Welcome into Behind Kentucky Basketball. I'm Curtis Birch. We are in Pittsburgh covering
the Cats in the NCAA Tournament, and yesterday the Cats had their media availability,
including their open locker rooms before they face off against Oakland, and I
got a chance to catch up with a bunch of Kentucky assistant coaches. We're
gonna hear from Tyler Ulis, John Wells, Chuck Martin, and Chen Coleman.
But before we hear from them, I do want to ask you guys
to please subscribe to Behind Kentucky Basketball. We're gonna be sharing some of these
locker room interviews as we make our run through the tournament, and you won't
want to miss it. All you got to do is hit the follow button
on your favorite podcast player and boom, it's coming right to your phone every
day. Let's start out hearing from coach John Wells about the matchup against Oakland.
One of the big topic is conversation is Oakland's matchup zone? What problems
does that present? Facing the zone when you're not facing them often in the
season for enough, Yeah, it's you know, we haven't want to get
solved very much this year but I think we've effective we have and uh,
you know, we're fortunate that you we we have multiple high percentage three point
shooters, so you know, we feel if we move the basketball, you
know it too. Just attack and play our almost style which finds on the
on your defensive end. They're outside oriented kind of going to ourn. How
do you slow their three point garage down? They have two guys that you
know, we know they're gonna put up, you know, a lot of
threes, and we just have to be aware of I'm gonna be close to
them and you know, do what we can to you know, they're gonna
get them off. We just have to make them to be tough child shots.
It's been the message of the coaching stamp to the players going into this
tournament. A lot of guys there first first go around in it, just
be loose and free, wanton and just you know, we don't need to
change anything. Just be who we are. Just play cow mentioned you know,
the team bonding the bowling, how have you guys seen have you seen
the team kind of come together after the SEC tournament. I think they're they're
all excited about the NCAA tournament and you know, it's like y'all is the
same, we want to play well. And then finally the lot of Pittsburgh
connections with a do Trey coach Cal coach Orlando Antigua. How cool was it
to watch those guys kind of come home. Yeah, that's nice. I
think it's it's great for them and a little bit of a comfort level,
so you know, hopefully a little bit a little bit of time to enjoy.
We're gonna hear from Tyler Eulis in just a second, but before that,
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and that's presented by Commonwealth Credit Union. All right, let's hear from coach
Tyler Eulis. How do you get these young guys to kind of understand what
the NCAA Tournament's going to be like? I know that's a tough thing to
explain for somebody never been there. You know, I think they understand.
I think they've been won this all their lives, like this is a dream
come true. So I don't believe they take it likely. They understand the
team we have, they understand what we're trying to accomplish. So you know,
I think they're ready. It's just about you know, getting their first
game and jitters out and you know, going from there. Everybody always says
that this tournament is guard driven, with a lot of talents and guards.
How do you think some of these guys are gonna thrive in this environment?
I think this is a perfect environment for these guys. We have big time
players who like big time games, Like you said, guard driven, Kima
Walker's his fast Napers, you know, Brandon Knights, John Wallas, you
know, those are guys who show up in these type of games. And
I feel like we have three, four five guys who you know can rise
up to that level. One of them is obviously Read and he was named
Freshman's Freshman of the Year. How have you seen him progress this season?
You know, Red's been really good all year and just his confidence and you
know, learning to pick his spots has been great for us. He's being
better as a leader and not just him, you know Rob and DJ those
are two other guys who are some of the top freshmen in the country.
So you know, we have a pick of guys that you know, we
can go to, you know, whenever we need to get things going.
You had any kind of like old wow moments from like watching Rob out on
the court or even in practice, because I mean it's just actually I tell
him all the day, like you know, watching you every day, Like
you know, at times I'm amazed to what things he does. You know,
it's mooring twenty one points ten minutes, the shots he's makes, and
you know he's a great shot maker, a difficult shot maker. You know,
it's a lot of fun to watch his finishing inside at his side of
the guard. I mean, how do you practice that? I know you
have experience as well from your playing days, but is that something Is that
just instinct? Is it just work? How do you work on that?
Uh? You know, something you just try to get better at every day
and a lot of it's a gifts from God obviously. You know, he's
a small guy, who's really confident, so he's not scared to, you
know, go in there with the trees and you know, finish over big
guys. He feels like he can get in there and you know, getting
these shots he wants, and you know that's he does. As I said,
I am Pittsburgh for the Kentucky Basketball NCAA tournament run and we are doing
a bunch of updates on our social media. We're on x, Instagram and
Facebook. Just search UK Sports Network to check out all the videos, all
the interviews, all the stuff. A lot of fun features that we got
in the works that you will not want to meet miss. So go to
UK Sports Network on all social platforms. Now, now let's hear from coach
Chuck Martin. What do you see in this matchup against Oakland? What do
they do well? They run a unique matchup zone and that's given people problems
and obviously won twenty three games. They did a great job, but a
perimeter taking away the three point line and then they rotate with these centers out
to the corners to take away the corner three. So it's it's unique that
way. But we've been working on it for the past few days. So
we're feeling comfortable. So is it just schemed up with the scout team to
run ahead? Do you guys show them on video? Yeah, we try
to show them on video. We try to teach them as best we can
try to simulate it on our defense. So that makes it a little bit
challenging in terms of, uh, the intensity in which they dealing with.
But uh, but we're starting to get a better feel for the rotations in
their zone and how to counter it. Because a lot of people say,
with the zone, shooting is the is the antidote too? Is it that
simple? With this one deserves a little bit different, you know. I
think they try to make it difficult, playing the zone really high and aggressive,
really attacking a three point line. They send their center out to the
corner, which allows their forward to stay high with the with the shooters.
That's unique. So that's completely different from some of the other zones we've seen
throughout the year. But but like I said, we've we've been watching film
and we've been working on it in practice, so we're starting to feel more
uncomfortable every day. What's it been like watching a do Trey coach and Tigua
and even coach Cal come back kind of to one of their home it's tremendous.
Yeah, you know it's Coach Cal went out to dinner last nights of
staff and a local place at Coach Cal. I guess it's one of his
places. And it's great to see how people approach him and greet him.
He's he's the favorite son coming back home. Same thing with Oh, Trey
and a do you know they've got family here, they grew up here.
There's a connection to Pittsburgh. It's a it's a neat it's a neat thing
to watch those guys go through. It is that Kyle often talks about guys
coming home sometimes have tough games. How do you guard against that? With
Trey and to do you know? I think for for Trey's a little bit
older, a little bit more seasoned. I think Adu has been really really
good at big games. This is obviously a big game, so they and
they had and they've had a good week. They've had a really good week
of practice, so so I think they're ready to think they're prepared. And
then finally, what's your favorite March Madness memory be when you were on the
staff or all right, just watching them you know, I think UH for
US was maybe two thousand and eight with coach Calhen we beat U C l
A at the final flourid to go play in the national championship game. That's
the that's the closest I've got into a national championship. So I just I
remember I remember playing UCLA big game on National TV, Russell Westbrook, Kevin
Love and those guys, and we had a pretty good team ourselves and beating
them going to going to the finals. So that's my favorite one. We're
gonna wrap up here from coach Chen Coleman, but I did want to tell
you guys about a new podcast we just started called UK Sports Network Today.
Andrew CAPPIs is the host and he does an overview of all of UK athletics
and it's a great way to get your UK news in a podcast form about
twenty thirty minutes and they'll be dropping very frequently so you'll stay up to up
to date on everything that's happening around the athletic department. He just had a
great interview with Cameron Mills about the NCAA tournament. Just go search UK Sports
Network Today, give it a follower, subscribe and you'll be caught up on
all things UK athletics. Now here's chen Coleman. What do you think about
the matchup against Oakland? Good matchup. I mean they're a good team and
won twenty three games. They got Player of the Year and towels End.
Uh, he's a he's gonna be a load on the inside. You know,
at this point in the time of this season, everybody's good. You
know, you can't take anything for granted. Respect them, right and understand
that. Uh, we just have to be us and be our best version
of us one game at a time. And if we can do that,
we should we should be fine. But if they really shoot it. They
got two guys that almost combine shoot twenty threes amongst the both of'em,
number eleven and number thir three, goky, So we gotta defend the three
point line and then we gotta also fend inside. So they're good. They're
they got a good balance, right, good mid major team that has outside
shooting and a inside presence that they can throw the ball inside and score it.
So good challenge for us. Good challenge foras last game is obviously a
tough one against A and M. How have the guys bounced back after that,
We've bounced back five. Our guys are excited for this opportunity. Everything
that has happened throughout the season has been a step to success for this part
of this season. So that was another step for us to get better.
Although we lost the game, didn't probably wanna lose in that fashion, but
everything that has happened so far has been a step to success for this season.
There's no failures, there's no fearures. Every step back is a step
to success. So we're taking that as a step to success. And then
coming back home for a couple of guys, coach coach Joe played here,
Cals from here, Trey I do. How are those guys? A love
storylines? Right? A lot of reminiscing about this restaurant, that restaurant,
a lot of uh reminiscing about this used to be here, these it's all
different than new and so it's it's it's fun to see these guys connect back
to a place where they spent a lot of time. That and for coach
Coyl, he's from here, so for him to see a lot of his
old friends and the whole high school coach, college coach so he's been able
to tap back into uh his past. But at the same time, we
gotta keep the man clean the main thing, and that's uh been our best
basketball team. We can be you tomorrow. And von l Antonio's name to
a couple of All American teams. Uh, what's that mean? I know
you guys shared that Chicago connection. It means a lot to me. I've
known Antonio since he was a little kid, so I'm really really really happy
to him. I told him if he came back here, he would be
one of the best guards, if not the best guard, in my opinion,
in the country. And to see it happening, uh and coming to
Fruition is is is It's such a blessing. I'm so happy for the young
man cause I understand how much work he puts in. I know how how
much work he put in when he was a little skinny kid years ago,
when he didn't have a high major offer right for him to come to this
point, I'm so happy for him. But we he and I talked about
it, and one of the things I told him was, you didn't come
this far just to come this far. So we're gonna see a lot way
he's in this tournament, so this is the best time of the season.
He's prepared and he understands what he hass or whatever to help us continue or
to win game at a time. Thanks to all the assistant coaches for their
time. Like I said, it's top. If you aren't already, please
subscribe to this podcast and follow us on all social media platforms. Just search
UK Sports Network. Thank you so much for listening to Behind Kentucky Basketball.