BLUEGRASS SHOWCASE PREGAME MEDIA
NOV. 23, 2020
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
Kentucky Players
#10, Davion Mintz, Gr., G
On what he’s learned from Devin Askew …
“Just to attack practice every day with a competitive spirit. Just being able to teach him the fact that you have to have a great relationship on the court and that’s by him competing against me every day and that’s by me competing against him every day. That’sjust us guys wanting better for each other. It’s been fun and he’s been doing really well so far.”
On how much he’s relied upon to lead this team if Keion Brooks Jr. is out this week …
“It’s tough to kind of say that I replace responsibility for a guy like Keion (Brooks Jr.), a guy who was significant to a really good team last year and a guy who has been very mature for us. Even though he hasn’t had his presence with us on the court, he has been doing a lot of things off the court as far as team meetings. So, I’m still learning the type of things from him, although he’s younger than me, but he’s just been here and has a sense of knowing. It’s been fun and I also do have to step up in that nature and keep guys level-headed. I’ve got to carry that culture that he brings to the program even though he isn’t playing right now.”
On where this team stands heading into the season after it seems Coach Cal is worried …
“Right now, we didn’t have our best scrimmage yesterday. Hopefully, we got the kinks out. We wrecked the car yesterday just to get it back rolling for Wednesday. It’s just one of those things where I feel like it has to happen, and it was a humbling experience. I think we’re just fine. I think we’re tired of playing each other. Thatwas like the biggest problem for the flaws yesterday. I think we’rejust really excited to get out there and play other people. I mean, it’sbeen the same faces for I don’t even know how many months now. We’re right there at the finish line. We’re just ready to get it going.”
On the arena’s atmosphere with fewer fans …
“We’re trying our best. They had like a crowd simulation noise at our scrimmage. Times are very different. I personally – and I’m sure my teammates with the kind of players we have – like to perform in front of big crowds. Fortunately, enough we’ll be able to have some people there, some sort of support. We’re definitely going to have to find energy from within ourselves. I know that it will be very different. I say that it will actually be pretty tough coming out starting, but like I said we have to find energy from within each other, kind of get each other motivated. Realize that we are on TV playing, so there’s still our fans around the world watching. Just try to make it work.”
On how he is mentoring the younger players through the pandemic…
“Just by having people that I talk to that they’re helping me through the situation. I mean, I’m going through it too. It’s pretty tough, and just sharing information that I’m talking with my previous teammates and my friends across the country. Guys who have had situations where we could go home and see families and how they’re coping with not having that luxury anymore and just sharing that with these guys here. Everyone is facing what we’re going through right now. We’re probably in the gym than a lot more people across the country, so that’s helping us. It’s just one of those things that we can’t escape from. We have to deal with it and we have to act responsibly until times are better for us to go back to some sort of normalcy again.”
On what has been the most difficult part of the isolation …
“The isolation part, just not being able to get out and experience. You’ve got to be very careful with where you’re going, curfew times, just trying to be mentally sane. Knowing, all right, it’s probably safer for me to go to the gym or Door Dash food than go get it myself.’ It’s just having the responsibility is the hardest part.”
On what he feels his emotions will be the first time he steps on the floor …
“I’m definitely very excited. I feel anxious is probably the better word. I can’t even remember my first freshman game. I might have air balled it. I don’t even know. I think that Coach Cal prepares us for. Like, he puts us in situations and we’re playing against guys every day to where like you don’t even really think about failure when you’re with Coach Cal. He puts you into situations where it’sOK to fail with him. I feel like this is the most comfortable I’ve felt going into a season. I know that I’ve matured and got older through it, but why I also probably feel a little bit more comfortable. But just the fact that Cal has prepared me and prepared us and got us to the mental state of going out there and playing a season. It’s really good to be in this mindset right now.”
On what goes through his mind when he sees other teams’ games being called off …
“That’s the tough part right now especially going right to the tipoff that you have these unfortunate things happen. That’s another tough part. You’ve just got to stay focused through the situation and know the importance of health and wearing a mask and the importance of social distancing because it could easily be us if we have the smallest slipup. This is still important for us guys. We try not to get too caught into the negative of what’s going on and guys losing a few weeks into the season. We’re just really trying to focus on us and make sure that we’re doing our parts so we can’t be to blame when things like this happen.”
On if it is tougher on the younger guys …
“I think it’s tough for us all. It’s kind of very different for those guysbecause they haven’t had the normal experience. I feel terrible for them because these are really good players and really good guys. Everyone deserves an opportunity to showcase their talent in front of big crowds. But it’s completely different and who knows when it will change.”
On what this team will fall back on in crunch time or when their backs are against the wall …
“Just our trust. I mean, our principles that Cal has been teaching us. Like one big thing that we have focused on and that he’s tried to help us with: Don’t worry about making or being the guy that has to be the playmaker. Rely on your teammates. Trust your teammates and realize that it is so much harder when you feel like you’re the guy who has to do everything. Realize that you’re out there with a bunch of talented guys. If you’re not on, maybe the next man is. Just figure out who has the hot hand, and in the moment, who is getting things done whether it’s anyone. Hopefully, I don’t feel like everyone is going to be off, but just trying to be together and trust that someone can get it done and rely on the great coaching that we’ve had preparing us for these couple of months.”
#30, Olivier Sarr, Sr., F
On how much of a responsibility does he feel to be a leader …
“Keion did a great job so far being on the sideline, talking to the guys, being a leader because he knows. He’s been through it already. I think for Davion and I, it’s going to be a responsibility for the first few games. It’s going to be on us to make sure that everybody is locked in, making sure that we huddle up every time we can and talk to the guys, guide them and lead them through the first few games.”
On what the players think about Coach Cal indicating they may struggle to begin the season …
“Yesterday’s scrimmage wasn’t the best, obviously. But we’re not thinking about the second, third or fourth game. Right now, we’rethinking about Morehead State. That’s our next game. That’s what we’re focused on. We’re going to give our all, and like we’ve seen yesterday, we have to be ready from the jump. That’s the biggest takeaway.”
On what made yesterday’s scrimmage tough …
“I think that we didn’t bring the energy from the jump. The second team really punched us in the mouth from the get-go. It took us time to react. Stay organized. A lot of mistakes are going to happen, but we’ve got to stay locked in.”
On what excites him about the potential of this team …
“Yeah, I mean, first off we have depth. That means that the other team, our team, the second team that played against, the blue team, really did a great job. That means that we have other guys that are ready. So, it makes the five guys that are starting yesterday realize that you have to pick it up from the jump because we have a lot of options and if it’s not you it’s going to be somebody else. But that’sgood for our team. The positive is that we failed yesterday. We failed early. And like Coach said, we’d rather fail at practice than Wednesday for our first game. But we learned a lot. We’re going to watch film. We’re going to learn from our mistakes and be ready for our first game.”
On how excited the team is to play against another opponent …
“Yeah, I think everybody is just ready to go out there and compete for Kentucky against another team. I think it’s been great. We worked out a lot. It was a great summer, a lot of practices together. But I think guys are definitely ready to play another opponent.”
On who made up the starting five …
“The usual like you’ve seen in the scrimmage before. The white team against the blue team.”
On who he played with …
“The white team was Devin (Askew), BJ (Boston), TC (Terrence Clarke), Isaiah (Jackson) and myself.”
On if he celebrates Thanksgiving in France and if not, what he makes of it …
“No, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving at all. It’s not part of our culture. But, as long as it’s good food I’m ready for it. I’ll celebrate it every time.”