the sixth or seventh toughest schedule in the country. You’ve got guys, Keion (Brooks Jr.) out the first half (of the season) and Terrence (Clarke) out the second half. Hey, it is what it is. We are what our record says we are, and now from here going forward let’s see if we can change that.”
On shooting well against Arkansas, but still lost the game and if that weighs on the team’s mind …
“Well, you’d have to ask the players. We made more field goals. We had plus-nine rebounds. We had 18 assists. We had 11 turnovers. We made 14 3s, and we lost? I’ve never heard of such a thing and they didn’t shoot like 60% now. They shot 42 or 43 or whatever it was they shot. It was a little higher than teams have shot, and you don’t win that game. But there is a lot of stuff going on this year that normally my teams and the teams that we’ve had here would win. Holding people under 40%, different things but at this point – look, we took what we could from that game, and we move on and we’re trying to get ready for Auburn who is a good team, plays well. Has played well since they’ve added their point guard (Sharife Cooper) who’s a terrific player.”
On the NCAA announcing individual conferences can determine if they want to have a league tournament or if the automatic qualifier will come from the regular-season champion …
“When was that announced? Today? (Jon Hale: an hour ago, maybe). Again, it must have been while I was in practice. Um, wow. Well, I think they need flexibility because there’s some leagues that just don’t want to bring their teams together. There’s some leagues that will probably opt to only have the regular season be it and there’s no reason for them to run a conference tournament. But my guess would be for us that we’ll have a tournament. But the powers that be will make that decision and we’ll see.”
On the importance of the league tournament for this team …
“Well, I really don’t think our league will (cancel it). But I’ll deal with that if they come out and say, ‘We’re not going to have a tournament.’ I’ll deal with it. What I’ll tell you about our kids, and I just keep saying it to them. I have so much respect for this group. They’ve come to Kentucky and have had none of the benefits of playing at Kentucky. We didn’t have a summer. We didn’t have a fall. We don’t have a packed arena. We don’t have on the road half the arena be our fans. They haven’t had the adulation of our raving fans. They’ve only had the other side. We’re playing in empty arenas. We’re not being able to be on our campus and have a full life of a college student. They can’t even leave their rooms. You guys know, I worry about mental health and I continue to. This has been, will all that’s gone on with this team, the luck meter is – maybe it’s because we’ve had a lot of luck over the last five or seven years. I don’t know. But everything that could bounce our way bounces the other. Every call that could go our way went the other. And so, I have respect because these kids haven’t stopped. I looked out in the building last night and there are guys conditioning. They’re conditioning. It was after practice. Four guys stayed in there and were getting extra work in. I have great respect for these kids. I told them, ‘I believe in you. We have some flaws on our team, but you know, we have flaws in the coach.’ Let me say this too because this is just the first thing that was asked after the game. What happened on the last play? Well, we walked out and that’s a play that has two or three different options to it. I told BJ (Boston Jr.), ‘You get this thing, go shoot a layup. You’ve got a lot of time.’ But I didn’t tell Jacob (Toppin) to throw it to BJ. So, BJ was open, and he threw it to Olivier (Sarr), and I said, because I know what I said to BJ. I looked at Jacob and I said, ‘Jacob, did I say anything to you?’ And he said, ‘No.’ ‘Then it’s on me.’ It’s on me. The last play, you know, I wish we had it again because I would have been a little more thorough in the timeout. But you can’t blame the kids. That was on me, but I come back to all of the benefits of coming to Kentucky. (I’m) Not feeling any of it. The downside stuff, what you get to get to feeling that. It is what it is because of this environment. Who planned on this? No one. But I respect these kids and I hope they have that chance at the end, but you know, the league will make that decision. But my guess is our league will have a tournament. That’s a guess though. I don’t know that.”
On what experiences he’s tapped into in helping this team …
“I was 29 years old (the last time he had a losing record). I’m 52 now. That was a long time ago. I will say, what I’m trying to do is to show my response to all of this stuff. And I’m not talking about in games. I want these kids to see that when things go bad, how, what is your response to it? Do you blame? Do you throw people under the bus? Or do you evaluate? Do you take responsibility? Do you keep trying? Do you try new things? Do you block out all of the clutter that everybody throws? Because when things aren’t going good it’s there and everybody has an answer. I want them to see and I want other people to see the response that we have. I haven’t stopped, stopped believing, stopped coaching. I’m trying to give them a chance to win every game they play, and I won’t stop until they say the season’s over.”
On Oscar Tshiebwe …
“He hasn’t practiced with us yet. But when I see him and his body and his toughness and his – I’m like, ‘Is there any way? Is that transfer rule immediately? Can we do that now? Can he come and play now?’ But he’ll start practicing on Monday. But then we leave to go to Nashville, but he’ll get one day in and we’ll get a chance to see where he is. It’ll be good for these kids to have to go against him every day just because of physicality and athleticism and quickness to the ball and all of that stuff.”
On the final Arkansas inbounds play …
“The play, the first look is to BJ who was open. The second thing is to Olivier and to our point guard. But BJ was open and I had told BJ, ‘If you get this thing. You’ve got three good dribbles because there’s four seconds. You’ve got plenty of time.’ But I did not tell Jacob. I just said run it and he passed up on BJ and threw it to Olivier. And that’s on me. So, yeah, that play has won five games for my teams over the years, six. It’s won, you know, that’s why I keep running it. But if a guy is open, and you don’t throw it to him, what does that mean Jerry (Tipton)? When you throw it to somebody else the other guys are not going to be open because you didn’t give it to the guy that was open. That means they’re all – and that’s what kind of happened. No responsibility, that falls right on me.”
On Terrence Clarke’s injury …
“Probably best for me to not respond to the medical side of this expect to tell you again, the doctors, the medical people – he is not to play for four weeks. Which you and I know what that could mean. He’s here. He’s doing the physical therapy. He’s going to class. He’s being a good teammate that way. Could you imagine if you guys were him? Like we’re not even talking about – here’s a kid’s career flashing before his eyes. Here’s a kid that played early, hurt and tried to bust through it and couldn’t. (He) Took the time he thought could heal, and the doctors look and say, ‘Nope. You cannot play.’ What they saw. The kid and I both cried. I cried too. He had tears coming down his face. I was crying before. He said, ‘What? What? What? Coach talk to me. What?’ I couldn’t get it out that you know, ‘You’re going to be out with very little possibility that you’re going to be able to play for us throughout this year because of the time.’ There’s been a lot of things this year, but I come back to for all of the things that have happened for me and this program over the years, there’s no feeling sorry. Am I at times frustrated that we’re not winning more? Yeah. I get frustrated on a missed shot. Yeah. But look, you know what? We’re all thrown in situations and I’ve been thrown in this situation. My responsibility are these kids. How do I respond to this where they can learn too? Like, as leader when things go bad, how do we deal with this? Me personally, how am I dealing with it? What am I doing? I asked them. Two days ago, tell me how are you dealing with this? How are you dealing with all of the other stuff? And I went around the room. I’m talking to many of my coaching friends around the country and we’re all having the same (issues). Everybody is tired because of the emotional stuff in this, trying to keep your kids safe, trying to figure out after a pause what happens, how do you play? Having them not being able to be together and either commiserate or celebrate? They can’t be together. If they’re together and someone is sick it shuts everything down. No families. No contact. No girlfriends. No campus where they can connect with a college professor or other students. I respect these kids. Am I happy with where this is? No. Come on you guys know me. Like you asked the question, it’s been – I was in my 20s when I coached a team (with a losing record). But this team, that team had no chance at the end. This team does. And we’ve just got to figure it out together and I’ve got to continue to try and motivate, and push, and hug. After practice yesterday, I got on one of the guys. I got on him pretty hard. He waited by the door that I go out because he kind of bowed his neck when I got on him, and I was walking out he comes over. ‘Coach, I’m sorry.’ And he hugged me, and I hugged him, and he squeezed me, and I squeezed him. And I’m just thinking, this stuff. I know we just think, well here’s who it is, here’s who’s winning and here’s who’s losing, here’s bracketology. This is uncharted waters and all of us coaches, are exhausted trying to stay on top of all of it, and here, there’s an added thing. You’re not winning and now all of a sudden, it’s out of the woodwork. All I can tell you is; I’m going to keep loving these kids, keep coaching them, keep holding them accountable. You can be aggressive when they know you love them. You out there can’t be aggressive with them. They’re not listening to you. But they’ll listen to me and I can be aggressive, and I can yell some, and I can hug them, kiss them after a game. I mean this is different. This all of us together trying to walk through something none of us have been through. I’m not making any excuses. Our record tells what we are and what I am as a coach this year. I’m not making excuses. All I’m saying is I’m not giving up, and if anybody wants to give up. I’m fine. I’m not going to be mad. If anybody wants to take off on them or me, that’s fine. I’m not mad. It’s what it is. I’m not talking down to anybody. I’m not. All I’m saying is my job is not to deal with that. It’s to look at these 12 kids and say, ‘How can I make sure I’m looking after someone’s child? How do I help them play their best?’ I’m with them every day. I know who has got the confidence to go in there when things are going bad and who doesn’t. But I can say this, this group hasn’t given up on anything. And what I told you, conditioning, extra work, someone was in the gym the other day and they said after he worked out, he got conditioning. It was one of our starters. So, hopefully we start playing a little more consistent. Hopefully we throw one off a light that hits off the floor and bounces in the basket and we win on a play. How about an unbelievable block they’ll call a foul, and we shoot two free throws and win a game? I don’t care what it is. We just need something good to happen.”
UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS & PR
MEN’S BASKETBALL
AUBURN at KENTUCKY PREGAME MEDIA
FEB. 12, 2021
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
#2 Devin Askew, G, Fr.
On eliminating tough body language …
“It’s very important in the games to keep great body language and stay in the game, never quitting on the team. Body language is important. It’s what other players on the team feed off of. If I see one player with bad body language, I might have bad body language. Just, energy is contagious. Staying positive throughout the game, especially late in the game, is important.
On the SEC Tournament …
“We’re excited. We’re excited to try to go on this run and hopefully get a chance to win the SEC Tournament then get a chance to play in the March Madness. So, we’re excited. We’re looking forward to it but we’re going one game at a time. From this point on, we’re just going one game at a time. Focused on the next game and that’s it.”
On the team’s close calls …
“I just take it as we’re learning. I know it’s been a long year. It’s been a lot of downs. I’m looking at it in a positive way. We’re one step closer, we’re connecting as a team. Yeah, I’m looking at it in a positive way. I think we’re one step closer and we’re getting better so I’m happy.”
On if he regrets coming to Kentucky from California …
“No. Like I said before, my answer never changed, I’m not one of those kids. I’m here for good, staying here.”
On if he ever regrets reclassifying …
“No. Decision’s made. What’s second thoughts going to do for me?”
On whether the team can take something good from losses …
“100 percent. As everyone knows, we’re losing a lot of games right now. But there’s never a game when we don’t go out there and fight. It’s always a game where we’re coming out with energy and a will to win. We want to win every game, don’t get me wrong. Even though we’re not, it’s impressive to see all my teammates, including myself, come out there every game and still fight. I think most teams would just give up by now and, like ‘oh, this season is a wash, we’re kinda done with it.’ No, we’re still into it. We come out in practice every day and fight against each other and we come out in games and we fight and even though we’re not winning, we fight every game and we give it our all. I think that’s what I’m most impressed with. And that’s what I’m happy about.”
On Auburn’s Sharife Cooper …
“He’s a good player. We’re just going to come out and play with the strategy we have of their whole team and what we’re doing and our concepts and try to execute.”
On what part of Kentucky he enjoys …
“Yeah, I mean, like I said, even though we’re losing, that time before the game, putting on a Kentucky jersey, just knowing I’m a kid from a small place in Sacramento, California and I made it to Kentucky. I’m happy with that. And just going out there and fighting with my teammates, I find joy in doing that. Even though the games are very close, I find joy in close games because, at one point, we’re going to come out on top and that feeling is great. And we’re going to get that feeling again. But that’s what I find joy in is fighting with my teammates and knowing I came from a small place and I’m here.”
On what is fun for him …
“Just getting better. I fall in love with the process. This may sound weird, but I fall in love with struggling because I know there’s going to be good that comes out of it. I fall in love with getting better every day. I fall in love with things that are tough and things I need to get better with. That’s what I find joy in. I find joy in not being the best in certain things because I’m going to put the in the work to eventually become the best.”
