WKU Basketball: Recapping the Post Paradise Jam/UofL Press Conference

On Wednesdday Afternoon WKU Basketball and Rick Stansbury held a press conference to review their trip to the Virgin Islands and discuss the game against #2 Louisville on Friday.

Here’s what he said:

• Congratulated Volleyball team for going 31–1.
• Got another 7 wins, it was a good week for Western Kentucky
• “It was a good tournament, we learned a lot about our basketball team”
• “We played against some really good competition”
• “We would have liked to finish out that first one (against Bowling Green)
• “We bounced back against a good Illinois State”
• Found a way to gut one out against Fordham
• I”t was the first time we’ve been challenged”
• There were some issues in the first game
• “We missed a couple of shots, had more turnovers and missed some free throws”
• “We were 1–6 that first game (in free throws) in the last ten minutes of that first game”
• “We were 25–27 in second half of last two games”
• “Offensive numbers we’re doing good”
• “We have to get better at self inflicted turnovers”
• “Ones that we cause, not other teams forced”
• “When you get too quick and too much in a hurry, Walks, charges”
• Teams are going to cause a few turnovers as it is
• “We have to limit those self inflicted turnovers”
• “There’s some good and some bad and some things we’ve got to get better at”
• “We played three good teams”
• Fordham is not bad basketball team at all
• “We had a disappointing, tough, hard fought loss that first night”
• “We could have easily let it cost us another game”
• Cam didn’t shoot the ball the first night
• “It didn’t concern us”
• “He came back 2nd and 3rd nights and he was more like Cam”
• Savage was really consistent throughout the tournament
• Charles played really hard
• “We got some good bench play from Josh, Rawls and Matt”
• Illinois State let their first loss impact the rest of their tournament
• “They’re a good team and they left the tournament 0–3”
• No update on Kenny Cooper
• “We’re hoping to hear something today, whether that happens or not who knows?”
• Worry about the things you can control
• It’s frustrating for Kenny
• Can’t think of another example across the country
• Those only cases they’ve denied are where coaches didn’t leave
• “Louisville is the best time I’ve seen play for two reasons”
• They score the ball from all five positions
• They have a good low post presence
• (Steven) Enoch you can consistently throw it to, he takes up space and he has the ability to score
• “They’ve got a really good bench on top of that”
• “Charles has been good for us. He will be good. It is important to keep him healthy”
• “They’re going to throw multiple bodies at us”
• He’s been pretty good against good teams and good players
• “This will be another challenge for not only him but our team”
• “We don’t coach them any different”
• It means nothing (being 7–3 against power teams)
• Players know who Louisville is
• It’s about that mental edge
• People ask about how one team beats another (in terms of national upsets) and it’s all about that mental edge.
• “You want your kids to approach the game the same way”
• They all count as one win and one loss
• “Some games have a different meaning and we understand that”
• “We will eat as a team (on Thanksgiving)”
• “We’ll feed team here after practice”
• “I’ll make sure there’s plenty of dessert left.”

Overall it was a pretty basic press conference. The number one thing is Kenny Cooper watch. If we don’t hear by this afternoon (Wednesday) then It would drag on for a few more weeks. It was good to hear him discuss the turnover issues. That is the main thing keeping this team from taking their game to the next level. Hopefully they can focus on that moving forward.

We will be providing more coverage of Friday’s huge opportunity in Nashville against #2 Louisville. Stay tuned as the Tops look to add a signature win against an instate rival to their resume.