On Alabama...
"I watched the (Alabama) tape against Vanderbilt and I'm sick to my stomach. They were up three with two minutes to go and they had the ball. They had Florida beat, but they threw the ball away, the kid makes a crazy play and they don't get it inbounded. Their point guard is really good. They have athletes on the wings and they have a couple of bangers inside. They aren't deep, they are only playing seven guys. But, it's another dangerous game. It's a hard game to play and (Alabama head coach) Anthony (Grant) is establishing what he is trying to do. They are a team that he is starting to put his imprint on."
On the SEC...
"There have been about five games that have had gaps. Tennessee had one, we had a couple. There have only been four or five. Tennessee was on the other end when Georgia beat them by 20. Other than that, every game has been two or three buckets. To be in the game with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia, they (Alabama) had a chance to win all of those games. The best job you do in coaching is when you are trying to keep a team that is undermanned with a chance to win and keep them believing. Look at (Arkansas head coach) John Pelphrey; Look at what he did. They came here and we beat them by (31). They haven't lost since then. That is coaching. He could have lost his team after that game. They are in first place (in the SEC West)."
On team improvements...
(DeMarcus Cousins) is growing. I haven't had a player come that far that fast. Then again, look at John Wall and what he has been able to do. He is running our team better. Look at Eric Bledsoe, look at Daniel Orton. How about DeAndre (Liggins)? He is leading our team in three-point shooting. He took a lot last year. All of the sudden, we have a guy who is a key part to our team. Right up and down the line, I love the attitude of the guys who aren't getting as many minutes. Ramon (Harris) has had to step aside because some of these guys are playing well. Now, Darius (Miller) had to step aside a little bit because the other guys are playing better than him. Their attitudes haven't changed. I appreciate these guys, all of them. From the guys that are playing a lot to the guys that aren't playing. Josh (Harrellson), here is a kid that could have left and gone somewhere where he'd probably play more. But, he stays here and he is behind two really good big guys, and he accepts it and he comes every day. He knows I'm trying to get him in games, because I want him to know I appreciate how hard he is working. But, this entire team has been fun to be around. We're not great every night out, but they are all trying to do what is asked of them.
"You have Patrick (Patterson) playing better. You have Darnell (Dodson) playing somewhat better. You have got the guys on the bench playing better. Now, where is that next step for us? We have one month. We have three weeks. Now, where can we take this? All I know is we have Alabama at home, we have to go to Georgia, and everybody is getting beat by 20 at Georgia."
On DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton...
"DeMarcus (Cousins) threw a pass to Daniel (Orton), Daniel kept it above his chin and scored. I said, `Do you understand when two big guys like you are in together, usually they won't pass to anybody else except each other, because the guards shoot all the balls. So, if he can't shoot it, he's finding the other big so he can shoot it. That's how you two should play when you're in there. If we give it to one, go find the other or score it yourself.' Reality of it is, one of those other three perimeter guys are going to shoot it if they have it. Daniel needs more time, which we are going to continue to give him. I wish he had been here in the summer for that knee, because there are times where you see he is still a little hobbled by it. Other than that, he has done great."
On John Wall...
"He has been great. He is finally understanding he doesn't have to play up to the hype. He is running our team the way he needs to run it. He had seven assists last game. He is not trying to make as many fabulous plays. Because he went 2-for-9, everyone says he didn't play well. What if he was 7-for-9, then all of the sudden you would have said he is out of his mind; I'm going to start focusing on his defense. If I focus on it and he knows I'm focusing on it, he'll get better. So, we'll shore up his defense a little bit from where he's been. He watches the ball on rebounding, he'll get hung up on screens, he stops playing a lot, and he ball watches a lot if his man doesn't have the ball. If you concentrate on it, you'll do it. He is athletically good enough to be as good a defensive guard as there is in the country. Now, all of the sudden, we change as a team."
On DeMarcus Cousins...
"He listens and when you tell him something he understands it. He can go do it. He is a very intelligent person, very smart. Then, he gets on the court and sometimes he is too smart for his own good. When I say something funny or sarcastic, some other guys in the room may not catch it. He catches it every time and starts laughing. He may be the only guy laughing. He wants to learn and he wants to get better. He has come so far and he has done the things we are asking. He wants to score and rebound, but it's more about us winning. Who bragged about John Wall early in the year more than him? He was John Wall's public relations machine early in the year."
(Compliments of UKAthletics.com)
"I watched the (Alabama) tape against Vanderbilt and I'm sick to my stomach. They were up three with two minutes to go and they had the ball. They had Florida beat, but they threw the ball away, the kid makes a crazy play and they don't get it inbounded. Their point guard is really good. They have athletes on the wings and they have a couple of bangers inside. They aren't deep, they are only playing seven guys. But, it's another dangerous game. It's a hard game to play and (Alabama head coach) Anthony (Grant) is establishing what he is trying to do. They are a team that he is starting to put his imprint on."
On the SEC...
"There have been about five games that have had gaps. Tennessee had one, we had a couple. There have only been four or five. Tennessee was on the other end when Georgia beat them by 20. Other than that, every game has been two or three buckets. To be in the game with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia, they (Alabama) had a chance to win all of those games. The best job you do in coaching is when you are trying to keep a team that is undermanned with a chance to win and keep them believing. Look at (Arkansas head coach) John Pelphrey; Look at what he did. They came here and we beat them by (31). They haven't lost since then. That is coaching. He could have lost his team after that game. They are in first place (in the SEC West)."
On team improvements...
(DeMarcus Cousins) is growing. I haven't had a player come that far that fast. Then again, look at John Wall and what he has been able to do. He is running our team better. Look at Eric Bledsoe, look at Daniel Orton. How about DeAndre (Liggins)? He is leading our team in three-point shooting. He took a lot last year. All of the sudden, we have a guy who is a key part to our team. Right up and down the line, I love the attitude of the guys who aren't getting as many minutes. Ramon (Harris) has had to step aside because some of these guys are playing well. Now, Darius (Miller) had to step aside a little bit because the other guys are playing better than him. Their attitudes haven't changed. I appreciate these guys, all of them. From the guys that are playing a lot to the guys that aren't playing. Josh (Harrellson), here is a kid that could have left and gone somewhere where he'd probably play more. But, he stays here and he is behind two really good big guys, and he accepts it and he comes every day. He knows I'm trying to get him in games, because I want him to know I appreciate how hard he is working. But, this entire team has been fun to be around. We're not great every night out, but they are all trying to do what is asked of them.
"You have Patrick (Patterson) playing better. You have Darnell (Dodson) playing somewhat better. You have got the guys on the bench playing better. Now, where is that next step for us? We have one month. We have three weeks. Now, where can we take this? All I know is we have Alabama at home, we have to go to Georgia, and everybody is getting beat by 20 at Georgia."
On DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton...
"DeMarcus (Cousins) threw a pass to Daniel (Orton), Daniel kept it above his chin and scored. I said, `Do you understand when two big guys like you are in together, usually they won't pass to anybody else except each other, because the guards shoot all the balls. So, if he can't shoot it, he's finding the other big so he can shoot it. That's how you two should play when you're in there. If we give it to one, go find the other or score it yourself.' Reality of it is, one of those other three perimeter guys are going to shoot it if they have it. Daniel needs more time, which we are going to continue to give him. I wish he had been here in the summer for that knee, because there are times where you see he is still a little hobbled by it. Other than that, he has done great."
On John Wall...
"He has been great. He is finally understanding he doesn't have to play up to the hype. He is running our team the way he needs to run it. He had seven assists last game. He is not trying to make as many fabulous plays. Because he went 2-for-9, everyone says he didn't play well. What if he was 7-for-9, then all of the sudden you would have said he is out of his mind; I'm going to start focusing on his defense. If I focus on it and he knows I'm focusing on it, he'll get better. So, we'll shore up his defense a little bit from where he's been. He watches the ball on rebounding, he'll get hung up on screens, he stops playing a lot, and he ball watches a lot if his man doesn't have the ball. If you concentrate on it, you'll do it. He is athletically good enough to be as good a defensive guard as there is in the country. Now, all of the sudden, we change as a team."
On DeMarcus Cousins...
"He listens and when you tell him something he understands it. He can go do it. He is a very intelligent person, very smart. Then, he gets on the court and sometimes he is too smart for his own good. When I say something funny or sarcastic, some other guys in the room may not catch it. He catches it every time and starts laughing. He may be the only guy laughing. He wants to learn and he wants to get better. He has come so far and he has done the things we are asking. He wants to score and rebound, but it's more about us winning. Who bragged about John Wall early in the year more than him? He was John Wall's public relations machine early in the year."
(Compliments of UKAthletics.com)
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