Q&A: UK's Calipari previews UCLA, Part II

If the teleconference earlier was just not enough words from John Calipari to preview UK-UCLA, you're in luck. He talked again – in person this time – before practice today. Here's every last word he said:

JOHN CALIPARI

On saying his best teams have played six guys and if that means this isn't one of his best teams: "It'll be interesting to see how we finish. But the best teams I've had – like, just unbelievable teams; I'm not saying the most talented, but I'm telling you, the best basketball teams we had -- were when I was playing five and six guys."

On Tyler Ulis having ice on his leg after the last game and a heating pad today and if he's worried about that leg long term: "No. He's just got to make sure he takes care of (himself). It's kind of like going into an NBA locker room, every one of them – I think 75 percent of the NBA – has tendonitis. So you can figure out how to play with it or don't play. Get another job."

On if Ulis has tendinitis: "No. But it's the same idea. There are certain things you have that you got to deal with, you got to learn to play."

On having had success with Chicago players, what the characteristics of those players are and what playing there might have done for Tyler Ulis: "They were all different. I mean, Derrick (Rose) played at one of the best high schools as far as the traditional program. Anthony (Davis) played at one of the worst high schools, traditionally, program. And Tyler played at a private school. So it's all different.

"What they all had in common is a desire to improve, a comfort level in their skin which made them very good teammates, great guys to be around. And it's funny how they won't ever change. The injury that Derrick has, his team fully supports him, because they know what a great guy he is and he's there for them. And the same with Anthony. I mean, I've watched him play when Tyreke Evans – he played for me, too – had, like, 35, and (Davis) was fine with it. Never bothered him. He'd just keep feeding (Evans) the ball and chesting him. He's one of those guys. This kid's the same way. He's cheering for Andrew to do well. And he knows how good Andrew is, and even though they run the different teams and they go at each other, he has great respect and he's a great teammate."

On how well he knows Steve Alford: "I know him. I've known him for years and years. We've become close, but I knew him when he was at Southwest Missouri State. I did things for him. My wife grew up an hour and a half from there on a dirt farm. You guys didn't catch that. That's what I told her, she grew up on a dirt farm. He and I have been close. When he went to Iowa, I think we played. They beat us when I was at Memphis, one of my first years. But he's a terrific coach, just a great guy. Great family. Tanya's a great lady. His kids are great kids. And he now has that opportunity to be there in that job, which is one of the premier jobs."

On rejecting the idea of a grace period when he started at Kentucky and if that was a product of tradition and the high standard at programs like that: "There are two things. The kids remember the last three years. The families remember the last 30. The kids remember the last three. They remember when they were 13 and 14, and before that they don't have any idea. I think what Steve did last year – I think they won 30 games or 29 games or whatever it was (actually 28) – (he) walked right in and developed guys that people did not think would be able to go right to the NBA. And they did – three of them, one after one year, the fourth pick of the draft. He's also now done it with Kevon Looney. They're telling me he's the fourth or fifth pick of the draft.

"So he has developed players. But I think in our case we were kind of prepared to lose a bunch of guys. I don't think they knew that that many guys would leave there. So that one guy being missing has made it so they're playing five and six guys. They would have played seven, and they would have been fine. I mean, but I think he's done a great job. He's on the west coast, he's rebuilding the image and what they want there. We want to tie to programs like that. That's what we want."

On how he reacts when coaches like Roy Williams, Rick Pitino, Larry Brown compare them to the best teams all-time: "For a minute there, I thought you were going to say all-time coaches. I understand that's not going to be said. (Laughter) What were we talking about? Look, the thing I want to tell you, what I really like is that Willie's taking on a different persona. I sat him down and about a month ago said, 'Why don't you want to be the No. 1 pick in the draft?' What do you mean? Well it's obvious you don't want to be the No. 1 pick. Why wouldn't you? You've got this team around you. All you have to do is perform and improve and improve in a couple areas and you're on the page. Why? He said, 'I do wanna.' Well, then do more, then come into practice longer, then come in here at night, then spend more time at this, the sport, and he has been.

"But I think when you start talking about some of the teams, that we're the great teams, they had Hall of Fame players on them. We have yet to prove where we are in that regard. I think we're a terrific team. I think what we've been doing to keep reinforcements coming has made us even better and made it even easier for each guy to perform at a high level. But I'm not – let this season play out before they talk in terms of those teams. Because, again, some of them had three Hall of Famers on their team, like in Springfield. Their college team had three. To compare us to those teams, come on."

On if he thinks those coaches are sincere or trying to increase the pressure: "I don't know. I don't know. Maybe they're looking at us compared to the other college teams the last couple years. I don't know."

On what he's taken from the North Carolina game: "Toughness, rebounding, breakdowns defensively, not sprinting back. Things that will cost you basketball games, which is what we focused on here now this week and for the next three. We're the 13th best defensive rebounding team out of 14 in our league. Really? The tallest bad defensive rebounding team in the history of the game. So, there are things that I look at right now and am like, 'Come on.' We turn it over with just a little bit of pressure, token traps. We threw the ball all over the place. I would say if you watched our games, you've got teams licking their chops: 'We're going to run and press and trap these dudes and try to get baskets, free baskets early. And when we shoot it, we're sending four to the glass. Forget about them.' I mean that's – if you watch that game, that's what you do. Teams that will push you in the back on shots so they get and edge and teams that will just crash and bang and grab, are looking at this and licking their chops."

On big is the rebounding aspect against Looney: "It's more than just him. I'm talking about my team. Our guards right now, we may have the worst group of rebounding guards in the country too. So we're doing stuff to hold them accountable. And we started two days ago. Yesterday was an individual work day because we're in finals, but we're back at it today. I told them, 'From here and through what we're calling Camp Cal, we're doing this stuff every day.' I said, 'We can – the stuff we're not doing, the physical play, we get bumped, we get grind, we start throwing balls, a guy nicks us we throw it. Well, let me tell you, you're going to be playing in games where they grab, they hold, the kick, they push, they bite. Can you play in that kind of game. If you can't play in that kind of game, you can't win that game."

On how Poythress is doing: "He and I met today. He has a great frame of mind. He and I talked a little bit about Derrick Rose's mental approach when it happened to him. And you know, he's going to have the surgery after Christmas, so he has time. We talked about what his options could be and some things that we should think about."

On that NBA draft decision for Poythress: "Well, he has more time than Nerlens had, so he's going to have an extra two months, really. A month and a half. But I would tell you that that'll still be an option for him, if he chooses to. We talked a little bit. I said, you know, the other side of it is being mentally tougher. Why? Because you'll never get through the rehab (if not). Pushing through a comfort level, which you struggle with. Well, you'll have to, to do the rehab. You have no choice. Coming back with that increased motor. And then we'll work on some skills – getting his wrist back on every shot; no more of this (hand straight). Now we have time. Wrist is going to be back. You're going to be up and off instead of that (straight-handed pushing motion). And I said, 'We have time now.' "

On how much he'd like having a senior: "It would be nice. And a young man that they all respect and a young man that's a straight-A student and a guy that can do things that normal players can't do. It would be nice. But if it's in his best interest to put his name in the draft, I will support it and help it along and do that. He's going to do what's right for him. You know, he was really good today. I think he's coming back to the reality of, 'This happened. It's not a dream. It's real. Now I gotta deal with it.' And he looked like he was at ease with what was going forward."

On how his hip is after surgery and how he's holding up: "I'm fine. The biggest thing is I'm sleeping at night and I'm working out every day. I still need to lose 20 pounds, which I gained very happily when I couldn't do anything last year. Now it's a little bit harder getting it off. But like I told my team: I'm not supposed to have a six-pack. I'm 55. Supposed to have a little belly when you're 55. Now I don't want to have a big belly, but a little one."

On whether he was in the camp as a kid that rooted for UCLA or that rooted for everybody but the juggernaut Bruins: "I liked North Carolina growing up. I liked UCLA. I watched more basketball that way. I didn't have Pitt, because Pitt wasn't when I was younger what it is now. But we had some guys from our high school team play on that team, so you followed Pitt and some of that stuff. West Virginia and all that because of where I grew up. UCLA and even like a Kansas, they were like faraway lands. I mean, I didn't go on a vacation until I was 19. And that was to Maryland. Maryland. We drove to the Maryland shore. I was not on an airplane until I was 20. So when you start talking UCLA: 'Man, is that in our country?' Yeah. 'Like, near Youngstown? I mean, where is it?' It's just different than it was. But I liked them, respected them."

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