The Advocate-Messenger from Danville, Kentucky • 14

BB2 THE ADVOCATE MESSENGER Wednesday November 16 1994 Epps will make point (Continued from Page BB1) 2fbur days of practice set to direct what many think is one of the top five teams after proving last year that he could handle oppo pressure and demands while backing up Travis ord funny how things ahange in a Epps said feel like last year I proved I could play here I think I have a lot more people backing me this He does have great confidence in junior guard Tony Delk said mentally tough explosive on the press a better offensive nlaver than some people think but he also under stands his role and what he needs to do to help the team In time be a great point guard and Pitino is convinced Epps has all the ingredients he wants in a point guard That I means thinking pass before shot playing relentless defense and handling both praise and criticism from a coach who expects perfection at the point key to Anthony is having high self Pitino said Anthony feels good about himself he I plays well When he starts getting down on himself he goes the other way got to make sure he has high self Epps never had that prob lem at Marion Three times he was his most valuable player He played baseball He was the 1993 Associated Press I Male Athlete of the Year Why would he lack confi i dence? he step in last when ord was suspend ed and help Kentucky win at Tennessee? just put so much pres sure on Epps said want to be successful so bad If I have a bad game I some times lost my confidence had that problem at Marion County but I never showed it my last two years We had great teams and I have many reasons to get down Most people back home would probably be shocked to know I used to get down on myself This year though is going to be totally different I had a great sum mer coach Pitino has confi dence in me and I know how good this team can Still if the team has a question mark it is at point guard where Epps figures to start and be backed up by freshman Allen Edwards big question is at point ESPN analyst Dick Vitale said only will they miss leader ship but he was automatic at the free throw line You could just put the ball in his hands at the end and wait for him to score at the foul line Any team would miss Pitino knows but he also thinks Epps has different strengths certainly tough to fill the shoes of a 24 year old senior who had great wisdom experience and who shot the ball from the foul line and perimeter as well as anyone in the Pitino said Anthony has got certain abili ties that Travis did not have He goes to the basket better stronger an excel lent passer He breaks people down a good defensive player He has strengths we can Considering how valuable point guards are why more schools recruit Epps then? you play two sports in high school you never see a true talent in basket Pitino said play football and basketball together By the time you come out and get in shape for basketball the season is about to end You never really saw the true Anthony Epps in high He also had knee surgery at Kentucky that helped strengthen his knee However the real improve ment came last season when then UK assistant coach Billy Donovan taught Epps how to quit picking up his dribble so he could do by defenders made a lot of mistakes as a Pitino said constantly picked up his dribble He was a very good passer in high school but he never broke down pressure Billy did a great job getting him to keep his (kibble alive and go by people not only going to do a good job for us but become one of the better point guards in our already made a believ er of Allen Edwards a fresh man point guard from Miami who watched Epps on televi sion last year thought there be that much competition for me to come in and start right Edwards admitted really gotten better His confidence has built up That what I expected from him tough Some time down the road have a better shot of starting but not what Epps wanted when he spent hour after hour shooting and dribbling last summer should have worked more on my shooting in high Epps said high school I could get by without working on it I have to do as much Here everybody can play I wish I had worked harder on everything in high AP Photo whim MOB Sophomore point guard Anthony Epps (25) hopes Kentucky will cel ebrate many more wins this season as he proves he can contribute to a big time program Pitino though has no com plaints with work habits or anything else since he came to Kentucky Pitino can be harder on his point guard than any other player but he anticipate any prob lems with Epps has given me no reason to ever really get on him a Pitino said only get on people who give me a reason to get on them Anthony and I will be Epps certainly dis agree just looking forward to getting a chance to play and showcase my Epps said team is going to be good My job should be a whole lot easier because of the players we have here I just have to keep working and then hopefully there will come a time when my career here is over that get a shot at the A big dream maybe but probably no bigger than the dream that got Epps from Marion County to where he is today 5 6 How good is freshman Antoine Walker? As good as he wants to be He can do everything shoot handle the ball run the court and pass got skills most players can only dream about when they leave college The surprise is that as good off the court as on If he was a hot dog or discipline problem at high school in Chicago it shown here 4 i Can UK win title? Can Rodrick Rhodes go a whole year in good graces? Probably not but Rhodes Part of what will make him great can also cause Pitino to stomp his foot pound the table and scream louder than any fan in the lower level at Rupp Arena got to cut him some Pitino said a junior and got to give him his bad shot every now and then and not worry about it I just hope it is an unusual occurence but got to cut him the slack of a great play er (Continued from Page BB1) by far the best player in practice every Pitino said a legitimate go to guy there the play er every coach wants to have to count r' Will Pope make the impact everyone thinks? J' Yes Yes Yes going to give Kentucky a needed physical intimidat ing inside player when he fully recovers from his mild pre sea son knee injury No he score 25 points per game However Pitino is counting on him for double digit rebounds per outing and attack the backboard with a passion that been seen at UK since Bennett graduated However his biggest impact may come in practice and off the court Remember been known to ride his bicycle 100 miles just to have something to do make us all better with his Delk said gets everyone going definitely physical He can hurt you He try to It just happens He plays Pitino wili use players Pitino likes new look of staff 7 8 young man What he likes most about Pitino is his inten sity and up his level of play this year Walker says before every game he prays So far it looks like some of prayers have been answered Walker says if he could switch places with one person for one day it would be Michael Jordan Walker is from the Windy City of Chicago and UK is lucky the those winds brought Big to Lexington Chris Harrison has worked hard and would like to leave on a high note paid his dues hope he gets his wish Those kids are going to entertain us this year They have set high goals but they will work harder than any team in America to achieve them Then regardless of the outcome they will go on with their lives But stamped on each of their hearts for the remainder of time will be was a Kentucky Bang! Who could be the unsung hero on this team? Try Andre Riddick With all the hype about Pope the improvement of Prickett and McCarty the to make his system work be His hobby is singing and a very good one hope he knows a few numbers from in Jared Prickett has no nick name so going to give him one right now because the Who is most improved player Take your pick Jared Prickett or Jeff Sheppard Prickett finish plays last year Pitino says no longer true because he dedicated himself to bas ketball during the summer stronger rebouding bet ter and playing well consis tently Sheppard has the confi dence he was missing last year also handling the ball much better as shown by the start Pitino gave him at point guard against Athletes in Action AP Photo Rodrick Rhodes may not stay out of doghouse all favorite book is irm year but he should play tne way Pitino wants much more often come up with a slew of them In my opinion he is the finest young man that Pitino ever coached but let this soft side of him fool you On the court he will take his heart out and throw it on the floor He will mix it up with the best of them a winner and a warrior! Rhodes the Jersey City Jaguar has one goal NBA 1 This is his year to attain it and you are going to see a much different Rhodes His summer dedication was phe nomenal His favorite movie is ish That Saved Well this year it might be Shark of Sheppard nicknamed says his best moment (Continued from Page BB1) The practices this year have been as tough as run since his days at Boston University lean and mean The day before the exhibition game Pitino ran to work at 6:30 am and when the day was finished he ran home and it because his car was out of gas You think you know Pitino? orget about it! How about the players? Do you know them? Tony 1 and what he will be this year firm and focused: The either but worry Once NBA scouts are watching him you watch him play closely They know he can shoot but they want to see him play a little and he will! If you know anything about hoops you know Allen Ed wards can flat out play Look for the same from this kid whose favorite book is Kill A hope that while at UK he can help kill a few Louisville Cardinals on the hardwood Anthony Epps is know as His greatest achieve ment up to this point was win ning the Kentucky state tour nament Among his long range goals are to help bring a national championship to Kentucky Walter nick name is but after watch ing him against AIA it should in sports was having his high school jersey retired You can look for a brand new Shep too The thing he likes best about Pitino is his enthusiasm and look for that enthusiasm from Shep Riddick is the crowd aspect of his game that favorite and why not improved the most His goal in the is a wonderful hfe is to be a success in what ever he does Well I am say ing it will be as an NBA play er A former NBA coach (not Pitino) told me last week that he expects Prickett to be a force in the NBA for 10 years Pope has no nicknamie l7mS0 arrival of freshman Antoine Walker name has not been mentioned often dur ing the pre season Or at least it been until he hurt his knee last week fine with Riddick who should play in the season opener Nov 26 said just want to play and I think I have improved my low post What he does best though is block shots and play intimi dating defense especially when an opponent beats a defender and thinks he can drive to the basket Riddick carry UK to the inal our but going to be more important than many people expect By Larry Vaught Assistant Sports Editor LEXINGTON miss Billy Donovan and Bernadette Locke Mattox but Kentucky coach Rick Pitino likes the new look his coach ing staff has added Jim a former assistant under Pitino with the New York Knicks as his associate coach to replace Donovan now the head coach at Marshall Locke Mattox has been replaced by former UK standout Winston Bennett always miss Bernadette because she was so Pitino said was always posi tive She never got tired and was such a bundle of energy Billy was with me so long as a player and coach that he felt like my right arm going to miss the people that left but happy with the people that came in Jim was a great great assistant with the Knicks and delighted to have gives Pitino something his staff had since Tubby Smith and Ralph Willard left for jobs at Tulsa and Western now have someone that is a contemporary age Pitino said knows the system We can go out together socialize some together a little easier for me and I have azgood friendship but it be like it was with Ralph Ralph and I constantly busted each shoes We were always trying to one up the other one in a light hearted and fun Bennett gives Pitino something Locke Mattox gives me someone physically to go out there and push the big men Pitino said does that all the time He also gives the players a role model to look up to a good staff with Delray Brooks They all work hard and get along I like the looks of what we SOUNDBITES Is always good With a coach as good as Rick Pitino anything Is always lorida guard Dan Cross on how good Kentucky will be this season: UK assistant coach Winston Bennett on talent equate Into much The big thing Is to have talent ptay together and have guys willing to sac rifice accolades and newspa? per clippings for the UK junior guard Tony Delk on who Kentucky's go to player in clutch situations will be: can do It but we have a lot of go to guys Anyone can take a big shot I can throw It into Andre Jared or Walter These guys are all capable In big games not a Mg deal who Is the man because we have so much Mississippi State coach Richard Williams on tradition: A a guy like me that grew up In the SEC Kentucky has been the Cadillac of the SEC They were playing great basket ball when the rest of us had basketball as a secondary sport Kentucky made the Kentucky junior forward Jared Prickett on freshman1 Antoine Walker: an offensive force He can do whatever he wants to Kentucky coach Rick Pitino on junior forward Rodrick Rhodes: think I have got to cut him some slack a Junior and I've got to give him his bad shot every now and then and not worry about It got to cut Rod the slack of a great Mississippi State forward Marcus Grant on playing at Rupp Arena: has to be the best bas ketball feeling I've ever played In The crowd really gets Into the game unbelievable how loud it gets No where else Is quite' like Rupp ESPN analyst Larry Conley on Kentucky's upcoming season: will be one of the top five clubs If Mark Pope Is as good as Mlled Kentucky dell nltely Is a championship con tender Rick Is going to have some fun with this lorida guard Jason Anderson on playing against Kentucky: really fun You get caught up In how they play or you will play wild like they do Why they beat teams Is they get you play Ing the way they play and they are better at It They blow you out when you start trying to play like Arkansas All American Corliss Williamson on Kentucky playing at defending national champion Arkansas this season: know they are looking for ward to coming to our arena and trying to beat us It will be fun and two great teams goln against each other But they beat LSU coach Dale Brown on Rick Pitino: players really do an excellent Job I applaud him He's handed pressure extremely well and that is a pressure job not everybody could handle the tough est Job In SOUNDBITES 7 8 6 5.