January 14, 2002
Can you talk about the mentality of your team right now?
"What's going on with this team right now is that with all the stuff we've been through as of late -- being on the road, suspensions and you name it -- we got back into things against Texas Tech. I thought that was a great crowd that night and good atmosphere and I thought our kids came out and really played. It was unfortunate what happened to Andy Slocum. He was playing his best basketball since he's been at Texas A&M. We surely will miss him. We missed him in the [Texas Tech] game in the second half. Had he been in there, we think the outcome might have been a little different. Overall, I was pleased with the effort and the frame of mind going into the game. So now, that at least gives us some momentum to build on."
You mentioned frame of mind, but how pleased are you with the way your guys hustled and looked like they were playing together on the floor against Texas Tech?
"That's something we had been missing. And I think everyone who has seen us would agree. So, it was good to see our kids come out and play like that. A good indication of that is that we had more assists than turnovers. That's something we haven't done in a while. It's good to see us get back into the frame of mind of sharing the ball and sharing the wealth. For us to have any success, especially now as low as our body count is getting, we've got to do that. Whether it's fear that 'I may be the next guy suspended,' or whatever it may be, we did come out and respond in a positive light."
Did you see that carry over into practice?
"I really did. And hopefully we can carry that into a ball game."
Do you have an idea as to when you might make a final decision on Daryl Mason's and Michael Gardener's future with this team?
"I really don't. And that is not something that I spend lot of time on to be quite honest. I'm focusing more on the kids we do have. Obviously, we will continue to address their status. But it's a situation where until they [Gardener and Mason] get comfortable with some things and we get comfortable with some things, it will remain as is. They aren't even practicing with the team."
What are you going to do to contain Missouri's Rush and Gilbert?
"Hopefully, we'll keep a hand in their face. You have got to know where they are at all times, especially in transition and in our half-court defense. Our challenge is going to be to make sure that we cloak over them and not give them any easy looks. The negative part of that is they show tendencies to hit tough shots, especially on their home court. We will have our hands full trying to defend those two. But they have some other weapons they can hurt you with as well. So, we've got to play well across the board."
Are you concerned about going back on the road again?
"I'm very concerned. If you look around the landscape of college basketball, with Kansas getting beat at UCLA and other teams falling on the road, it is difficult for even the ranked teams to get a win on the road. That's why I have always said it is important to protect your home turf and gain some confidence there and then steal one or two wins on the road, and you'll probably be in the postseason."
Have you addressed this concern with the team?
"We have. But we try not to put too much emphasis about going back on the road. I don't want it to become a negative thing where our guys think they can't win on the road. We try to balance that out."
Can you talk about Andy Leatherman's role in comparison to last year?
"He has become a better player because he worked his tail off in the off-season. And everyday in practice he works just as hard. We did start him against Texas Tech and he came out and hit a big three-pointer to start the game. He's one of those players who will get in the gym and shoot 500 to 1000 shots a day. All of those things that Andy has done are what you would hope all of your players would do. But unfortunately, some guys don't think they have to work that hard. He is more comfortable now because we have taken him off the point. He's more comfortable as the two-guard. Last year, he logged a lot of minutes at the point. And that wasn't something that he was naturally comfortable with."
What do you think would happen if you had more guys like him or had his work ethic spread to the rest of the team?
"We would like for his work ethic and attitude to become contagious. He does everything he can to make that happen. But that is an area where as a team we have been inconsistent in our work ethic night in and night out. It has caused us some problems. We tried to address those issues and now I think we are ready to give an honest day's work in practice. And in turn, I think it will get us to play better when we turn the lights on."