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SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 6, 2012Steve FisherJ.J. O'BrienXavier ThamesCOACH FISHER: I will start with what's on everybody's mind, and that is the game with Syracuse on the USS Midway. The game has been moved, postponed. It's going to now be Sunday because of potential weather issues. Everybody that knows anything has put their heads together and say this is probably appropriate and give us almost a hundred percent certainty that there won't be weather issues. So it has been moved. I just found out about it a little while ago, an hour or two ago. But it's already out there. So it will be played at 1:00pm California time. It's on, and hopefully the weather will be like it is right now. So the game has been moved to Sunday. X and J.J. didn't know until 30 seconds ago. So I know that they're excited to play and would like to play them tonight if we could. We are very much looking forward to it. I thought we made progress in our second exhibition game, and now it's for real against a terrific, big, long, athletic team that's had awfully good success over the last number of years and we look forward to the opportunity to play them. Q. So, Coach, it's Sunday at 1:00 o'clock. You originally schedule to play a different team on Sunday; is that correct, or are my dates off? COACH FISHER: We were originally scheduled to play San Diego Christian. So now that game is being moved. Mr.Mike May is in the background and he can say yes, no, maybe. But it's my understanding that game has been moved to Tuesday. The game with San Diego Christian has been moved from Sunday to Tuesday. Q. Why the change of dates not just a change of venue to play the game at 5:00 Friday at a different venue? COACH FISHER: Why the change of what? Q. You're changing not only the venue but also the date. Why not just change the venue and play the game Friday night, the Syracuse game? I'm sorry? COACH FISHER: The purpose of the game is to play it on the Midway. So that's what we want to almost guarantee that we can have happen. So the only reason we're moving it from Friday to Sunday is to guarantee the fact that we're playing it on the Midway. Q. So the venue is not changing? COACH FISHER: No, no. If I said that, I didn't come across right. We're playing the game on the Midway, on the Midway. Everybody that's been out there has looked at the stands and the court and different things. A lot of it is up, but they say it looks absolutely spectacular. So we're very excited and looking forward to it. I think this is what we felt was in everyone's best interest to do what we're going to do. Q. Do you think that benefits you, Coach, having more time to prepare for Syracuse? COACH FISHER: Not really, not really. I mean, obviously more time to prepare. We're going to continue to work on what we've been working on, but we've been working on Syracuse for ten days in terms of doing things that we have to do. Again, it's not major changes in anything. We have to play. But we have to play against a very, very efficient zone defense, which most teams in America have trouble scoring on. So that will be our challenge. That and dealing with their size. Can we defend them with that size? Q. I know you don't have any control over the game time. But do you almost wish it would have stayed the way it was with the weather pending, of course? COACH FISHER: I do. I spoke with Jim Boeheim, so does he. We're sick. Everybody was anticipating Friday at 5:00, so that's what you get your head set on, but it's now going to be Sunday at 1:00, and we'll adjust to the fact that it's Sunday at 1:00. I know they and we will be ready to play and excited to play. Q. J.J., how has the transition been for you the past couple years playing in San Diego State? JJ O'BRIEN: The transition hasn't been too hard. It was two different styles of play from Utah to here. Sitting out last year was definitely different, but it allowed me to work on my game and be ready to play this year. So the transition was difficult sitting out, but it wasn't too hard to deal with. Q. How much do you learn sitting back and watching the game and watching a successful team produce? JJ O'BRIEN: You see it from a different perspective on the sideline. It's kind of like when you watch film versus watching it live. When you're sitting on the sideline, it's like watching film. You can see the players on the court don't see. So you learn things that way. But nothing beats playing and getting experience that way.  But sitting on the sidelines, you get a different perspective. Q. X, how comfortable are you going up against your two‑three zone in terms of the preparation you've done in the last ten days? XAVIER THAMES: We're very comfortable. Now we get extra time to work on it as well. But like coach said, we've been working on it for the past ten days. We're getting comfortable. I know the coaches will have us prepared for Sunday as well. Q. Syracuse doesn't usually venture out of the state of New York in their preconference, in fact, out of their own building. What are your thoughts about playing, other than the NCAA Tournament, one of the most high profile programs San Diego State has faced? Your thoughts on playing a Syracuse team like that? JJ O'BRIEN: We're definitely excited. Last year, the Classic was a big attraction to everybody. This year this is just as big. We're blessed to have this opportunity to play in it, and we're excited for it. To play against a big name like Syracuse, they're a good team and we're a good team too. It's going to be a good game. We're excited. Q. Is this the reason you came to San Diego State to play in games like this and be recognized this early in the season? JJ O'BRIEN: Yeah, definitely. Playing against them my freshman year was the worst. It sucked. But when I got a chance to transfer back, it was something I definitely considered. The big name, the big games, the crowd, the whole experience, that was definitely something I considered. Q. Even though they're moving the game to Sunday, is wind still going to be a little bit of a factor for an outside shooter like yourself and passing the ball. What do you do? Do you practice outside? XAVIER THAMES: Coach has something up his sleeve. We might go outside and shoot for a little bit, some things like that. But I'm sure, like I said, the coaching staff will have us prepared and we'll be all right. This is the game of basketball. We've been playing it our whole lives, so I'm sure we'll be okay. Q. Does it take you back to those days where you played outside as a kid? XAVIER THAMES: Yeah, it takes me back to the days when I played outside with my dad, windy Sacramento in the winter time, so I'll get back to the feel like I was a little kid again. Q. Most of the student body has been anticipating you guys playing for a few months now. But the football team is starting to take a little of your Thunder with their recent success. What have you thought as fellow coaches and fellow student‑athletes looking at their success? COACH FISHER: I'll go first on that. I want them to react because they're friends with a lot of the guys on the football team. Absolutely, we have never given thought to stealing our thunder. We are so proud of what Rocky Long and the football team have done, and we have been some of their strongest supporters. We're tremendously excited about what they've done, just as we are with other programs like Mike with the women's soccer team. They are legitimately good enough to win a National Championship. Our swimming and diving team is as good as there is. So we've got a lot to be excited about at San Diego State. We feel as if we're all capable of being good. When you have success, and when success goes in every direction, it's good for all of us. Good for all of us. It's good for not only the bottom line of getting extra bodies in those stands, but it's good for morale. It's good for recruiting. It's good for everything imaginable. So I'll let X answer. XAVIER THAMES: Here at San Diego State, we're all one big family. No matter what sport team it is, basketball, football, soccer, we all support each other. We're just all Aztecs, so that's what I was going to say. No stealing thunder or nothing like that.  We're all friends here. I'm just glad to be a part of this and the Aztec family and all the sports teams are doing good right now. It's a blessing. Q. J.J., you played Syracuse your freshman year, is that what you were talking about? JJ O'BRIEN: No, I didn't play Syracuse. Playing against San Diego State. Q. Coach, do you think that you've ever had this many options as far as your roster concerns, this many different combinations and this many different options of guys that all can play different positions and what not? COACH FISHER: This is the most depth that we've had in terms of quality. We've always had 12 or 13 on scholarship, but we've got a lot of guys that can play. The sticky‑wicket becomes when they're all so closely matched and there's not a lot of separation, then it's on me to say, okay, what combinations best work? And that combination may not be the same from game 1 to game 2. So the players have to understand that. They have to compete. But I think that if we'd all deal with it in an appropriate fashion, it should be really positive for us. They're all going to have to know that minutes won't be quite as many for anybody, and that's no disrespect. That should be a good thing rather than saying, okay, you've got to play 35 minutes, then we're going to be able to get you out and rest you for five minutes here and five minutes there. Q. Coach, X said you probably have something up your sleeve to deal with weather or wind or something like that. Will it affect what plays you can call and what things you can do, do you think? COACH FISHER: Playing outside when I was a kid, not when you were a kid, for sure not when he was a kid, they don't play outside. So I don't know what he's talking about in Sacramento playing outside in winter. I know he hasn't played outside very much. It will be different, for sure. For sure it will be different. I keep referencing last year. Michigan State was 2 for 22 from three‑point range. So Syracuse is going to make us shoot some threes, so hopefully we'll make a few of them. But we're going to have to do more than shoot threes. We'll have to be a basketball team that plays. You can't worry about the weather. You can't worry about the wind. You have to go out and play. If we get a wide‑open 15‑footer, we have to shoot it and make some of those. But we also have to be able to rebound the ball, and guard, and do the things that it doesn't matter where you're playing that win for you. Q. Do you worry about sun light? This is supposed to be a 5 p.m., kind of dark then. 1:00 o'clock is really sunny out. Going up for rebounds, is that going to be a problem? COACH FISHER: I did worry about it, but our younger coaches, Tony Bland, especially, has Ray Ban wraparounds for the coaches and black under the eyes for the players. So I don't think we'll have a problem with the sun. We're going to be okay with that. Q. Is Syracuse changing their travel plans at all? Are they coming in Saturday as opposed to Thursday? COACH FISHER: Syracuse is coming in Friday night. I think they get in early evening Friday. So they have had to change their plans, yes. Q. X, has this preseason been different at all from the previous ones whether it be due to anticipation or competition with other players? XAVIER THAMES: Not really. This is about the game with Syracuse. That is the main thing that changed. Everybody's looking forward to this game. But as far as practice and competition, we always have competition and practice. We just always go hard at each other, so nothing really has changed besides. Q. For the two players, is it going to be strange to wear eye black in a basketball game? COACH FISHER: That was tongue‑in‑cheek when I said that. We coaches may wear sunglasses, but the players aren't going to wear black under their eyes and have the 619 or 916 area code (laughing). Q. Coach, have you talked to any players about red shirting yet, or is it going to be all hands on deck this evening? COACH FISHER: We have not spoken with anyone as we speak about red shirting. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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