Kentucky-UNC Asheville Postgame Interview with John Calipari
By Jason Marcum
Courtesy of UK Media Relations, here is tonight’s postgame interview with: Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach John Calipari:
Q. I think Alex (Poythress) had one double‑double his entire freshman year and had one tonight. How did you think he played?
COACH CALIPARI: I thought he was terrific. I thought he got tired. He’s way better than he was, and the biggest number on there was the zero he had for turnovers. Think about that. So now he’s defining his game a little bit better, one‑dribble pull‑ups if I have open shots, fine. I’m not a playmaker, that’s not how I’m going to play, and I’m going to go after every ball and dunk every ball, and he’s playing to his strengths, trying to be the best version of him, and I thought he was terrific today.
I got on Julius (Randle), he had 15 rebounds but he could have had 20, 21, 22 rebounds, so why not do that. Why not open up with a 20‑20, because when the shot went up he stopped playing. He stopped. How about the back doors? Throw to the elbow, the guy on the wing, stopped playing. How about three seconds on the clock, they take it out, throw it to the post, the guy spins and throws it to his man and he fouls. That was Julius.
I mean, we just stopped over and over. We didn’t play one possession defensively. We played a couple. We had a couple shot clocks. But it’s what we have to do.
And the other thing we didn’t do is we didn’t pass the ball. I don’t mind you trying to make a play, but when their defense is down there, don’t try to make a play now. Pass the ball. But it’s all things that we’ve got to learn. Didn’t make free throws. We were awful in the first half. I mean, couldn’t make a ‑‑ probably missed five one‑footers and every free throw.
Now, let me say this: Their first college game. Their first college game. I thought Marcus Lee was good, though.