Per Coach John Calipari:
"I hope everyone is having a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. On Saturday, we had our fourth session of individual workouts with the team. Here are some of my notes from the session:
• Darnell had a breakout day. His shooting was really good, the way we know it can be.
• I've said it before and you'll hear it a lot during the season - we have NO bad players. Everyone contributes in some way.
• I'm really impressed with Josh right now.
• Daniel was a bit under the weather but to his credit he still went hard the whole time. That tells us a lot.
• All these kids are breaking barriers each time out. We're still pushing them to go beyond their limits at this point. At the end of these sessions, I want their bodies to burn and hurt in ways that it's like sweet pain for them - so they want to get that feeling again for themselves; that's the challenge right now.
At the same time, I'm not trying to bury them. I don't need them to be demoralized - it's only early September. Still, to borrow a horse-racing term, we've got to "stretch them out a little bit."
• I can't really give a true assessment of where we are or how the team's progress compares to former squads I've had. That kind of evaluation can't start until we are able to get the whole team on the floor at once, which we can begin to do for two hours a week starting September 15.
• We are still at the point where we are building respect and affection for each other. That's growing, but it doesn't happen overnight. There will be fits and starts with that, but I see everyone supporting each other and that's a great sign. We all need to want each other to improve every day.
• The big thing for me right now is despite my crazy schedule - between alumni events, the book tour, etc. - is to be at every individual workout. NONE of the other things I do as your coach will come at the expense of me coaching these young men. That's what I love to do most.
I'm doing all these other things now, because when the season starts I'm in lock down. We actually had the release date of the book moved up (it was originally scheduled for Sept. 15) so that I could be sure to be finished with the bulk of the promotion and touring by the time we could start working with the team more regularly.
During the season, I'll never miss a practice unless it's for an extenuating circumstance. My time has to be on film study, practice, practice preparation and recruiting. When the players have their mandated off-days, those are almost always recruiting days for me. I have to maximize the hours of the day once the season starts.
• Darius, I'm finding out, is the best lob passer we have on the team.
• Our bigs are getting a better feel for what it is we ask of our big men in the Dribble Drive Motion Offense."
• Overall, another very good day of individuals and another block to build on."
GO BIG BLUE!
No comments:
Post a Comment