On Thursday, Wildcat junior Patrick Patterson took a few minutes away from his training - with the man they call "Hell's Trainer" - and spent some phone time with CoachCal.com. Patrick has been sharing a San Francisco apartment with freshman Daniel Orton for the past six weeks and both have been working on their games, their conditioning and their video game skills. They will return back east at the beginning of next week and start classes at the end of the month.

CoachCal.com: Tell us about your schedule out there in San Francisco and how it's been going.

Patrick Patterson: It's been going really well. We're both getting in much better shape and working hard. A regular day, we wake up at about 6:30 a.m. and have some breakfast. Usually some [whole grain oat] cereal and fruit. We head over to the gym at about 7:15 and we play games starting at about 8:00, usually for two or two and half hours. (NOTE: There are several other collegiate players and some professionals who are also under the guidance of Frank Matrisciano and his staff).

Then we'll go back to the apartment, get some lunch, rest and then we're back over at the facility about 3 or 3:30 p.m. We do all sorts of things from lifting to running up stairs, running up sand hills, backwards jumps - everything. The experience has been great. I'm gaining more and more endurance and running up and down the court without getting tired. I know we're going to press and run.

I've also been able to work on my lower body, my ball-handling and my shooting.

CoachCal.com: From what you know about the Dribble Drive Motion offense, are you going to better prepared because of the way you've spent your summer?

PP: Yes. Coming out here I knew Coach Cal wants to have us running (the DDM) and he wants his big men to play like guards. I knew that one of my weaknesses was handling the ball with my left hand. I've gotten much better at that now.

CoachCal.com: So we're going to see you running the point?

PP: (LAUGHS) I'll do whatever Coach Cal asks me to do.

CoachCal.com: Give us a scouting report on Daniel.

PP: Oh, he's a major big man. Very strong upper body and his post work his really good. He can drop-step on the baseline, pivots in the post and runs the court. He shoots a nice turnaround jumper and in transition he can hit the trailer 3-pointer. Even in just this month and half, his improvement has been tremendous.

CoachCal.com: I'm guessing with you two being together, you've been able to bond a bit?

PP: Yes. Living together and doing everything together, we've developed a great friendship. Being out here where we don't know too many people, we've been hanging out all the time - walking around the city, going to the mall and playing video games. The video games, that's how we're surviving out here!

CoachCal.com: Who's got the upper hand in the video games?

PP: Daniel has one or two games where he does, but I have like three or four where I do. It's a lot of fun.

CoachCal.com: You guys pretty similar?

PP: We like the same music and we get along real well. We like the old school music - maybe some Temptations, little rock and roll, R&B some rap.

CoachCal.com: Have you had time to look back on your decision to return for your junior year? Are you comfortable with it?

PP: Coach Cal was 100 percent behind me and that was really important to me. He said I should test the waters and told me it was entirely my decision whether to come back or not. He said he'd love to coach me, but that I should do whatever I could to see if I was ready. That meant a lot to me.

So the assistant coaches helped plan the workouts I did and that was a good experience. But I looked at the team we were going to have and I said to myself that I wasn't ready yet; just not there yet. I need to improve some things and get more comfortable playing underneath the basket.

(It was also based on) the opportunity I have to obtain my degree in three years.

I'm 100 percent satisfied with my decision. We have a good chance of being an Elite 8 and a Final Four team. We know that on paper we look good. We have to transfer that onto the court.

CoachCal.com: What will be your role in making sure that happens?

PP: I have to be a leader on this team and help my teammates in any way possible. We all feel like this can be a great basketball team and this could be and should be a very special year.

There is a lot of hype around us, but we know that if we work hard enough, if we all click and chill together and understand coach’s offense, we can have a special year.

CoachCal.com: How have you been keeping up on what's going on back in Lexington during open gym?

PP: I'm talking and texting with my teammates. I saw some of the videos that were on the Internet. I'm hearing what everyone else is. The guys are playing well, John (Wall) has been dominating; Eric (Bledsoe) looks really good.

CoachCal.com: You got to play with the newcomers a bit before you went out to San Francisco, what were your impressions?

PP: Definitely, I had an opportunity while I was there and when (John) was there and DeMarcus and Eric. It was great basketball; very competitive. They all have high basketball IQs and love playing. I think when everybody is there and we're all together, it’s going to be more magical.

I'm just real anxious to get back. I miss my family and friends, the team and coaches.

CoachCal.com: We've got to ask, have you been to CoachCal.com?

PP: I saw it, yes. I knew when it was going to (launch) and I went on the computer that morning and checked it out.

CoachCal.com: Reaction?

PP: 'Wow, this is amazing. First year and he has a website of his own? This is amazing.'

He's really reaching out to the fans. It's just a tremednous site.

CoachCal.com: He's got a lot of ways to communicate with everyone with the site, Facebook, Twitter.

PP: I think a lot of coaches will most likely start to do it. Some already have. It’s something that’s going to help programs and help people to get to know the coaching staff and players. He can socialize with the fans. I'm glad he’s doing it, I know a lot of fans are happy.

CoachCal.com: Are you Twittering and Facebooking?

PP: Oh yeah. I try and keep up with it and do it as much as possible. I follow what Coach Cal is doing on it.

CoachCal.com: All right, last one. People seem to think you don't smile enough. Have you heard that?

PP: I just haven't smiled that much in my life. It's not that I don't smile. But yes, I know I need to do a lot more smiling. I've been working on that AND my game.

-CC.com-