On Darryn Peterson being ready to go vs. BYU
Q: Do you expect him to be ready for Saturday night?
A: “Yeah, I expect him to. I have not seen him in person since Tuesday. Yesterday was a day off and we are getting ready to practice right after this, but I anticipate him being ready to go.”
On saying it is Kansas versus BYU, not Darryn versus AJ
Q: Yesterday you said it is not Darryn versus AJ, it is Kansas versus BYU. Have you talked to your team about that?
A: “Yeah, sure we will. We have made that point many times in the past. I am sure they would say the same thing about us too. The objective of the day is to try to win the game and that is the only thing I am thinking about and that is all the players should be thinking about as well.”
On having a week without a midweek game
Q: What has it been like having a week without a midweek game and do you think it benefited the players?
A: “I do not know. We are actually playing pretty well, so sometimes when you are playing well you do not want time off. But from a rest standpoint, I cannot see it being remotely negative at all.”
On Elmarko Jackson’s growth
Q: What do you think about his growth from the start of the season to now?
A: “I think Marco played great against Kansas State and he has had other games. The Tennessee game comes to mind. In both those second halves he was the best player in the game. I think he has grown as a player. He makes easy plays sometimes more difficult than they need to be, but I am really proud of him. To come back from the injury he had and be this explosive and athletic just shows how hard he worked to get back to this point. We need another athletic guard who can make a play you cannot coach and he is that guy with us.”
On AJ Dybantsa after watching film
Q: What have you seen from AJ on tape and does he remind you of anyone you have played before?
A: “He is ridiculously talented. He is long and can take two strides to everybody else’s three. He can score from beyond the arc and is so good in the mid range lane area. At 6 foot 9 with a wingspan that has to be well over seven feet and that explosive, he is a terrific talent.”
On facing four ranked teams in the next five games
Q: How do you stay focused with so many top opponents coming up?
A: “Everybody is going to go through a hard phase of their schedule and this is certainly the toughest phase of ours. You want to win the next one, but you cannot put so much emphasis on scripting things because when you play great competition it does not always go how you hope.”
On guarding BYU’s top players
Q: How much do you have to focus on multiple scorers and not just one?
A: “In league play they are averaging 24, 19 and 18, so you cannot put all your attention on one guy. We have to guard their team. The emphasis cannot be stopping one guy. We have to slow BYU as a group and keep them out of rhythm.”
On how well he knows his team
Q: How much do you feel like you know what your team really is right now?
A: “I think I know what 80 percent of it is. The other 20 percent is still fitting together. I feel totally comfortable with my team, but I do not think I have seen everything yet because it has not been consistent enough.”
On Darryn and how others play with him
Q: What stood out in the Baylor and Iowa State games about how the others played with Darryn?
A: “I thought the other four were aggressive when he was in the game. We just have to figure it out. We have seen glimpses, but we have not seen an extended period where he was whole either, and that is exciting.”
On how players handled the Kansas State rivalry
Q: Did you notice how the team embraced that rivalry?
A: “I thought we were a more connected, tight huddle type of team. I give Melvin a lot of credit. Even when the score was tight, I thought we played the right way and were disciplined defensively.”
On developing depth
Q: Do you see signs of more depth forming?
A: “We have been playing seven and if you get DP back that puts you at eight. That is more depth. We are just trying to do what gives us the best rhythm right now.”
On joining the CBS Sports Classic
Q: What made that event a good fit for your scheduling?
A: “Anytime you can play on CBS you want to play on CBS. Being involved with those other three programs is a bonus. If it is a good game, let’s play it.”
On coaching his 1,000th game at Allen Fieldhouse
Q: What does that number mean to you?
A: “We are spoiled rotten here. Night in and night out, this is every bit as good as I ever dreamed it would be.”
On seeing students camping out
Q: What does it mean to see fans lined up days before the game?
A: “Each student out there represents about 30 others. Seeing that number will definitely get our guys excited. They will understand what it really means before the day is over.”
Video courtesy of Kansas Nation