Rating:

3.0 (1 vote)

Cal's comments before playing Louisville.

On the preparation for the Louisville game....
"We have not prepared for this game any different than any other game. Obviously for our fans and their fans this is an enormous game. For our team it's the next game and hopefully we play well, but they are a good team."

On comparing this game to the Kansas, North Carolina and Indiana games...
"It will be similar to those games. It will be really physical; you have to be strong with the ball and protect yourself. You can't be afraid of body-to-body contact and you're going to have to finish around the goal the same way and it's all good for us. They are going to play a lot of zone, they will probably start in zone and it's good for us. We will see where we are against the zone. I imagine that at some point in the game they will start pressing and we will see how we do. This is a great experience for us in another crazy environment. They're good, you know what I thought about

(Peyton) Siva last year and that hasn't changed, he is as good a guard in the country. The two Smiths (Russ and Chris) both do different things but do them well, (Kyle) Kuric can shoot it, we recruited (Chane) Behanan, I know how good he is and their big center (Gorgui Dieng) has gotten better. This is a team deserving of their rankings because they have very good players that play extremely hard."

On an aggressive Darius Miller changing the team...
"It makes us much different, he was pretty aggressive against this team last year; he was actually probably the ifference in the game. Obviously Josh (Harrellson) played well, Brandon (Knight) played well, DeAndre (Liggins) guarded well but it was Darius that really did some things when we needed baskets. He makes our team different. For all of these guys, it's not even about our team, I want Darius to play well, I want him to look like an aggressive, hard-nosed, tough, skilled player with size and when I don't see it I get mad. You're capable of doing it, why aren't you playing like that? Terrence Jones, it's the same thing, it's not about what him playing the way he's playing does to our team, it's why isn't he getting this right? I'm with Terrence, I think he's as good as any player in the country; he's had a couple bad weeks and then gets an injury and a little bad luck. He'll be
fine, this is a hard game to be fine in because of how they play but I fully believe in him and he'll be
fine."

On the hype of this game helping players give extra effort...
"I don't know how much they are playing up this game. We're not talking about it that much, maybe they are on the internet, which I'm not seeing what is being said. We're worried about us, let's just play the best we can play and if that's not good enough, say they come in and make 15 3s and the game becomes physical and we aren't able to play that way then great, let's move on. We have 16 league games and another non-conference game to get going. If you win it becomes a huge game but truly it's the next game."

On Louisville playing physical...
"Everybody is going to play us that way. The M.O. is don't shoot quickly, get in to the shot clock, get in to the lane, foul, ball fake and the next thing is be really physical against them, everyone knows that. Get in there and grab them, hold them, foul, push them in the back when they don't box out, it's all stuff that we have to deal with to take the next step.

On what Peyton Siva brings to the table...
"He just changes the game. He is able to get in the lane, he is a great lay-up shooter, and he is great going to his left. He gets his teammates open shots so if you leave someone open he will find them. I think he is an NBA player, he is a difference maker for his team."

On Rick Pitino's coaching style now compared to when he coached against him in '96...
"When we played him in '96 he had 11 NBA players so that was a little different. They play pretty similar, they're pressing different, they aren't spot pressing, it depends on who they play. They didn't play much zone back then; he likes his team in zone now, so he's sprinkling zones in which he didn't do. The stuff they were running was different but kind of similar actions in the pick-and-rolls.

His team isn't afraid to get after you; they are playing to be the aggressor. I don't remember all of '96; I have trouble remembering last year."

On the anticipation of the game ...
"Who are the happiest people in our town right now? You could say the media but there are people happier than you -- ticket scalpers. They're ecstatic, you say, ‘people would pay what to see this game?' It's a little out of whack, it's out of whack here and in Louisville but let's play the game. It's one time a year, two teams going at each other. We better play better than we did last game or we will not win the game, if we play better we will have a chance."