Kentucky Wildcats vs. UCLA: John Calipari Teleconference Quotes

Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calipari addressed the media in a teleconference prior to the CBS Sports Classic match-up against UCLA.

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John Calipari
Opening statement …
“This event is something we’ve looked forward to, and I’ve personally looked forward to. You’re talking about more national titles than any four schools in the country in this building. You’re talking about storied programs with great histories that are always a play or two away with a chance to win the national title. All the programs. We’re coming together for three years here in Chicago, back in New York and then in Las Vegas, to bring these four programs – storied programs – around the country for all of our fans to see.”

On Alex Poythress and if there has been an update on his surgery …
“He’s doing as well as can be expected. The guys are all hitting him, talking to him and checking in on him. The swelling has to go down before he does the surgery. He’s still probably 10 days away from that. I was going to meet with him today to see what he and his family have decided as far as surgery and when and where, and all those things, but that’ll be going forward. I don’t think he will go to Chicago with us. I haven’t talked to him, but I doubt he does. He’ll go through the Christmas break with his family.”

On the play of UCLA sophomore guard Bryce Alford and what he means to their team …
“He’s 17 (points) and seven (assists). There’s no other guard in the country averaging 17 points and seven assists. He’s one of those guys – and there aren’t many in the country – that can take over a game and change the complexion of a game within a minute and a half. The reason is, he can pull up from anywhere, he makes free throws, he can get you in foul trouble, his 3 off the bounce, off the catch, very skilled and a great passer. So, if you try to do different things with him, he creates for his teammates as well as anybody we’ve seen. Plus, he’s the coach’s son so he can do what he wants.”

On UCLA senior guard Norman Powell and what challenges he presents …
“He’s another kid, he’s like a scoring machine. He has some physique to him. He can get to the rim, he can make 3s. He and Bryce (Alford) in the backcourt have complemented each other. You’ve got a guy who’s a tough matchup if we try to go too big because you have to figure out, can Trey Lyles guard their guards, because that’s basically what he’s going to have to do. He is an all-around – he’s a baller. I can’t tell you he’s this, he’s that. He can take it to the rim, he’s physical, he makes open shots, he’ll score in bunches. Again, the best thing Steve (Alford) has done is he’s played to his team’s strengths. We have to open this up. We know we got to score in transition. We have to give these guys freedom offensively as we really zero in on how we have to guard. I would expect in this game we’ll see a lot of zone. We’ve seen a bunch, but I think we’ll see a lot of zone. I also think, with he and Bryce, they can go to – I don’t know what Steve calls it now – but their grind-it-out, money offense where they’re running that baseline runner and cross screening inside, going inside pick-and-rolls, catch-and-shoots, and catch-and-drives. I think we’re going to see a lot of that and those guys are really good in that kind of situation.”

On his rotation without Alex Poythress …
“What we’ve done is, we’re still platooning. What I’m doing is we’ll platoon nine. We’re going to have time to see if Derek Willis and Dom(inique) Hawkins deserve to be in the rotation of 10. I’m not going to take minutes away from any player just to platoon. That’s not what the idea (is). We were platooning for one reason: to try to take care of 10 players. I’ve never done it before, may never do it again, but right now it’s what’s best for these players. So when I went to nine, I told either Andrew (Harrison), Aaron (Harrison) or Trey, whichever one of you who is playing the best will stay in. Then, whoever is playing second best, if that guy needs a sub, he’ll go in. So, play well and you’ll play more. So, trying to reward the guys who are playing well and give them some extra minutes.”

On if there was any contingency plan in the preseason to handle an injury like this with the platoons …
“Again, we’ve never done this before. I didn’t do this to try to be a genius. I did it because we have 10 players and you could not sub 10 players in and out liberally. You would worry about subbing versus worrying about the game. That’s why we platooned. We did talk in terms of, ‘Hey, if we get to a point where eight of these guys or seven have separated from the rest, it’ll be pretty cut and dry that it’s done on the court and proven on the court and those guys will play.’ I’m not married to anything. My whole thing is, What’s the best way for these kids to play to put them in the best chance to win and the best system or style that they all are the best versions of themselves. I’m not just worried about winning games, I’m worried about developing young people to be their best. To be the best versions of themselves. Now, the best version of themselves is probably playing in a way that they’re not as comfortable playing because it’s harder. They’d rather it be a little bit easier. ‘Let me score every five times down the floor and I should be good,’ versus make me take charges, dive on the floor, ‘You’re going to make me defend every possession? Like, every minute I’m out there I have to guard somebody? Come on.’ That’s the type of stuff you go through when you’re battling guys to be the best version of themselves.”

On the pressure on Tyler Ulis playing back at home in Chicago …
“It’s hard, he’s going home. It’s a hard deal. The one thing I think we can expect him to do is play hard, compete and battle. That’s who he is. He’s like the energy bunny. The other parts of making shots or doing the things he’s doing in a free-flowing game, we’ll find out where he is right now. It’s just hard. It’s a hard deal. It was hard for Trey. Think about it. We’re talking young kids, 18 years old, going home in front of family and friends. And we’re talking about, people probably questioned Tyler, ‘Kentucky? What? You’re not …’ And they’re looking at it saying, he is. He’s a Kentucky player.”

On if he wants to attack and exploit teams’ lack of depth when possible since Kentucky has so much …
“The best three teams I’ve coached in my career, aside from my NBA teams – well they probably were even if you included my NBA run – but the ’95-96 UMass team, I played six guys, really I played 5.5, the 2008 Memphis team I played six guys, maybe seven, the 2012 (Kentucky) team I played six guys. They have six they rotate in who can really play. So for anyone to say you can’t do it with six guys, you’re, no. Coach (John) Wooden told me, Coach (Joe B.) Hall has said it to me, Coach (Jack) Leaman when I was at UMass, Coach (Gene) Bartow when I was at Memphis, ‘You don’t need to play eight, nine, 10 guys. You play your six.’ Old school coaches played six guys and you earned playing time in practice. If not, you were there backup. If there wasn’t foul trouble or injuries you probably weren’t playing. Steve (Alford) probably has a really happy team right now. Really excited team. A team that probably comes to practice jacked up because they know who’s playing and they know who’s not playing. Guys are now saying we have to play and we have to play without foul trouble. We have to be in great condition. We have to be jacked up about playing. We have to play with less mistakes. Now all of a sudden, they make shots – the UCLA game is going to be a really hard game for us. The main reason is, they play loose, they can make shots. Let’s say they take 25 3s and they make 15, which they’re capable of, we lose. We go on to the next game – well we go to Christmas for four days, and then go on to the next game – but that’s just how it is. I’m more concerned about my team. I’ll tell you, I’ve been on that end of playing six guys, and they were always my best teams.”

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