Bill Self Press Conference Quotes

Jan. 28, 2010

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Bill Self Press Conference Quotes

Jan. 28. 2010

On the physical play of K-State:

“There are a couple of other physical teams in our league, but as always with K-State, you are going to have to play physical to have a chance. If you go back and look at the Texas game, which I anticipate a similar type of physical game, you will see about as physical of a game as you will see in college basketball this year. They are totally clean, but they do like to get after it.”

On coaching a physical game:

“I think from a fan’s standpoint, they want rhythm. I think coaches want rhythm too, as long as it is in their favor. From my standpoint, the hardest games to win are the games that don’t have rhythm. This is a way that you learn how to win hard games. I don’t know if your goal is to make the other team play poorly, as opposed to you really playing great. I think the defense is set and the scouting is such where you are not going to get a lot of easy baskets. Usually that is what muddies up the game, making it not as rhythmic. I certainly anticipate a game against Kansas State where easy baskets will be few and far between.”

On the role of the officials in very physical games:

“I think in really physical games like that of K-State, the officials have to call it. They can not let it get out of control, so they have to call it. The most aggressive teams usually get the benefit of the officiating. That is how it always works. Everybody thinks that the least aggressive teams don’t foul, but the least aggressive teams foul the most. The most aggressive teams usually, at the end of the day, will feel like they got a pretty good whistle because they created the style of play or the way the game is going to be called. I think you will see Saturday two teams that, hopefully will play that way and officials that will get the majority of the calls right. Everybody misses a few, but certainly they will get the vast majority of them right. The other big key is if key players get two fouls early, which is also something that can disrupt your rhythm of play.”

On whether or not KU is tough enough to handle a game against a tough K-State:

“I’ll tell you from where I want us to be. There are a lot of teams out there that can play tougher; I think that we are one of those teams. So, if we are not playing as tough as we can than I think that we are playing soft. That does not mean we are collectively a soft group. We are pretty tough and K-State is a pretty tough team too. Our toughness level needs to be a ten, because we know that we are going to face a serious challenge not only in their team, but by the atmosphere as well.”

Junior Center Cole Aldrich

On the atmosphere in Bramlage Coliseum:

“Since I have been here, playing there last two years, it is probably one of the best atmospheres we have played (in) as a road game. Their fans are crazy and they’re also a lot of fun.”

On playing in a College Gameday game:

“It is a first for everybody on our team. We had College Gameday here our freshmen year. Other than the juniors or seniors on the team nobody has been around it, but it is just another game and you have to come prepared.”

On the physicality of Kansa State’s team:

“(They are) really physical and hard workers. It is a team that really works hard and gets after it everyday.”

On KU’s toughness on the road in a hostile environment:

“It goes for any road game for us; you know, that’s how you learn who you are as team. Once you get to the tournament, you don’t have any more home games. So you have to play at neutral sites and road games to find out who you are as team.”

On what stands out most about K-State’s crowd:

“Their energy as a whole; I don’t know how many thousands are in their student section. It’s a lot, I think it takes up most of the opposite side of the benches. It gets very loud and rowdy and it will be fun.”

Senior Guard Sherron Collins

On KU’s defensive effort against KSU’s Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen:

“We have to guard as a team. They have really good guards and have shown that they can be consistent between last year and this year. They have shown that they can score at any time. The bigs have to help us corralling them on screens and getting back in transition to help make it easier for us to guard them. They are good guards and they’re going to score, we just have to do a good job trying to limit them.”

On Kansas State’s defensive pressure:

“They are a tough team and they’re going to come out and pressure. It’s going to be another tough game. It’s a rivalry game, at K-State, and Gameday, so that’s enough said.”

On the atmosphere in Bramlage:

“It’s fun. It is always tough to win down there, but I think if we stay in our game and do what we do, we’ll be fine.”