Mike Davis Kentucky Teleconference

Mike sat down yesterday with the media and did a teleconference to talk about Kentucky.

For some real enjoyment be sure to read the entire transcript...

Mike Davis Teleconference Transcript

Of course I have to pull a few of the better gems out as they really speak volumes for why I believe Davis is not the right man for the IU head coaching job.

On being surprised with the lack of intensity:
MD: "It surprised me, but we have a lot of guys that can play. When you start playing a lot of guys, some guys, I wouldn't say are selfish because we don't have a selfish team, focus on themselves instead of the team. This is the toughest time to be a really good team when you have a lot of good players. We just have to continue to create an atmosphere where they enjoy pulling for each other and everyone is on the same page."

So earlier this year, Davis assured us all that they were going to be really good this year because they have more talent than ever before. Now he tells us that the toughest time to be a really good team is when you have a lot of good players. HUH???

On Ben Allen getting big minutes:
MD: "He played over 23 minutes the last couple of games. Those are good minutes for a freshman. We will have to play it according to how he plays it as far as fouls go. He has really cleaned that up. If he cannot foul and keep himself on the floor, I think over 20 minutes is pretty good for a freshman the last two games. He has been really good for us. He has made some shots. Now we just have to get Marco (Killingsworth) going inside. We go as Marco goes. We haven't had the type of scoring from him the last couple of games that we have needed to create more opportunities for our out shooters."

So a question about Ben Allen becomes an answer about Marco. "We go as Marco goes." Hmmm... sounds kinda like all the Bracey quotes from the last 3 years.

On playing Marco and Ben more in the same lineup:
MD: "We used them some the other night. It is all a matter of who is tired and who is fouling. We couldn't use (Sean) Kline at all the other night because he was hurt. Ben is playing great. He is playing the way I envisioned him playing. We just have to get Marco rolling again. Teams are double and triple teaming team. Some nights he isn't going to be able to score 20 points, but when he gets his opportunities, he needs to take advantage of them because we go as he goes."

More on Marco being the key to IU. IU goes as he goes...

On how important Marco Killingsworth is to IU:
MD: "He is important because he can really take control of the game. He can force teams to play him with two or three guys. That is when he has to kick the ball out quicker than what he has been doing, so our guys can get open shots. We went back to the film; some times they had five guys in the paint surrounding him. That is how they were able to block his shot. A lot of times it wasn't the guys guarding him that blocked his shot, it was the guy coming from behind and inside. He is a very good basketball player. We need him to carry us from an inside presence standpoint and kick the ball out to our open guards. We are a very good shooting team when we shoot uncontested shots."

You just have to love the media... Davis spends 2 questions talking about Marco and the next question is How important Marco is to IU... Obviously they weren't listening.

On Marco Killingsworth handling seven-foot players inside:
MD: "I don't think anyone can guard him one-on-one. He is pretty good one-on-one. I think you have to bring somebody to try and contain him. Shelden Williams is the best defensive player in the country at that position. To play him one-on-one no matter how big you are is definitely in his favor."

Wait... not enough Marco... need another question.

On substituting Errek Suhr for Ben Allen with 1:45 remaining in the Indiana State game:
MD: "It was a defensive sub. We needed to make a stop and (Tyson Schnitker) was really hurting us. With 40 seconds left, we cut it to one. Everything is right where we want it. What you wanted to do in that situation is play the percentages and go down and make a stop. You are still going to have seven to eight seconds left to make a play. Unfortunately, we missed a defensive assignment and gave up a layup. They missed the free throw and there were 28 seconds left, we didn't get a timeout. We got possession of the basketball and I wanted to push the ball up the floor and get a time out. Earl (Calloway) thought he had something. Errek Suhr has been making shots. He took a good one and the guy did a great job of contesting it and blocking it. Then once we got it back, Marco took another three. I was trying to get a timeout, but that was the one we needed to get a timeout on so we could have gone a different way. We wanted to go for the stop because they had really been hurting us driving and kicking."

Now that is a good question... and a sad answer. For defense??? As soon as IU went small with Suhr, Indiana State immediately went inside and got a mis-match layup. So after the defensive mis-match, did Davis bring back Ben for offense? No. That my friends is my problem with Davis!

On the gap between the majors and mid-majors narrowing:
MD: "I think this is going to be last year that it is close like that. The next couple of years, you will have so many big time players coming in. You will have guys that won't go to the pros because they can't go pro for that year. You are talking about some major impact players. When you can practice with all your team from start to end. There are some teams who are use to their systems that will be way ahead of everyone that normally at this time would not be that far along. It is definitely going to be that way this year. You look around the country, San Francisco beat Texas Tech, and Northwestern State beat Oklahoma State. Anybody can beat you. I don't see a team that is so talented that you can say they are going to win every game. That is why it is important to come out and play with intensity. We didn't do that against Indiana State. We came out like we could turn it on when we wanted to. We were up 11 points and gave up three or four uncontested shots then we forced some shots. We kind of fell apart. We can't play like that. We have to play with the same intensity and effort that we played in during the previous games we have had."

What??? So many big time players coming in that this will be the last year of parity??? Are you kidding me??? So I guess I should expect IU to just dominate next year with all those big time players Davis has coming in that would have gone to the NBA directly. Cool! Give the man a contract extension as we will never lose to a mid-major again.

On feeling like getting the monkey off his back by possibly beating Kentucky:
MD: "We are not going to base our season on whether we beat Kentucky or not if our season is completed. We just try to get better every game. We have definitely picked up on some things that we need to improve on over our last game and last week. We are not based on getting it off our back because we want to play for a championship. That is our goal, and we just want to get better every game."

I guess 5 straight losses to the Wildcats changes a man. I remember the first 2 years Davis talking about how beating Kentucky was the most important thing each and every season.

On people harping on the fact that he hasn't beaten Kentucky:
MD: "People harp on a lot of things. It is where you are in March and that is what we are trying to focus on. We are not even thinking about it. There are a lot of teams that haven't beaten teams. You don't base your season on it unless it is the last game of your season."

Well there you go. The true NBA philosophy. It doesn't matter what you do during the regular season.

There is plenty more but I'm sick at my stomach from all the crap spewed. Enjoy at your own risk.