Let's talk Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina
Another day, another round of college basketball media days. But that’s a good thing! Even the most mundane press conference have some tidbits worth sharing.
OK, it helps that the stories focus on Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas, among others. Still, the best factoid came from Arizona State. Derek Glasser threw Rob Evans under the bus.
But I’m saving the best for last. Check out these others first.
Marc Serota/AP |
Derek Glasser says Arizona State is past its losing environment.
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Big Blue Nation can’t wait
John Calipari says he’s done enough politicking in Kentucky – glad-handling, “kissing babies” and such – and is just happy that the season’s finally ready to begin. He still maintains onlookers (media, fans) are a little nuts for slotting the Wildcats into the Top 10 when they haven’t played a game yet.
Oh, and don’t be surprised to see Patrick Patterson shooting the occasional 3-pointer. From having to do it all inside to playing some wing. That’s how deep Kentucky is.
Ty Lawson isn’t walking through that door
North Carolina doesn’t have Ty Lawson anymore, but don’t expect Larry Drew II to be Lawson. That’s just setting up Drew for failure. Drew knows, Williams knows it and everyone else should too. So there.
"He's not Ty and he's not going to be Ty," Williams said. "You have your own skill set. There's some things you do better than Ty, there's some things Ty did better than you.”
National title? Sounds like fun!
When Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins returned to school last spring, Kansas jumped to the top of the favorites list. Turns out that helped when Xavier Henry was choosing a new school after backing away from Memphis.
"That was (10 days) before I made my announcement (to come to Kansas)," Xavier Henry said. "They said they had a chance to win a title. So I said I might as well join them." To which Kansas replied, “welcome aboard!”
Irish eyes want to be smilin’ in record books
Is it strange that Notre Dame’s senior class of Luke Harangody, Tory Jackson and Jonathan Peoples need just 23 win to post the most victories at the school? That would put them at 93 win in four years.
That’s like 3 seasons for Chris Douglas-Roberts when he was at Memphis. Just sayin’.
We’re not animals, we’re Hogs
Arkansas’ offseason was spent downplaying a number of off-court issues, including an allegation against three players by a woman who claimed she was raped. Charges were dropped, but the reputation lingered a bit. John Pelphrey’s trying to halt that.
"We're trying to mold them into men," Pelphrey said. "It's a process. That's why you have coaches, that's why I have bosses. That's why I have people trying to help me be the best I can be. I hope they understand. If they don't, we'll keep pounding them and doing all that we do."
Guard Courtney Fortson has a better solution: “Win.”
We used to be losers
James Harden’s two-year stay at Arizona State resulted in 46 wins in 2 seasons and an NCAA tournament victory, a rarity for the Sun Devils the last 14 years. But that was part of the problem, says senior point guard Derek Glasser. Before Herb Sendek arrived, no one cared.
"When I first came here, it was OK to lose," said Glasser, now a senior. "You're competitive, so that was OK. As long you don't get blown out, it's OK. But now we've learned how to win.
"The culture is different," Glasser said. "It's not OK to lose. We win now."
(Whistles).
Somewhere, Rob Evans is seething. Or not, if Glasser is to be believed.
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