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PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 7, 2012Derek KelloggQ. Coach, coming off a good season, how is your preseason going along with the two exhibition games you've had? COACH KELLOGG: Well, things are going fairly well. We played one closed scrimmage and had an exhibition game. You know, it was actually a very competitive game. I thought they came in and played very hard and had great game plan against us. We were fortunate enough to come away with a tight win which was great because I was able to learn how our team would handle some adversity. We were able to earmark and figure out some things that needed to be worked on in that it's a little different this year and that teams are recognizing that we were thought of in a little higher regard than we were last year and we need to compete and play a little bit harder on a daily basis no matter who our opponent is. The one positive is we have a little bit of time before our home opener and then with the tip‑off being not too far after that, it's coming at us pretty quickly with a great field and a lot of tough games down in Puerto Rico that we're looking forward to but also at the same token, we realize it's going to be high‑level basketball and really kind of up for grabs that anybody could win just about any game down there. Q. Can you single out any players that have done a good job for you in the preseason? COACH KELLOGG: Well, I think Chaz Williams, our point guard; getting a lot of national attention and deservedly so. He competes and plays really hard on a daily basis. He's fun to be around and brings energy to practice and I think he'll be a fan favorite when he gets down to Puerto Rico because of how hard he plays and the way we play is tailor‑made for him getting up on the floor. And my senior leader, Terrell Vinson has proven that on a daily basis and proves it in practice every day. He's ready to make a small jump for us this year both on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. I think those two guys have really brought us some leadership in practice, have brought some senior toughness, some junior leadership abilities, and Chaz, kind of the backbone and cornerstone for our team. Q. What do you feel is the strength of your team going into the season? COACH KELLOGG: I would say, our depth, we are pretty deep at a lot of different positions. We finally have a backup point guard for Chaz in Trey Davis, and we have a lot of long, athletic wings that enable us to play my style of play, which is pressing and getting up and down the floor. So if they all stay on the same page; if everybody realizes what their role and their job is, which at times college kids at time, with 18‑to 20 year olds, that can be difficult; if that happens, we have a lot chance to be a good basketball team. How good, I'm not really certain. I think we could be good. We are striving to be great and I'm not sure if we are there yet. Q. Obviously your first round opponent is Providence, and I don't think your school has played them since 2001. Comment about Providence and your opening opponent, along with the format, two days, off a day and then playing on Sunday. COACH KELLOGG: First of all, I love the tournament format. It gives you a chance to relax and get ready for your last opponent before you get out of there. It gives the kids a chance to at least maybe walk the beach for an hour or two during the day off and we travel to these places and sometimes we just concentrate solely on basketball. But it's also an opportunity for the kids to learn about another culture, maybe take in some history. And also, I think each coach should give the guys a lot of time to enjoy themselves whether they win or lose, because some of that stuff is really important. I remember back as a player, going to different places and being able to remember some of the history and whatnot, so I think that is fantastic. I would definitely advocate for that in the future. And Providence, I get an opportunity to watch them a lot on television last year and I think Coach Cooley has done a fantastic job of continuing to change the culture and talent into the program. It's an interesting matchup, two schools within an hour and a half of each other, we have to go off the coast to finally play which has not happened in a long time, one that had been a natural rival for many years. So it will be interesting. I think they have a lot of talent and enough to really surprise some people in the BIG EAST, he's a great coach and does a fantastic job and any time you have a point guard with Vincent Council who is that good, they are capable of controlling the game against just about any opponent. It will be fun and both teams will get up‑and‑down the floor and really play and hopefully it's a competitive game where nobody gets hurt and we both play well. Q. Looking at your schedule, you said you don't play until the ten o'clock am game against Harvard and I would imagine you turn right around, do you fly out that day? How are you handling that quick turnaround? COACH KELLOGG: It's going to be a quick shower and change after the Harvard game and we are going to shoot down to Bradley and catch a commercial flight at 7:00. So we'll get into Puerto Rico pretty late that evening, but I thought that was the best way to travel and get down there so we would have Wednesday to kind of get acclimated to practice and then the dinner down there that night. So we are going to make a quick turnaround and hop on down there and get to Harvard ASAP. Q. Any concerns about that? COACH KELLOGG: As coaches we are concerned about everything from food on the bus to travel or whatever it might be. The concern is that they are ready to play, but how can you not be? You are playing a BIG EAST team in Puerto Rico to start the season; if you're not energized and ready to go, I'm not sure you're going to have much of a season if the kids are not ready to play. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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