Notes from Pitino’s WKU Presser

Slick Rick met with the media today to talk about Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky in the Billy Minardi Classic. Pitino compared the Hilltoppers to UNLV, who defeated the Cards 76-71 earlier this season. Pitino called Western Kentucky, UNLV with less of an inside game. Last year, the Toppers defeated the Cards in Nashville and their guard play was a big part of that.

Pitino again spoke about the improved play of Terrence Jennings. Last week, Slick Rick said Jennings was finally starting to practice well, which would improve his minutes during games. According to Pitino, that improvement has continued and we should continue to see increased minutes from TJ. Coach Pitino says Samardo Samuels is improving, but much like Terrence Jennings, needs to focus on fundamentals to maximize his potential.

Defensively, Pitino is still trying to get his team to communicate consistently and recently, the Cards have shown improvement in that area. Pitino calls this team the most quiet he’s ever had and verbal communication is a key to defense, so one of the coaching staff’s top priorities is to force these guys to become more vocal.

Coach Pitino calls Western Kentucky the best team the Cards have faced so far this season. He feels the Toppers were hampered by injuries early on, but are now playing at a very high level. He says Western is terrific off the bounce and a great one-on-one team.

The Cards will have their hands full tomorrow, but hopefully will be able to continue their improvement and come out of it with a win. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, Saturday at 4:00 pm. Neil will be here later for our full preview.