* Says he hasn't seen an offensive explosion like the last game during his time in college basketball. He's seen it in the NBA a few times, but not like that in college.
* It was only a matter of time for Justin Edwards to have a great game because of the type of work he's been putting into his game. He's gotten down at times, but he's drawn confidence from the work he's doing.
* On how Edwards handled the expectations... Troublesome at times to live up to everything people were sayng about him. Stressed to him that he had to keep his "positive voice" and "drown out the negative." They had a life coach come in and help them with stuff "between the ears."
* On whether they have plans for court-storm games... Cal has done some things in the past to prepare for that scenario, Coleman says. It's a shame something happened to the Duke player. It sounds like we're going to see more punishment in the future to get rid of it.
* Asked about Tre Mitchell... Notes that they still haven't started and finished a game with their whole team. They need Tre to be their most-minutes-logged player. He's that important. He's like a "traffic cop" out there with his ability to be a secondary ball-handler. They trust him with the ball in his hands.
* Coach Cal is the GOAT, Coleman stresses, coming off the blowout of Bama. "Let's not get it twisted." The GOAT had a hunch last game to play Z with four guys he wanted to see him out there with, and that was a big part of the explosion you saw. He also had a plan for how to play Bama and what to give them. You saw how that played out, even if you may not have understood it at first. He's got another hunch for this game. "We'll see what happens."
* Ready for the hostile environment in Starkville. Used to it by now. They see it everywhere.
* Physicality has stepped up for this team. A lot more collisions in recent games. Once coach (Pearl, cough cough) even said he was sending film to the league about it. Coleman: "I was happy to hear that."
* UK did a nice job of taking away their initial actions in the first game, and they have a really good coaching staff, so you're going to see some adjustments in this game. Gotta be ready for that, even though they're sure that MSU wants to play a "deliberate" game. UK needs to have an "aggressor" mindset and control the glass. This game will be won or lost "in the trenches... it's not gonna be like Alabama."
* Big Z is a "unicorn." He's 7-2 but really skilled. Can shoot and handle it and pass. But this game is going to be a physical game, and he's got to show some physicality to stay on the floor. If he can do that, he can show off some of that skill.
* They want Reed Sheppard to shoot more. Cal is on him about getting more shots up. He's just not a kid who goes out and hunts his own before other guys. But sometimes you need a little more selfishness from him because he's one of the best 3-point shooters in the country. You may see him take a few more than usual in this MSU game, Coleman hints. He's in a really good rhythm right now, though, and they don't want to throw that off by changing things up with him.
* Proud of Antonio Reeves. They're from the same neighborhood in Chicago. To see where he's grown, the work that he puts in... Had a conversation with his dad recently about how things could play out, and to see it happening for him is really rewarding. "And he's got a lot left. We didn't come this far just to get this far." All of this work is building up to the big tournament.
* This team has character, not characters. There's a different camaraderie in the locker room.
