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PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 7, 2012Travis FordQ. How has your preseason gone? TRAVIS FORD: Well, our preseason has actually gone kind of rough. We've had a series of injuries that has slowed us down kind of in the preseason. We are starting to get everybody back, which excites us. We played one exhibition game against Ottawa College and we did some really good things. I thought we passed the ball extremely well. Did not rebound the ball the way we wanted to and that's an area we have to continue to concentrate on and get better at if we want a chance to have a good year. Then we scrimmaged a very good North Texas basketball team, and that was good for our basketball team and obviously we open up this Friday night. I like our basketball team and we seem to be a pretty unselfish group of guys, the guys that are playing hard and competing, playing together. We have some areas that we have to get better at and one is getting everybody healthy. That's the first and foremost thing. We have had pretty much four of our top eight guys out most of the preseason and we are starting to get a couple of those guys back in there, a couple of them still are out and we are a team that you have to rebound the ball better. But we have got a chance if we get everybody healthy. Q. Has there been any players that have stood out in the preseason for you. TRAVIS FORD: We have got some pretty good players. We have got Markel Brown, who is a three‑year starter for us, who starts at one of the wing positions. He's a junior, a guy that can score the basketball, very athletic, good defender. Again, understands what we want is the most experienced player on our team. We are maybe one of the youngest teams in America. Friday night we are probably going to look at starting probably three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior. We are extremely, extremely young. We are a team that as the season goes along is going to get better. But Markel Brown is a really good player for us. Le'Bryan Nash who was freshman of the year in the Big12 last year, 6‑7, lean player is another young man that is improving every day. Marcus Smart, starting point guard is a great leader for us. So we have got a few good players and we just have to get everybody healthy. Q. What are the strengths for the team that you've seen so far? TRAVIS FORD: So far our strengths, we have passed the ball well as far as being unselfish. We have got to continue to do that. Again, it all looks good in practice but when the lights come on, we hope they continue to pass the ball the way they have and share the ball and play together. That's been fun to batch in practice. Defensively, we can get after it pretty good. We have got some length to us. We are not an overly big, physical team inside but we do have some big, physical guards so our length sometimes can help us play some defense, some aggressive defense. You know, so that is hopefully going to be a strength of ours. Areas that we have got to get better at, again, we have to be a much better rebounding team and have to get more physical, aggressive, and show some toughness down low. If we can do that, that will help our team. Q. Talk about the format and your first‑round opponent, Akron. TRAVIS FORD: The Puerto Rican Shootout is a great tournament and has a great field this year and has hopefully filled up with a lot of future NCAA Tournament teams. Once we get to 2013, we are looking forward‑‑ I've heard nothing but great things about the tournament. Akron is an extremely tough first‑round opponent. They are extremely well coached, a team that's returning a lot of players off of a great year last year, had one of the top big men in the country that is inside who can score, block shots, rebound, do a lot of different things inside; a veteran basketball team, so for us, I think it's one of the tougher first‑round opponents you can play. A lot of respect for Akron and the success that they have had. So we understand, especially with some of the injuries we've had and things like that, we have our hands full, no question about it. It's going to be an extremely‑‑ we are looking forward to the tournament. I think it's going to give a great test to our young players but we do understand the challenge that lays in front of us as far as how difficult it's going to be. Looking forward to being a part of the field and being part of the tournament, looking forward to it. Q. Have you thought about potentially playing UMASS down the road? TRAVIS FORD: No, I haven't really thought a whole lot about it other than looking forward to seeing a lot of my really good friends while we are there, still keep in contact quite a bit on a daily basis; a lot of the people at UMASS and the administration, and things like that; still have some friends in the basketball department and the basketball staff; that part I've looked forward to seeing a lot of those guys and hanging out with them a little bit. Have not thought much about playing them but I know they will be really, really good, a lot of obviously expectations for this team, and as there should be. How they finished the year last year. Derek has done a good job of bringing in some really good players as well as adjusting style of play. So you know, I know they are expecting a great year and they are going to be one of the best teams out there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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