The Cats are thinking about playing together and winning it all. Their attitudes on Media Day was exactly the way True Blue Fans would want them to be.
#3, Nerlens Noel, Freshman, Forward
On freshmen going pro and possibly being the next to do so ...
"I'm not too worried about that at this stage. I am mainly focused on getting better and staying on the books. This is just a regular school where you are going to do regular things and where you come to get better every day."
On playing with Willie (Cauley-Stein) ...
"Willie has come a long way with himself, and I think that will be a great duo. Not too many shots would get up in the paint. I am looking forward to it, and the season should be real fun. Whatever coach Cal (Calipari) decides to do, and whoever he decides to put in, we will just go out there and try to ball."
On working out with Coaches (Kenny) Payne and (Orlando) Antigua...
"They really push you to get to where you want to be. They are great, and people you can look up to and talk to whenever you want to speak about something. I appreciate them."
On bonding with the guys ...
"Yeah we all had prior relationships before coming here, and I always had a good vibe since I got here that we have a close-knit group. We have all come a long way and have been our own brother's keeper."
#4, Jon Hood, Junior, Guard
On this year's team compared to last, and what to expect ...
"Fun, we have a lot of fun. We are really close together and that is one thing you can expect. That is probably the main thing you can expect. It is fun to watch in pick-up and in practice a lot of people get dunked on and a lot of blocked shots. We have a lot of speed so we are going to be fun to watch."
On who amazes him on the team ...
"Everybody is so much better than they were last year and the new guys are obviously amazing. (They're) the number one recruiting class again for a reason. Sometimes in pick-up we look like the Atlanta Hawks playing in the ‘Highlight Factory'. It is just fun to watch."
On what his role is on this year's team...
"Whatever coach Cal needs me to do, I am going to try and do that. I will not be begging for playing time. I know since I have been here three years I understand that it is ‘you get what you deserve.' That is in basketball and in life; if you put in the work at basketball then you will get time. That is something I am ready for and I think I have put in enough time."
#5, Jarrod Polson, Junior, Guard
On how this team is said to be quiet...
"I don't know if that's the case. We are quiet, but we are pretty funny. Arch(ie) (Goodwin), (Kyle) Wiltjer are all funny."
On being ready to have a leadership role as a veteran...
"Yeah, a little bit since I have been here the most except for (Jon) Hood. I know what to expect and it is fun to tell them what to expect. They are always asking questions."
On Coach Calipari's comparison to Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash...
"I see some Dirk in Kyle's game when we are playing open gym. He takes a lot of steps back and stuff but I do see a lot of Dirk in Kyle."
#10, Archie Goodwin, Freshman, Guard
On how the players feel about the season approaching ...
"We just started practice so everybody is excited about that. We are just trying to focus on our grades and make sure everybody is in a place to be successful."
On his experience as an athlete at UK ...
"The atmosphere is what I expected. I expected great fans and there is a lot of support around here. As far as expectations on the court, they are similar to what I expected. Coach Cal wants to get the best out of you. It is everything I thought it would be."
On fans camping out for Big Blue Madness tickets ...
"My 10th grade year I got pictures from them doing that. But just to see that was crazy."
On his and the team's identity ...
"We are just a tough team. I feel like we are going to work hard and listen to our coaches. I just do whatever Coach Cal needs me to do."
On Coach Cal's comparison of him to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and DeAndre Liggins ...
"Those were two great guys who brought a lot of intensity on defense. So being told that makes me work that much harder so I can live up to those standards."
On being defensive minded ...
"When I was younger, all I wanted to do was shoot the ball. I was not the type to play defense. That came as I got a little older and I matured, later in high school. Me and my mom and my stepdad used to have a lot of talks about me playing defense. I could score 30, but if I was letting my guy score 30 that wasn't good."
On his role on the team ...
"My primary role is shooting guard, but I will play a little point guard."
On why the top recruits are wanting to play at Kentucky...
"It's simple, Coach Cal is here. The things he does for players in such a short time. It's simply amazing to see what he does. To have the staff that he has and they all want to see you succeed from academics to athletic ability."
#11 Twany Beckham, Senior, Guard
On living up to the expectations of Kentucky fans ...
"We all have Kentucky jerseys on but we can't be expected to be the same, it's a totally different team. We try not to worry about it. We come in everyday and do what coach wants us to do. Expectations are going to be there, it's Kentucky. So as long as we go and try to win every game we aren't really worried about expectations."
On how the team got so close in such a short time ...
"Some of us were already here and we just brought it together. We all have to be our brother's keeper. We have to be this way to win when we go on the road and it's an entire arena against us."
On what new players amaze him athletically ...
"Everybody is good in their own way. All of the freshmen are athletic. They all play hard. They all love to win. So we are just looking forward to the season."
On what he can do to help the team ...
"Leadership. I played in the SEC for four years. I've been in and out of tough situations. So just leadership and being ready whenever my number is called."
On the pressure on Ryan Harrow ...
"He is a very good player. I think he's going to be ready to handle it."
On his individual goals ...
"I don't have any individual goals. I just want to be the best teammate I can be."
#12, Ryan Harrow, Sophomore, Guard
On dancing at Big Blue Madness ...
"Yea, I'm dancing at madness. My sister told me I had to. I am always dancing at the house with her so I have to dance in front of everybody now."
On his hairstyle ...
"I'm going to keep it like this. A lot of people told me to keep it. Nerlens (Noel) wants me to keep it. We think of it like ‘Kid-N-Play'. Plus the girls' team really likes it, so I have to keep it."
On getting other teammates to grow the same hairstyle ...
"We have asked some of the other guys, but none of them want to do it. Some of the fans ask them too and they always tell them no as well. I think if Kyle (Wiltjer) was able to do it, then he would do it."
On being ready to be a leader on this team ...
"Definitely. I have to or Coach Cal isn't going to play me. I just need to do whatever he expects of me."
On working closely with teammate Kyle Wiltjer...
"Coach sat us down and he told us that we need to be like best friends. Kyle and I have a pretty good bond already because we were both here last year and played with each other in practice. So we know what each other likes to do."
#13, Sam Malone, Sophomore, Guard
On having a brand new team ...
"I wouldn't say it's scary, it's been proven that it can work. It is just a challenge, a unique challenge that we have at this program."
On team chemistry ...
"I don't know if it's anything different. Our situation is different because we have so many guys coming in. We only get to play pick-up. We can't play as much as we want to play just because of other conditioning. I think that a lot of it builds off the court and having good relationships off the court. Seeing our brothers being able to succeed, seeing the guys in the locker room next to us want to do well. Guys know that the guy next to them can complement their game. Most of the guys aren't complete players yet, but by helping the other person out they can complement."
On how they have been building team chemistry...
"Just being good friends, that's really important to the guys and helps them transition."
On if he thinks this team could be as good as last years'...
"Yes I think so. I don't want to compare this team to last years' team. I don't think that we should. I think that if we are the best that we can be, we will be in a position to win it again. We shouldn't worry about our records. It might take a while to come together as a team, but as long we are ready in March."
#15, Willie Cauley-Stein, Freshman, Forward
On what he thinks of the media labeling Coach Calipari's coaching as one-and-done ...
"Most of the reason why we come here is to win. You watch every year and know that they are making it to the Final Four and they always make it to the end of the tournament. You see that, and going to the NBA is a perk, but winning the national championship is the ultimate goal. Especially me, I didn't get a ring in high school, so I really want one now and that's my goal."
On knowing that this team will get compared to last year's team at the end of the season ...
"It puts a target on your back. They were beating everyone so badly last year and we have a target on our back to see if we are going to be as good as them or if we are going to fall. That's the biggest challenge we have. We can't compare ourselves to them. We just need to keep going out there and playing and doing whatever Coach Cal tells us to do and being effective about it."
On what the team needs to improve on at this point ...
"It is hard to tell now. Right now we are really close, but we need to come together more. The biggest thing he (Coach Calipari) preaches to us right now is to come together, be friendly, go out to eat with each other, play video games together, and just be around each other and the court stuff is going to take care of itself as we start going."
On if getting a national championship ring will motivate him to get multiple rings here ...
"That's tough, you come here and you want a ring so bad, and honestly it depends on how you feel at the end of the season. That's a hard question."
On how he felt when Nerlens Noel committed to Kentucky ...
"A lot of my friends from back home asked me if I was worried that I wouldn't get as much playing time. Honestly, that didn't go through my head. You care to some sense, but if we are winning, I don't care. If you win, you win, and it doesn't matter how many minutes you get. It didn't really bother me that much. It was kind of more like a challenge. I was really low key and nobody really knew about me. Going with the number one recruit in the country and having to play against him every day builds your confidence."
On how Coach Calipari can increase a player's draft stock...
"I think Cal has so many connections and resources and he just knows so many people. How can you not trust what he is saying? He has sent so many people to the league and done so many great things in his career."
On what he thinks of the one-and-done label UK's basketball program has ...
"Even on Twitter, fans, not even our fans, just other fans, are against us. They always have something to say about us being one-and-dones, and Cal only recruits one-and-dones; he is just recruiting the best players in the country. If they are one-and-done, it is their decision. He is not telling them to go. It is more of a self-decision."
#22, Alex Poythress, Freshman, Forward
On what his position is ...
"I just say wherever I am needed. I will play anywhere, the three, four, or two, one if I could, but I know that isn't going to happen."
On being picked second- team preseason All-America ...
"I didn't expect that, but it really doesn't mean anything. The preseason just means how you finish out the season, and what happens in the end."
On leadership roles ...
"Everybody has been a leader in their own way. I have been a leader sometimes, Archie (Goodwin) has been a leader. Julius (Mays) has been a senior leader, Ryan (Harrow) sometimes, Kyle (Wiltjer) too. Everyone has been."
On playing with Ryan Harrow as a point guard ...
"Ryan is a pass-first point guard. He has a great handle, and is a good shooter. He's a great point guard and I've loved playing with him so far. I think his handles might be up there with Brandon Jennings."
On the pace to the NCAA Tournament ...
"Honestly we are taking it day by day. We can't get it great in a day so you have to get it better each and every day."
On the transition from high school to college ...
"It's been a tough transition. You have to work harder everyday, lifting weights everyday. Waking up at 6 a.m. trying to be a better ball player, a better person to just get a feel for the game."
#32, Brian Long, Sophomore, Guard
On what it feels like to be a veteran on this year's team ...
"It's a lot different than last year, but every year new guys come in so it is just a different experience being a sophomore this year."
On the chemistry of the team this year ...
"It's all mixed up really well again. Last year we were really close and this year we are really close. Coach Cal preaches that when we are really close it will make us do better on the court. He says, the better you do off the court, the better you will be on the court."
On his individual and team goals ...
"I just want to do everything I can to contribute as much as I can. I hope as a team we can accomplish as much as we possibly can and be as successful as possible."
On playing powerhouses Maryland and Duke in the first two regular season games ...
"Both are really good teams from a really good conference. We have to play them both at neutral sites, so it will be two early tests for us and hopefully we are ready."
#33, Kyle Wiltjer, Sophomore, Forward
On how it feels to be one of the veterans ...
"It is good to have experience and being able to teach the younger guys what to do. We are incorporating in the young guys as much as we can."
On practicing with Ryan Harrow ...
"Ryan and I are really close on and off the court. We are at our best when we help each other out and that's going to be a big key this year. We have been working out together and getting shots up together, spending time together is key because when your close off the court it helps on the court, whether you know it or not."
On the impact of playing Maryland and Duke has on practices ...
"We are going one practice at a time and working on getting better as a team. We are not worried about who we are playing. We are working on getting better as a team and individually."
On what he did in the offseason to improve his game ...
"I did a lot of things, but most importantly I worked on my body like getting stronger and quicker. I worked on all parts of my skills and conditioning as well so there is not one thing I didn't work on, I just kind of did it all."
On possibly starting the season 0-2 against Maryland and Duke ...
"We don't think about that at all. We are worried about ourselves and getting better. Practice starts soon, so we are going to see how we are going to play and we will listen to Coach (Calipari) and believe in him."
On Coach Calipari comparing his game to Dirk Nowitski's...
"It is an honor to be considered like someone of that caliber, but I like to define my own game and be as versatile as possible so that's why I continue to work on my post game and my outside shot as well."
On being on the court with both centers Nerlens Noel and Willie Cauley-Stein ...
"They have such great length defensively and offensively being able to throw those lobs kind of opens the game up for a lot of people and on defense they help you out so much. If we can get those guys on the court together and learn how to play together it will be tough to defend. "
On comparing this team's shooting to last year's shooting ...
"It is pretty early, but we have a lot of good shooters on this team as well. It is hard to compare to last year because we want to have our own identity, so we will see once this season gets rolling."
#34, Julius Mays, Graduate Student, Guard
On how his time at the University of Kentucky has been so far ...
"It has been a lot of fun and it is everything I have expected and more. We work hard every day, and everybody brings it every day. It's very competitive. It's the best situation I have been in."
On what is the biggest difference between Kentucky and his previous schools ...
"They (UK) are very successful because of how hard we work here. It's no walk in the park, and every day is very tough, whether it's conditioning or working out with coaches, everything is very hard."
On the closeness of this team ...
"I wasn't here last year, but clearly watching them you could tell that they were really close. Everybody figured we had to come together and be very close to learn a lot about each other. With us living together and being around each other each day, and spending as much time as we do with each other; it's kind of hard not to become a family."
On his expectations of Big Blue Madness ...
"I have heard about it, I have seen videos of it, but I still don't think it's going to be anything like living the experience tomorrow. It's going to be a lot of fans, a lot of excitement, and everybody is just ready for the season to kick off. I am not nervous at all, but I am excited. I have seen the fans but seeing the gym sold out is going to be very exciting and I haven't experienced anything like it."
On if Coach Calipari is attempting to keep this team humble by saying they may go 0-2 against Duke and Maryland ...
"I think it is a little bit of both. We are a young team. We might not start the season playing as well as you want, but I think he is trying to humble us. I think it is trying to keep our minds off what last year's team did and just know that nothing is going to be handed to us coming into the season. Since the team did win last year, we are going to be everybody's national championship game and we are going to get everybody's best game."
On if Coach Calipari has been able to inspire him and the team to bring the level of intensity up ...
"It's well known that if you aren't producing, you aren't going to be on the court. It's either play how he wants you to play and play at a high level, or not play at all."
