|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
DIRECTV WOODEN LEGACY MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 13, 2014Mitch HendersonTIM SIMMONS: Our next coach is Mitch Henderson from Princeton on the line. COACH HENDERSON: How we doing? TIM SIMMONS: Is this Coach Henderson? COACH HENDERSON: Yes, it is. TIM SIMMONS: Coach, Tim Simmons. I'm the media operations coordinator for the DirectTV Wooden Legacy. Just like to get your thoughts on how pre‑season is going. Three days to start the regular season. COACH HENDERSON: Yeah. Pre‑season is going fine. Haven't lost a game yet, so we're excited about the opportunity to take the floor tomorrow. We open up here at home against Rider, which is a local rivalry for us. We're looking forward to take the floor together. I mean, I think we're ready to play, it's just more kind of being ready to win games. So of course we have a few games here before we get out to Anaheim, but we're really excited about getting out west. TIM SIMMONS: Out of what you've seen so far, what are the strengths of your team? Obviously we know Princeton is a well‑disciplined team. Runs a very much pattern offense. What are the strengths you seen so far and any concerns you might have? COACH HENDERSON: Well, we're playing our first few games without Denton Koon, who is a senior for us that has been out for a few weeks with a knee injury. It seems every year the last couple years we've played without someone we could count on for some scoring. I think we've adjusted nicely. We shoot the ball well. I think we have potential to be a good rebounding team. The question for us is sort of what kind of leap forward can we make defensively? Last year was one of our weakest defensive team in recent years, and I think we've made some big strategy in a the last couple weeks. You don't really know until you see another jersey. The closed scrimmages help, but don't give you all the information that you need. I think by the time we get to out to California I probably can answer that question a little better. Right now, you know, I'm optimistic. TIM SIMMONS: Who are some of your top players? You mentioned the one injured player. Who are some featured players? COACH HENDERSON: Hans Brase is a junior for us. He's played a significant amount of minutes and ends up being a tough matchup for people because he can shoot the ball so well from the outside. Led you us in rebounding last year. He's really just an above average passer. He just knows how to play the game. Had some really nice experiences this past summer with the German National team. Then Spencer Weisz, last year Rookie of the Year in the league. He's going to be a sophomore. I always joke that you wouldn't call him as a member of the all‑airport team. He doesn't look like your standard great player. But he really does get it all done. He is what I guess you would call a real high basketball IQ guy. He just knows how to get his hands on passes and just seems to do little things well. After that, we've got some real solid guys that have been with us for a few years: Ben Hazel, Clay Wilson; Steve Cook came off the bench for us last year. So I think at every position course we're solid. We like to say around here: Who are the Xs and who are the Os? I believe we got a pretty darn solid team. TIM SIMMONS: Any thoughts on your first‑round opponent UTEP? One of the top teams from Conference USA. COACH HENDERSON: Yeah, well we almost saw them last year. We ended up playing in the CVI, and we were going to play either UTEP or Fresno State. Ended up playing Fresno State. So knew a little bit about them last season. I think it's a very good team. Followed Coach Floyd pretty closely when I was out in Chicago for a few years when he was with the Bulls and of course Iowa State before then. I think the kid Washburn is a handful. They've got rebounding coming back. I just think it's a really good, very solid team. They run some sets that really get them easy baskets. So glad to have some preparation going into that game, because we're going to need it. TIM SIMMONS: Coach, any thoughts on the potential second round San Diego or Xavier? COACH HENDERSON: I don't knoweither team great, but I do know Coach Grier and Coach Mack. I just think overall the tournament is great, but I think any time you're preparing for somebody in just one day of preparation‑‑ you know, San Diego is very tough to prepare for, and of course Xavier the same thing. We know that it's sort of coach‑speak, right, to say one game at a time? We're hopeful to be playing on the winner side of that bracket. We always say teams have to guard us, too, so hopefully we're a tough matchup. TIM SIMMONS: Last question from me. Do you like the format? Obviously Princeton hasn't played in this type of format. Two games, off a day, and then a third game for the placement championship. Do you like the format? COACH HENDERSON: I love it. I absolutely love it. I think for us to get an opportunity to come out west, be in an area around Disney, be associated with Disney, ESPN, I just think the format, it's perfect. We are the first game out there, so the opportunity to play so many games in a few days, what else do you want? We love the format. The day off gives an opportunity for us to‑‑ we can bring some Princeton families out there with us and get a chance to spend some time with families while we're out there of course getting ready for the Sunday games, but we really like it. TIM SIMMONS: Any questions for Coach Mitch Henderson from Princeton? We had one person asking about social media, so I can ask it for him. Q. I can ask. I'm doing a story for Basketball Times about team camaraderie in a social media and smartphone era that we live in now. I was wondering if you feel those things have weakened the bonds among your players nowadays? Hoe do you combat that? COACH HENDERSON: I don't know if it's weakened, but it definitely the way people communicate. I do think that what it takes away from is face‑to‑face communication, which is, I think, a great way to build team and sort of direct communication when you're looking somebody right in the eye. I don't have any rules or try to combat it. I just try to tell the guys ‑‑ we talk often about when you really want it convey a message, you've got to do that in person. When you're asking somebody to go fight over a screen or go under a screen, you want those communications to be pretty direct. We work hard at talking. I wish I could say that they talk more, because they don't. If they're talking about a subject that they're studying they won't stop talking. But I think if you're just talking about on‑floor communication and team building, yeah, it can always be better. TIM SIMMONS: Any other questions for Coach Henderson? Well, Coach, good luck. Obviously you've got two games in three days, and then obviously we'll see you out in California in two weeks. Thank you very much for participating. COACH HENDERSON: Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|