Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics
SEC Men's Basketball Summer Teleconference
Jun 28, 2016 | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M men's basketball head coach Billy Kennedy answered questions from members of the media Monday during the SEC Men's Basketball Summer Teleconference. Below are some of his thoughts on the Aggies' coming off a 28-win campaign that saw his team capture a share of the SEC title and make a run to the Sweet 16.
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Opening Statement…
"We're still trying to figure out our team. We lost four really good seniors who were a big impact to our program. We have some good guys coming back that played a lot of minutes and it starts with Tyler Davis and kind of building around him. Then we're just trying to prepare the focus to go inside-outside and I think we'll do that more with them getting more opportunities with those seniors leaving because we had a couple guys that were going to get their shots off and we wanted them to, in Danuel House and Jalen Jones, so now our team is changing. Tonny Trocha-Morelos coming back at the four will continue to be an impact guy for us and a guy we'll go to, so we'll be more inside-out than we were last year. Probably nine or ten of our players will be freshmen or sophomores, so we'll be really young but I think [solid] with DJ Hogg and Admon Gilder playing on the perimeter. We've got four returners that played a lot of minutes on a really good team. We like where we're at with our talent, we just got to get better with chemistry and the experience in our young guys is going to have to be an impact for us."
On what has to happen for SEC to gain national reputation in basketball…
"First of all, we've got to be able to win our games in the preseason against the BCS opponents we play against and I think that will create some momentum going into conference play and create more teams in the NCAA Tournament. Then we've got to win in the NCAA tournament. I think giving the coaches back control of their schedule would definitely help our league. I think we all have a good feel for our team."
On role of last year's foreign tour to Italy and Greece…
"I think that's a huge benefit, it definitely helped us. We had four seniors and so many young guys so we were able to get our team in situations where they had to spend a lot of time with each other and get to know each other in atmospheres that weren't pressured atmosphere. You're able to develop stronger relationships and get to know each other in a greater way in that type of environment."
On if the foreign tour last summer played a significant part in winning the SEC…
"I think so, it definitely helped. The big part, obviously, comes when you're healthy and you have all your pieces and I think all those things are bigger."
On if he could change one rule in basketball what would it be and why…
"I would say six fouls can get each team the best opportunity to have their best players on the floor for the most minutes."
On what he's seen in Rick Stansbury during his stint at A&M…
"Well, Rick came in as a head coach and he left my program as a head coach. I think the one thing for him, he had been away from it for a little bit and so just his energy and enthusiasm along with his relationship with our players and then just his fire and his intensity in recruiting were much needed in our program and that's where he helped us the most."
On if he sensed Stansbury would want to have his own program again…
"Yeah, it wouldn't be long. He was ready. Anytime you're a head coach for 14 years and have the success he had. When he came in here, I didn't think it'd be long before he'd be a head coach and he got a great opportunity and he'll do a great job at Western Kentucky."
---
Opening Statement…
"We're still trying to figure out our team. We lost four really good seniors who were a big impact to our program. We have some good guys coming back that played a lot of minutes and it starts with Tyler Davis and kind of building around him. Then we're just trying to prepare the focus to go inside-outside and I think we'll do that more with them getting more opportunities with those seniors leaving because we had a couple guys that were going to get their shots off and we wanted them to, in Danuel House and Jalen Jones, so now our team is changing. Tonny Trocha-Morelos coming back at the four will continue to be an impact guy for us and a guy we'll go to, so we'll be more inside-out than we were last year. Probably nine or ten of our players will be freshmen or sophomores, so we'll be really young but I think [solid] with DJ Hogg and Admon Gilder playing on the perimeter. We've got four returners that played a lot of minutes on a really good team. We like where we're at with our talent, we just got to get better with chemistry and the experience in our young guys is going to have to be an impact for us."
On what has to happen for SEC to gain national reputation in basketball…
"First of all, we've got to be able to win our games in the preseason against the BCS opponents we play against and I think that will create some momentum going into conference play and create more teams in the NCAA Tournament. Then we've got to win in the NCAA tournament. I think giving the coaches back control of their schedule would definitely help our league. I think we all have a good feel for our team."
On role of last year's foreign tour to Italy and Greece…
"I think that's a huge benefit, it definitely helped us. We had four seniors and so many young guys so we were able to get our team in situations where they had to spend a lot of time with each other and get to know each other in atmospheres that weren't pressured atmosphere. You're able to develop stronger relationships and get to know each other in a greater way in that type of environment."
On if the foreign tour last summer played a significant part in winning the SEC…
"I think so, it definitely helped. The big part, obviously, comes when you're healthy and you have all your pieces and I think all those things are bigger."
On if he could change one rule in basketball what would it be and why…
"I would say six fouls can get each team the best opportunity to have their best players on the floor for the most minutes."
On what he's seen in Rick Stansbury during his stint at A&M…
"Well, Rick came in as a head coach and he left my program as a head coach. I think the one thing for him, he had been away from it for a little bit and so just his energy and enthusiasm along with his relationship with our players and then just his fire and his intensity in recruiting were much needed in our program and that's where he helped us the most."
On if he sensed Stansbury would want to have his own program again…
"Yeah, it wouldn't be long. He was ready. Anytime you're a head coach for 14 years and have the success he had. When he came in here, I didn't think it'd be long before he'd be a head coach and he got a great opportunity and he'll do a great job at Western Kentucky."
Players Mentioned
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