Press conference comment causes tension between coach and players
The CU men’s basketball team has been a dysfunctional unit all season long on the basketball court. Now, it appears that this tension has carried over into the locker room.
After the Buffs suffered a 75-46 thrashing at the hands of 9-ranked Kansas on Wednesday night at the Coors Events Center, Head Coach Ricardo Patton openly questioned his team’s attitude and effort in the post-game press conference.
Although Patton did not specifically identify any player, his decision to not start three regulars, Richard Roby, Xavier Silas, and Kal Bay against Kansas certainly leads one to believe that those players have drawn their coach’s ire.
At the team’s Thursday afternoon practice the following day, the players seemed puzzled by their coach’s post-game comments.
“I’m not sure where (those comments) came from,” Bay said. “I know (coach Patton) said some of us had attitudes and that’s why we didn’t start. I think the guys who he said have attitudes practice hard and come out and give it everything they’ve got every day.”
Roby was also confused by his coach’s comments.
“I don’t know exactly what he’s talking about when he says guys have bad attitudes,” Roby said. “I didn’t show him any attitude or anything like that.”
Roby went on to say that he believes his coach thought he said something following a film session earlier in the week, but the junior insisted he said nothing negative.
While Roby and Bay admitted their confusion as to where on the team the attitude was being displayed, their coach maintained his stance that his team needed some discipline.
“We’ve turned our heads at some things and you just can’t do that,” Patton said. “I don’t think we have an issue with everyone that’s on the team. Those guys that want to play hard, want to play together, and display the proper attitude will play.”
Patton said that none of his players, including Roby or Bay, have come to talk to him following the Kansas game to ask about his comments.
When asked if he had sought out his coach following Wednesday’s comments, Bay said he indeed had not. The freshman did say that he has tried to seek out his coach to talk earlier in the season and those conversations didn’t prove to be fruitful.
“If (Coach Patton) wants to talk to me about it then he can. I’ve gone to him a couple of times and attempted to talk to him but I guess it hasn’t gotten us anywhere,” Bay said.
Despite some chemistry and communication issues with their coach, Bay said he doesn’t feel like their coach has lost his players.
“I don’t believe he’s lost anybody on this team because I believe these players play for each other and love to compete,” Bay said.
In addition to the team’s challenge of getting everyone on the same page off the court, is the team’s season-long struggle with its game on the court. CU ranks number 10 in the conference in scoring offense and last in scoring defense and turnover margin – all of which are factors that have cost the team dearly this season and help explain why it sits at the bottom of the Big 12.
After saying on Wednesday night that he had spent more time managing his team than coaching it, Patton said he is going to get back to teaching.
“My focus is to concentrate on our free-throw shooting, transition defense and rebounding the basketball,” Patton said.
Following this weekend’s game against Texas Tech, the Buffs (6-15, 2-9) have four conference games remaining on their slate and then it’s onto the Big 12 tournament. With such a young team and inexperience on the roster, Roby believes the final stretch could be tough.
“I think it is going to be difficult,” Roby said. “It’s definitely a challenge and we have to take it head on. We can’t give up on each other and doubt ourselves and I think that’s what we’re doing right now.”
Contact Campus Press Staffwriter Stirling Wade at Stirling.Wade@thecampuspress.com
