The most important takeaway: Stallings does not appear to be interested in the Indiana position.
Stallings/Rome Paraphrase
JR…Starting 16-0 after losing Byars and Cage, what were expectations
KS…thought we would be very good, added some key guys, obviously lost a lot, felt like team had more potential than last year, just now starting to play up to that potential.
We don’t shoot the ball better than last year even though our percentages are better, our problem a year ago was we had no inside game, any points were from back-cutting and back screens, and now we have a post presence and getting to the foul line.
JR…State of Tennessee
KS…Probably never better, three marquis programs in this state exceptional success and surprise for basketball fans. Obviously Memphis and Tennessee great and hopefully we are holding up our end of the bargain as well.
JR…Recruit same type of players?
KS…Challenge to find the student athlete who wants meaningful degree and national caliber SEC ability, those kids are out there, the combination of basketball and academics is starting to make sense, now there are a lot more kids out there serious about what happens after basketball and more kids we can recruit
JR…You mean like actually going to class and earning diploma?
KS…Kids don’t want to be at a school were student athlete is an oxymoron, starts in the home with the families and we want to recruit a kid that wants to get an education.
JR… Kentucky
KS…We played great and that was the pleasing part. I’m not going to gloat because we got beat worse than that up there when Tubby was there. But hopefully this was a great sign of things to come for us. We played well.
JR…Billy Gillispie
KS…It’s a very tough job, but a great opportunity, so I was mixed on what I thought of it. They have been the dominant team in the SEC for years and fortunately we had a great night and it was an off night for them.
JR…Bruce Pearl and the colorful SEC coaches
KS…Bruce and I are a lot different, I don’t place any of my personal judgments or feelings on him or anyone else. He is going to do what he is going to do, he has done a great job at Tennessee and they have a great team, aside from his antics his teams play hard, he has put a power surge in that program and they are the premier team in our league.
JR…John Brady
KS…I’m disappointed in our profession when we have coaches removed in the middle of the year (noting Oregon State ) and we’re moving closer and closer to pro basketball. To remove right in the middle of the season gives me a bad feeling like the NBA and that’s not what we’re supposed to represent.
JR…Indiana
KS…Well, Rick Greenspan is the first athletic director that gave me a chance to be a head coach and I got these questions when Mike Davis stepped down, I don’t think it’s very pliable because of my Purdue background, not a thing a lot of IU fans would welcome, Rick is an honorable and ethical AD and he did not ask for this mess they have and I feel badly for him, in any event, I don’t think anyone will have to concern themselves with me.
JR…Kelvin Sampson
KS…Never one not to put someone on the spot, are you Jim? Indiana can get anyone in the country, or that’s the perception, and no place can do that. It wasn’t what it was cracked up to be. I’m sure he would have loved to had Billy Donovan, for instance, but he couldn’t get Billy Donovan so he got what he could at the time.
JR…Will look you up at tourney time
KS…Thank you, Jim.
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