mookie2001
10-13-2007, 09:46 PM
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On Gary Johnson being cleared to practice:
I'm excited about the fact that he had been cleared to practice, and he looks good. He hasn't disappointed us at all in what we thought we recruited. Like the statement said, at a later date and time, the decision will be made about when he can play. He has been doing what everybody else has been doing. He has gone through everything from what Todd [Wright] does with him in the weight room and what we've done upstairs. He's one of those guys who puts in a lot of time on his own. He's really looked up to D.J. [Augustin] and Justin Mason, two guys who are here all the time. He's been smart in the fact that he's attached to those guys. He's put a lot of work in above and beyond what he does with us.
On what Gary Johnson can bring to the team:
A lot. He's very tenacious in the way he plays on both ends. With the ball, he's always had a great knack to score. Defensively, like most guys coming in, he'll have to learn how to do that more efficiently than he is right now. He'll rebound as well. He'll find a way, because like I've said all along coming in, he's one of the hardest playing high school kids I'd ever seen for a long time. He's very competitive.
On Gary Johnson's status and how he affects the team:
There's no doubt a year ago, we played with five perimeter players. If it happens with Gary, Damion [James], he, and the three we started last year, Justin [Mason], D.J. [Augustin] and A.J. [Abrams], that group can play. Or we can go the other way. We obviously have more depth than we've had in a long time with our front line. But that group can be a group that is on the floor.
On the off-season:
My impressions are that we've had a good off-season with our guys. I think they all have gotten better, but obviously some more than others. I think Justin Mason and D.J. [Augustin] have done a tremendous job getting themselves in great physical shape and both have changed their bodies a lot. I think that Damion [James] has really worked hard and he's a better player now than he was the last time you saw him. I think that goes for everybody on the team. We've had a really good off-season and now we have to put it all together and see what we can do with it.
On Dexter Pittman:
Dexter has changed more than anybody I have probably ever coached. He's having some problems right now with a foot problem, and we're not sure if he'll be ready to go tomorrow or not. He had a great off-season and he's a person we have to make sure we get him totally healthy. We think that he will be a factor. We don't look at conditioning as being a problem, but it's him continuing to learn to play the way we want him to play. He's been a good guy to coach, and he's done everything we've asked him to. He'll figure out what he has to do to help us.
On what he has seen in Dexter so far:
He's aggressive, hard-nosed and a really good shot blocker. He'll continue to get better offensively, but he will help us a lot because of the fact that he's very tenacious in the way he defends. Like I've said all along, I expect this team to be a better defensive team than we have been in the past couple of years. I think we will be a better rebounding team. With those two things on my mind, I think that goes right down his alley because those are two things he can really help us with.
On the identity of this year's team:
I don't know, I think that is a good question about whether there is an identity or an attitude that we play with. A year ago at this time, we weren't sure what we were going to have either. We knew Kevin [Durant] was going to be a big part of it and obviously D.J. [Augustin] as well. But one thing D.J. Augustin has become is a kind of leader that you want a point guard to be. I think he had a great summer and I think we owe a lot to our former players that came back, particularly T.J. Ford and Royal Ivey. Royal was here all summer and had a great influence on Justin and D.J.. T.J. Ford did a great job making D.J. understand how he has to talk and communicate. And once T.J. is around, he is going to dominate that most of the time, but once he left, D.J. was a different person. You walk in the gym right now, and there is no doubt who the leader is if you listen to him.
On D.J. Augustin's Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year award:
I'm not big into preseason picks, polls, or any of that. I can't imagine anyone working any harder than he worked in the off-season. It's great for him, and everything that comes his way he deserves with how hard he works. But he also knows that he hasn't done anything this year. He had a great year last year and he established himself as one of the best point guards in the country. I think he's looked at that way. I wouldn't trade him for anybody. But he knows he has to go back and do it better than he did a year ago.
On Dogus Balbay accompanying D.J. Augustin in the backcourt:
He's having problems with his knee right now and we're not sure what his status is. Dogus obviously can help us, but because of where he is right now, we're not sure because he won't be ready to go tomorrow. If not, we'll find a way to do it some other way. But D.J. is totally different than he was a year ago. He definitely got tired at the end of last year. He can play every minute of every game this year and I will tell you this, he won't be tired at the end of the year this year. He's a different player with a different mind set and his conditioning is at a totally different level. I think all those guys that played the minutes will tell you that they will play a little different in terms of knowing what is in front of them and learning from what they went through a year ago.
On A.J. Abrams:
I think a year ago, there was a lot of talk about Kevin [Durant], which he deserved, and D.J., which he deserved as well. Quietly, A.J. put together a great sophomore year. People have asked the question, "What is it going to be like when people try to take him out of the game and approach and scout him differently?" I can tell you this, a year ago a lot of teams went into games and he was the guy they tried to stop. A.J. is one of the smartest players that we have coached. He knows how to move with the ball and without the ball. He has worked really hard doing some other things and adding to his game when he has the ball. We need a big year out of him and there is no reason for us not to get it. He has been here two years and he's a guy that overall, had the best post-season tournament last year in terms of where we were. He did a great job in the post-season.
On the things A.J. has worked on over the summer:
He has worked on his mid-range shot and finishing better and he's gotten better. But he's gotten better every year, and as coaches I think that is what you're looking for. You're looking for guys that add something each year to what they do, and he's done that. Like I said, he's smart and A.J. goes about his business in a workmanlike way, doesn't waste much time and he's willing to put time in the gym.
On Justin Mason:
His body has changed. He got too heavy at the end of last year and his weight got up and wasn't as explosive as he should've and could've been. From where he was at the end of last year, I think he finished up last year around 210 pounds or somewhere in that area and he's down to about 190 right now. The explosiveness is definitely back. It is the same with Damion [James]. He has leaned out and got it down. I think both of those guys are more athletic than they were a year ago. I think that was our fault letting them put on a little bit too much weight when we tapered back last year, which we did a lot, because of not playing a lot of people. I think Justin has learned how to eat as well. I think he has learned how to take care of himself better away from the court and Damion has too. Justin has spent a lot of time shooting the basketball. I think he'll be much more aggressive with the ball. He's a guy who has to go out every night like Royal Ivey, who spent a lot of time with him, and be the lockdown defender. He's got to be the guy, in most situations, to guard the other team's best perimeter player. He's going to be asked to do a little bit of everything, and he can do it too. Because again, he's got himself in great shape and he's been through it, so he knows what he has to do to get through this year.
On Damion James' weight:
He is a bit lighter and leaner. A couple of weeks ago, he was up to about 235 pounds and we felt like he didn't have the bounce that he needed. So in the last two to three weeks, he's probably dropped about 10 or 12 pounds. He's better for it and he looks better. He told me when we were talking the other day that he feels so much better and more athletic. What he doesn't know is I'm going to make him lose 10 more, but we'll see what that does for him. We know that he can get fat, he has proven that.
On Matt Hill's health:
He came back and still had some problems with his left foot and I don't think he will be ready to go probably either. We're going to slowly work him back in it and we'll see. He's really done a good job with the fact that he hasn't been able to play, and he hasn't played since the season was over last year. But he has spent a lot of time on some skill work that he has been able to do and he's improved that way. But again, we'll just have to work him back in it and see what happens.
On Connor Atchley:
He's a guy who has been on my mind a lot lately because Connor is a lot better than he thinks he is and someway, somehow we've got to get him thinking that way. Connor works really hard and he has an understanding of what we want him to do, but he needs to get out of the box a little bit. He's more than a guy who thinks he has to make jump shots. He's more athletic than he probably gives himself credit for. I think the real challenge for him is that he sees himself differently and to not be so hard on himself. He really wants to please, which sometimes can be a detriment to the way you play. He's been here now long enough to where I want to see him be everything he can be. He plays hard and he works hard, and he does all of that. When you put the time in and do the things that he does, he needs to now let it go. If he makes a mistake, then he makes a mistake, we all do. You can't let that mistake compound into another one.
http://wwww.texassports.com/image_lib/barnes_rick_101306_300.jpghttp://wwww.texassports.com/image_lib/pixel.gif
On Gary Johnson being cleared to practice:
I'm excited about the fact that he had been cleared to practice, and he looks good. He hasn't disappointed us at all in what we thought we recruited. Like the statement said, at a later date and time, the decision will be made about when he can play. He has been doing what everybody else has been doing. He has gone through everything from what Todd [Wright] does with him in the weight room and what we've done upstairs. He's one of those guys who puts in a lot of time on his own. He's really looked up to D.J. [Augustin] and Justin Mason, two guys who are here all the time. He's been smart in the fact that he's attached to those guys. He's put a lot of work in above and beyond what he does with us.
On what Gary Johnson can bring to the team:
A lot. He's very tenacious in the way he plays on both ends. With the ball, he's always had a great knack to score. Defensively, like most guys coming in, he'll have to learn how to do that more efficiently than he is right now. He'll rebound as well. He'll find a way, because like I've said all along coming in, he's one of the hardest playing high school kids I'd ever seen for a long time. He's very competitive.
On Gary Johnson's status and how he affects the team:
There's no doubt a year ago, we played with five perimeter players. If it happens with Gary, Damion [James], he, and the three we started last year, Justin [Mason], D.J. [Augustin] and A.J. [Abrams], that group can play. Or we can go the other way. We obviously have more depth than we've had in a long time with our front line. But that group can be a group that is on the floor.
On the off-season:
My impressions are that we've had a good off-season with our guys. I think they all have gotten better, but obviously some more than others. I think Justin Mason and D.J. [Augustin] have done a tremendous job getting themselves in great physical shape and both have changed their bodies a lot. I think that Damion [James] has really worked hard and he's a better player now than he was the last time you saw him. I think that goes for everybody on the team. We've had a really good off-season and now we have to put it all together and see what we can do with it.
On Dexter Pittman:
Dexter has changed more than anybody I have probably ever coached. He's having some problems right now with a foot problem, and we're not sure if he'll be ready to go tomorrow or not. He had a great off-season and he's a person we have to make sure we get him totally healthy. We think that he will be a factor. We don't look at conditioning as being a problem, but it's him continuing to learn to play the way we want him to play. He's been a good guy to coach, and he's done everything we've asked him to. He'll figure out what he has to do to help us.
On what he has seen in Dexter so far:
He's aggressive, hard-nosed and a really good shot blocker. He'll continue to get better offensively, but he will help us a lot because of the fact that he's very tenacious in the way he defends. Like I've said all along, I expect this team to be a better defensive team than we have been in the past couple of years. I think we will be a better rebounding team. With those two things on my mind, I think that goes right down his alley because those are two things he can really help us with.
On the identity of this year's team:
I don't know, I think that is a good question about whether there is an identity or an attitude that we play with. A year ago at this time, we weren't sure what we were going to have either. We knew Kevin [Durant] was going to be a big part of it and obviously D.J. [Augustin] as well. But one thing D.J. Augustin has become is a kind of leader that you want a point guard to be. I think he had a great summer and I think we owe a lot to our former players that came back, particularly T.J. Ford and Royal Ivey. Royal was here all summer and had a great influence on Justin and D.J.. T.J. Ford did a great job making D.J. understand how he has to talk and communicate. And once T.J. is around, he is going to dominate that most of the time, but once he left, D.J. was a different person. You walk in the gym right now, and there is no doubt who the leader is if you listen to him.
On D.J. Augustin's Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year award:
I'm not big into preseason picks, polls, or any of that. I can't imagine anyone working any harder than he worked in the off-season. It's great for him, and everything that comes his way he deserves with how hard he works. But he also knows that he hasn't done anything this year. He had a great year last year and he established himself as one of the best point guards in the country. I think he's looked at that way. I wouldn't trade him for anybody. But he knows he has to go back and do it better than he did a year ago.
On Dogus Balbay accompanying D.J. Augustin in the backcourt:
He's having problems with his knee right now and we're not sure what his status is. Dogus obviously can help us, but because of where he is right now, we're not sure because he won't be ready to go tomorrow. If not, we'll find a way to do it some other way. But D.J. is totally different than he was a year ago. He definitely got tired at the end of last year. He can play every minute of every game this year and I will tell you this, he won't be tired at the end of the year this year. He's a different player with a different mind set and his conditioning is at a totally different level. I think all those guys that played the minutes will tell you that they will play a little different in terms of knowing what is in front of them and learning from what they went through a year ago.
On A.J. Abrams:
I think a year ago, there was a lot of talk about Kevin [Durant], which he deserved, and D.J., which he deserved as well. Quietly, A.J. put together a great sophomore year. People have asked the question, "What is it going to be like when people try to take him out of the game and approach and scout him differently?" I can tell you this, a year ago a lot of teams went into games and he was the guy they tried to stop. A.J. is one of the smartest players that we have coached. He knows how to move with the ball and without the ball. He has worked really hard doing some other things and adding to his game when he has the ball. We need a big year out of him and there is no reason for us not to get it. He has been here two years and he's a guy that overall, had the best post-season tournament last year in terms of where we were. He did a great job in the post-season.
On the things A.J. has worked on over the summer:
He has worked on his mid-range shot and finishing better and he's gotten better. But he's gotten better every year, and as coaches I think that is what you're looking for. You're looking for guys that add something each year to what they do, and he's done that. Like I said, he's smart and A.J. goes about his business in a workmanlike way, doesn't waste much time and he's willing to put time in the gym.
On Justin Mason:
His body has changed. He got too heavy at the end of last year and his weight got up and wasn't as explosive as he should've and could've been. From where he was at the end of last year, I think he finished up last year around 210 pounds or somewhere in that area and he's down to about 190 right now. The explosiveness is definitely back. It is the same with Damion [James]. He has leaned out and got it down. I think both of those guys are more athletic than they were a year ago. I think that was our fault letting them put on a little bit too much weight when we tapered back last year, which we did a lot, because of not playing a lot of people. I think Justin has learned how to eat as well. I think he has learned how to take care of himself better away from the court and Damion has too. Justin has spent a lot of time shooting the basketball. I think he'll be much more aggressive with the ball. He's a guy who has to go out every night like Royal Ivey, who spent a lot of time with him, and be the lockdown defender. He's got to be the guy, in most situations, to guard the other team's best perimeter player. He's going to be asked to do a little bit of everything, and he can do it too. Because again, he's got himself in great shape and he's been through it, so he knows what he has to do to get through this year.
On Damion James' weight:
He is a bit lighter and leaner. A couple of weeks ago, he was up to about 235 pounds and we felt like he didn't have the bounce that he needed. So in the last two to three weeks, he's probably dropped about 10 or 12 pounds. He's better for it and he looks better. He told me when we were talking the other day that he feels so much better and more athletic. What he doesn't know is I'm going to make him lose 10 more, but we'll see what that does for him. We know that he can get fat, he has proven that.
On Matt Hill's health:
He came back and still had some problems with his left foot and I don't think he will be ready to go probably either. We're going to slowly work him back in it and we'll see. He's really done a good job with the fact that he hasn't been able to play, and he hasn't played since the season was over last year. But he has spent a lot of time on some skill work that he has been able to do and he's improved that way. But again, we'll just have to work him back in it and see what happens.
On Connor Atchley:
He's a guy who has been on my mind a lot lately because Connor is a lot better than he thinks he is and someway, somehow we've got to get him thinking that way. Connor works really hard and he has an understanding of what we want him to do, but he needs to get out of the box a little bit. He's more than a guy who thinks he has to make jump shots. He's more athletic than he probably gives himself credit for. I think the real challenge for him is that he sees himself differently and to not be so hard on himself. He really wants to please, which sometimes can be a detriment to the way you play. He's been here now long enough to where I want to see him be everything he can be. He plays hard and he works hard, and he does all of that. When you put the time in and do the things that he does, he needs to now let it go. If he makes a mistake, then he makes a mistake, we all do. You can't let that mistake compound into another one.