Feb. 11, 2008
Audio: Listen to the entire teleconference at SECsports.com
Vanderbilt basketball head coach Kevin Stallings and Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie discussed Tuesday’s matchup with the national media during Monday’s SEC Teleconference. Find out what each coach had to say about the upcoming game.
Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings:
Opening statement:
“I would anticipate that this will be a similar type game (to the first matchup). I think Kentucky is obviously playing as well as anybody in the league. They’re the only team to beat Tennessee. They’ve won five in a row. They are an extremely talented and deep basketball team. I know they’ve been affected some by injuries, but they seem to be healthier. I don’t know if they’re completely healthy, but they certainly seem to be healthier and playing great basketball. They’ve got three guys that obviously are as good as anybody in the league, so when you have three guys averaging 17 or 18 (points) per game, you’ve got a great amount of talent. We’ll have our hands full. We’re looking forward to it. We’re looking forward to being back home. It seems like it’s been awhile. We were happy to get two road wins last week to give us some momentum coming into this game.”
Do the two road wins give extra momentum heading into the game against Kentucky?
“I think unfortunately, you have to move past the wins and losses so quickly. We were just happy to get out of there (South Carolina) with a win. It was a game that had we made our free throws down the stretch, we could’ve won more comfortably, but nevertheless, a win is a win, and we were excited to win it the way we won it. The big thing for us is that we needed to win the games on the road last week, and we were able to do that. It’s momentum I suppose if we are able to get a victory Tuesday night, but everything stops when you lose. We just have to do the best we can, get better, and hope there’s carryover and energy.”
What are your impressions of Patrick Patterson?
“He’s a great player. He’s a sure fire, first round NBA player whenever he decides to leave. He plays with a great disposition. He never seems to get rattled or upset. He passes it well. He shoots it well from the perimeter. He scores well inside. He makes his free throws and rebounds. There’s nothing that guy doesn’t do well on the basketball court. He is as much of an impact, talented, and productive as any freshman in this league for a long, long time. He’s better than advertised. When you don’t play (against) him, he’s a fun guy to watch play.”
Describe Patterson’s defensive play.
“He brings a lot of physicality. He is a presence at the basket. He looks like he’s got a great basketball IQ. He understands positioning, leverage, and things like that. I feel like he covers everything and plays every facet of the game very well.”
What changes have Kentucky made that allowed them to play well recently?
“They’re running their offense better. They’re roles are more identified than the first time we played them. I think guys have figured out what their coach wants and how he wants them to play. As a result, they’re playing more effectively on both ends (of the court). They’re a team that has just gotten better and better. If you’re the coach, that’s what you want. You want your team to continue to improve throughout the season. To my eye, that looks like what Kentucky has done.”
Kentucky Head Coach Billy Gillispie:
Opening statement:
“We’re really excited to go over there to play a really good team. They had to play six of their first nine on the road. They definitely made it through there in fine fashion. They’re a really good team: one of the best offensive teams in the country. They’re one of the most balanced teams in our league and in the country. They’re a very difficult match up, but we look forward to it.”
What problems will Patrick Patterson present to Vanderbilt?
“Patrick has been good. They did a really good job in the second half (of the first match up) of not letting him catch the basketball much. We have to do a better job of ball reversal and getting the ball to him. They made some really good halftime adjustments (in the first match up), so we didn’t get the ball to him as much as we needed to.”
Has Patterson exceeded expectations?
“He’s exceeded any expectation in the first 21 games I think anyone can have on a first year player. He’s been fantastic for us: offensively, defensively, rebounding and leadership-wise. He comes to practice every single day and works extremely hard. His basketball IQ and hands are great. He wants to and will get better. I thought he would be really good, but he’s been much better than that.”
Why has Patterson exceeded expectations?
“He’s talented. He has great determination. He has great knowledge of basketball.”
