Tubby Smith Quotations

We appreciate the Big Blue faithful. The faith they have in us is remarkable.

When we changed defenses and started switching, we needed players who were versatile and quick like Bobby.

We're just not getting that consistency in a single guy that you can just count on. But it's getting there. It's getting there.

We knew they'd be here in full force. They really gave us a big lift. Their faith and belief that they have in us is remarkable.

We decided to put the ball in Patrick's hands a little more. He's more experienced. He's a veteran player. He'll beat you with his savvy and deception with his ball handling.

We've been in a desperate situation. (The 0-2 start) was a wake-up call.

We really haven't played a good game. When we're shooting like we are and things are not falling into place, that's when your confidence is shot.

We really got rattled. They really had another gear; they turned it up.

We've shot the ball well for two games now. We're putting people in the right spot and getting good shots. Shooting will build confidence and builds energy on both sides of the court.

We're glad to see Randolph get back to leading us in rebounding.

Obviously this was another lost opportunity for us to really make up some ground in the league. Tennessee made their shots and made plays down the stretch, and we didn't. We couldn't get our shots to drop. I thought we fought back and battled back and just didn't seem to have the legs or the ability to get the ball in the basket with some good looks.

Personnel-wise I thought we were pretty solid in some areas, but I think we have some people who will be able to help us that we've been able to sign. Those who want to be part of something special then they will have to make a special effort to change and to improve. And we will.

I didn't agonize over it. It was easy. We had a plus-minus system, and those guys weren't in the top five, top eight.

I had tried to be more relaxed to take the pressure off, but that was not working. I went back to being myself and was much more demonstrative and vocal.

If Bobby didn't do what he did, we wouldn't have won the game.

I always talk about not tightening up, but lightening up in all areas.

He's a very focused player -- a serious-minded player. Joe loves to win. He'll do whatever it takes to win. He's not a guy out there hunting shots. He's hunting to find a way to win.

There are so many weapons on their team. It will take an extraordinary effort on our part to compete.

Joe has probably been our most consistent player on both ends of the court. When you look at his offense, his defense, all of the little things he does on the court, his willingness to take the big shot, he's become a pretty versatile player, and that's what we expected out of him.

Joe Crawford was outstanding, getting to the free throw line and attacking the basket and making his shots.

I think you gotta play your style. We got up and down the court pretty good the other night. But you gotta continue to defend at the other end. That's the biggest concern I have.

I thought tonight we were the best we've been in a while.

Just getting here is not what we're about. We're about advancing. It's a new season and everybody has that rejuvenation. We can prove to ourselves that we're better than we played this season.

Our kids seem to feed off of Patrick when he's making the outside shot like that. It does get everybody fired up.

I was very impressed with the toughness of Eastern. That was our biggest challenge, overcoming their toughness.

I think Patrick is better off when he can just concentrate on one guy. He did a very good job chasing McDonald around those screens. He seems to be better when he's doing that than if he's in a position of helping. He made McDonald take some tough shots, and I thought he rushed some shots.

I'm not absolutely convinced of nothing. I have no comment about it. How can I comment about that? I just hope we get the opportunity. I believe we will.

That's been our profile all year long. I just don't get it. We just seem to play with not as much intensity and maturity to start the game.

Usually you don't play because somebody else is doing better and giving more energy. I don't look to see who is not playing. I don't care. I am playing to win the game.

We came out in a real funk again and struggled to run our stuff offensively. I have a lot of concerns, especially when we haven't played a good game and we're shooting like we are. Things are not falling into place. One thing leads to another, and then your confidence is shot.

We don't have room for any mistakes right now. We've already dropped two conference games at home, so we've got to play with a real sense of urgency. We need intensity on every possession.

We don't have any room for any mistakes right now. We have to play with a real sense of urgency at this point of time, especially having dropped two games at home in the league.

We don't have anyone else leaving for the NBA. We are having meetings with our players right now.

We're not the same team. We're totally different. Whatever it is, we've got to keep it up.

When a team shoots 72 percent, you're not really playing much defensively.

We don't have an answer for a guy like Ronnie Brewer, except hope that people understand that it's not one guy that's going to stop him, it's going to have to take a team effort to be in a position to help whenever he's in the open court.

We got off to a very poor start. You have to give credit to Arkansas, but that's been our M.O., our profile, all year long.

Yeah, I'll start all three of them. What are we going to do at the other end (on offense)? Just throw it up there?

Those were huge buckets (in the second half), because we were standing around with no real movement.

We were a little bit intimidated. That put us on the defensive and we lost our poise.

We like putting the ball in his hands in that situation.

We've got to get him a lot more conscious of playing without fouling.

(With) that flurry of threes at the beginning of the second half, we almost shot ourselves out of the game, but he was the only one to make one.

We've not shown the mental toughness we need yet. We need to stay intense, stay focused. How do you respond to what happened if you did not start? Do you respond the right way and do the right things to improve?

We had to get off to a good start in the second half. We adjusted at the half to get the ball to Patrick more.

We fully expect him to be back at some point when the NCAA finishes their job. Everything has been documented and processed on our side, and we'll wait for the NCAA to finalize their decision.

We're physically healthy, so now it's a matter of getting mentally healthy.

We were really focused. We got everyone involved. Everyone should be happy.

You got to roll me and call me the tumbling dice.

We did a lot of good things. I thought we were very active. But the best thing is we are playing smarter and harder for longer periods of time. We can get better. But you can at least see signs that we are getting there.

Based on all the information we had and all the extenuating circumstances, both Randolph and we have been very patient waiting for this opportunity. I'm very happy for Randolph, his family and our basketball program.

The spread offense plays to his strength, which is putting the ball on the floor. Our offense is allowing him to thrive.

Teams like this give us a lot of problems.

Tennessee has had a great year. Coach (Bruce) Pearl and staff should be commended.

Randolph Morris's foul trouble hurt us and it hurt him. We have to get him to be more conscious of playing without fouling.

Coach (Dave) Odom had his team ready. They executed well, they took care of the ball, they spread the floor and they hit a lot of clutch shots.

This is as close as we've been to playing a complete game in a long time, all year long. So hopefully we're starting to gel and come together at a critical time.

They gave us a lot of energy and effort. They didn't make a lot of mistakes defensively. That's what we needed.

They executed their game plan really well. Spread the floor well and take care of the ball. And they hit some big, big shots.

You can't keep a great player down. A guy like Steve Burtt made some big plays down there, but I thought we made him work to get his shots.

It's just a lack of mental concentration. You jump up and block a shot. You don't reach in or grab a guy by the shirt; that's something we're trying to get him to understand.

It will go down in history as a great college basketball game. It hurts right now, but some of our guys will appreciate it later on.

I told him he might want to try the outside shot because he has missed so many close to the basket this year. Bobby stepped up when there was really no one challenging him. He has been struggling with his shooting, but not in this game.

It probably was more beneficial to me than it was to them, because you start to question whether you can get things done.

It's been a struggle to get consistency. There were a lot of positives. We need to continue improving.

It's become our m.o.. We seem not to play with much intensity in the first half.

It's great for college basketball, for the league. He brings such a spirit and enthusiasm to the court.

That's one of those wins that can send your program to a different height.

The big key is you've got to get there. Four times in a half is just terrible.

It was like he was playing in his backyard and nobody was guarding him.

It was a complete change of halves. We settled down and took care of the basketball.

It will be good to see Brian, but it is tough playing and coaching against relatives and friends.

Their expectations are that coach wants us to come in here and play to our potential, take care of the basketball. I think it's taken some of the pressure off some of our sophomore starters.

In the first few minutes of the second half, we really got rattled. We made some bad decisions during that stretch. When you're playing a talented team like Florida, in a hostile arena, you have you have to play with a lot more poise.

I have to be who am I and I am going to do what is best for Kentucky basketball.

I probably should have stuck with our post guys a little longer.

In the second half, he did a much better job of keeping the ball out of his hands. That was critical.

C.J. Watson is the key to their game. Chris Lofton is having an outstanding year. He's a great shooter. He and C.J. combine for one of the best backcourts in the country.

He's reaching, not moving his feet, not playing very smart.

I don't know. I really don't know. It's a matter of priority and how you are playing at the end of the year. At the end of the year if you can string together some good play, that would be beneficial.

I didn't think we were going to have much of a chance to get back in the game. I thought we showed a lot of grit, a lot of moxie and a lot of heart to get back in it.

He's wearing a bandage on his left hand. The bone he broke in his hand has mended, but he's wearing protection and he looked good in practice yesterday. He'll be a big help.

If he gets any angle at all, he can get all the way to the basket or find someone open on the perimeter, which he did pretty regularly.

If he takes care of business academically. I have not had a chance to evaluate that yet. So far, so good. So he should be able to play.

I appreciate the respect people have for us. It's not like it's an election. You've got to still play the season.

He's not being aggressive, not blocking shots and other people are playing better than he is.

He's got a physical build, he's strong. He's got a good touch, going 9-for-11 in the game.

He played well the first half at South Carolina. It's not that he was not playing well. Other guys were just playing well.

This is one that really, really hurts. You've got to hope you come in and take care of home court, and we didn't.

The game against Alabama will certainly be a challenge for us. We've been struggling shooting the ball and rebounding. If we're not on top of our game, we're going to have a very long night like we've had lately.

Do you have a passion for what you do and do you love what you do? If you don't, then it can be drudgery, it can be hard, it can be work. But when you find something that you enjoy a lot, then you're more willing to sacrifice a lot of things in order to be successful as a teacher.

My favorite thing about coaching? Teaching. Being around young people, just watching a player grow and develop. You know, a young man comes in with dreams and goals and ambitions and just helping him reach (them). It's like your dad watching you grow up and like me watching my boys grow.

The trick to defending Kentucky's home court is....better defending

Shooting is all about confidence.