Hilarious interview... Funny how Tard fans are always predicting chemistry issues for UK yet they seem to always be the ones with the high school drama and poor team chemistry.
L1C7... YO!
This is the conversation between Coach P and Paul Rogers on the Coach's Show this evening. Paul asked Coach P about the situation, and this is his response:[/I]
Nobody was supposed to say anything, because it was really no big deal. I've had a problem with Montrezl getting all over our guys in practice, especially our young freshmen. I've called him in on several occasions and said "Listen Montrezl, as a captain, you cannot get on these guys like the way you are doing. You're killing their confidence." His response was "These guys don't work hard enough. They don't listen well enough. And unless they develop, we're not going to be a great team at the end of the year." I said "That may be true Montrezl, but you gotta let me be the bad guy." After calling him in for the fourth time, he said to me "Listen Coach, Wayne's the good guy, I'm the tough guy. Let him be the captain, I'm still gonna be a leader, so we don't have to go through this all the time." So I said "If that's the way you feel about this, then fine." I told the team that Montrezl is still going to be one of the leaders of the team, but Wayne is going to be the official captain. I said don't say anything, because people will think that something is wrong, so just stay quiet.
Little did I know, but Montrezl is at some function and says he's no longer the official captain. Why he said that, I have no idea, but apparently he brought it up, and it's absolutely no big deal. We don't pay attention to it. He's still very tough on the guys in practice, and Wayne is still very positive.
Paul: I know 'Trez is a guy who won't let up.
Yeah, he's an ultra competitive guy and gets upset when guys don't play. But he's got to realize that some of these guys are just physically weak. They can't guard him, they can't play him, they don't play him hard. It's not because they don't want to. They're just physically weak. It's just going to take some time.
Paul: Let me ask about another comment, when 'Trez was asked about posting up stronger and he said that's up to the coach to figure out."
Coach P: Anytime you lose, a writer will approach a player and say "you're not playing well. You didn't get the ball a whole lot." In other words, "You need to get the ball more." Well, he needs to post up more to get the ball. What the writer doesn't understand, probably, is that we want Montrezl Harrell to play like Kenneth Faried. We don't want him playing like Kevin Durant. We want him blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, scoring points off the offensive glass, scoring points off 16 foot jump shots, out running people on the break, posting up. That's what we want him playing like. We want him playing like Kenneth Faried. That's the way he was when he was a freshman and a sophomore, and he had outstanding years. He did have 20 points in the first half against Wake Forest, but I would rather see him post up, drive to the basket, outrun people, than shoot three point shots. Now, if the shot clock is winding down, five seconds to go, and he has an open three, then by all means take it. But if he wants to get paid big money in the NBA, I believe he has to play like Kenneth Faried. Now, Kennth Faried by the way just signed a four or five year, $60 million deal.
Terry can tell you, cause he's going to be on the show with Mangok, that we have these conversations all the time. I just had this conversation with Terry and Mangok just last week. We sit down and we talk about who they should play like. These are constant conversations.
With the Montrezl thing, I'm not upset with him for bringing it up, but now I have to explain it tonight, and it reaches a point where it's really nobody's business, it's not a big deal, but that's the nature of our basketball team. He's the one that suggested it, and I was all for it, because a captain of a basketball team has to be a positive, upbeat guy with everybody, regardless of what shortcomings they have.
EDIT: Paul: One more follow-up on Montrezl. Judy wants to know, Do you have to mend the relationship between Montrezl and the freshmen?
No, they get along great. They understand what he's trying to do. All of them respect him because he works so hard. Now, a few of them fear him a little bit. But you know, that's no different than what Kyle Kuric went through T-Will, or what the guards go through with the older guards. They have a great relationship, but he's very hard on them. But I've said this in front of the team, that captains need to be positive.
A quick story about Montrezl that Billy D told me. They were over in Europe, and two very well known players were a minute late to their second meeting at 10:00 o'clock. Billy said "Why are you late?" Montrezl interrupted Billy and said "I'll handle this. You two guys, if you're going to be on this team, don't show up a minute late again." Billy was blown away by this because Montrezl was a first year player with them, heading into his sophomore season. I asked how the players responded, and he said they sat down and didn't say anything back to him. The thing about Montrezl is he wants to win as bad as anybody. He doesn't always go about it the right way, but usually his way is the right way. Let's get on to talking about something that matters.
L1C7... YO!
This is the conversation between Coach P and Paul Rogers on the Coach's Show this evening. Paul asked Coach P about the situation, and this is his response:[/I]
Nobody was supposed to say anything, because it was really no big deal. I've had a problem with Montrezl getting all over our guys in practice, especially our young freshmen. I've called him in on several occasions and said "Listen Montrezl, as a captain, you cannot get on these guys like the way you are doing. You're killing their confidence." His response was "These guys don't work hard enough. They don't listen well enough. And unless they develop, we're not going to be a great team at the end of the year." I said "That may be true Montrezl, but you gotta let me be the bad guy." After calling him in for the fourth time, he said to me "Listen Coach, Wayne's the good guy, I'm the tough guy. Let him be the captain, I'm still gonna be a leader, so we don't have to go through this all the time." So I said "If that's the way you feel about this, then fine." I told the team that Montrezl is still going to be one of the leaders of the team, but Wayne is going to be the official captain. I said don't say anything, because people will think that something is wrong, so just stay quiet.
Little did I know, but Montrezl is at some function and says he's no longer the official captain. Why he said that, I have no idea, but apparently he brought it up, and it's absolutely no big deal. We don't pay attention to it. He's still very tough on the guys in practice, and Wayne is still very positive.
Paul: I know 'Trez is a guy who won't let up.
Yeah, he's an ultra competitive guy and gets upset when guys don't play. But he's got to realize that some of these guys are just physically weak. They can't guard him, they can't play him, they don't play him hard. It's not because they don't want to. They're just physically weak. It's just going to take some time.
Paul: Let me ask about another comment, when 'Trez was asked about posting up stronger and he said that's up to the coach to figure out."
Coach P: Anytime you lose, a writer will approach a player and say "you're not playing well. You didn't get the ball a whole lot." In other words, "You need to get the ball more." Well, he needs to post up more to get the ball. What the writer doesn't understand, probably, is that we want Montrezl Harrell to play like Kenneth Faried. We don't want him playing like Kevin Durant. We want him blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, scoring points off the offensive glass, scoring points off 16 foot jump shots, out running people on the break, posting up. That's what we want him playing like. We want him playing like Kenneth Faried. That's the way he was when he was a freshman and a sophomore, and he had outstanding years. He did have 20 points in the first half against Wake Forest, but I would rather see him post up, drive to the basket, outrun people, than shoot three point shots. Now, if the shot clock is winding down, five seconds to go, and he has an open three, then by all means take it. But if he wants to get paid big money in the NBA, I believe he has to play like Kenneth Faried. Now, Kennth Faried by the way just signed a four or five year, $60 million deal.
Terry can tell you, cause he's going to be on the show with Mangok, that we have these conversations all the time. I just had this conversation with Terry and Mangok just last week. We sit down and we talk about who they should play like. These are constant conversations.
With the Montrezl thing, I'm not upset with him for bringing it up, but now I have to explain it tonight, and it reaches a point where it's really nobody's business, it's not a big deal, but that's the nature of our basketball team. He's the one that suggested it, and I was all for it, because a captain of a basketball team has to be a positive, upbeat guy with everybody, regardless of what shortcomings they have.
EDIT: Paul: One more follow-up on Montrezl. Judy wants to know, Do you have to mend the relationship between Montrezl and the freshmen?
No, they get along great. They understand what he's trying to do. All of them respect him because he works so hard. Now, a few of them fear him a little bit. But you know, that's no different than what Kyle Kuric went through T-Will, or what the guards go through with the older guards. They have a great relationship, but he's very hard on them. But I've said this in front of the team, that captains need to be positive.
A quick story about Montrezl that Billy D told me. They were over in Europe, and two very well known players were a minute late to their second meeting at 10:00 o'clock. Billy said "Why are you late?" Montrezl interrupted Billy and said "I'll handle this. You two guys, if you're going to be on this team, don't show up a minute late again." Billy was blown away by this because Montrezl was a first year player with them, heading into his sophomore season. I asked how the players responded, and he said they sat down and didn't say anything back to him. The thing about Montrezl is he wants to win as bad as anybody. He doesn't always go about it the right way, but usually his way is the right way. Let's get on to talking about something that matters.
