Q: Have you given any extra rest this week or any? Obviously, I know you’ve big stretch of games coming up. Any rest or anything different the last couple days?
A: Well, we took off Tuesday obviously, and then we did practice yesterday, but it was short. It was short. We got a couple guys nicked up a little bit so those guys may get some more rest today, but we'll practice today and tomorrow.
Q: Any of those serious or in jeopardy of not playing?
A: I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so. I think it's just basically things that happen throughout the course of the season. Guys just need to get treatment and nicked up a little bit, but I can't see any reason at this point in time to think that we won't be full board on Saturday.
Q: You mentioned after the Baylor game maybe a different approach. I don't know if that was from a coaching standpoint or playing or what, but has that gone into effect yet? Have you spent this week working toward that, or?
A: Well, when I said different approach, I can't remember the exact context I was saying. I was saying that it's got to be a different approach than it has been in past years. Because in past years, everything's relative so let's not get, not think that. But there's been years we won three in a row, I mean lost three in a row, and the sky was falling and the team wins the league and go so sweet 16 or Elite Eight or whatever. And even last year, you lose two in a row and you have to scramble to get a chance to share the lead, share the league with Baylor. We've been in situations before, but what I meant when I said a different approach was the fact that it's not the sky is falling. We may not have played as well as we can, but we could have played well in a couple of those games and still come up with ails because the competition's so good.
We've never played in the league since I've been here, and I'm sure since existence, that you have so many teams that are capable of beating anybody on any night. Now you have teams that are capable of beating any team in the league any night. I'm talking about anybody in America any night. And we've got six teams that's been proven over time that are all capable of doing that. That's what I was talking about. You don't like it when you're going through it, but it's something that the majority of the people in our position will probably have to deal with something like this.
Q: When you take a first look at Kentucky, what jumps out?
A: Well, a guy that's averaging 15 rebounds a game probably jumps out first. But this is a different Kentucky team that was playing than that was playing a month ago because they can all shoot. They're surrounded and when you have those guys in there that can all stroke... They're going to have three guys in there that can make threes at all times, and sometimes four. And then you're playing around a big guy that's probably the best big man in the country. At least I believe he's that, and certainly the best Jalan in the country. It creates situations the way we play because our standing height and girth isn't great, that how are we going to offset some of those things?
I've always thought this with Cal's teams. I've always thought they made you beat them when you played them. I never thought they helped you at all. At all. And they're not going to help this year. They're going to play the way they play and they'll take good shots. And if they make those shots they take and stretches the defense and make it even hard to guard Oscar... But they're going to be very sound and we're going to have to go play because we're not going to get a lot of, a ton of easy opportunities, just like I hope they don't. You're going to have to earn what you get when you play Kentucky.
Q: They're not a conference team but you guys have played them a lot over the last handful of years. I know personnels change, but does that help you know them better, feel what they do better, year to year anyway?
A: I don't want to downplay any game, but the SEC/Big Ten, the SEC/Big 12 Challenge is great because it's a day where our leagues get all the attention across America. But from a play in the coaching standpoint, it can't come at a worse time. I heard one coach in our league talk about not playing starters this week if they're nicked up at all, to have them healthy for sure next week. It's not that this is... To me the Champions Classic, you don't have to win that game. But that's a big momentum get if you win that game.
To me, this game, the way it's panned out because both leagues are so good and everything, it's a seed line game. And it's two blue bloods playing against each other and two winning as programs and all that stuff. And that's important, but I guarantee both of us feel that, well, I don't want anything to happen in this game that would affect us negatively next week. That's the way we feel about this game even though it's a big game and all that stuff. And we'll approach it that way, but this game will not have any impact on what is most important, which is your second season, and that includes your conference where this one game is part of your first season, and it's not quite as important as your second season. At least that's the way I see it, and I'm sure Cal does as well.
Q: Bill, on Joe, MJ and Bobby, can you just evaluate where they are, and going forward defensively? And also, I'm sure they've all been able to knock down threes in the past, and who you think might be able to get hot going into February?
A: Well Joe to me is the best example to get hot. He's the best one. We see it in practice all the time. MJ has scored in practice. He's not as consistent shooting ball from beyond the yard, but he's a scorer. And Bobby's more of a facilitator like Juan. I would say the biggest way that they can help us if they play to their strengths and all three are capable defenders, if we're locked in and certainly are capable of being good offensive players but with different skill sets, maybe, than what you would think an [inaudible 00:07:14] offense guy off the bench would give you. We need those guys to come through. Our bench obviously hasn't played as much, and when the bench has been in there our production hasn't been what it needs to be. And that's something that we're all aware of and everything and so hopefully that'll improve.
I still think that we'll play our best ball is still ahead of us, without question when you talk about the bench guys. The starters have been played at a pretty high level for the most part for a long time. We haven't played at as high a level the last 10 days, but for the most part can those starters have executed and played pretty well. We need to get those guys back to doing what they were doing two weeks ago. But on the flip side, we got to have production off the bench in a way that adds value. And we're capable of doing that. We just haven't done it yet, but we're capable.
Q: Jalen was just in here and he talked about the emphasis on improving defensively. Is there one area on that end before you, like your see your team improve the most?
A: Well yeah, there's a lot of areas that we can improve the most because when I look at our team and I say what do we do great, it was the same thing I asked last year's team. Last year's team, we didn't have an identity until March on what we actually did well. And last year's team finally figured out that we can win if we make other people play poorly. You look at the Providence game. Usually when you score 27 and a half, you're behind in a sweet 16 game. Instead, you're up eight. There were things like that that we hadn't really totally maximized last year, and I still think it's this way this year.
I don't believe that I would consider us last year a dominant rim protection team, a dominant rebounding team. I did think we scored the ball easier last year. We had more weapons in some places, but had guys off the bench, whether it be Remy or... Had a guy off the bench that's the most outstanding player of the Midwest regional. You know that we probably don't have that, so if we don't quite have that, we got to make up in other areas. And that team last year, or certainly became a great defensive team. It wasn't any good in January, but certainly became a great defensive team, and this team has got to do the same thing.
If you look at... Jalen said it really well to me yesterday. When we've gotten behind the last two of the last three games, we became a good defensive team after we'd gotten behind. The problem is there's just not as much margin for error. You get behind and all of a sudden you have an empty possession, they make a three and now it feels like, ugh. You're deflated because you spent so much energy coming back. And that's something that we need to start doing, is not putting ourself with the margin of error being so small in those late minute comebacks.
Q: And in terms of the getting off to a faster start, I guess what do you think it will lead to that? Or what do you have to do to get off to the faster start so you're not using the wrestling analogy that they're not riding the mat.
A: If anybody's got an idea on how do you make two of your first three shots to start a game, I'm all ears. I'm all ears. Or how you can play pretty good defense and have them make a guard at three at the end of the clock, those things happen. We just can't continue to dig ourself a hole where it's away from home and you're down 10, or even at home when you're playing really good people. Hopefully run better stuff early, maybe try to do a couple of different things. But the way we play, our first five plays are scripted every game and so going into it, we feel like if we do this, this would be a way we can see how they guard ball screens or we can see how they're going to guard the post, or we can see if they're going to switch in our first five plays, which could give us a better read for later on. And I think that maybe we just got to execute our stuff a little bit better early.
Q: You were saying some coach said that he might hold players out looking ahead to the Big 12 grind. Would you ever hold anybody out this game?
A: No.
Q: Maybe play 12 guys or something?
A: We'll do what the game dictates us to do. We're playing to win. And that coach wasn't saying it in a way that wasn't going to play to win. He was just saying in a way that if it jeopardizes us moving forward, then it's probably best, which should be the attitude regardless of when the game is, if it's in December or November or whenever. But yeah, there's not much turnaround time on this. And I don't know who plays big Monday in our league, and certainly we play Tuesday. But we're going to play our guys to win. The only reason we wouldn't play them is if medically we're told that they can't.
Q: Last year you took over as number one program of all time. What does that mean to the program and you, and how important is it? And how big accomplishment is it?
A: Well it wasn't the number one program of all time. It was the number one wins of all time, which you could certainly make a case whoever does that could be that. But it's not a huge deal to me. I think it's a bigger deal to a fan base and everything that can lay claim to that. But it's not a big deal to me. I had absolutely zero to do with Phog Allen ripping off 50 out of 53 back in 56 and 57. I had nothing to do with that so I think it's a bigger deal to the collection of the fan base to take pride in that.
Q: How are Cam and MJ and Kyle doing health wise?
A: Kyle's doing pretty well. He's not back yet, but he's doing pretty well. He's actually practicing in limited capacity. Cam actually practiced in some limited capacity yesterday, but he's not full speed, nor do we anticipate him being full go for a while. And MJ, I've seen nothing, at least yesterday, that would lead you to believe that he can't participate, because he was full go yesterday.
Q: Elmarko became your latest McDonald's all American for this program. Did you anticipate that for him, or surprised? Or what'd you think about that?
A: Oh no, I wasn't surprised at all. I think he's one of the best 24 high school seniors out there without question. I was hopeful that our other guys got consideration and I know they did but just didn't work out. But to me, I talked to Elmarko, we're all happy for him and ecstatic. But that's a great accomplishment. That's the highest accomplishment you can receive individually at the high school level, so that's fantastic and it's great for his family and everybody. But he understands once he gets here you're going to set your jacket aside and have to reprove yourself all over again. And I'm excited for him because the big thing about Elmarko being a McDonald's all American isn't that he made it. It's that he made it and he's only been playing ball three years. That's pretty amazing.
Q: Jalen said the other night in Waco that maybe rebounding wise, jumping with guys instead of boxing out was a problem that night.
A: I've seen that a lot. KJ has been so good. And KJ is so little compared to some guys that his focus is being don't let my guy get the rebound a lot, which is okay. But that means Jalen and Gradey and Kevin need to get all of them. I actually think that's true, but I actually think KJ can do a better job of doing both. I think sometimes... He got one defensive rebound the other night, if I'm not mistaken. And I think he's better than that in doing that.
But a lot of it is because we've asked him so much to make sure their other team's best offensive rebounder, Thamba (Baylor), whoever doesn't hurt us. And so, he does a good job on that one thing, but we still don't have our tallest most athletic guy going after the ball. And with Kentucky they're great on the glass as well so we have to do much better job on the glass. I think Baylor's been getting a back about 38%. I think against us it was more like 47%. And I know that's only the difference of two more, but still though, it's something we got to do a much better job of.
Q: Bill, I know you guys have done a pretty good job against some really star bigs throughout this season. Wilson talked about how Oscar, you've got some trouble last year and he's given a lot of teams’ trouble. How do you approach the match up this year?
A: Well, we approach it differently than we did with Trace. Trace got the ball at 12 feet and wanted to play facing. It's a different guard than what our Oscar is. But yeah, we have done some good things against some bigs defensively. And it's a situation you want to slow him down, but you also don't want to give him so much attention and let other guys have some freedom that maybe allow them to have really big games too. And they're capable at all spots. They're playing with really good guys and so we've got to do a good job and limit his good touches. And how we go about that, we're working on right now and hopefully have a pretty good game plan on how to do that by Saturday.
Q: Does that change who you bring off the bench as a big? Would a guy like Zuby or Ernest get more minutes? Somebody like Zach?
A: I don't want to go into that because I don't know who I'm going to play off the benches of big. The thing about it is, everybody knows this, but one of the biggest factors of KJ guarding Oscar would be foul situations, so you may be forced to play one of those guys a lot more.
A: Well, we took off Tuesday obviously, and then we did practice yesterday, but it was short. It was short. We got a couple guys nicked up a little bit so those guys may get some more rest today, but we'll practice today and tomorrow.
Q: Any of those serious or in jeopardy of not playing?
A: I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so. I think it's just basically things that happen throughout the course of the season. Guys just need to get treatment and nicked up a little bit, but I can't see any reason at this point in time to think that we won't be full board on Saturday.
Q: You mentioned after the Baylor game maybe a different approach. I don't know if that was from a coaching standpoint or playing or what, but has that gone into effect yet? Have you spent this week working toward that, or?
A: Well, when I said different approach, I can't remember the exact context I was saying. I was saying that it's got to be a different approach than it has been in past years. Because in past years, everything's relative so let's not get, not think that. But there's been years we won three in a row, I mean lost three in a row, and the sky was falling and the team wins the league and go so sweet 16 or Elite Eight or whatever. And even last year, you lose two in a row and you have to scramble to get a chance to share the lead, share the league with Baylor. We've been in situations before, but what I meant when I said a different approach was the fact that it's not the sky is falling. We may not have played as well as we can, but we could have played well in a couple of those games and still come up with ails because the competition's so good.
We've never played in the league since I've been here, and I'm sure since existence, that you have so many teams that are capable of beating anybody on any night. Now you have teams that are capable of beating any team in the league any night. I'm talking about anybody in America any night. And we've got six teams that's been proven over time that are all capable of doing that. That's what I was talking about. You don't like it when you're going through it, but it's something that the majority of the people in our position will probably have to deal with something like this.
Q: When you take a first look at Kentucky, what jumps out?
A: Well, a guy that's averaging 15 rebounds a game probably jumps out first. But this is a different Kentucky team that was playing than that was playing a month ago because they can all shoot. They're surrounded and when you have those guys in there that can all stroke... They're going to have three guys in there that can make threes at all times, and sometimes four. And then you're playing around a big guy that's probably the best big man in the country. At least I believe he's that, and certainly the best Jalan in the country. It creates situations the way we play because our standing height and girth isn't great, that how are we going to offset some of those things?
I've always thought this with Cal's teams. I've always thought they made you beat them when you played them. I never thought they helped you at all. At all. And they're not going to help this year. They're going to play the way they play and they'll take good shots. And if they make those shots they take and stretches the defense and make it even hard to guard Oscar... But they're going to be very sound and we're going to have to go play because we're not going to get a lot of, a ton of easy opportunities, just like I hope they don't. You're going to have to earn what you get when you play Kentucky.
Q: They're not a conference team but you guys have played them a lot over the last handful of years. I know personnels change, but does that help you know them better, feel what they do better, year to year anyway?
A: I don't want to downplay any game, but the SEC/Big Ten, the SEC/Big 12 Challenge is great because it's a day where our leagues get all the attention across America. But from a play in the coaching standpoint, it can't come at a worse time. I heard one coach in our league talk about not playing starters this week if they're nicked up at all, to have them healthy for sure next week. It's not that this is... To me the Champions Classic, you don't have to win that game. But that's a big momentum get if you win that game.
To me, this game, the way it's panned out because both leagues are so good and everything, it's a seed line game. And it's two blue bloods playing against each other and two winning as programs and all that stuff. And that's important, but I guarantee both of us feel that, well, I don't want anything to happen in this game that would affect us negatively next week. That's the way we feel about this game even though it's a big game and all that stuff. And we'll approach it that way, but this game will not have any impact on what is most important, which is your second season, and that includes your conference where this one game is part of your first season, and it's not quite as important as your second season. At least that's the way I see it, and I'm sure Cal does as well.
Q: Bill, on Joe, MJ and Bobby, can you just evaluate where they are, and going forward defensively? And also, I'm sure they've all been able to knock down threes in the past, and who you think might be able to get hot going into February?
A: Well Joe to me is the best example to get hot. He's the best one. We see it in practice all the time. MJ has scored in practice. He's not as consistent shooting ball from beyond the yard, but he's a scorer. And Bobby's more of a facilitator like Juan. I would say the biggest way that they can help us if they play to their strengths and all three are capable defenders, if we're locked in and certainly are capable of being good offensive players but with different skill sets, maybe, than what you would think an [inaudible 00:07:14] offense guy off the bench would give you. We need those guys to come through. Our bench obviously hasn't played as much, and when the bench has been in there our production hasn't been what it needs to be. And that's something that we're all aware of and everything and so hopefully that'll improve.
I still think that we'll play our best ball is still ahead of us, without question when you talk about the bench guys. The starters have been played at a pretty high level for the most part for a long time. We haven't played at as high a level the last 10 days, but for the most part can those starters have executed and played pretty well. We need to get those guys back to doing what they were doing two weeks ago. But on the flip side, we got to have production off the bench in a way that adds value. And we're capable of doing that. We just haven't done it yet, but we're capable.
Q: Jalen was just in here and he talked about the emphasis on improving defensively. Is there one area on that end before you, like your see your team improve the most?
A: Well yeah, there's a lot of areas that we can improve the most because when I look at our team and I say what do we do great, it was the same thing I asked last year's team. Last year's team, we didn't have an identity until March on what we actually did well. And last year's team finally figured out that we can win if we make other people play poorly. You look at the Providence game. Usually when you score 27 and a half, you're behind in a sweet 16 game. Instead, you're up eight. There were things like that that we hadn't really totally maximized last year, and I still think it's this way this year.
I don't believe that I would consider us last year a dominant rim protection team, a dominant rebounding team. I did think we scored the ball easier last year. We had more weapons in some places, but had guys off the bench, whether it be Remy or... Had a guy off the bench that's the most outstanding player of the Midwest regional. You know that we probably don't have that, so if we don't quite have that, we got to make up in other areas. And that team last year, or certainly became a great defensive team. It wasn't any good in January, but certainly became a great defensive team, and this team has got to do the same thing.
If you look at... Jalen said it really well to me yesterday. When we've gotten behind the last two of the last three games, we became a good defensive team after we'd gotten behind. The problem is there's just not as much margin for error. You get behind and all of a sudden you have an empty possession, they make a three and now it feels like, ugh. You're deflated because you spent so much energy coming back. And that's something that we need to start doing, is not putting ourself with the margin of error being so small in those late minute comebacks.
Q: And in terms of the getting off to a faster start, I guess what do you think it will lead to that? Or what do you have to do to get off to the faster start so you're not using the wrestling analogy that they're not riding the mat.
A: If anybody's got an idea on how do you make two of your first three shots to start a game, I'm all ears. I'm all ears. Or how you can play pretty good defense and have them make a guard at three at the end of the clock, those things happen. We just can't continue to dig ourself a hole where it's away from home and you're down 10, or even at home when you're playing really good people. Hopefully run better stuff early, maybe try to do a couple of different things. But the way we play, our first five plays are scripted every game and so going into it, we feel like if we do this, this would be a way we can see how they guard ball screens or we can see how they're going to guard the post, or we can see if they're going to switch in our first five plays, which could give us a better read for later on. And I think that maybe we just got to execute our stuff a little bit better early.
Q: You were saying some coach said that he might hold players out looking ahead to the Big 12 grind. Would you ever hold anybody out this game?
A: No.
Q: Maybe play 12 guys or something?
A: We'll do what the game dictates us to do. We're playing to win. And that coach wasn't saying it in a way that wasn't going to play to win. He was just saying in a way that if it jeopardizes us moving forward, then it's probably best, which should be the attitude regardless of when the game is, if it's in December or November or whenever. But yeah, there's not much turnaround time on this. And I don't know who plays big Monday in our league, and certainly we play Tuesday. But we're going to play our guys to win. The only reason we wouldn't play them is if medically we're told that they can't.
Q: Last year you took over as number one program of all time. What does that mean to the program and you, and how important is it? And how big accomplishment is it?
A: Well it wasn't the number one program of all time. It was the number one wins of all time, which you could certainly make a case whoever does that could be that. But it's not a huge deal to me. I think it's a bigger deal to a fan base and everything that can lay claim to that. But it's not a big deal to me. I had absolutely zero to do with Phog Allen ripping off 50 out of 53 back in 56 and 57. I had nothing to do with that so I think it's a bigger deal to the collection of the fan base to take pride in that.
Q: How are Cam and MJ and Kyle doing health wise?
A: Kyle's doing pretty well. He's not back yet, but he's doing pretty well. He's actually practicing in limited capacity. Cam actually practiced in some limited capacity yesterday, but he's not full speed, nor do we anticipate him being full go for a while. And MJ, I've seen nothing, at least yesterday, that would lead you to believe that he can't participate, because he was full go yesterday.
Q: Elmarko became your latest McDonald's all American for this program. Did you anticipate that for him, or surprised? Or what'd you think about that?
A: Oh no, I wasn't surprised at all. I think he's one of the best 24 high school seniors out there without question. I was hopeful that our other guys got consideration and I know they did but just didn't work out. But to me, I talked to Elmarko, we're all happy for him and ecstatic. But that's a great accomplishment. That's the highest accomplishment you can receive individually at the high school level, so that's fantastic and it's great for his family and everybody. But he understands once he gets here you're going to set your jacket aside and have to reprove yourself all over again. And I'm excited for him because the big thing about Elmarko being a McDonald's all American isn't that he made it. It's that he made it and he's only been playing ball three years. That's pretty amazing.
Q: Jalen said the other night in Waco that maybe rebounding wise, jumping with guys instead of boxing out was a problem that night.
A: I've seen that a lot. KJ has been so good. And KJ is so little compared to some guys that his focus is being don't let my guy get the rebound a lot, which is okay. But that means Jalen and Gradey and Kevin need to get all of them. I actually think that's true, but I actually think KJ can do a better job of doing both. I think sometimes... He got one defensive rebound the other night, if I'm not mistaken. And I think he's better than that in doing that.
But a lot of it is because we've asked him so much to make sure their other team's best offensive rebounder, Thamba (Baylor), whoever doesn't hurt us. And so, he does a good job on that one thing, but we still don't have our tallest most athletic guy going after the ball. And with Kentucky they're great on the glass as well so we have to do much better job on the glass. I think Baylor's been getting a back about 38%. I think against us it was more like 47%. And I know that's only the difference of two more, but still though, it's something we got to do a much better job of.
Q: Bill, I know you guys have done a pretty good job against some really star bigs throughout this season. Wilson talked about how Oscar, you've got some trouble last year and he's given a lot of teams’ trouble. How do you approach the match up this year?
A: Well, we approach it differently than we did with Trace. Trace got the ball at 12 feet and wanted to play facing. It's a different guard than what our Oscar is. But yeah, we have done some good things against some bigs defensively. And it's a situation you want to slow him down, but you also don't want to give him so much attention and let other guys have some freedom that maybe allow them to have really big games too. And they're capable at all spots. They're playing with really good guys and so we've got to do a good job and limit his good touches. And how we go about that, we're working on right now and hopefully have a pretty good game plan on how to do that by Saturday.
Q: Does that change who you bring off the bench as a big? Would a guy like Zuby or Ernest get more minutes? Somebody like Zach?
A: I don't want to go into that because I don't know who I'm going to play off the benches of big. The thing about it is, everybody knows this, but one of the biggest factors of KJ guarding Oscar would be foul situations, so you may be forced to play one of those guys a lot more.
