Quotes from Willie Cauley-Stein

I like thinking and being able to answer questions that are tough to answer. You have to try to figure out how to get a good answer and look intelligent.

I wish I still had all of my old schoolwork. I'd just have all the sketches around the schoolwork, and none of the schoolwork done. Just sketches all around. I was always doodling something.

Some of my conversations with Jay, I'm not really saying much, just listening. It's really just learning. I'm trying to have Jay Z's money.

I come from a town of 800 people, and you just listen to Jay Z there. You never think about meeting him. Then suddenly, one day, you're in his office, hearing stories about his whole journey.

People say I don't have a jump shot, so that's what I've been working on.

If I didn't love the game, why would I play at the University of Kentucky? Why would I ever come here? It's a serious program.

I have to be mentally right every time I take the floor.

I'm real mentally strong, so there's just not a lot that people can say to get me off of my own self and lane, and my confidence.

Some weeks, I'll go super-hard at practice for two straight days, but then the third day, something happens away from basketball, and I'll lose focus. I'll say, 'I just want to get through practice. I don't want to conquer it today.' But then I'll go home and realize I missed a chance to get better, and it'll bother me.

How I dress is the way I feel. If I'm wearing bright colors, I'm probably in a great mood.

I'm athletic enough to do guard stuff, so if you were to mold me into having guard moves and footwork in a big's body, that's revolutionizing the game.

Everybody knows that I can play defense. I've showed at times that I can score, but I just think they want to know, 'How consistent are you in your moves?'

I don't like to be in the spotlight. I like to just chill and observe other people.

A lot of kids my age can make a lot of mistakes, but college athletes that are in the spotlight, you have to grow up so much faster than regular students or regular kids your age because you are a public figure, so you get one shot, sometimes two.

I used to be super self-conscious about my height. I mean, going everywhere and someone just looking at you - you're never not in the spotlight.

Nobody else can tell you what you are.

Normally, I know what I'm doing.

Numbers don't lie. I think it's pretty cut and dry what consistency is.

I'm really straightforward. I'm going to tell you how it is. I'm going to speak my mind.

The only problem that I had in my younger years and in college was not knowing if I had the confidence on the offensive side to just take over.

I see myself as the No. 1 player in the draft, but it is what it is. You can just take it day-by-day, put in the work, and the draft is going to be the outcome of whatever the draft is.

The outlook is for me to grow.

I think that's one of the things that intrigues people the most: my defensive versatility. My movement and mobility is something that piques everybody's interest.

I got some skills I can build on; I can be an all-around player.