November 09, 1999
What should we expect to see in the exhibition game on Thursday?
"It will be a learning process for us because we are still fooling around with the lineup a little bit. We'll play a lot of different combinations and try to see what works. Sometimes in practice you can get some false confidence because you're going against each other so much. It's going to be good for us just to see some different faces and see how some of the kids respond to different circumstances."
How have all the newcomers looked in practice?
"Good at times, but at other times they will have me pulling my hair out. That's what you get with freshmen and new players. They are still trying to impress us and show us they're good. We're trying to say `we know you're good, now play within what we are trying to do.' Overall, I've been pleased with what I've seen."
Where are you now compared to last year at this time?
"We're ahead of where we started last year. Does that mean more wins? Only time will tell. But we are ahead of where we were. We have some players back who have gone through it a year. They have helped us in that transition period with the new guys. The biggest thing I've noticed is that the talent level is definitely much better than it was last year."
What kind of team is the California All-Stars and what do you hope to get out of it?
"They are some ex-college players who are pretty cagy and know how to play the game. They are going to try to do a lot of things off the dribble, which we need work against that type of thing. They also like transition basketball, which is what we want to play. We're going to have make some adjustments in getting back on defense. They have some size, too."
Has Andy Slocum returned to practice after missing so much with the hamstring injury?
"Yes. He's finally gotten into practice now. In spurts, he's looked good. His conditioning has suffered some and at times we've held him back a little because we don't want him to overdo it with that nagging injury. But he's looked good in spurts. He's a big body down there and we are surely going to need that, especially when we get into conference play. We're trying to gradually bring him along and spoon feed him because we know we'll need to get him into the Big 12 wars. But we're not trying to rush him."
Is it more exciting for you going into a season with guys you recruited?
"We've got some kids with good basketball IQs and have a chance to be some special players with a lot of work and continued commitment. We've got the type of players I'm used to having. So, yes, I am excited about that. You have to factor in that they are young and will make some mental mistakes. I also get excited about the fact that we can go to our bench now. That was a problem for us last year. We played kids too many minutes and our rotation wasn't what we wanted it to be. But this year, if everyone stays healthy, we can get kids down to the type of minutes where they can play harder and longer."
Will that change your style of play?
"Actually, it helps our style because now we can go more up tempo. We don't have to hold back. If a kid gets tired, I don't have to worry about where to turn. Now we can get him out and get him some rest and bring someone else in without the level of play dropping off."