Entries from November 2011 ↓

Sophomore Stacey Poole has decided to transfer, Kentucky Coach John Calipari announced on his website.
Calipari expressed his regret that Poole and his family decided he could not reach his basketball dreams at UK.
“. . . If he would have stayed, eventually he would have had a breakthrough and had his opportunity,” Calipari said on his website.
“. . . Stacey and his family felt it is in his best interest to play somewhere else and I fully respect the family and their decision. I want to wish Stacey nothing but the best in whatever and wherever he chooses to go. He will always be a part of our family and the Big Blue Nation.”

With a freshman-oriented team and a mid-November date for a marquee game, Kentucky Coach John Calipari lamented the lack of a full arsenal.
Only this past weekend did UK players learn an out-of-bounds play, he said.
“Let’s not hope it’s a one-point game and somebody has the ball late,” Calipari said.

Sophomore Doron Lamb and Coach John Calipari disagreed when talking about the importance of Kentucky’s game against Kansas on Tuesday.
Lamb termed it a chance to make a statement.
“Prove to everybody we’re the best team in the country,” he said. “Go out and play harder than them.”
But Calipari recoiled from the idea that UK can make a statement.
“It may be a statement game,” he said, noting that Kansas may be the team making a statement.
Cal set a modest goal for the Cats: Play hard and play with optimum efficiency.

Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist welcomes the defensive stopper role for Kentucky.
“It’s what I do best on the court,” he said.
UK’s next game takes Kidd-Gilchrist and teammate Doron Lamb to their home area. UK plays Kansas in Madison Square Garden Tuesday night.
Kidd-Gilchrist said he expected 30 or 40 family members to attend the game.

When asked for a comment on Penn State’s firing of football coach Joe Paterno, UK Coach John Calipari took a pass.
Calipari said he was traveling on Wednesday and had not watched television coverage of the unfolding scandal at Penn State.

UK Coach John Calipari said he hoped to meet with sophomore Stacey Poole in the next day or two.
According to his father, Poole is considering a transfer.
“We want every player to stay,” Calipari said before adding, “. . . They all want to play.”

Making UK’s starting lineup can be like what’s said about real estate. A key factor can be location, location, location.
Because UK is going to New York City next week, Coach John Calipari said he probably would start Doron Lamb rather than Darius Miller.
Lamb is from Queens.
Calipari noted that Lamb has been following Josh Harrellson’s example of last season and putting in extra work.
“You can’t do it one week and say, ‘OK, what’s my reward?’” the UK coach said.

Freshman Marquis Teague said Thursday that he feels like he’s improving as a college point guard.

“A lot better,” he said. “More of a true point guard. I’m running the team better. In high school, I scored.”
UK Coach John Calipari said that Teague is further along in his development than past freshmen John Wall or Brandon Knight.
“But he was more of a classic point guard anyway,” Calipari said.

As sophomore Stacey Poole stands at a crossroads about his basketball future, UK Coach John Calipari said he will give the player time to decide.
“You need time to make a decision about being in this program, I’m fine with that,” Calipari said Sunday. “It’s a big-time decision. . . . We all love the kid. It’s been hard. He wants to play. I don’t blame him.”
Calipari suggested that he would support Poole whether the player decides to stay or not.
“My whole thing with all these kids is you want them to reach their dreams here,” he said. “They’ve got to believe they can do that.
“We’ll let him make his decision.”

When asked about freshman point guard Marquis Teague, UK Coach John Calipari noted the value of game experience.
“He needs some games to learn,” Calipari said. “Just like all those point guards I’ve had.
“You can drill them. Till they get in (games) and feel it: when to pull back, when to push it, when to attack, when to shoot the jumper, when to throw a lob. You’ve got to feel it more.”