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  • Cauley-Stein, the Teaser

    By: LARRY VAUGHT



    ST. LOUIS — Not many players would be willing to be as honest as Kentucky sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein. Then again, few college basketball players are quite like the flamboyant Wildcat.

    He readily admits that if a “couple of things had changed” that the perception of Kentucky going into Friday's NCAA Midwest Region matchup would be different. However, he’s not afraid to admit he’s part of what could have changed UK’s season.

    Recently ESPN analyst called the 7-foot center the “biggest teaser” in college basketball because of the way one game he would showcase his talent and the next game he would disappear. He did that in UK’s last two games when he failed to score, had only three rebounds and blocked just two shots in the SEC Tournament semifinals against Georgia and then came back with 10 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks against No. 1 Florida the next day.

    Cauley-Stein didn’t read or hear Vitale’s comment, but he was not insulted. In fact, he agreed.

    “That probably it is fair. It has been like that all year,” Cauley-Stein said. “I will have a stretch where I play three games crazy and the next game it is like hide-and-seek and I am not there.

    “It is annoying to me. I don’t know why I do it. I don’t know what happens. I would say that (Vitale’s statement) is pretty accurate and I just have to find a way to get over that. That is just me still trying to figure out how to play a college level game and be consistent at what I am trying to do.”

    He was a preseason second-team all-SEC selection, but did not receive the same postseason accolade. He’s averaging 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game after averaging 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last year. He shot 62.1 percent from the field last year, 60.2 this season. He has improved his free throw percentage from 37.2 as a freshman to 48.8 as a sophomore.

    But stats don’t clearly measure his value because it is his emotion, or lack of emotion, that can impact how UK plays, especially on defense where he is the team’s only true rim-protector.

    “I think my problem is that sometimes I think like we have so many people that I can hide a little bit and that is what really gets me,” Cauley-Stein said. “I shouldn’t play like that. I should just put it all out there every game. Some games I just go into the shadows. If I get a dunk or block here and there or a rebound it is cool instead of going to get every block and trying to dunk everything and trying to get every rebound. That is what kind of separates the way I play each and every game.”

    Has he got better this year?

    “I don’t know. That is hard to tell,” he admitted. “I think I have got better at some things and other things have stayed the same. Like in the beginning of the year, I thought my offensive game was nice. Now it is kind of like the same as it was last year where I kind scored sometimes and sometimes I didn’t.”

    Again, refreshing honesty from a player who has never hid from criticism or overestimated his own worth. Yet in a few weeks, he’ll have to make the biggest decision of his life — and one that will be much harder than picking UK over home state Kansas State two years ago. He’ll have to decide whether to leave UK for the NBA or return to Kentucky for his junior season.

    “I am not even really thinking about that. I am just focused on our team. I have never won a championship and I want to make a run to the Final Four,” Cauley-Stein said.

    Does he enjoy UK?

    “College? Yeah, it is fun. You meet a lot of people and college ball is fun. It’s not a big thing on my mind to leave, you know what I am saying. If the opportunity presents itself, then why wouldn’t you go. But if not, I am cool with staying a year or two here,” he said.

    “I don’t really even know what I enjoy the most. You just have like security. Like if you leave, you are on your own. Know what I am saying? In college, you have a whole coaching staff that is kind of like your dad and they are family just like your family. You don’t feel alone like you would if you left and you started to having to pay for yourself. It’s not like you have a meal plan. You have to start paying bills and stuff. That’s a lot to think about when you 20 years old. So why not stay in school?”

    For now, though, he says he would like to “shock the world” during March Madness. He had no trouble defining what he meant — or what UK fans wants.

    “A lot of people think that we're not going to make it past the first round. So winning the first game would shock the world. So just winning game by game, taking it step-by-step and you are going to shock somebody,” Cauley-Stein said. “There's a lot of people that don't think that we can make a run at it. And, you know, a lot of people don't want to see us make a run at it, and I think that's what he (John Calipari) means by doing something crazy.

    “Despite how the season went, now the real season begins tomorrow for us. And, I think his whole thing is just trying to shock the world and do what people say we can't do.”
    Comments 18 Comments
    1. Carolinawildcats's Avatar
      Carolinawildcats -
      Quote Originally Posted by LarryVaught1 View Post
      ST. LOUIS — Not many players would be willing to be as honest as Kentucky sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein. Then again, few college basketball players are quite like the flamboyant Wildcat.

      He readily admits that if a “couple of things had changed” that the perception of Kentucky going into Friday's NCAA Midwest Region matchup would be different. However, he’s not afraid to admit he’s part of what could have changed UK’s season.

      Recently ESPN analyst called the 7-foot center the “biggest teaser” in college basketball because of the way one game he would showcase his talent and the next game he would disappear. He did that in UK’s last two games when he failed to score, had only three rebounds and blocked just two shots in the SEC Tournament semifinals against Georgia and then came back with 10 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks against No. 1 Florida the next day.

      Cauley-Stein didn’t read or hear Vitale’s comment, but he was not insulted. In fact, he agreed.

      “That probably it is fair. It has been like that all year,” Cauley-Stein said. “I will have a stretch where I play three games crazy and the next game it is like hide-and-seek and I am not there.

      “It is annoying to me. I don’t know why I do it. I don’t know what happens. I would say that (Vitale’s statement) is pretty accurate and I just have to find a way to get over that. That is just me still trying to figure out how to play a college level game and be consistent at what I am trying to do.”

      He was a preseason second-team all-SEC selection, but did not receive the same postseason accolade. He’s averaging 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game after averaging 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last year. He shot 62.1 percent from the field last year, 60.2 this season. He has improved his free throw percentage from 37.2 as a freshman to 48.8 as a sophomore.

      But stats don’t clearly measure his value because it is his emotion, or lack of emotion, that can impact how UK plays, especially on defense where he is the team’s only true rim-protector.

      “I think my problem is that sometimes I think like we have so many people that I can hide a little bit and that is what really gets me,” Cauley-Stein said. “I shouldn’t play like that. I should just put it all out there every game. Some games I just go into the shadows. If I get a dunk or block here and there or a rebound it is cool instead of going to get every block and trying to dunk everything and trying to get every rebound. That is what kind of separates the way I play each and every game.”

      Has he got better this year?

      “I don’t know. That is hard to tell,” he admitted. “I think I have got better at some things and other things have stayed the same. Like in the beginning of the year, I thought my offensive game was nice. Now it is kind of like the same as it was last year where I kind scored sometimes and sometimes I didn’t.”

      Again, refreshing honesty from a player who has never hid from criticism or overestimated his own worth. Yet in a few weeks, he’ll have to make the biggest decision of his life — and one that will be much harder than picking UK over home state Kansas State two years ago. He’ll have to decide whether to leave UK for the NBA or return to Kentucky for his junior season.

      “I am not even really thinking about that. I am just focused on our team. I have never won a championship and I want to make a run to the Final Four,” Cauley-Stein said.

      Does he enjoy UK?

      “College? Yeah, it is fun. You meet a lot of people and college ball is fun. It’s not a big thing on my mind to leave, you know what I am saying. If the opportunity presents itself, then why wouldn’t you go. But if not, I am cool with staying a year or two here,” he said.

      “I don’t really even know what I enjoy the most. You just have like security. Like if you leave, you are on your own. Know what I am saying? In college, you have a whole coaching staff that is kind of like your dad and they are family just like your family. You don’t feel alone like you would if you left and you started to having to pay for yourself. It’s not like you have a meal plan. You have to start paying bills and stuff. That’s a lot to think about when you 20 years old. So why not stay in school?”

      For now, though, he says he would like to “shock the world” during March Madness. He had no trouble defining what he meant — or what UK fans wants.

      “A lot of people think that we're not going to make it past the first round. So winning the first game would shock the world. So just winning game by game, taking it step-by-step and you are going to shock somebody,” Cauley-Stein said. “There's a lot of people that don't think that we can make a run at it. And, you know, a lot of people don't want to see us make a run at it, and I think that's what he (John Calipari) means by doing something crazy.

      “Despite how the season went, now the real season begins tomorrow for us. And, I think his whole thing is just trying to shock the world and do what people say we can't do.
      Shock the world baby......SHOCK THE WORLD!!! Love it!!!!! I really think this team is starting to play with this same mentality and with a bit of a chip!!! Great great stuff Larry as always!!!

      Peace

      Richard (CW)
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue -
      That was a GREAT interview!! I love his honesty and his introspection. I hope he feels like shocking the world tomorrow with his play
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      I can see WCS coming back to Kentucky as much as I can see him leaving. The kid definitely marches to the beat of his own drum and won't necessarily make a decision based on what others think he should do.
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      Really like WCS, he has a great perspective on life and the world. He put the part about staying in school very well, as well as his game.

      Money or no, anyone who thinks running off to a full time high pressure job is an automatic "yes" versus staying in college may not be remembering that part of their life. lol. There are some positives to staying, esp. if you are a UK player living in the lodge. Maybe not enough to overcome millions, but enough to overcome the NBDL? Yeah.

      Great stuffy Larry.
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by dan_bgblue View Post
      That was a GREAT interview!! I love his honesty and his introspection. I hope he feels like shocking the world tomorrow with his play
      As long as it is shocking the world with great play, and not a disappearing act.
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by CitizenBBN View Post
      Really like WCS, he has a great perspective on life and the world. He put the part about staying in school very well, as well as his game.

      Money or no, anyone who thinks running off to a full time high pressure job is an automatic "yes" versus staying in college may not be remembering that part of their life. lol. There are some positives to staying, esp. if you are a UK player living in the lodge. Maybe not enough to overcome millions, but enough to overcome the NBDL? Yeah.

      Great stuffy Larry.
      Unlikely a lot of really high ranked players WCS may not have dreamed of making millions in the NBA. He may have had different dreams.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd -
      Refreshing
    1. Terminus's Avatar
      Terminus -
      Good stuff, Larry. I hope the "us against the world" mindset helps foster a unity and cohesiveness that we've lacked for much of the year. If we ever start clicking on all cylinders, we will be one tough out for anybody.
    1. UKinLA's Avatar
      UKinLA -
      Great interview!
    1. GhettoBird's Avatar
      GhettoBird -
      Truthfully, WCS has only dedicated himself to bball for 2 full years.
    1. Jeeepcat's Avatar
      Jeeepcat -
      This is incredibly awesome.

      Makes you think about how much these guys defer to one another when they shouldn't - fine balance.
    1. Padukacat's Avatar
      Padukacat -
      Great interview i love hearing that someone in the world would enjoy the comfort a college life provides vs the nba grind.
    1. StuBleedsBlue2's Avatar
      StuBleedsBlue2 -
      Quote Originally Posted by KeithKSR View Post
      I can see WCS coming back to Kentucky as much as I can see him leaving. The kid definitely marches to the beat of his own drum and won't necessarily make a decision based on what others think he should do.
      Totally agree, and it seems like he's given it a lot of thought, really thinking about what it's like to be a 20 year old. I think his mentality in taking off games shows why he would be better off staying in school.

      Having said that, as far as his game goes, I've always thought he'd be better off in the league.
    1. Kacat's Avatar
      Kacat -
      Quote Originally Posted by KeithKSR View Post
      I can see WCS coming back to Kentucky as much as I can see him leaving. The kid definitely marches to the beat of his own drum and won't necessarily make a decision based on what others think he should do.
      I'm with you. I think a number of kids or more on the fence then we want to believe. I think in the end it's hard to say no to the NBA but I think there is some chance he and others stay.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by Kacat View Post

      I'm with you. I think a number of kids or more on the fence then we want to believe. I think in the end it's hard to say no to the NBA but I think there is some chance he and others stay.
      Hope so.

      via mobile app
    1. Genuine Realist's Avatar
      Genuine Realist -
      I think strictly money calculations motivate the twins, maybe Young.

      That's not necessarily true of WCS.
    1. Kacat's Avatar
      Kacat -
      Money has less to do with it for the Twins. It's a pride and reaching a lifelong dream with them. People have no idea how much time and effort they have devoted towards reaching the goal of the NBA. It's there, maybe, not as lottery picks this year but the option is there and it will be hard to say no. But they might, sometimes it's best to let the world take a turn before moving on with your professional life.
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by Kacat View Post
      Money has less to do with it for the Twins. It's a pride and reaching a lifelong dream with them. People have no idea how much time and effort they have devoted towards reaching the goal of the NBA. It's there, maybe, not as lottery picks this year but the option is there and it will be hard to say no. But they might, sometimes it's best to let the world take a turn before moving on with your professional life.
      I don't think they want to go as second round picks, or worse, going undrafted. They have played a lot more at ease with Aaron Sr telling them that it was ok if they weren't ready for the NB.a after one season. It looks a lot like they will be Kentucky sophs next season.
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