Kentucky Basketball Previews Duke
UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
CAL WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
NOV. 8, 2021
NEW YORK
Head Coach John Calipari
On if it is more important what a player does in practice or what he does in games to get into the rotation …
“It’s both. It’s both. There are some guys that, when you put them on the stage, they’ll blossom. That you’re not sure about them because in practice. When they get on the stage, they do it. There are other guys that earn the right to get on that stage with how they practiced. But at the end of the day, merit wins out. I mean, Jacob (Toppin) is jumping into the rotation because of his energy, not how he played. The energy, the toughness, the attacking – he’s playing. Now, he only practiced seven days, so it’s all merit based.”
On how big the stage is on Tuesday …
“We approach every game the same. Like, you saw the last team (Miles College) made 11 out of 15 3s (in the first half) against us. So, every team we play, it’s the biggest game on their schedule. So, this will be—you know, you can’t make it any different. This will be the stage. All the stuff we’re saying is, look, our focus is on us. We’re going to play how we play. They’re going to play how they play. And either they’re more advanced than us or we’re a little more advanced than we think we are. But we’ll find out. It’s a great—this is the games you learn about your team. This is it. And before our league, we play five or six games like this where we’ll learn about what we are. So, it’s going to be a hard game for us. They’re really, really good. They’re deep. They’re big. Seven-foot, 6-10, 6-11. They’re big. So, it’ll be a challenge.”
On Oscar Tshiebwe’s health …
“He’s OK. He’s still a little bit nicked up. But, you know, again, this is one of those that, let’s go. But he gives us a physical presence. We’ve just got to, again, trying to figure out not only what is the rotation for this kind of game. You’re not playing 11 guys. It’s not happening. Now, you might because of foul trouble and injuries and things like that, but your rotation is going to be more normal with eight guys, maybe seven. Who are they? And then the other side of it becomes next man up. Are you ready for your opportunity to prove you should be playing more? We’re doing stats right now on points against a player as though he played 40 minutes. How many points would you give up if you played 40 minutes? And so now they’re really seeing it. We’re talking about it. We’re zeroed in on it. So, all of those things play into this. We’re going to have to help inside because they’re big. They also shoot 3s. We’ve got to help inside and take away 3s. Not an easy task.”
On Duke’s Paolo Banchero’s challenge for Kentucky’s post defense …
“Well, the biggest thing is he’s got size and girth. He’s 250 pounds. So, our four men are not that big, but they’re quick and athletic and he’s got to guard them too now. But he’s a skilled passer, scorer. He’s a terrific player and great kid from a great family. He will be a challenge. But he’s going to be a challenge for everybody all year.”
On playing Robert Morris later this week and what the Moon Township, Pennsylvania, area means to him …
“When we went in to play them (in 2013), I had spent a lot of time on that campus. I tell the story: My grandmother and my aunt – my great aunt – worked in the cafeteria. I used to sneak food out the back door from them. Work out down there and have lunch and work out some more. I go back to the Gus Krop days. It’s a special place. What they’ve done to the campus, the facilities, off the charts. It’s not the same school as when I grew up in that area. And Coach (Andrew Toole), they’ve done a good job. They struggled last year but so did we. They’re way better this year and it’s a dangerous game, especially coming off of this (one vs. Duke). Having to give the kids off Wednesday off – probably not getting back until 3, 4 in the morning – having one practice day and then playing, going to a hard game for us. That game is going to be hard.”
On why guys like John Wall and Tyrese Maxey take to games like the one vs. Duke on this stage in Madison Square Garden …
“That’s what you’ll learn from this. You think this guy, that guy, that guy, (but) you don’t know until the game is over and you look and you say, ‘He loved that moment.’ The biggest part of it is, guys like that aren’t afraid to look bad. They don’t care; they’re going to go play. They’re not afraid to miss a shot or take a tough shot or a game-winning shot. It’s not going to change how they see it. They want that play. They want to be in there, mainly because they’re not afraid to miss it. And the same defensively; they dig in. It’s not exchanging baskets and what I look like. ‘I’m playing to make myself look better than the other guy.’ So, I’ve had a bunch of those guys and I’ve been fortunate to coach them in a lot of these kinds of games. And you just don’t know until the game is over. Like I told these guys, this is our next game. It’s not a big game – unless we win, then it’s huge. And I said, ‘How about this one? You’re not going to know if you win or you lose – until you win or lose. So, go play. Let’s be at our best. They’ll be at their best, and let’s see who is a little bit behind.’ Because, at the end of the day, I think both teams will be fine, but we’re both going to learn about each other.”
On what could be his last matchup vs. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and if there is a tendency for expectations to be skewed from the results of a game like this …
“That can happen, but this is basketball. This isn’t football. So, they’ve watched my teams over the years, and we get better as the year goes on and we give ourselves a chance. With that being said, the stuff about Coach K, look, he’s made me a better coach. He’s kept me sharper. We did things those first five or six years that, you know, Duke started taking the same kind of guys and it became that competition back and forth. But I’ve never lost respect for what he’s been able to do over 40 years. Do you know many times you have to change the way you coach and what you do? It doesn’t mean the principles, the pillars of your program change, but how you defend, how you play offensively, how you teach, what’s more important. To do it over 40 years, incredible. At one place, incredible. Coach (Adolph) Rupp, you can say the same thing. How do you do it that long in place and still have a level of that excellence that you have. And I’ll tell you what, he’s been great for all coaches. He’s been great for all coaches. And I like the competition of going against the absolute best. You go, and whether I was young coaching against Coach (Dean) Smith, you have an opportunity. Coaching against Hall of Fame coaches, that’s where you want to see where you are in preparing your team. What’s he doing now that’s different? Now, I’m hoping this isn’t the last time we play them, so don’t make any mistake about that. I hope we play them one more.”
On CJ Fredrick’s status …
“He practiced Saturday a little bit. He practiced Sunday a little bit. He’s practicing today a little bit. My guess is I may throw him in for a minute or two and just let him run up and down, but this probably isn’t that game. But it’s just good to have him back on the court competing.”
On if he has an idea of his rotation ahead of time or if he makes adjustments once the game starts …
“Well, I may put guys in that I think are a part of the group of seven or eight and then you watch and you say, ‘Let me try somebody else.’ And then that guy becomes that group seven or eight. Again, I go back to Jacob. I didn’t think Jacob would jump in and do this, but his energy level and the spirit he brought to the court changed how we were playing. Now just think if I can get five guys playing like him. ‘Oh, that’s really hard. I’d rather shoot balls and make a couple of plays. Throw an assist. Do a look-away pass.’ No. We need five dogs that play like him. Now if we get five guys playing like that all of a sudden we’re really good, because he is 6-9. You know, he is 6-9 and that active and athletic. He’s making us different.”
On if his rotation might be different every game …
“I hope not. I hope not because that means we have inconsistent players.”
On the team’s vaccination rate and how concerned he is with COVID-19 causing stoppages or absences …
“All of our guys and staff are vaccinated. Last year not one of our players or staff contracted the virus. Not one. Now, we weren’t able to come together as a team because we made sure we were away from each other. But none of them contracted it. Right now we’re all–most of the staff has gotten their boosters. The school has been so diligent. I’ve got to give it to Dr. (Eli) Capilouto. I mean, when you talk about the rates on our campus, it’s like near 90% vaccination. I’m talking staff, students. You don’t have hospitalizations. What we’ve been able to do to survive this on our campus is incredible. My hope is that, you know, with the shots and boosters and what we’re doing, we’ll be able to avoid any of that, but you don’t know. You just don’t know.”
On the defensive focus after struggling with post defense vs. Kentucky Wesleyan and then with stopping 3-pointers vs. Miles College …
“Well, we want to stop them in the post and don’t give them 3s.”
On attending the New York Knicks game last night with the team …
“I only stayed a half so I wasn’t the mush. It was not me. I stayed for one half and when I left they were in great shape, when I left the gym, left the arena. No, it was great. Derrick Rose, Julius (Randle) and seeing the guys. Nerlens (Noel) didn’t come out right away so I didn’t get to see him. I saw Kevin (Knox) and saw Immanuel (Quickley). Immanuel and Derrick I think are both going to come to the game (on Tuesday). Then you had Leon (Rose) and Wes (William Wesley) and Kenny (Payne). Kenny looks good. He looks like he lost a little weight. But it was great seeing them. You’re talking family, so it was great to be able to see everybody and I got to sit there with my son, watch half of the game and then I took off. More importantly, I got to get with the Cardinal (of New York, Timothy Michael Dolan) this morning at Mass. I went to Mass and met him after. (He) blessed my rosaries. I brought them with me just in case I saw him. Big day for me as a Catholic.”
On how the Knicks are building the organization with the new front office …
“Well, they’ve got injuries. I mean, you know, that stuff’s happening. But they have the flexibility they need to be able to evaluate who they have and the flexibility to do things if they need to. And let me say this: Cleveland is supposed to be out of it, they’re not supposed to be real good. Great. They are really talented. Like (Evan) Mobley is really good. Their guard play is really good. I’m looking like, every NBA team is good. And so, if you’re not ready to go and you have a bad shooting night, you will lose. But they beat Milwaukee. Now you think about that. How about you walk into the arena and Madison Square Garden is like the old days. People are going nuts. I hit Spike Lee last night, ‘Where are you? I’m sitting right here. Where are you?’ So, he hit me this morning.”
On his players with the Knicks …
“Well, here’s what’s happened: Nerlens is going to be fine. I think he’s beat up a little bit, but Immanuel is going to be the next man up now. It’s harder because you’re getting a little less minutes than you did a year ago. But it’s next man up. You’ve got to take those minutes you get and prove I need more because I watch him and I love his spirit on the court bouncing and all of that. And for Derrick Rose at his age to do what he’s doing, I mean, he’s bouncy. He looks young. Best floater in the NBA. He shot a bunch of them last night. Nerlens makes a difference. They’re telling me that Kevin has gotten better. Kevin Knox, now he’s just got to get on the court and then do it when he’s on the court. The hardest thing for a player, you’re not getting a whole lot of minutes and you’re thrown in there, it is what it is. But you’ve got to go get it done.”
