|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE MENS' MEDIA DAYOctober 23, 2014Ernie KentDaVonte LacyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: I'd like to introduce Washington State head coach Ernie Kent and senior guard DaVonté Lacy. We'll take some opening remarks from coach. COACH KENT: I've been asked the question a lot, What's it like to be back in coaching? Number one, any coach that has coached 30‑plus years needs a sabbatical. I'm just amazed at what it's done for me in terms of your energy, your spirit. It means so much to be able to step away from this game and see it from a different angle because you come back refreshed, rejuvenated, but a different approach to how you would coach the game. Unfortunately in our profession, you don't get an opportunity to do that. Having been out of it four years, the definition I use, I feel like I've been a big bear in hibernation and now you get a chance to come out and eat. I'm so passionate about the game, about Washington State and my team. It's nice to be back here, even if it is being up here looking at all of you, having been here before. THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions. Q. How much were you able to pick up as an analyst with that sabbatical? Were you able to see things differently? COACH KENT: The first thing I did was went and spent some time with Tom Izzo, a couple of days, Bill Self, Roy Williams, Bo Ryan, because I know how much I invested in my players. I wanted to see how other programs did it. I don't want to say I was shocked, but to see that they cared about their student‑athletes as much as I did was refreshing to me. When you get a chance to look at their X's and O's, we beg, borrow and steal from each other. Again, you're talking about being in a situation where it reconfirmed that you did things the right way and for the right reasons. That was good for me. Now having the opportunity to work with the network, up and down the coast, looking at teams in the conference, too, I'm impressed with the coaching that is taking place in this conference. Not enough is made about what these guys do behind the scenes when you see them preach and teach every day, and the academic piece that is played out in practice, the character piece, the social skills piece. That's talked about in practice right in the middle of your defense, loose balls, everything else. There's some outstanding coaches in this conference and some outstanding coaches in our coaches association, as well. Q. DaVonté, what did you pick up along the way when you were selected to the All‑Star team that played in China? How will that help you prepare for your senior season? DaVONTÉ LACY: I think one thing I picked up a lot is how close we got in such a short amount of time. It helped us build trust on the court. We kind of knew we had each other's backs. I wanted to know if I did the same thing at Washington State, come closer as a family, I think we have a chance to be really good if we do come together like we did in China. Once you know someone has your back or you have someone else's back, it makes it funner and easier to play with each other. Q. DaVonté, coach said how he came back from being an analyst refreshed and rejuvenated. Has that enthusiasm and energy seeped into this team? DaVONTÉ LACY: Of course. He already has a lot of energy and passion and love for the game. If you take that away from him for four years, imagine all that building up and building up, building up, and it gets taken out on us (laughter). It's not a bad thing, because it is passion. But he does bring a tremendous amount of energy to practice and the program as a whole. Q. DaVonté, can you talk about your improvements, where you want to take your game to the next level after last season? DaVONTÉ LACY: During the off‑season I think I focused on, of course, getting my handle tight because I'm going to have to play differently, have the ball more at the next level. Also I'm a bigger guard so I wanted to utilize that. I tried to work a lot on just in certain situations if I have a smaller guard, I can have that in my toolbox to pull it out every once in a while to get a couple points here and there, to help one of my teammates get open. COACH KENT: Not every guard wants to be a guard, and not every big guy wants to play the point guard. DaVONTÉ LACY: Shaq ain't got nothing on me. I'm just saying, man. Q. Trevor Dunbar is probably the best known of the newcomers. What have you seen from the incoming class as a whole and what can they bring to this program and team? COACH KENT: I think the fact that I got the job so late, in April, and we had an opportunity to fill some voids in our program. I think at the same time freshmen are freshmen, they get shellshocked coming in the door, then they find their way through things. All of them are doing a really good job. I would expect every player we brought into our program has to help us win a basketball game. Trevor certainly has the skill set, the talent, the quickness to be able to do that. He has to go through the process of learning new academics, new basketball, new classmates, new coaches. That's a lot for a new freshman. In time I would expect him to fully handle the position and handle the minutes I envision having him. Q. Coach, what has been the biggest challenge energizing the fan base in Pullman? COACH KENT: I think the biggest thing, in any opportunity to market, the biggest challenge is getting everywhere. I've tried to make myself available as much as possible. That's even if it's speaking to five people or 500 people, you have to get your face in front of the fans so they can feel your energy and passion and understand what you're going to do. We talk a lot about our style of play. We try to sell that style of play. We have tremendous character in our program. The biggest thing is introducing a new face, a new staff, a new system, changing a culture that so far everybody's bought into. But the end result is going to be the product we put on the floor. But it's been fun getting out and meeting people in Pullman. I knock on doors, pretending like I'm lost. I'm your new basketball coach, can you help me. I've been invited for breakfast, coffee. It's been neat. Q. How have you taken a leadership role, if that's something you've taken on? DaVONTÉ LACY: Obviously, I'm one of the older players on the team, have the most experience. I kind of know what's going to happen. I kind of know what they're going to struggle with when it pertains to academics, time management, stuff like that. If I can help them before they make that mistake or the same mistake I made, then that's what I try to look for as a leader. Same thing on the court. If I see something that they might not be able to see just because they're young, then I can pass that knowledge down just like it was passed down to me. Just being someone that's been through the fire already, preparing them to go through it, is how I'm approaching this leadership. THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you for your time. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|