UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 15, 2004

Tommy Amaker

COACH AMAKER: First of all, thanks for coming. Welcome, everyone, to the start of our basketball season. We appreciate you being here. I think you're going to have a wonderful time interacting with our players. I really believe that some of you who have been involved with our guys this past year, a couple years now, I think you've seen that they're pretty interesting guys, and I'm very proud of them, very proud to be their coach. I think as we start this season, we're very optimistic about where we are and hopefully where we're headed. I think coming off of a successful year for us this past year, in a lot of ways, and certainly we want it to be more successful as we continue to climb the ladder, but we're very optimistic, optimistic about this season, we're very hopeful. I think we've had a very solid work ethic this summer, obviously sttarting into the school year. I think as you look at our schedule, it's going to be very challenging right away for us. I think we're going to get tested, I mean, right out of the blocks, being in the pre-season, NIT. So I think there are a lot of things when you start to look at points for our program, I think there's optimism and there's hope. I think when you have those two elements in any endeavor you take on, I think that's a very good feeling. I think we deserve to have that. I think it's one thing to say you have it and you want it, but to have a program and to have the guys in the program that are deserving of that type of optimism and hope. So as you go on and look at our schedule, as I said, it's very challenging for us. I think as we open up the year, big opportunities when you look at big challenges, and we're looking at that as the case. Huge opportunities for our team. I've been asked this a lot, talked about it in different pre-season basketball magazines, articles, some of you have asked me in terms of expectations. Being it's an election year, we stay on message, is that we've always talked about expectations versus standards. So whatever the expectations others may have of us, maybe some of you or questions that you may think of, you can rest assured that our standard is always higher, or as high as any expectation anyone could place on us. We've always used that, thought of that word "expectation" as an external word. We don't go by any external words for our basketball program. We go by the internal word, and that word is "standard." I know that's something that seems like it's a common thing that I've been hearing a lot of, the expectations of our season, of our program. But I think when you have those kinds of things that are thrust upon you, you have to feel good about it because people are certainly wanting or thinking or expecting good things. I think as we have kind of gone through the growth of our program, those are very positive things for us, to be thought of in a positive manner. Again, I thank you for being here. I think we're going to have a great group of kids to work with. I think you're going to enjoy that, as well. I'm looking forward to coaching them.

COACH AMAKER: Well, certainly we're going to try to utilize any and everything at our disposal to become a championship program. We've done that in the NIT this past season. As you'll probably get a feeling talking with our players today, we're proud of that accomplishment, proud that we had a chance to hang a banner. Any time you can hang a banner in your arena, you have to be very proud of the significant achievement. But as we've told our players, the only way that we're going to become better is that we utilize it in the proper perspective, proper way. We think utilizing it to make us work harder in the summer, to work better, to work harder and smarter in the fall, the pre-season. I like to think that we've tried to utilize it as best as we can. I don't know what the trend is. I don't know if those teams that won the NIT going into the next year were highly ranked or picked to win the Big-10, any of those things I don't know. But I do think we have a solid nucleus of guys that are going to work hard and are going to stick to our identity and I think are going to play with a passion and pride they've shown thus far.

COACH AMAKER: Very good question. I think when you look at the player we lost in terms of a significant player that played a number of minutes, we lost Colin Dill, we lost Bernard Robinson. We lost two seniors, we lost two captains. Certainly with Robinson, who our players had a chance to watch, they saw his first pre-season game last night, he supposedly did pretty well. I don't know what channel that was. I don't know. But they seem to have all the channels, figure those things out (laughter). They saw him play, thought he played very well. Commenting as they were in the weight room working out today how he was doing a lot of the same things, which was 10 points, 7 rebounds, I think, maybe 4 or 5 rebounds, 3 or 4 assists. He was an all-around player. It made me think that for our current team, that Bernard was such a catch-all, do-it-all player for our ballclub. That means certainly on the other end of the floor, he was our best defender on the perimeter. Even though we return with a majority of our team, we're losing an integral, key component. I think he allowed all the players to stay in a very natural comfort zone or level. That's a concern for us. Are we going to be able to grow and to be able to expand? I think we've gotten stronger. Now, is that going to make us a better basketball team? We have yet to see that. So I think some of the growth areas, I'm hoping we can become more consistent. I thought Bernard was a very consistent player. He and Lester Abram were probably our most consistent players this past year. Well, we need to become a consistent basketball team. I'm hoping that we can show the maturity where we're not going to be careless and silly with the basketball as I thought we were this past year. I thought that was a function of somewhat being young and youthful. We're no longer young. We've mentioned that to our players. We think we have a veteran team. We hope we're going to conduct ourselves and play in a manner that you would expect of a veteran ballclub.

COACH AMAKER: Well, we won 23 games. We won a national tournament. I thought when you look at making us a more successful team this year, we like to think we want to become more consistent, I think we know that internally more so than what others will see externally. I think sometimes obviously we just look at numbers and scores, kind of make some assessments based on that. But if we can become a more consistent basketball team, I thought we -- I don't know what our record was here at home, but we were very proud of having a very solid season here in Chrysler with outstanding fan support. We want to make sure every time we step on this floor here, we take an incredible amount of pride in defending our home court. I think with 16-3, extra games because of the NIT, but a fairly strong performance there from our team. If we can be consistent and we can get better on the road, I think that's an area you see a lot of growth and improvement in a ballclub and a program, which is incredibly difficult in this conference. I'm sure every coach would say it about their respective conferences. We're hoping we can become a better road team. I think you need leadership, you need maturity, you need toughness, you need to be good, and you probably need to be a little lucky to have a good road record. But we're not going -- every game is not going to be here in our home arena. Some of those areas, consistency, being away from home, taking care of home, I'm hoping that we can show we've grown in those areas to accomplish those goals.

COACH AMAKER: It's a standard that only we talk about. I know making the NCAA tournament is certainly a sign of achievement. I think everyone from the outside -- I think that's probably a fair analysis of us and our program, is that, Are we going to be an NCAA tournament team? It's just like every other ballclub right now that's starting up tonight or tomorrow, everyone has the dream of being in March Madness. Certainly we're no different. We said that a year ago when we found out we were eligible for post-season, that we could have the same dream as everyone else. I'm sure all of our players will certainly tell you that a dream of ours is to be like everyone else at the end of the season, to be involved in that, to go as far as we can. But certainly that is a level of expectation, I would think, from the outside looking at our ballclub. And, as I said, our standards are as high or higher than that.

COACH AMAKER: Well, I've been told this, and I didn't think of it this way, but I guess this is our first year. These are all the players in terms of our staff that has completely recruited and that we're going to coach. I like to think in a lot of ways, even with previous teams and previous players here under our guidance, we've been able to implement an identity, implement a style, implement a system that is fun to play and entertaining to watch and successful and works and wins, doing that hopefully in a first-class manner. I'm hoping that as we talk about our identity and our implementing our way, I'm hoping we're down the road on that. But, you know, maybe this being the first year of having completely all of our players, maybe there's some difference to be seen yet.

COACH AMAKER: You know what, we have our three captains that were voted at the end of this past year at our banquet, as you know, emceeing it for us. Our banquet, we had Graham Brown was voted one our captains, Lester Abram was voted one of our captains, and Sherrod Harrell was voted as one of our captains. We think our team is in great hands when it comes to leadership. I think those were outstanding selections by the returning players to vote and decide who they thought should be the leaders and captains of their team. But I also think we're going to have other leaders. May not have a captain's title, but I think we have other leaders on the team. I think Daniel Horton is going to be one of those, I expect him to be. I expect him to be a vocal leader, I expect him to be a guy on the floor that's certainly going to be out there a lot for us. I suspect him to take command of that. He's a junior. I expect a guy like Dion Harris, he's a sophomore, I expect him to raise his level in that regard, in his own way, within his own identity. But I expect those players to emerge in that category. I think we'll see that out of those two kids. But also the three captains I think will exert their leadership, as well.

COACH AMAKER: You know, personally I think the best recipe for Daniel was the way that he finished. I thought he finished the season on an incredibly high note with the NIT, us winning that, winning five games in a row, and Daniel being voted the MVP of the NIT. I think there's nothing greater than you can have that as a feel good, as an ending of how you finished it up. Now that should hopefully allow to you have some enthusiasm and energy and confidence going into the summer. I think he's worked extremely hard this summer. I think he'll be the first to tell you he's probably worked harder this summer than he has in previous summers. Obviously, part of that is how he finished, he felt great about it, but also he may have also felt he didn't play as consistently as he is capable of or that he wanted to throughout this past year.

COACH AMAKER: Well, I think Daniel, when we look at Daniel, areas for our ballclub, we talked about leadership. We want to see him more of a vocal leader for our team. We need him to quarterback our team. We need him to defend the ball, and we need Daniel to score. I think as he quarterbacks our team, I'm hoping that his assist-to-turnover ratio is going to be better than it was a year ago. I think he'll be the first to tell you that he needs to shore that up or improve in that category. I think he's a player that didn't score as well this past year because we added some responsibilities, may not have needed him to score as much as he did his freshman year because of different players and a different team. So I think his overall game, I think he wants to be a complete player. We think he's capable of being one of the better guards in our conference. Certainly if you're that, you can be one of the better guards in the country.

COACH AMAKER: I like to think that we have. I mean, I think kids like Bernard Robinson in the past, they were a part of this. No way to make it sound like we're going to be different. I mean, I like to think what we did last year, two years ago when we weren't eligible for post-season, how we played in stretches, that we implemented a style here, it started with defense. I thought we played with an incredible amount of passion. I thought our players had a blue-collar identity, an attitude. I think that they know that. They recognize that. They're successful in that way. I think we've implemented a style that they enjoy playing in our system, which is up-tempo, fast-paced type of basketball, pressure defense. I think they really are attracted to that - at least we're hoping that. I think it's important that your players enjoy the way that they play, the way that you want them to play. And I'm hoping that if you ask them those questions, they would feel that way.

COACH AMAKER: You know, I've been very pleased, and if some ways, not to say this to slight him, but in some ways impressed. Sometimes when you say you're impressed, you may have thought less of a person, so now you're impressed. I was never thinking less of him. I've been incredibly pleased and in some ways impressed with the way he's handled things thus far. Everywhere I've been, whether it's been on campus, the summer bridge program, academics, advisors, our strength coach, our trainers, this has been a young man that has shown maturity beyond his years in terms of his way of conducting himself. Now we're starting basketball, he hasn't shown that he's a freshman in that regard. He hasn't been loose. I mean, he's been organized. He's been mature in that way. So I'm hoping that we're going to see a mature player. I think Ronnie is 6'5" and a half, 6'6", he's strong, he shoots the ball very well for a guy his size. He's an outstanding athlete. I think he's going to help us defensively. I think he's going to help us in the rebounding area. And I think he's going to give us an outside shooting touch as a player that's probably going to contribute I think in a lot of different ways, but certainly going play for us significant minutes.

COACH AMAKER: Well, we talked about with Courtney that it's two things. I think we talked about with Courtney that it's important, two words, the two 'R' words, rebound and run, rebound and run. You know, I think Courtney, he has great hands. I'm anxious to see -- he's added some strength and some weight. We're anxious to see, hopefully that doesn't slow him down or hinder his ability to run and to maneuver and be quick and agile. So certainly those things we're looking forward to working with, working with him in that regard. I think one of the keys for our team, and certainly for Courtney's improvement, if he can become a big-time rebounder, if he's going to be a big guy that can really sprint the floor.

COACH AMAKER: The tradition?

COACH AMAKER: I absolutely believe that they are. I think that it's one of the things that has been very important for us to host and to hold some of the alumni functions that we have and reunions. We've done that during the actual academic year. We do it in the fall. I think one of the reasons behind that decision, it's not so much -- one of the main reasons that our current players can witness former guys to return, and what it means to be a Michigan - sorry ladies - a Michigan Man. That's important for us. That's important for our current guys to see it. I don't just mean, you know, former players that come back who happen to have been great players or still are great players. I mean, to be able to witness different avenues in life that a lot of former Michigan basketball players have taken and are very, very successful, very positive, doing very well. To see how they come with their families, different things they're involved in, whether it's banking, business, real estate, graduate school, teaching, coaching, a lot of different avenues in life that our former players are involved in. It's important for our current guys to see that so when they become "a former guy," it's another form of teaching that this is what they're supposed to do as well.

COACH AMAKER: Well, one, I'm showing my age, I guess. That's the first thing I think about getting older in this business can make you feel really old. But I don't ever think about that in terms of my former playing days in that regard for our current guys. You know, they may catch something on Classic Sports. They'll get a big laugh out of things. Trust me, I hear about that, and probably deservedly so. But I think more importantly is to teach them, to teach our guys in whatever way that we can, to be a teacher. My mother was a school teacher. Still is. But she was a school teacher for 37 years. She's retired. Semi-retired. Can't get it out of her blood. But I view this, what we do, is teaching. To be one of their teachers, that's what is the most important thing. If I can somehow teach them through a laugh or a joke about when I played, then I'll take it.

COACH AMAKER: No, they don't notice. A lot of things I wish they would notice, but they don't notice (laughter).

COACH AMAKER: Well, you know, to be very honest, I see Lester, he's focused, he's consistent, he improves, he's dependable, he's reliable. I really think a guy like a Dion has more the capability and the aspects of his game to translate his game into a Bernard Robinson-like stat sheet. Lester was third team all conference, he's one of our captains this year. He was our leading scorer. He's been a terrific player for us. I anticipate and would have no reason to think any other way that he's going to improve this coming season. I do think with a guy like Dion, he has the ability to be a play-maker ala Bernard. He has the ability to score. We have to find someone -- we're going to search and see if we can find who's going to be that player that's going to take on that role of being a defensive stopper on the perimeter for us. Whether that's Lester, Daniel, Dion, I don't know, Ronnie Coleman. You know, I don't know. I don't know who's going to emerge in that regard. But I think we have a few guys that are anxious to try to wear that hat and that mantle. That's good for us because I think they're learning that those are good things, to be known as a good defensive player.

COACH AMAKER: I think we're pretty healthy. Graham was a little banged up this summer. He was in and out of a lot of different nagging types of things. But I think right now, going into the start of practice tomorrow, we should have a full slate of guys. I think Graham may be the only one that may not be a hundred percent, but I do anticipate, and haven't been told anything differently thus far, that he's going to be able to start out. But he may not be a hundred percent, he may not be able to do everything. I think everyone else is very healthy.

COACH AMAKER: You know, I was pleased with the summer of our program. In terms of picking out one or two guys, they did this or that... I was pleased with the summer of our program. I thought we had a lot of players involved in a lot of different things, in and out of basketball. I think it was a very productive summer for our guys. This is what this time is for. We don't have the ability to watch them play in pickup. The rules state that. We can only work with them up to four players at a time. But thus far we've been fairly pleased with their work ethic, their attention to detail. I think it's because we're not going to probably change a whole lot of things. I think they're comfortable with what they're doing. I think they like it. I think they're feeling good about themselves about how they played this last season. We're hoping we can have a lot of guys emerge and kind of surprise me in that way. Obviously, time will tell.

COACH AMAKER: I guess this is the first question we had about it, so I think that's the difference, to be very honest. Probably at the conclusion of our meeting here, we didn't have any questions surrounding that or dealing with that, so I think that's a huge step and a positive sign that, you know, we are just dealing with obviously questions and concerns and basketball-related topics for our team, our season. It's all things of optimism, of hope, expectations, standards, those kinds of things. I think in that regard, just in itself, it's incredibly positive for us that that is what we are dealing with for the most part. But then you had to ruin it, so (laughter).

COACH AMAKER: It feels great. Riding along with both questions, obviously it feels that we are not battling things that we have no control over, that we feel like we're at a disadvantage. We feel like we have the same opportunities as other programs. Again, that doesn't mean everything works out in your favor, but you feel like you're starting on a level playing field. Once we get the final call of getting all 13 opportunities, have scholarship opportunities, again, you don't necessarily have to have all 13 of them used, which at times we haven't done that in the past. But having the ability and the flexibility to make that choice, I think it's a really good thing.

COACH AMAKER: I'm looking for that, again, the stuff you just mentioned. I think, you know, the main thing, again, I say this in the utmost respect, you know, Brent brings energy. Sometimes a person that is an exciting type of player, that's one thing. I think we have some other guys that are potentially exciting players. But Brent Petway is an energizer. I think one of the things, Brent is a very intelligent player, as well. We've been very impressed with his ability to pass the basketball. He's a very good passer. He understands the game. He's not just a run-and-jump guy. But certainly when you see him and you see some of the things he's capable of doing, it's above and beyond what normal people do in that regard. It's exciting to see that. And I think he's one of the more popular players in the locker room and on our team from a fan perspective. But he brings energy. I mean, you see him not only dunk the basketball; he runs the floor, he's an incredible shot-blocker, he has great timing, he has quickness, he has very good peripheral vision, to be able to see things that we want to have players see things, especially defensively. Sometimes when we're playing different defenses, he has great quickness and anticipation. I see him as a basketball player that happens to be a phenomenal athlete. We like that about him. We love that about him. I think when you think about Brent, the first thing I think of is that he's an energizer, he brings energy. As a coach, you can ask any coach I'm sure around the country, any level of basketball, probably in any sport, in a team sport, how valuable it is having someone who can energize your team or bring energy to your team. You put a premium on that.

COACH AMAKER: You know, Chris was I think as integral a part of the run that we had at the end of the year as anyone. I guess he did get some notoriety and credit for it, but certainly having a healthy Chris Hunter really helped our basketball team. I think Chris, physically he's a little bigger. I think going into the summer was one of the goals, try to lift hard, build his body up, which he's done. But we anticipate Chris is going to be a player, he should be competing and fighting for a starting position. He's earned that. He's played well enough to think of himself in that way. That's certainly how we think of him.

COACH AMAKER: Graham?

COACH AMAKER: Well, I'm not going to work him in; he's going to be in. I mean, Graham is a player for us that has been invaluable for our team. I mean, he's a guy that is one of the most unselfish players we have on our team, in our program. And sometimes we think of being unselfish as just a player who gives up the basketball. But in terms of Graham, I mean, being unselfish to where he gives up his body to take charges, gives up his body to set screens for his teammates. He's one of the best help defenders we have in our program. He's one of the most unselfish kids I've had a chance to coach. He's tough. He's been a two-year starter. He's one of our captains. He understands, he knows what we want to have happen out there on the court. I mean, we need him healthy. But once he hopefully gets a hundred percent, Graham Brown is a player, he's carved out his niche and his identity. Pretty solid here.

COACH AMAKER: We want to be a veteran team. I'm hoping that we'll think of ourselves as a veteran team.

COACH AMAKER: I mean, I think if we happen to face those teams, then we have achieved some really good things. We talked to our guys, we don't talk about that part of it yet. We're talking about obviously the part of trying to get to a certain -- the part where you're speaking of. What I'm saying is if we're at that moment where we're facing that kind of competition, then we have achieved some of the earlier season, I wouldn't say goals, but we've been able to kind of get over some of the hurdles early, to put ourselves in a position for those types of challenges, those types of opportunity. But in terms of scheduling, I think you have to schedule for where you are and who you are. As we've hopefully gotten better each year with our program, maybe you'd like to see our schedule as improved, as well. Being in the pre-season NIT was an incredibly challenging field of teams. I mean, as you mentioned, Wake Forest, Providence, Arizona, George Washington, BCU, I mean Colorado, College of Charleston. I mean, we open up against a team, Binghamton, a team that has a professional prospect with a seven-foot center on their team. That is an outstanding field. To play that early against that level of competition, you know, it's going to be very interesting for us. I hope we're going to be up for that type of challenge/opportunity. Thank you.