Calipari's opening statement:
Well, we're playing one of the hottest teams in the country and when you watch them play, they're men, they play physical. Everybody has accepted how they're going to play. Henderson takes a lot of shots, the kid's got the green light and he'll go on a streak of baskets. He's tough. The other team we play already beat us at home, so we got a tough week ahead of us.
Q: What are the challenges of playing Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday?
Cal: It's hard, especially with young guys, I mean for us. If you got a veteran crew, they understand they gotta get rest, and take care of themselves. You gotta sub yourself during games, you don't stay out there when you're tired. You know, young kids just don't get it. We struggled some with it, it's a hard challenge.
Q: Any updates on Willie?
Cal: Yeah, he's goin really hard. He will travel with us to Mississippi, don't know if he'll play, probably doubtful. But, he'll be on the court today some, whether he'll go a practice I don't know, but he will travel with us.
Q: Has the recovery lingered longer than you expected?
Cal: No,no. It's about what we thought.
Q: From last years Ole Miss team to this years, it's primarily the same guys, what's the difference you think that's made them so successful?
Cal: They're older. They don't seem to get rattled. A bunch of the games I've watched, even if the other team comes at them and gets a lead, they don't get rattled. If they get you down, they wanna keep you down. Then Henderson gives them a different flavor, in that he can go on a roll. They're a veteran team, everybody's back. A couple new additions make them better. I think Andy's doing a great job of coaching them.
Andy Kennedy's opening statement:
It's a quick turnaround for us, we had the Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday. We're looking forward to having the opportunity to host what is unarguably the most storied program in college basketball and the defending National Champion, Kentucky. Although it's a quick turnaround, our guys are excited about the opportunity.
Q: How do you handle a guy like Marshall Henderson playing with that edge and keeping him from going over that edge?
Kennedy: We've had a number of conversations with Marshall and I know it's difficult for people to see him in brief periods to completely get him. But, you know, I think the passion is coming from a good place. Obviously, we wanna make sure it doesn't affect his focus nor the teams focus. The guys understand that he's about team first, they accept him for what he brings to our program. He's a guy that loves basketball and plays with an edge. I think he's been readily open with the fact that, if he didn't play with that edge, he wouldn't be the leading the SEC in scoring. You know as his coach, I'm more concerned with his shot selection than maybe him popping his shirt here and there, but he's a work in progress as is our team. He's a kid that's been put in a situation where there's a lot of attention being drawn to him from the minute he walks into the building and I think for the most part, he's handled it well.
Q: You've seen the footage of Marshall by the student section in Auburn. Do you think he took the passion too far? Have you addressed this with him?
Kennedy: Obviously I didn't see it when it occurred. When the game ends, there's a lot going on. It was brought to my attention after the game. He did it really right in front of our radio guys, so I had some boots on the ground so to speak that could tell me fact from fiction. There's a lot of folklore going around about Marshall. I would've preferred him not doing that, but again, he's caught up in the emotion of a highly charged game. You're talking about a one possession game in front of a sellout crowd. It was a very physical, hard fought game. We're trying to make sure he channels it [passion] towards his teammates and us as opposed to opposing fans.
Q: What does Nerlens Noel bring to his team?
Kennedy: Incrediable, Incrediable talent at the basket. He's averaging over six blocks per game in league play and that is mind boggling. Obviously, last year they had a very special player at the basket in Anthony Davis. Anthony was probably a little bit bigger, but I'm not sure he was the presence Noel is at the basket defensively. He completely changes the game, plays with a lot of confidence and you can see, a lot like Davis last year, as the season is getting further along, the kid is growing leaps and bounds offensively as well.
Q: How do you prepare for the intimidation factor that Nerlens Noel carries as was pointed out earlier in the teleconference?
Kennedy: Well, a lot of it is in the fact that I've got two seniors, one of them a fifth year senior in Murphy Holloway, we've been through this. These guys have played from Demarcus Cousins to Anthony Davis to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Kentucky just seems to always have a guy out there that's very good. Nerlens Noel defensively, is as good as there is in college basketball. Our guys, everyday in practice go against probably the second best shot blocker in the SEC in Reginald Buckner. So we get accustomed to how we play. I know our guys will be excited about the challenge Noel brings.
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