Kentucky Wildcats Media Day Transcript
By Jason Marcum
#25 Dominique Hawkins, Fr., F
On Coach Calipari’s comment about his effort in practice the previous day…
“Yeah, I did feel like it was my best practice because I was making a lot of good shots and I was defending pretty well and I was putting all my effort in.”
On how much Jon (Hood) and Jarrod (Polson) have helped him adjust to playing at Kentucky…
“They have helped me out a lot to be honest because they are veterans. They help me out if I forget a play or anything like how this drill is suppose to go. They help me anytime I need it.”
On the difference between playing in high school and playing in college…
“During high school the weight room is not really that serious, we are just lifting dumbbells or whatever. Then coming up to college it’s serious, the training is. We’re doing different things that I’ve never done before and it’s helping me out and making me a lot stronger. The biggest adjustment is not being around my family a lot. Now I have to be responsible for everything I do.”
On who he thinks he is…
“I am just trying to find my role for the team to be successful. Just trying to get better each and every day that I am at practice.”
On how he feels he has improved…
“Oh a lot! I feel like everyday in practice I’m improving because those (Harrison twins) are the top point guards in the nation and I have to go against them every day on offense and defense so it is definitely making me better.”
#30 Julius Randle, Fr., F
On transition to college life so far …
“It is a little bit hectic. Here, they love basketball. Where I am from (Texas), basketball has really grown but it is mostly known as a football state. To see all these people out here and all the media attention and stuff like that it is not something you can really be prepared for until you experience it.”
On Aaron and Andrew Harrison and their differences on and off the court …
“I have been playing against them since the fifth grade, and I have always been able to tell them apart for sure. I think it would be better for them to answer what they are good at. They are both really great players. Their games are a little bit different, but they are both great players.”
On Coach Calipari saying he could play away from the basket this season and if that is why he choose Kentucky …
“Yeah, for sure. I think the freedom that Cal offers us is one of the big things that attracted me here. I know I trusted him when I came here and knew it was the best fit for me.”
On what he needs to work on the most to play on the perimeter …
“In workouts I pretty much work on everything from shooting the ball, shooting the ball off the dribble, coming to one-two stops, shooting floaters right- and left-handed. Just have to keep working on that stuff and be patient enough to know it will work out.”
On how much Coach Calipari talks to him about developing the right hand …
“A lot. A lot. He knows how teams are going to try to defend me. I trust him enough from his experiences. He talks about it a lot.”
On Coach Calipari’s coaching style …
“He is not going to tell you everything you want to hear. But at the end of the day you know it is what is best for you. I came here because I trusted him so I am going to do what he says. It can be difficult because you want to do things your own way, but from what I have learned so far in practice if you keep working on it and working on it the way he teaches you to do it then it starts to work out and you start getting good at it.”
On what his expectations are for this team this season …
“I am not for sure, it seems we have a really good team, but I can’t speak on that until we go out there and play then I will have a better feel for it. I feel like we are going to be good and we have a lot of talent, but we are everybody’s big game, so we will see when we go out there.”