January 04, 2006
Head men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie met with members of the press Tuesday at his weekly media gathering held on the Texas A&M campus.
Click the link to the right to listen to the press conference. A transcript is posted below.
Billy Gillispie Media Luncheon Quotes
Talk about last night's game at Pacific...
"We just got beat. We didn't score enough points. We gave ourselves chance to win against very good team. We held them to 63 points on their home court, and several of those points were late fouls when we were trying to foul them and hoping they would miss. We just didn't score enough. We were not offensively efficient enough."
Where is this team, heading into conference play?
"I like the way we're heading. We go on the road and defend very well. We went out there to win and we had a great chance to win, but we just didn't convert offensive opportunities well enough to win against a really good team that will probably win 24 or 25 games and be an NCAA tournament team again. We just didn't play well enough to win last night. But I like the direction we're heading."
Do you like the way you're playing defense?
"I love the way we're playing defense. I don't have too many questions about the way were playing defense. When (Pacific) made their threes last night, they were just mistakes...we just let them slip by. Those things should never happen, but other than six possessions we defended as well as you possibly can."
Are you battling pretty well?
"Yeah, they battle hard. Our guys battle hard every day in practice so you'd expect them to battle hard in games. They're a close group and they're trying hard. We just have some inexperience just like everyone else. Last night, (Pacific) had two different flurries where they made two threes out of three possessions. Two of them were back-to-back. In the first half, they had nothing going. They made two threes because we had an inexperienced guy that played the screen wrong. But those are correctable things, and I don't think they'll make the same mistake anymore."
Before the season you said offense would have to come from a lot of guys, and that's kind of held true, hasn't it?
"Yeah, we're looking for it. We're trying to figure that out. They are not going to let Joe (Jones) beat them, and Acie (Law) has been up and down. He has to play better offensively for us, but I don't have any question that he will. He had a tough night shooting the ball last night, but they were really good shots and shots I think he will make every single time. We have to get production out of those two guys, and (then) everybody has to continue to get better and add points. But I don't doubt that they will. Now Marlon (Pompey) is really emerging into a good player. We've had some guys have good games that just have been a little inconsistent as far as scoring eight or 10 or 12 points a game. I think it's going to get better as we go."
With your depth, can you do go deep enough in the Big 12 to withstand what you need to withstand?
"I don't know. We'll see. As time goes on you continue to get exposed. If guys guard and rebound, they get to play. I think we have about 10 guys that understand how to guard and understand that (guarding) is very important to us. Nobody ever has enough guys, but that's what we have right now. Our roster is going to be a lot better in a year or two from now hopefully, but that's what we have right now and we have to make the most of it. I think we do have some guys who understand how to guard."
It seems you are moving the ball well and getting open shots...is that the case?
"Well, I don't think we finish plays very well. I'm talking about everybody on our team. We just haven't. Last night we had...I don't know, I haven't looked at the shot chart...but I would assume 15 shots in the paint we didn't finish. You can't win on the road against a really good team (when you play) like that. However, we had a chance to win because our defense was good. We'll start making those shots."
Joseph (Jones) attempted seven field goals (against Pacific). Do you want more?
"That's not enough. He's got to shoot more than that. He needs to have 15 or 20 shots. We're not getting him the ball enough, but everybody's putting two guys on him and letting Marlon (Pompey) or Chris (Walker) or our guards try to beat them. That's a smart game plan, but I have confidence those guys will."
Is there anything in particular you're noticing teams doing with Joe (Jones) that makes them fairly effective in keeping the ball away from him?
"They're going to make us beat them from the high post. When Chris (Walker) and Marlon (Pompey), or whoever plays at the high post, understands how to make plays up there, that will go away. It somewhat went away last night because Marlon played really well up there. Any team can choose a way that you want to play. If you want to try to stop the running of the football, I would assume you're going to expose yourself to pass plays--and it's the same in basketball. If you want to protect the basket, there's ways you can defeat that. We just have to defeat that. We know they're not going to let Joe beat them, and we know that would be the best way to play us. That's the way we'll get played until we prove we can consistently beat them in a different way."
From a distance, it looks like the Big 12--just from rankings and losses and things--might be down a little bit. What do you see?
"(That's) absolutely wrong. I haven't seen a lot of the teams, but (that's) absolutely wrong. Rankings mean nothing. In basketball, you get a chance to play it out on the court. There are as many good young players and new players in this league as there ever could be in any league in any particular year. When you talk about Texas just going to Memphis and beating those guys, and Kansas emerging, and Oklahoma State going on the road and winning last night...we've gotten off to a good start, Kansas State's off to their best start ever, Colorado's got 10 seniors and they're paying great, Oklahoma's had one bad game...it's the kind of year where you could have two teams in the final four."
Could it be a wide open race?
"I don't know. I haven't studied the teams enough, but I think there are two teams that could be in the final four. There are four teams that are potential final four teams in our league. Some people have said that (about the big 12), and that's absolutely wrong. Missouri's starting to play really well, Nebraska has played well all year long, Iowa State has two of the better guards in the country...people like to say stuff, but it's absolutely wrong. There are eight or nine teams that are NCAA Tournament teams in our league, and who those teams are I don't think anybody knows yet. But there are at least eight or nine teams that have a legitimate shot of being in the tournament."
Are you guys one of them?
"I don't know yet. I'm not going to name any teams, but there are a lot of teams right now that have positioned themselves to have a chance of going if they play well enough in conference."
From what you've seen of Texas Tech, does it look like a typical Bobby Knight-coached team?
"Yeah. They're going to maximize their opportunities. They're going to get the ball to the right people, and those are going to take a majority of their shots. Their role players are definitely going to do what they're supposed to do. They're going to defend well. They're going to run transition both ways really hard. They just don't beat themselves. They're less experienced than they've been in a while but probably are more talented than they've been in a while, so that kind of balances out."
Along with the Texas game last year, was the win over Texas Tech at home a big turning point in your program?
"Maybe from the outside, but not from my perspective. We had three games left and we played very well down the stretch. We won four of our last five in conference. That was our last home game of the year, and people here really get excited to play against Tech. Maybe the players would say something different, but every single game is a turning point in the Big 12. Coaches say that but it's true. If you have a chance to win a game, it's a turning point. We're not to the point with our program where we can say 'This is a big game' and 'This is not.' Anytime we win a game it's a turning point. We have to continue to learn how to walk before we can run."
Along those lines, where are you in terms of the program? Are you where you wanted to be? Ahead? Behind? Are you taking the strides that you want?
"Oh I don't know. I'm not much of a 4- or 5-year plan guy. I'm a 1-day guy and try to get it done in a day. Everybody says we won too much last year, which retards the growth of a program because expectations get out of whack too soon. I don't believe in that. I think you try to win every single game you play from day one and you try to deal with expectations. What we were able to do because of last year was recruit a fantastic group of young players that we signed early, and the guys that we signed late were really good players too. I don't know. It all comes out in the wash. In basketball, if you play well enough you get a chance to play in the postseason. We came here to develop a program and to be a national-type program good enough to play with anybody in the country. I think we're on the right track. The second year is always the hardest because of rising expectations and out-of-whack expectations, (especially) in this situation because we won so early when no one expected anything. So we just have to meet those expectations and surpass them, and we're trying our hardest. That's all we're doing."
With the class you signed in November, how close is that to getting your personnel to where you want them to be?
"Our personnel are good. The balance of the roster, as far as position, is not as good as it needs to be. I think that it sets us up pretty good to be able to identify exactly what positions we need to recruit in the next class or two. On raw talent alone, athletic ability, and size I think that we've got some guards that can really play. I think it gets us close. Hopefully those guys develop as well as I think they're going to."
With the young guys coming in, talk about the roles of the three seniors this year...
"Chris (Walker) has been fantastic. He's the heart and soul of our team again. And you hate for a walk-on to be the heart and soul of your team, but he's one of the most unique guys you've ever seen, and we all know that. If you get a chance to watch him play, or practice, or be around him, he's a unique person. (He's a) fantastic guy. (He's as) tough as you can be. (He's) as good as you can be. (He's got) great heart. (He's a) great leader. Those guys really look to him.
"Edjuan Green...what he's done and the way he's gone about it has been fantastic as far as helping the team. He hasn't had a lot of production on the court, but I don't doubt that he will have. I think he'll win a game for us before it's all over because his attitude has stayed fantastic. He's accepted whatever role we've asked him to do, whether it's a scout team guy, or playing, or whatever. He's been fantastic. Not too many seniors would embrace the opportunities that he's gotten with the passion and desire and all the intangibles that he has.
"Eddie (Smith) is getting better very day. He probably hasn't played as well as everyone expected, being the national junior college player of the year, but he's found his way and he's really starting to make an impact for us. He's had to do it the hard way. He's had to change quite a few things. We've asked him to change quite a few things and he's accepted that. He's got a great attitude. He's worked really hard. (He is a) great on-the-ball defender and is gaining confidence day by day offensively. That's a good group of seniors that we'll definitely miss next year."
Are you getting enough three pointers?
"Hitting enough or getting enough? Sometimes they're shooting too many and not making enough."
Is your 3-point shooting forcing defenses to respect what you need them to respect? Last year it seemed like the teams really had to respect that and that helped out a little bit.
"We have to make perimeter shots. Every team does, or everybody puts everybody in the paint. Last year, talent dictated they were going to guard on the perimeter. They were going to guard Acie (Law), they were going to guard Bobby (Leach), and they were going to guard Antoine (Wright). We made enough three pointers from the top of circle...Chris (Walker) shot ball very well. This year, it's going be by scouting report. They're going to guard us, not because of talent, but because of production. We have to have consistent production before they are going to make sure they take away those three pointers. They're not going to let Joe (Jones) beat them. With our number of threes that we've taken, we haven't been consistent enough with the number of threes that we've made. I think we'll get it figured out."
Is Josh Carter a guy that could develop into a shooter?
"Yeah, he can really shoot. He's a great shooter. He played great last night. He's a guy that's just had a tough transition defensively, but he's just about got it figured out. He's an intelligent player and he can really shoot and pass. He'll be one of the most important guys for our team I think in conference play."
Is this a stat that means anything? 11 games into the season, (Joe) Jones has more free throws made than field goals made...
"He should. That's a great stat. Last night he got seven shots but he went to the line seven times. Some of those times he'd be getting shot attempts, so that probably equates to four or five or six more shot attempts. Last week, we played against Northwestern State and they only had 41 attempted field goals. You'd say, 'Wow how'd they do that? They must turn the ball over.' No. We fouled them 31 times. They didn't get a chance to shoot."
My point is, Joe is shooting 78 percent from the line and he's got to shoot high from the line, doesn't he?
"He was shooting 80 (percent), but was 5-for-10 on Saturday. He should be getting a lot of foul shots. The best offensive players get the most foul shots. Like in the NBA, who would you think would be the leading scorer in the paint? Tony Parker is the leading scorer in the paint in the league. Nobody would ever think that. He's a great offensive player because of the pressure he puts on defense. We've got to get more of that from Acie (Law). I know that's not what you're talking about, but I would assume (Tony Parker) is getting a lot of foul shots as well."
We've seen a little bit of that from (Martellus) Bennett...do you see that he could be that guy?
"Yeah, when he figures out that these guys know when to allow him to drive and when to take charges. He can't be a bull in a china closet every play, because they figure you out. Last night he got a walk and he got a charge, and they were mistakes of inexperience. He has to understand you can't get away with that against these guys, because they're all really, really smart."
Is he still learning that the same moves that worked in high school don't necessarily work in college?
"Yeah, but I don't want him to change too much because he's a powerful player. He gives us something that we don't really have. Joe (Jones) is a powerful player but in a different way. I don't mind guys getting charges going to the basket. I want them to think. But when the shot goes up (Martellus) he's going after it. He may miss a shot or whatever but he might get it back too. I like the way he's playing. He'll learn through experience that you can't run over everybody all the time, but sometimes when he runs over them that's not too bad either, because they usually don't stand there again anymore because he's pretty strong."
You've had him now for a month. Has he developed quite a bit in that time?
"I think so. Our problem is his position with our team. We've got a small margin for error with our roster. We're still trying to figure out exactly where (to play him). I know where he needs to play. I'm just trying to figure out how to play him there the most. We've got to figure that out better. He needs to be close to the basket right now. He can shoot the ball but needs to be close to the basket because of his offensive rebounding ability. He's a really good offensive rebounder."
How much do you think he'll help you in conference?
"A lot. He'll have to. He's a powerful player. There are not a lot of guys like him around. I haven't seen all the teams, but based on the rosters and the knowledge I have, there's one guy in the league that has power like him. He's a little bit more developed as a basketball player but not any more powerful. So as Martellus continues to develop he will have to play a major role for us."