On if he can believe that basketball season is almost here:
“It’s hard to believe really, but it’s been fun. It was really fun to get to as normal as we could be. The best part of that has really been the time we got to spend with the players, being able to utilize the time we haven’t prepped together but then go downstairs in the locker room. It’s two of the most important places that we can be together and that part has been really fun. We have a good group of guys, we have half the team who are freshmen. The older guys have done a really good job showing these guys the way, but it’s just been fun to really get back to normal.”
On how the new additions are fitting in with the team:
“Like you would expect, they’ve all had good days, they’ve all had some days where they’ve been up and down. The attitude has never wavered. They all want to because they are willing to learn, they’re finding out there’s things with the game of basketball that they’ve never, they might have heard of it, but they didn’t understand the importance of it. They understand how you have to learn how to play when you’re tired, learn how to execute, learn how to respond as opposed to reacting when things aren’t going well. Overall, they’ve been good. Like I’ve said, they’ve all had good days. Some days, right now, yesterday was a different day for them in terms of tempo, the speed of our practices and how we expect to move from one thing to the next. But overall, they’ve handled it really quite well.”
On how the balance of the players that have been playing here for years and the younger, newer players:
“Well, the older guys have helped us because they know what culture we’ve created here. They know what are the pillars of our program, what’s important, and how things are done. Again, I think i’m being frank and honest when I tell you I think we probably had the best leadership with our upperclassmen that we’ve had in a couple years. The guys that you’ve talked about have been through some tough times, but yet they’ve had some good times. They’ve done a really, really fine job of showing these younger guys what it’s about in our program. They know we need the younger guys to grow up quick. Our schedule, I could talk to you about maybe are we over scheduled with this young group. I do believe, and we do as a staff, that the more that we can expose them to hard competition early, we think it will help us grow up quicker. We certainly hope so. We hope we can obviously win some of the games, you can’t win big games if you’re not willing to schedule them playing. But, our older guys have really done a terrific job, and I expect them to continue to do that. I think if you ask the younger guys what the older guys have meant to them, I think they would speak out.”
On if the situation of new faces and chemistry within the team is easier now with little COVID issues:
“Well, I think when you talk about chemistry, I think it starts with if there is a genuine love and likeness for each other. I think that’s where it starts. We all know that we all have individual goals that they want to reach, we have goals as a team. Certainly, when you’re a part of a team, you have to give up some of those. Yet, we want them to be somewhat selfish in the fact that we want them to go after their individual goals; the work ethic, the commitment, the time that goes into this knowing full well that they do that. It’s going to make them a better team. Yet, when you put all five guys together, now, what do they have to do to make their role as important as the next guy’s role? But with this group, again when you talk about chemistry, I do think it starts with a likeness with each other. Off the board, I think it turns the guys to want to hang around and be together, pull for each other, help each other, because they all have good days, and some bad days, some tough days. But, I do know this, this group likes each other. I know they like being together. They would tell you to the man that a year ago was really hard. We’ve done some team type of things whether it’s going to paintball or something like that. They would tell you how good that feels to them and how much they missed doing things as a team in the past year. That part of it has been fun.”
On freshman players like Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Jonas Aidoo and their development on the team:
“Well, they’ve come a long way. Both of them. Certainly, they go through the transition. I think most of all and every freshman goes through understanding that it’s a different level, it’s a different speed to the game, different pace to the game in total. In terms of detail, attention to details at a higher level than you’ve ever dealt with in your life. Again, both of those guys have made strides, they both have had good days, some of them they’ve struggled at times too. I think where we are right now, they’re competing. They have to compete against John Fulkerson and Olivier (Nkamhoua). Guys who raised those guys. So, that helps them grow up a little bit too. I think the fact that we have the depth that we have, the competition and practices being good, which has helped them. But, are they where we need them to be right now? No, they’re not. But, I think they will maintain the attitude we’ve had up to this point.”
On Justin Powell being considered a freshman or an upperclassman:
“Both. That’s not trying to avoid the question. Justin, if you think about it, he’s about as true of a freshman as they are because he only played (10) games, he didn’t get a full year at all last year. Justin did come in early and was one of the first guys to get here because he wanted to get himself in shape. He felt like going through what he went through last year in the concussion and all that he had fallen behind. But he’s been here and you know he’s a quick study he pays attention and wants to move around. Passes the ball extremely well. In terms of freshman learning our system, he’s there, he’s made good adjustments. I think he’s had a good person to know. I look where Santiago Vescovi is now, especially defensively, compared to where he was, it’s night and day, from coming in where he was as a freshman. Justin is a guy that knows that’s how he’s going to do it, knowing he has to do his work early, toughness, and once he gets that off his plate he’ll be fine.”
On what he’s seen from Justin Powell so far:
“Again, he’s another player that just fits perfectly. I mean everything we’re about, he’s about – hard worker, very unselfish, he wants to be a part of it, and I’m excited about him because he put the time in and did the things he needs to do. Like I said, he does a lot, so many good things on the offensive end. But I would say this, right now as a team we all need to continue to get better defensively.”
On Justin Powell’s offensive versatility:
“He can pass the ball, moves well without the ball, he knows how to utilize screens on court and he’s gotten even more consistent with his shot. But during the summer while Kennedy was away and Zakai had not gotten here yet, Santi was at the point and you know Santi was away with his national team too, so both Justin and Victor Bailey had to run some of the point for us. I think that helped both of those guys and I think that he has shown that, but he is learning a new system too, he really is. But he’s an excellent passer he sees right through that net.”
On Zakai Zeigler’s impact in his time on campus:
“He’s been as impressive as anyone I’ve ever seen. Santi walked in and had to play (in 2019-20), Zakai, what he’s been able to do in such a short period of time coming in, you would not think that he had missed that much during the summer. He missed I think a week and a half of school, something like that. He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s elusive and he’s still learning the system too. But he has been good. I think he, Kennedy and Santi, they’ve just been good for all three of those guys because they’ve been getting their share at the point. Santi has a little more pace with it but both those guys bring a speed and quickness to us we haven’t had in a couple years.”
On Josiah-Jordan James’ versatility in positions he plays:
“I’ll say the same thing about Josiah. I’ve always said, he is without question the most versatile guy that we have – he can play one through five. He knows the system that well, and he’s pretty much done that since he’s been here. How much he’ll play at the four, three, we haven’t really thought a lot about it yet. Absolutely, he is a mis-match nightmare when he’s at that spot. He’s already proven he can do it when the lights come on, shooting the ball, rebounding the ball, he’s proven that. But how much he plays there will probably be determined really by how quickly and consistent that Olivier (Nkamhoua), Brandon (Huntley-Hatfield), Jonas (Aidoo), and Uros (Plavsic) are. They will probably determine how much and where he plays at that spot.”
On if he looks forward to returning to Texas for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge:
“I have a great respect for the University of Texas and I have so many wonderful friends and people back there. In the past I’ve never really wanted to do it because I just didn’t want to go back and be about me. And 17 great years, I really loved it. ESPN has been asking for that to be quite honest with the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. And now, with them closing the arena—an arena we spent 17 years in and certainly had some great memories there—and talking to some of our former players who’ve asked that we come back and be a part of the last year of the building. I’ve said it before, the fact that my grandkids are back there and my grandson’s birthday right around there is a nice benefit.
“And I know Chris Beard, two of my former assistants are now on his staff and I just felt at this point in time there were a lot of things. I still don’t want it to be about me coming back, I really don’t, but I know there will be something to that. But the fact is where our program is, where their program is and now that they’re coming into the league it makes us look smart enough to get a jump on what it’s going to be like in Austin.
“Will it be a tough game? It will be, because coach Beard and his staff are terrific basketball coaches and they do a great job. Will I expect the arena to be a full house? I do, which again will be great for our guys but we will have gone through some of that prior to that because it comes in the middle of the SEC season. But again, this is the last year of the Frank Erwin Center and then they’ll go into the new building. Chris Del Conte, the athletic director, is already trying to hit me up about coming back and opening the gym up. That’s another talk, they’d have to make it well worth my while.”
-UT Athletics
