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cecil collins
08-05-2005, 01:12 AM
From texassports.com

08/03/2005

Summer Q&A with Rick Barnes

Q: What will be the major differences between the team that ended last season and this year's group?
A: The biggest improvement we're going to make, without question, will be ball-handling. I also think we should be a really good rebounding team.

Q: What do you expect from Daniel Gibson now that he has a year of college basketball under his belt?
A: With everything that happened last year, Daniel had as much pressure place on him as a freshman as I've ever coached, and he handled it well. I think you'll see his assist-to-turnover ratio climb dramatically. I think you'll see a better defensive player. Not that he was not willing to do it last year, but circumstances were such that we had to have him on the floor for so many minutes and we played more zone than normal. He can defend and I think this year you'll see more of that from him. The biggest overall difference will be in his maturity. You'll see an improvement in terms of his preparation. Obviously his stability and strength is much different than it was a year ago. Even though he handled the situation last year as well as anyone could, I think you'll see a tremendous difference there.

Q: P.J. Tucker went through a difficult situation last year. How did he respond in the spring?
A: He already is a better person because of what happened. If you're around him every day and see how he carries himself, for the first time in his life, he understands the importance of life away from basketball. His confidence level has risen as a person. His self-esteem is totally different. I think Randa Ryan (Associate AD/Academic Services) played a huge role with him. Not only did she work with him academically, but she also worked with him in other areas. The word for it all is maturity.

Q: What do you expect from P.J. on the court?
A: He is highly motivated. You can use any word you want to describe how he felt last year - embarassed, humiliated ‹ but he didn't hide from it. He had to walk across campus every day and felt like all eyes were upon him in not such a good way, but he'd tell you that people were good to him. He'd tell you that he let a lot of people down, probably himself and his family more than anyone. But he has taken that negative and turned it into a positive. He has been willing to expand his game in ways that he needs to in order to play at the level he wants to one day.

Q: Can you put a price tag on what P.J. brings as far as toughness to the team?
A: That is a lot of what we lost when he went out last year. If you ask our guys in the locker room, they'd all tell you that P.J. Tucker is not backing off anyone when the game is on. Take a look at the second half of the last game he played a year ago (the home win against No. 5 Oklahoma State). He showed then what he is about. The question will be can he play at that level all the time?

Q: Brad Buckman really came on the final 11 games of last season. Can he carry that over to his senior year on a consistent basis?
A: I think Brad will have a great year this season. He was forced into the position where he had to produce for us last year, and he responded. Now we want him to think of himself as a "double-double" man. He needs to be a guy who can do that every night for us. It goes back to maturity. He has a great understanding now of what it takes to prepare himself to perform at a high level. Mentally is where he's made the most progress. He has had another phenomenal off-season. The greatest thing has been watching him come in as a freshman and grow in so many different ways.

Q: LaMarcus Aldridge was just showing signs of turning the light switch on when he went down with his injury. How did he handle that situation and what lies in front of him?
A: First, people should know that he tried everything he could to come back to try to help the team. From the time that we knew his season was over with, he became relentless in his approach to rehabilitation and his commitment to do everything he could at that time to improve his skill level. He is mature beyond his years and understands the work he needs to put in to get where he wants to. When I think about LaMarcus, I can't help but smile.

Q: One of the positives from last year was the increase in playing time for both Mike Williams and Dion Dowell. How do you see their development?
A: The biggest thing they both found out was that it was tougher than they thought. They realized how hard minutes are to come by. Both of those guys learned how much they had to improve physically, and they've worked a ton to do just that.

Q: What does Connor Atchley bring to the table?
A: When he comes on the floor, Connor is a guy who can step out and really shoot the ball and can give us a different look. He's another guy who has made tremendous strides, and it goes back to how hard he has worked.

Q: What excites you and what concerns you about your backcourt this season?
A: I'd love to see Kenton stay healthy for a full year. He's had some big moments for us and shown he's capable. J.D. obviously is an excellent shooter and we love his knowledge of the game. He's great at moving without the ball. A.J. does so many things well, whether it be handling the ball, passing or shooting. Craig will find his way on the court, simply because he is such a tenacious player who can really guard the ball. We'll have different ways we can play.

From texassports.com

Sounds good to me.