INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 7, 2022

Kaleb Banks

Press Conference

Q. Kaleb, curious about how you're adapting and just kind of the front court battles with Malik and some of the other guys?

KALEB BANKS: I think I'm coming long pretty well. Just getting adjusted to everything. Battling with those guys is definitely making me a better player and I'll just continue to learn.

Q. As far as your ability to stretch the floor and your shot and be kind of a modern forward, is that like your ability to shoot, is that something you've always had since you were a kid? Is there someone that kind of first taught you how to shoot or is that something that you had to develop more recently?

KALEB BANKS: A little bit of both. I could shoot a little bit but I'm developing more and more. I'm becoming more consistent with my three-point shot and it's helping me along. I understand, the new age forward, that's something that has to do with it, too, being able to shoot pretty good.

Q. I know it's early and this stuff can only be so organized, but when you were recruited, you said that Coach Woodson viewed you as a threat. Is that how he views you at this point? Are you operating as a perimeter guy, stretch four, to the extent that you're even in a position yet, how are you operating?

KALEB BANKS: He still views me as a three. During the scrimmage, I still play at the 3-spot. Pretty much I'm still viewed as a three.

Q. The State of Georgia has produced a lot of top college talent that's gone to the NBA in recent years. How do you think that high-level competition has prepared you for the college game?

KALEB BANKS: It prepared me pretty well, playing guys like Jabari, Scooter Henderson. It's playing tough guys like that and having touch matchups that prepare me pretty well. And myself, I'm representing Georgia as myself to Indiana.

Q. I wanted to ask you quickly, you had your success at Georgia, what are some of your pieces of your game that you want to transfer into your freshman year and stabilize here at Indiana?

KALEB BANKS: Definitely my shooting, being able to spread the floor, my versatility, being able to take the ball up, being able to rebound, going coast to coast. Making plays and getting my teammates over and getting my teammates involved and doing the things the coaches want me to, whatever I can bring to the table.

Q. Curious now that you've been on campus for a month and practicing against a really high-level, elite team, are there adjustments to your game that you had to make to really kind of make it work at this level so far?

KALEB BANKS: So far, I've had to adjust my defense, just being more locked in on defense. I understand the defensive principles that Coach wanted me to learn and staying ready, locked in on defense, really, on the defensive side.

Q. Coming in, everyone has expectations and I'm sure you do. What were your expectations of the team, Trayce Jackson-Davis, you have him and Race coming back and all the names that you knew were going to be here. What were your expectations of where you would fit in, and fighting for a starting job, how is it going?

KALEB BANKS: Coming in, I expected us to have a pretty good team. I knew this it was going to be competitive during practices, fighting for the starter spot, the three spot is really competitive.

So far, everything was as I expected. I expected Trayce to be a beast and Race to be able to be a beast as well. So far, I expected everything.

Q. I noticed on social media you've been spending some time off the court with Coach Marshall. What's your relationship with him, and what kind of things have you been able to do off the court and what's your relationship like with the other freshmen? Did you know them well coming in and how has your relationship grown over the last month or so?

KALEB BANKS: My relationship with Coach Marshall, it's grown. We spent a lot of time together with the weight room but also a lot of time off the court. We'll go fishing. He took me to the fair one time and other stuff like that.

With the other freshmen, I spend the majority of my day with them. We always hang out before practice, after practice, in the locker room playing a game together, things like that. So we've grown -- we've just grown as a group, all four just grown as a group. It's good.

Q. You just mentioned your defense, I wanted to see if you could elaborate on where you had to get better, basically what's different, the kind of guys that you're defending and what you have to maybe keep them in front of, more guards, more forwards, or what exactly you've had to adjust to defensively? And the other thing I remember talking to your high school coaching when you committed, they said one thing you were just learning to do at that point was, one, know how good you are and how much skill you had, and how you could -- figuring out basically how you would impose your will, basically, and putting your skill set and size together to dominate people. Wonder how you thought you've progressed with that in your senior year and how you've done with that going forward?

KALEB BANKS: First question, basically the physicality and the speed of the game, I had to really adjust from that going from high school to Indiana.

The second question, can you repeat the second question again?

Q. One of the things they said at the time was that you didn't know how good you were, you had a lot of skill set and a lot of guys and just basically getting used to being the guy and the guy that everyone is putting their scouting report around, basically, but also knowing that you have a lot of size and a lot of skill and you can basically dominate people and learning what all you're capable of, learning how to use all the weapons you have offensively?

KALEB BANKS: I mean, I'm still learning how good I am. I still think I've got a lot of potential for me to reach. My coach did a have a good point, a lot of the game plan is scouting around me. I just try to do the best I can do with it.

I feel like the more I work out with these guys and the more I play with these guys, I'm liking my full potential more and more every day, so I think it's helping me with that.

Q. I guess taking a step back, college life in general, a month on campus, what have been the big adjustments from you just living way from home and that sort of stuff?

KALEB BANKS: I mean, it's been a big adjustment. I went to a regular high school. Longest I've been not being at home. I think I'm adjusting pretty well. I wake up every day, work out, be in the gym majority of the day, go back home, go to sleep and just come back the next day, get ready to work out.

Q. You mentioned Jabari Smith, and obviously he just got drafted, but do you have any favorite memories or moments that stick out either playing with or against him?

KALEB BANKS: I mean, our schools were rivalries, so going against his school is good memories. I worked out with him a couple of times. That was pretty good memories, too.

Q. Coming in as a freshman, as well, there's more -- there's the adjustment, you've talked about that a lot but also the learning, the guys that are already here know what Coach Woodson is looking for. How difficult is it being one of the new guys that doesn't know everything on offense and defense when everyone else does?

KALEB BANKS: I mean, it's pretty difficult, but I can say my older teammate have helped me out, given me little pointers, every time I make a mistake or tell me beforehand what to do and how to do it. They help me out with that but it is pretty difficult coming in, not knowing what to expect.

Q. You motioned Coach Marshall. How much have you seen improvements just for yourself personally in the time working with him?

KALEB BANKS: So far, I've seen pretty good improvements. I went from 200 to 215 so far. Feel like I'm getting stronger in the weight room. So I think I am progressing well.

Q. You mentioned earlier you spend the most time with your fellow freshmen. Curious if one by one you could tell me your impressions in terms of the games of CJ, Jalen and Malik?

KALEB BANKS: Start out with CJ. CJ, he's a good player. He's like a really good shooter. So I know I can count on him to knock a shot down. Jalen he's a good point guard, good facilitator and good leader. He's already shown good leadership skills.

Malik, he's a beast overall. He's really good at attacking the basket and getting his teammates involved and stuff like that. We all four get in together -- we all four are real tight.