OPENING STATEMENT:
On how UCLA’s loss compares to the 2011 loss to Indiana:
Yeah, this was different though. It wasn’t the same feeling. It wasn’t the same. All the things that happened with Marcus (Lee) being out, you’re one short. And then guys had to step up and play and they didn’t. We had three or four guys who didn’t the things that we needed to do without Marcus. They outplayed us, they beat us to every 50-50 ball. When you’re shorthanded you’ve gotta be really tough physically and mentally tough. From shot selection on offense to not rebounding the ball—see, Marcus gives us free baskets because of his offensive rebounding. We got none of that when he was out and it just showed.
I think they watched the tape, they got it. We had a good practice yesterday. It was really grueling to be honest with you. It’s what they need and we’re trying to hold them to a high standard in what we’re accepting. Skal (Labissiere) is going to take time. It’s a process. I’ve had guys here before, some guys get it quicker, Karl, some guys don’t get it quicker. It takes two or three years. It has nothing to do with skill. It has nothing to do with his ability to score, hooks and all of that, or block shots. Like all these kids, we’ve got a great, great group of kids who want to do well, but this is really hard stuff we do.
Now we’re playing a team in Eastern Kentucky who should be 9-0. Scoring in bunches, shooting 45 percent from the three. Athletes at all the positions. They scramble the defense, they press, they trap on different opportunities. They switch a lot. They switch a lot, which means you have to try to take advantage of stuff. They’re a good team. They’re playing good right now.
On if Marcus Lee has been practicing:
He has not. He has not. So hopefully today we’ll see if he can do anything. But Tyler was full yesterday. It was the first time—Tyler hadn’t practiced before the UCLA game. He did half a practice but nothing, and yesterday he was really full and shot the ball well. Seems to be back to where he was.
On Marcus Lee’s exact injury:
He got hit in the head. I don’t know exactly what they’re talking about.
On if it was a concussion:
I don’t have any idea. Ask the doctors.
On Alex Poythress saying the team ran pretty hard in practice on Monday:
What I didn’t do was accept certain things. If certain things weren’t done, we ran. If certain players weren’t doing what they were supposed to, we ran. Then it was like ‘now, if you want to keep running, keep doing it.’ Look, I want to empower this team. But when they are where they are right now that’s my job. That’s not a teammate to do that. When everybody is doing their thing, everybody’s trying, everybody’s playing and battling and you’re fighting, then they come together and they really accept what each other has to do and they can be empowered. We’re not close to that right now.
If this team is supposed to be, by the end of the year, what we all believe it can be, they got to be empowered.
On what it looks like when a team with slender bodies is playing with toughness:
What I would tell you is, I've seen skinny guys battle. Just because you're skinny doesn't mean, 'Well, OK.' I've seen them battle. You just have to have that mentality. Some of it's got to be your inner dialogue. What are you exactly saying to yourself when a shot goes up? Or what are you saying when it's transition and you're flying? What are you saying to yourself when another team is starting to beat you to balls? What's your inner dialogue? And this is all new to these guys. You talk in terms of that to them and they're like, 'What're you…' Well, you're saying something to yourself, and right now whatever you're saying we got to change that, get you in a different mentality.
But I'll say it again: We got great kids. We've got good players. It's what I've said from day one: grit, battle, fight. They can all do that. It's just hard. And it's really hard when the other guy comes in playing for their lives. Like, they're playing for their life, and you know they're going to play well and they're playing like it's the biggest game for them this century, then you don't battle. That's where we are right now. How we were even in the game the way we played, without Marcus, I don't even know. But we had our chances. In that game, we never got a run. My friends came up and said, 'Your teams always have runs.' Well, you've got to stop somebody five, six times in a row – one. Then you can't shoot reverse layups and floating runners when you're right there. Just make that basket and now it's six, seven. 'Why'd you do that?' 'I don't know. Eh. I just tried.' That's what we were – like, what in the world – but that's what happens when you have young teams and you go on the road.
On if Isaiah Briscoe is growing the way he wants:
He did fine. He started the game shaky and then he got back, and he has a great will to win. Really had a great practice yesterday. Shooting the ball. He knows. 'I got to shoot the ball better.' So he's in there. There's one way to change some of this stuff, and it's you have to change it. I can't change it 'cause if it's me, it's only short term. If it's you, it becomes who you are.
On how UCLA’s loss compares to the 2011 loss to Indiana:
Yeah, this was different though. It wasn’t the same feeling. It wasn’t the same. All the things that happened with Marcus (Lee) being out, you’re one short. And then guys had to step up and play and they didn’t. We had three or four guys who didn’t the things that we needed to do without Marcus. They outplayed us, they beat us to every 50-50 ball. When you’re shorthanded you’ve gotta be really tough physically and mentally tough. From shot selection on offense to not rebounding the ball—see, Marcus gives us free baskets because of his offensive rebounding. We got none of that when he was out and it just showed.
I think they watched the tape, they got it. We had a good practice yesterday. It was really grueling to be honest with you. It’s what they need and we’re trying to hold them to a high standard in what we’re accepting. Skal (Labissiere) is going to take time. It’s a process. I’ve had guys here before, some guys get it quicker, Karl, some guys don’t get it quicker. It takes two or three years. It has nothing to do with skill. It has nothing to do with his ability to score, hooks and all of that, or block shots. Like all these kids, we’ve got a great, great group of kids who want to do well, but this is really hard stuff we do.
Now we’re playing a team in Eastern Kentucky who should be 9-0. Scoring in bunches, shooting 45 percent from the three. Athletes at all the positions. They scramble the defense, they press, they trap on different opportunities. They switch a lot. They switch a lot, which means you have to try to take advantage of stuff. They’re a good team. They’re playing good right now.
On if Marcus Lee has been practicing:
He has not. He has not. So hopefully today we’ll see if he can do anything. But Tyler was full yesterday. It was the first time—Tyler hadn’t practiced before the UCLA game. He did half a practice but nothing, and yesterday he was really full and shot the ball well. Seems to be back to where he was.
On Marcus Lee’s exact injury:
He got hit in the head. I don’t know exactly what they’re talking about.
On if it was a concussion:
I don’t have any idea. Ask the doctors.
On Alex Poythress saying the team ran pretty hard in practice on Monday:
What I didn’t do was accept certain things. If certain things weren’t done, we ran. If certain players weren’t doing what they were supposed to, we ran. Then it was like ‘now, if you want to keep running, keep doing it.’ Look, I want to empower this team. But when they are where they are right now that’s my job. That’s not a teammate to do that. When everybody is doing their thing, everybody’s trying, everybody’s playing and battling and you’re fighting, then they come together and they really accept what each other has to do and they can be empowered. We’re not close to that right now.
If this team is supposed to be, by the end of the year, what we all believe it can be, they got to be empowered.
On what it looks like when a team with slender bodies is playing with toughness:
What I would tell you is, I've seen skinny guys battle. Just because you're skinny doesn't mean, 'Well, OK.' I've seen them battle. You just have to have that mentality. Some of it's got to be your inner dialogue. What are you exactly saying to yourself when a shot goes up? Or what are you saying when it's transition and you're flying? What are you saying to yourself when another team is starting to beat you to balls? What's your inner dialogue? And this is all new to these guys. You talk in terms of that to them and they're like, 'What're you…' Well, you're saying something to yourself, and right now whatever you're saying we got to change that, get you in a different mentality.
But I'll say it again: We got great kids. We've got good players. It's what I've said from day one: grit, battle, fight. They can all do that. It's just hard. And it's really hard when the other guy comes in playing for their lives. Like, they're playing for their life, and you know they're going to play well and they're playing like it's the biggest game for them this century, then you don't battle. That's where we are right now. How we were even in the game the way we played, without Marcus, I don't even know. But we had our chances. In that game, we never got a run. My friends came up and said, 'Your teams always have runs.' Well, you've got to stop somebody five, six times in a row – one. Then you can't shoot reverse layups and floating runners when you're right there. Just make that basket and now it's six, seven. 'Why'd you do that?' 'I don't know. Eh. I just tried.' That's what we were – like, what in the world – but that's what happens when you have young teams and you go on the road.
On if Isaiah Briscoe is growing the way he wants:
He did fine. He started the game shaky and then he got back, and he has a great will to win. Really had a great practice yesterday. Shooting the ball. He knows. 'I got to shoot the ball better.' So he's in there. There's one way to change some of this stuff, and it's you have to change it. I can't change it 'cause if it's me, it's only short term. If it's you, it becomes who you are.
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