On how the team has improved from the first day of practice:
Day one of practice? Well, our offense is starting to get better. They’re starting to understand what we’re looking to try to do and where we’re trying to get the ball. Just concepts that’s tough picking up earlier. Defensively as well, just making some adjustments as practice started until now has gotten drastically better, but we still feel that we have a long ways to go in every aspect of the game.
On what he wants the team to make of being the new No. 1 in the AP poll:
Not to make a big deal of it. It’s November. But it’s great. I think that’s five of the seven years we’ve been here that at some point in time we’ve had that honor. It’s kind of a neat thing to be honest with you. For each team that we’ve had here to have a grasp of that. But knowing it’s November, doesn’t mean a whole lot. I’m proud of it. I think our team would be proud of it as well.
On five of the last seven teams being at the top of the poll:
It’s just a credit to coach (Calipari), the players and everybody that helps this program out. I mean it’s a team effort. It’s what you shoot for. You want to be the last one standing at the end of every year, but again, like I just said, it’s kind of neat for these kids who may have never experienced this ever before and this is basically a whole new group. But it’s hard. But it’s rewarding.
On playing with a chip on your shoulder when you’re voted No. 1:
To be honest with you I think it’s a little different here because you have that target on your back every single game whether you’re No. 1 or something below that. I mean it’s Kentucky. You’re getting every team’s best shot. You guys have heard that before, but whether it’s at home or on the road you’re getting that other team’s best shot. I think it goes a little bit hand in hand.
On what he attributes to their defense on Grayson Allen:
Well, I think our guards did a great job. Obviously, he's such a good driver of the basketball going into our game, when he puts his head down and goes – leading up to our game he was creating eight fouls per game on the opponent. I think our guards stepped up to the challenge, stayed in front, didn't let him turn the corner, which is a huge part of his game. At some point in time all three guard were guarding him and did a terrific job.
On what their schedule will be this week:
Well, we'll practice today. We play late tomorrow night. We're gonna practice – we're gonna leave Wednesday at noon and practice down in Miami. And then practice Thanksgiving day and play Friday afternoon and come back right after the game. I think.
On how Boston will play them:
Watching the game last year, they have everybody back off that team. They have two players that are out right now that haven't played yet, Hankerson and Fanning, that were two good players, as well. Last year they really spread us out and tried to drive us, probably because of our size. They mixed it up man and zone against us. I would anticipate that again. They're playing a little bit of both this year. They're 2-2. They should be 4-0 after you watch the tapes. Very impressed by their personnel, what they run and their players have gotten better since last year and that's a credit to Joe (Jones).
On if there was anyone who took a step forward against Wright State:
“I thought Tyler (Ulis) played extremely well. If you’re talking about taking a step forward, he played an exceptional game. He’s confident, he’s leading, he’s coaching on the floor and he doesn’t want to lose. I thought that he had the standout game of anybody on the floor that day.”
On if Kentucky’s talent can trump Boston’s experience:
“Well, you hope it does. We have an inexperienced team with minimal points and rebounds and minutes played coming back. It’s been that way since we’ve been here where we are an underclassmen-driven team and you just hope that our guys step up to the game and the challenge that an experienced team is going to bring. Hopefully our crowd is a big factor. Most smaller schools don’t play in front of crowds like we get at Rupp every game. Use that to our advantage.”
On if there is a newcomer who has impressed him with a willingness to learn from the coaches:
“Isaiah Briscoe. He’s a sponge. He listens to everything you say. He’s really smart. He does what coach asks him to do. Still learning. Impressed at how he is playing defensively, and when he’s aggressive -- when he’s aggressive he’s a tough out, he’s a tough matchup.”
On if Isaac Humphries (foot) has been back in action:
“Yeah, he did, he practiced yesterday and we’ll get him ready to go out here (today).”
On Dominique Hawkins trying to get in the rotation:
“Well, Coach put it out there to everybody the other day when we had a team meeting: Everybody’s not going to play, and you have to separate yourself in practice and show it consistently to the point where Coach is comfortable putting him in the game. The statement that was made yesterday: One thing with Dom is you know he’s going to guard. And the way that Coach is with defense, that’s a good feather to have in your cap, for sure.”
On how Briscoe has embraced defending after being a scorer in high school:
“I think it surprised a lot of people, but he just plays so hard and he’s smart and sees ahead and can be aggressive. Our guards have done a tremendous job of adjusting to the new rules of no hands, staying in front, and I’ve been really happy with that part of it. Because you see all over college basketball right now that you can get into major foul trouble. Still gotta do a better job and our bigs have to help our guards some on ball screens for them to have a chance to stay in front, but he’s taken on the challenge and I don’t really give it a whole lot of second thought to put him on the other team’s better player at times.”
On what rules changes he’s noticed most:
“Well, I think the one that you notice the most is the hand-check or keeping hands on, by far. The shot clock hasn’t really come into play at all. The timeout situation really, up to this point, hasn’t really come into play. The backcourt, 10-second rule, for us, hasn’t come into play yet. A little bit with the hand-check and a little bit with the post play, being able to arm bar.”
Day one of practice? Well, our offense is starting to get better. They’re starting to understand what we’re looking to try to do and where we’re trying to get the ball. Just concepts that’s tough picking up earlier. Defensively as well, just making some adjustments as practice started until now has gotten drastically better, but we still feel that we have a long ways to go in every aspect of the game.
On what he wants the team to make of being the new No. 1 in the AP poll:
Not to make a big deal of it. It’s November. But it’s great. I think that’s five of the seven years we’ve been here that at some point in time we’ve had that honor. It’s kind of a neat thing to be honest with you. For each team that we’ve had here to have a grasp of that. But knowing it’s November, doesn’t mean a whole lot. I’m proud of it. I think our team would be proud of it as well.
On five of the last seven teams being at the top of the poll:
It’s just a credit to coach (Calipari), the players and everybody that helps this program out. I mean it’s a team effort. It’s what you shoot for. You want to be the last one standing at the end of every year, but again, like I just said, it’s kind of neat for these kids who may have never experienced this ever before and this is basically a whole new group. But it’s hard. But it’s rewarding.
On playing with a chip on your shoulder when you’re voted No. 1:
To be honest with you I think it’s a little different here because you have that target on your back every single game whether you’re No. 1 or something below that. I mean it’s Kentucky. You’re getting every team’s best shot. You guys have heard that before, but whether it’s at home or on the road you’re getting that other team’s best shot. I think it goes a little bit hand in hand.
On what he attributes to their defense on Grayson Allen:
Well, I think our guards did a great job. Obviously, he's such a good driver of the basketball going into our game, when he puts his head down and goes – leading up to our game he was creating eight fouls per game on the opponent. I think our guards stepped up to the challenge, stayed in front, didn't let him turn the corner, which is a huge part of his game. At some point in time all three guard were guarding him and did a terrific job.
On what their schedule will be this week:
Well, we'll practice today. We play late tomorrow night. We're gonna practice – we're gonna leave Wednesday at noon and practice down in Miami. And then practice Thanksgiving day and play Friday afternoon and come back right after the game. I think.
On how Boston will play them:
Watching the game last year, they have everybody back off that team. They have two players that are out right now that haven't played yet, Hankerson and Fanning, that were two good players, as well. Last year they really spread us out and tried to drive us, probably because of our size. They mixed it up man and zone against us. I would anticipate that again. They're playing a little bit of both this year. They're 2-2. They should be 4-0 after you watch the tapes. Very impressed by their personnel, what they run and their players have gotten better since last year and that's a credit to Joe (Jones).
On if there was anyone who took a step forward against Wright State:
“I thought Tyler (Ulis) played extremely well. If you’re talking about taking a step forward, he played an exceptional game. He’s confident, he’s leading, he’s coaching on the floor and he doesn’t want to lose. I thought that he had the standout game of anybody on the floor that day.”
On if Kentucky’s talent can trump Boston’s experience:
“Well, you hope it does. We have an inexperienced team with minimal points and rebounds and minutes played coming back. It’s been that way since we’ve been here where we are an underclassmen-driven team and you just hope that our guys step up to the game and the challenge that an experienced team is going to bring. Hopefully our crowd is a big factor. Most smaller schools don’t play in front of crowds like we get at Rupp every game. Use that to our advantage.”
On if there is a newcomer who has impressed him with a willingness to learn from the coaches:
“Isaiah Briscoe. He’s a sponge. He listens to everything you say. He’s really smart. He does what coach asks him to do. Still learning. Impressed at how he is playing defensively, and when he’s aggressive -- when he’s aggressive he’s a tough out, he’s a tough matchup.”
On if Isaac Humphries (foot) has been back in action:
“Yeah, he did, he practiced yesterday and we’ll get him ready to go out here (today).”
On Dominique Hawkins trying to get in the rotation:
“Well, Coach put it out there to everybody the other day when we had a team meeting: Everybody’s not going to play, and you have to separate yourself in practice and show it consistently to the point where Coach is comfortable putting him in the game. The statement that was made yesterday: One thing with Dom is you know he’s going to guard. And the way that Coach is with defense, that’s a good feather to have in your cap, for sure.”
On how Briscoe has embraced defending after being a scorer in high school:
“I think it surprised a lot of people, but he just plays so hard and he’s smart and sees ahead and can be aggressive. Our guards have done a tremendous job of adjusting to the new rules of no hands, staying in front, and I’ve been really happy with that part of it. Because you see all over college basketball right now that you can get into major foul trouble. Still gotta do a better job and our bigs have to help our guards some on ball screens for them to have a chance to stay in front, but he’s taken on the challenge and I don’t really give it a whole lot of second thought to put him on the other team’s better player at times.”
On what rules changes he’s noticed most:
“Well, I think the one that you notice the most is the hand-check or keeping hands on, by far. The shot clock hasn’t really come into play at all. The timeout situation really, up to this point, hasn’t really come into play. The backcourt, 10-second rule, for us, hasn’t come into play yet. A little bit with the hand-check and a little bit with the post play, being able to arm bar.”
