by Paul Jordan
Here are some quotes from Calipari and the team as we look forward to tomorrow’s game against the Tigers at LSU:
CALIPARI ON THE TIGERS:
“You saw last night with Tennessee, it was a two-point game with a minute to go. It was like our South Carolina game. When you give a team like that a chance to win on their home court, they’ll be nuts. Now, they didn’t have the crowd against Tennessee that they’ll have against us. They aren’t going to have 5,000 in that building, so it will be a different environment and team that we’ll play. Again, I understand they haven’t won a game, but watch their tapes; they had chances to win three or four games, including last night.
“We are going to show a little bit of the tape from last night, just so they get a chance to see, because sometimes (the players) don’t believe you. You want to show them what the score was and what happened down the stretch, where they could have easily won. You take one bad shot with a minute to go and you get beat, which is what happened.”
CALIPARI ON PATTERSON AND HIS NBA DRAFT STATUS:
“The best players that I have coached don’t blame anybody. They go in and try to work harder, do more, spend more time in the gym, play harder, and be simpler. (They say) `I’m not going to go nuts. I’m going to make simpler plays because I’m struggling.’ That’s what Patrick is doing. Another General Manager from the NBA grabbed me. He said, `We love him. We know his numbers aren’t the same, but we didn’t know he could do all the things he can do. He is still that lunch-pail guy, but all of the sudden he can go out, make a three, and he can guard a two, three, and four.’ His stock is rising through the roof and we all know he isn’t playing as well as he can play. If he chooses to come back and go another year, it means we are going to win a whole lot more games. The same with John (Wall) and DeMarcus (Cousins).”
CALIPARI ON HIS WILDCATS LOSING BIG LEADS
“We don’t value that ball the way we should, and that is because they are young and fighting it. They are still learning. Normally my teams about this week or next week start getting it. But, I have never in my life coached a team this young. We are now starting four first-year players. The first guy off the bench is a first-year player. Five out of our top six are first-year players. It may be until March and it may be until next December.
“Right now, there are times we aren’t playing as hard as we can. Maybe you should be subbed. Maybe you aren’t in the right frame of mind. There are plays we are making that are absolutely the hardest play we can make. The guy is right ahead, all we have to do is throw. Why are we doing that? Is it show time? Do you get it? We have to value the ball more. You know what we’re asking you to do, why are you choosing not to do it? Obviously, if I’m mad at a guy and I get on him on the bench, I probably asked him 20 times to do something and he chooses not to do it. Then I go nuts.”
RAMON HARRIS ON PLAYING THE TIGERS:
“It’s going to be a good game. They had a tough loss to Tennessee and I anticipate the atmosphere being intense. I am sure a crowd is going to show up. That’s one thing about Kentucky, there is always a crowd of blue wherever we go. I am surprised on how much they are struggling lately, but they do have a good team. There are guys on the team that can play ball. They have a high intensity at this level. They have had some tough losses.”
If you are looking for more Kentucky/LSU coverage, Corey will be by with his always excellent “Inside the Numbers” so check for that.
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