Hello HOB. Coach Cal will be joining us at 2 ET today to discuss the Cats’ matchup with Kansas on Tuesday night in Chicago at the Champions Classic.
COACH CAL Q&A:
* Calipari says Adou Thiero should be available for the Wildcats’ Champions Classic matchup with Kansas on Tuesday. The three 7-footers will not likely be, unless they hear something on Zvonimir Ivisic by tomorrow. “It would be nice to throw him in the game,” but notes that his conditioning won’t quite be there yet. He has regained some of that weight he lost when he had food poisoning.
* Kansas will run a lot of high-low stuff, pick-and-roll. They have veterans. Big, athletic. They’ll block shots. Not sure how his guys will respond. Sometimes they’re so young, they just play. They don’t know better (like Maxey vs. Michigan State).
* Adou being back is big in this game. Without Adou, this would be really, really hard.
* Can UK turn size into its own advantage offensively? … Cal says Tre can offer you some of that in the same way KU will do with Dickinson.
* Wants the team to play loose and have fun. It’s Game 3. Not the end of the world.
* More physical since exhibitions. Pleased that they are. Was worried about it. Also surprised that they are faster than he expected.
* On the two signees… Somto has made unbelievable strides. One of those bigs there just aren’t many of anymore. Old-school shot-blocker and rebounder. Boogie is one of those guys everybody wants to play with. Makes everybody better. There are times when he’s “off the charts.” Has been challenging him to become that all the time.
* On Cats’ communication… DJ is like a senior out there the way he talks, and Reed, the way he’s playing, really makes it good when the two of them are out there together. Kinda likes how it looks when Reed has the ball and DJ is running ahead.
* Rob is really making him happy with how he’s just playing, not being showtime or And1 or any of that stuff. Just playing basketball. Making big strides.
* I’m enjoying walking in every day and coaching them.
* DJ shoots as well as anyone in the gym. Gets in the game and misses one, and it bothers him too much. Thinks about the misses too much.
* Champions Classic used to be Game 1 at times… Cal says he did not like that. He actually pushed for it to be moved back a bit.
* We’re going to find out who the dawgs are on this team, who’s just going to go play.
* On NIL and the Dickinson recruitment… Never seemed to be a big deal with Hunter. Didn’t have any demands to meet. If he had, probably would have walked away.
* Asked if he likes coaching against Bill Self, Cal said he doesn’t like coaching against guys he likes, and Bill is one of those. It’s a really hard game when you go against him.
* I’ve got to get some of these big kids back so I can see where it needs to go.
* Asked about Oscar and his new sports glasses, Cal said he knew it when he was here. Oscar wore glasses here at times, just chose not to when he played.
*****
COACH CAL Q&A:
* Calipari says Adou Thiero should be available for the Wildcats’ Champions Classic matchup with Kansas on Tuesday. The three 7-footers will not likely be, unless they hear something on Zvonimir Ivisic by tomorrow. “It would be nice to throw him in the game,” but notes that his conditioning won’t quite be there yet. He has regained some of that weight he lost when he had food poisoning.
* Kansas will run a lot of high-low stuff, pick-and-roll. They have veterans. Big, athletic. They’ll block shots. Not sure how his guys will respond. Sometimes they’re so young, they just play. They don’t know better (like Maxey vs. Michigan State).
* Adou being back is big in this game. Without Adou, this would be really, really hard.
* Can UK turn size into its own advantage offensively? … Cal says Tre can offer you some of that in the same way KU will do with Dickinson.
* Wants the team to play loose and have fun. It’s Game 3. Not the end of the world.
* More physical since exhibitions. Pleased that they are. Was worried about it. Also surprised that they are faster than he expected.
* On the two signees… Somto has made unbelievable strides. One of those bigs there just aren’t many of anymore. Old-school shot-blocker and rebounder. Boogie is one of those guys everybody wants to play with. Makes everybody better. There are times when he’s “off the charts.” Has been challenging him to become that all the time.
* On Cats’ communication… DJ is like a senior out there the way he talks, and Reed, the way he’s playing, really makes it good when the two of them are out there together. Kinda likes how it looks when Reed has the ball and DJ is running ahead.
* Rob is really making him happy with how he’s just playing, not being showtime or And1 or any of that stuff. Just playing basketball. Making big strides.
* I’m enjoying walking in every day and coaching them.
* DJ shoots as well as anyone in the gym. Gets in the game and misses one, and it bothers him too much. Thinks about the misses too much.
* Champions Classic used to be Game 1 at times… Cal says he did not like that. He actually pushed for it to be moved back a bit.
* We’re going to find out who the dawgs are on this team, who’s just going to go play.
* On NIL and the Dickinson recruitment… Never seemed to be a big deal with Hunter. Didn’t have any demands to meet. If he had, probably would have walked away.
* Asked if he likes coaching against Bill Self, Cal said he doesn’t like coaching against guys he likes, and Bill is one of those. It’s a really hard game when you go against him.
* I’ve got to get some of these big kids back so I can see where it needs to go.
* Asked about Oscar and his new sports glasses, Cal said he knew it when he was here. Oscar wore glasses here at times, just chose not to when he played.
*****
