VIDEO: Kentucky Wildcats HC John Calipari - Georgia Postgame
Kentucky head coach John Calipari addressed the media after the No. 8 Wildcats' 105-96 win over Georgia on Saturday night at Rupp Arena.
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Q What was the mood, what was the reaction when you got the news with Z and then when you shared with him?
JOHN CALIPARI: He was ecstatic. And it was only a few of us there. The team had left. So, you know, we sent them a message and let him send it out. But it was -- he was all smiles. He's got a ways to go. But he's -- you know, I told them, do you know why he was wide open? Because they didn't think he could shoot 3's. They hadn't seen him ever play. So...
But it was a good start for him. And, you know, it took a long, long time, but I appreciate the work everybody did to make it happen. So...
Q John, on your radio show last night you said the fans need to get aggressive. Did you all do anything between then and now?
JOHN CALIPARI: No. I mean, somebody told me they put up a billboard. That probably worked. That's aggressive. Our fans. How about our fans in this building today? Look, here's what I would tell our fans. I love our fans. Everywhere we go, that's what the building is like. The building we play on the road is just like that. It may not be as big.
And I'm saying when we play, just come and bring it, like you did today. It was ridiculous. And I know some of it was Z made a shot and everybody was standing and dancing and all of that. But so what? Have fun. Enjoy it. Don't just stand there and try to analyze and criticize. Just have a ball at the game. And then after, go watch the tape and figure out what you think the game -- what happened in the game.
But I thought our fans were unbelievable today.
Q John, I mean, are those the things Z was doing in practice?
JOHN CALIPARI: Yeah.
Q And were you surprised at all that he came right in and looked like he had been playing all season?
JOHN CALIPARI: No. He's -- but he got pushed around. There's things that he is doing in practice the same way that we have got to work on. But he rebounded. He's 7-foot-2. But they were sealing our bigs. And they could not move to get around. And I said, then file them. Just do anything to get around. And they -- he got caught, Aaron got caught, Ugo got caught. And they ended up shooting a bunch of lay-ups in the second half because of one thing, the guy standing in the middle of the lane for five seconds and doing that (indicating). I don't know if it was five seconds, it may have been seven, but I think it was around in there.
Q Coach, Tre got in a little bit of foul trouble in the first half and you had to play the two 7-footers. They were honoring the '84 team today. Do you think Joe B may be smiling down a little bit, seeing that in the first half?
JOHN CALIPARI: Well, he was smiling because we played a zone one of the possessions late in the game. Because he was always after me,
1-3-1. I didn't get a chance, we have a recruit in, so I couldn't go to the function last night. But I would like to know how much of the 1-3-1 they played.
But Coach Hall, one of the great human beings. You know, what he had to do here and then doing it with that team and the '78 team and, you know, following an absolute legend, winningest coach in
42 years. And, but, he came in and did it with class and worked. And, so...
But I can congratulate the '84, and I appreciate them all being here and, you know, Sam and the guys, and good people.
Q John, speaking of Sam, at half time he made a little speech and he said that if your team doesn't win the national championship we have you to blame. What do you think about that?
JOHN CALIPARI: He told me he was going to say that. I said, go ahead, everybody else is throwing darts, you might as well be in there, too. If he watched the second half, I don't think he would be saying it.
Q John, anything in particular? D.J. seems to be getting better and better each game. Anything he is doing that's allowing him to come
through a little more?
JOHN CALIPARI: I mean, he had 18 and 10. He had a double-double, two turns. And, you know, what I am saying to him, you know, he had that high ankle sprain and it kind of lingers. I'm telling him, and a guy like Tre, if I play you too many minutes, the next day don't do as much in practice. We have a really smart team, a team that I really trust and believe in. They tell me I need a day off. They are not trying to not practice or get out of something. They are not. Trying to get themselves right. But...
Offensively, we were really good. Defensively, in the first half we were pretty good. Then the second half, with eight minutes to go, we were awful. And they kept coming. Every game I watched of Georgia, whether they were down or up, they play and continue to play and they don't stop until the horn sounds. They just keep coming.
So I congratulate them, too.
Q Cal, I think, obviously, it is easy to get lost on what big Z did offensively, he hit the first four shots and having that behind the back no look pass to Antonio, do you think that kind of overshadowed how good he was defensively and how he affected shots and had two steals?
JOHN CALIPARI: Well, you know, he rebounded the ball, five rebounds. But, again, he is like the rest of us. The end of the game we turned it over, like, for no reason. Why didn't you just look at the guy and throw it to him? He threw, what are you doing? This isn't
like -- we're not in the gym playing a pickup game and it doesn't matter. I mean, you want to finish people off. And he made a pass,
D.J. made a pass, Robert made a pass. I mean...
I'm just -- you know, I look at it and sometimes I probably expect too much. And, you know, I want them to be at their best every moment and that's not going to happen. We have got the youngest team in the country. I'm out there with 5 and 6 freshmen at times.