Fresh off winning his Gatorade National Player of the year award, Kentucky’s Brandon Knight sat down with SLAM Magazine, the Bible for NBA wanna be-ers. In it, Brandon detailed some of the reasons why he chose Kentucky. Here is the part of the interview that dealt with the Cats:
"SLAM: With your haircut, are you already feeling faster?BK: Yeah. I’m trying to have that mindset that I am faster.SLAM: Was it hard to do? You had been growing your hair for a long time.BK: Since the fourth grade. It was tough to cut it. I’ve had one person do my hair all my life and that person wasn’t coming to Kentucky with me. I’m very picky about them and less picky about a haircut.SLAM: Talk about your decision to go to Kentucky. I know you did something unique in signing an aid agreement rather than a letter of intent that would have had you bound to the University. Brilliant move. There was definitely a lot of talk about Coach Cal leaving at that time and it sounds like this gave you some flexibility in case things didn’t work out.BK: Yeah, just in case I decided to change my mind if coach decided to go do something better for his family or something of that nature. I would have that opportunity and that option, not be locked up. I trust coach Cal and the coaching staff and players around me. It was really something my family had always said we would do. Just in case because you never know.SLAM: Do you think a lot of other prospects will follow in your footsteps and do something similar?BK: I don’t think many people know you don’t have to sign an actual LOI. So, I’m not sure. But I don’t see why not. It’s a win-win situation for the player.SLAM: Was Coach Cal and the Kentucky people cool with it?BK: Yeah, they were fine with it. They know once I give my word, I’m going to be there. That’s how my family is and that’s how my dad raised me to be.SLAM: Tell me about Coach Cal. I know he’s a big reason you chose Kentucky. How did you guys connect?BK: Just the fact that he seemed sincere. I talked to a lot of guys and couldn’t tell who was sincere and who wasn’t. Coach Cal seemed like he was. The proof is in the pudding. He’s a winner and I wanted to play for a winner. He’s a guy that loves winning—you can see it in his eyes during games. He gets mad at the simplest things, like leaving a guy open. That’s kind of how I am—when I leave a guy open I get really mad at myself. Playing for someone like me will motivate me to get better.SLAM: You love their style of play?BK: Yes. It’s free: get to the basket, attacking the rim a lot and putting a lot of pressure on defense throughout the entire game. When you play like that, it leads to a lot of turnovers on the other end. That helps a lot in terms of making the game easier.SLAM: It sounds like some of the people who recruited you were hard to relate to. What is it about Coach Cal that makes you feel comfortable?BK: The way he greets you and treats you like a regular person. He acts like a regular person, he’s very down to earth. I think some of the coaches thought they were above the situation. We really connected while he was recruiting me."
Keep following www.http://wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans