November 23, 1999
Has anything you've seen in the exhibition games caused you to change your game plan?
"Some of what we saw has caused us to pause a little bit and maybe slow down. Because we have so many new kids, we would like to be good at one or two things as opposed to trying to do five or six different things. It's made us slow down a little and go back and re-focus on the fundamentals and try to give these young kids a chance to mature a little bit more."
When you have so many new players, especially in the back court, do you have to just accept that there are going to be some rough times?
"I'm constantly reminding myself that these kids are freshmen, especially in the backcourt. As a coach, you expect and demand certain things. I think the one thing that's been consistent is the effort. The mental part of the game is where we've struggled and those are the areas that will get you beat. We just have to remind ourselves that it will take a lot of drilling and hopefully as we go through the schedule we'll get better each time we play."
Do you know much about A&T?
"No, I don't, not about this particular team. The coach we'd scheduled the game with is no longer there. We know the new coach played at North Carolina so we figure they will probably do a little of their system. We are going into this game a little unprepared in terms of knowing exactly what they might do. But we are going to concentrate more on what we are doing as far as this first game anyway."
Going into your second year, has it been kind of overwhelming seeing the campus respond the way it has to the Bonfire tragedy last week?
"It has been overwhelming. I've gotten calls from all over from people wanting me to explain why there has been that bonding and why so many people have been touched by this. A lot of people don't understand it and it's hard to explain unless you've been here. I heard people talk about the Aggie spirit before I even came here, but to actually be here now and see the response to such a horrible tragedy is very touching. If anything positive can come out of this, then surely the Aggies will make it happen. If there ever was a time to show that spirit, this is the time. To be a part of that is something special."
How important is it for the team to get some momentum and confidence before they get into conference play in January?
"It's very important. That's why we try to be very careful in how we make our schedule, especially with this young group we've got. We need to win some games to give us some confidence that we can take into Big 12 play. It would be to our advantage if we can come out and eliminate some of the mental mistakes we've been making and get off to a good start."
What been the biggest change for your young players?
"I think just playing the game and seeing how hard you have to play for longer periods of time. If there has been one area that's concerned me besides the mental aspects is that kids still don't understand how hard you have to play at this level for 40 minutes. Young kids tend to want to play one and two-minute spurts and then take one or two minutes off. You just can't afford to do that."
What do you see as your team's style of play?
"Without a doubt, we definitely want to try to play within ourselves. We've got a pace we want to play at and we've got some things we want to try to do. The problem you run into is that kids get into a game and they get away from the game plan. The younger ones tend to deviate a lot sooner than the veterans. They focus too much on the scoreboard as opposed to focusing on our execution and doing things that way."
What has been the response of the basketball team to the Bonfire tragedy?
"We got together as a group and went to the memorial service that night at Reed Arena. That's what they wanted to do. Right now, we are in the process of getting some basketball's signed and taken to the remaining kids in the hospital. We also are in the process of getting a patch sewn into our uniforms. The kids initiated all that and that's good. They brought it up before practice one day that this is something they would like to do. Again, the Aggie spirit was in full force."
Has Jerald Brown developed into a leader on and off the court?
"Jerald has definitely been that leader we have looked for. It's an ongoing process. I think as we move forward this season, he'll be a much more intricate part than he's been since he's been in this program. We needed someone to step up and take over that leadership role and quite honestly, we didn't know where it was going to come from. We would hate to think that it would have to come from some of our freshmen. Jerald has done a good job up to this point, but we always joke with our captains that we still have the right to impeach. Hopefully, we won't have to use that power."
You had different players step up and produce in each of the exhibition games. What are your thoughts about that?
"That's something we get excited about because we feel the talent level is such that when we do get to a point where the experience kicks in, we will be able to play consistent basketball night in and night out. That's what you hope to get to. Then again, there are going to be some growing pains with this group. The exhibition games are good examples of that. The first game, the young kids came out and did some good things for us over 40 minutes. The next game, the struggled a little with their offense and let that affect their defense. We are just trying to coach them through those bumps in the road."
Does it help or hurt you to have so much time between your final exhibition and your season opener on Saturday?
"That's sort of the way we scheduled it, thinking that we could go back to practice with some things to hang our hats on from the two exhibitions. We thought we would need extra practice days. We hope it will be to our advantage and we won't be rusty on Saturday night." Does it scare you that A&T will have a couple of games under their belts by Saturday?
"Normally it would, but I still want to believe that the fact we needed those practice days is only going to help us. That's the way we're going into that game, thinking that we've gotten better since our last exhibition because we've been able to go back to practice."