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BIG TEN CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA DAYS

October 13, 2016

Matt Painter

Washington, D.C.

MATT PAINTER: Obviously we're looking forward to the season like everybody else. We had a very good trip overseas to Spain this summer. I thought that was good for our team. Kind of transitioning in a way from the two departures that we had, Rapheal Davis and A.J. Hammons, that had very good careers for us, but just trying to get some of the new guys. We had one kid red-shirt, Basil Smotherman, we had two additions in Carsen Edwards and Spike Albrecht, and just trying to work together and get our chemistry where it needs to be. But we're very excited about this team. We have good size. We've got a really versatile player in Vince Edwards. Obviously he mentioned Caleb Swanigan, who we expect to be one of the better players in our league to go along with Isaac Haas at the center. Then we have a lot of guys that understand the game that can dribble, pass and shoot, that make for good offense. I think it's going to be really important for us to be a good team defensive group, especially with the departure of the two guys that I mentioned who did a very good job on that end of the floor. We're going to have to do a good job of keeping the ball in front of us. But I am excited about that group of guards that we have. I think they have a lot of the same qualities and understand the game of basketball. Can knock down shots, can take care of the basketball. Just really looking forward to this season.

Q. When you have a non-conference schedule that's so intriguing, including Villanova, do you change anything in terms of preparation? Do you approach things differently? How does the competitive nature of your non-conference schedule affect your preseason preparations?
MATT PAINTER: I think the biggest thing we did, we struggled a little bit last year, and I think we'll be better with our personnel this year. We struggled after getting leads in late games and taking care of the basketball, which you saw a lot in the NCAA Tournament from three or four teams that also had the same difficulty. So we scheduled West Virginia in a scrimmage. That might be the most important game on our schedule, just because of what it's going to do for us and help us prepare for the season. Then obviously when you play teams like Villanova and Louisville and Notre Dame, Arizona State, during the Cancun Challenge was a pretty tough field. So we feel like we've got a non-conference schedule that will help prepare us for conference play. But, like you said, anytime you've got a chance to play the national champions on your schedule and then play someone who were the national champions I think three years ago in Louisville, that's a pretty good non-conference. Throw in Notre Dame has been to the Elite Eight the past two years. So we feel like we have a very challenging non-conference slate.

Q. I'm curious, what were the two or three key things of the NBA feedback Swanigan got, and how will that impact how he plays this season?
MATT PAINTER: I don't think it will impact how he plays. I think individually you try to work through things. For him, it's going from a center to really a guy that can play the four and the five. Last year we played him predominantly at the four. How many minutes Isaac Haas can play is still a question for us. Obviously he was very efficient in 14, 15 minutes so far in his career. But we'd like him to play more than that and try to get to 20 and 25. When he's not in, Swanigan will play the five. So I think his versatility, and understanding he's worked really hard to keep his weight down, and that helps with his mobility. I think that's something that he has to just keep working on. Being able to move and guard different people. But really, the feedback for him was just keep really doing what he's been doing and keep improving. He did skip a year of high school, which is a little bit different. A lot of people will add a year of high school and go to post-grad year and have five years in high school. He was in high school for three years. So he's still a very, very young guy in their eyes.

So I just think they'll continue to do the same things he's been doing. I think less is more for him. I think he when he lets things come to him, he's a more efficient player. He's really worked on his ability to score, whether that's in the mid post or shooting on the perimeter or shooting the pull-up, whatever. He puts a lot of time into his game. I think when you have guys like that, it gets contagious.

Q. Coach, you guys added Mike Albrecht on a graduate transfer this past summer. So I'm wondering what your impressions have been from him in the first couple practices and what a guy with that sort of experience in the NBA tournament and Big Ten adds to your team?
MATT PAINTER: He's been great. He's a good teammate. He's a good person. He understands the game of basketball. Can really pass. Anytime you have guys on your team that can pass, and that gets contagious, it helps for good offense. Just brings a wealth of experience and understanding to the game. Still kind of getting back into the flow from his injuries that he's had, but he's been very productive. His best basketball so far with us, obviously we had ten practices in the summer because we went on our foreign trip. But his best basketball so far has been in these practices. He's really played well. When he gets live, he knows how to play. He knows how to help his teammates and get everybody involved. So we're very excited and very fortunate to have him.

Q. At the end of games last year you mentioned you had some trouble with the ball. When you went back and looked at tape, did you see any kind of overall problem with your guys mentally? Or was it just not being able to functionally handle the ball enough?
MATT PAINTER: I think a little bit of everything. I don't think you can generally answer that question. When you go back and watch film, and we spent a lot of time -- it's about the only thing that we've ever had with a good team where you work on something and you put more time into it, you don't get any better. And that's a little bit contradictory, because anytime you put more time into something with a good team -- sometimes you can put more time into it. If you just have a bad team, you have a bad team. We had a good team, but we were a bigger team. With that being said, we also had some people that are at the guard position but that wasn't their strength. I think with that being said, it was at times just a little bit of everything. Guys weren't fundamentally sound. Guys didn't cut hard to get open. Or guys didn't make a second cut to get open. Guys sometimes got caught up in the moment and didn't want the basketball. That's the worst thing you can have against the zone.

So the thing I've tried to do with the scrimmage, we've scrimmaged teams now, this is our second year, and I really like that better than exhibition games. We went out and got Dayton two years ago because I thought we're going to have one of the biggest teams in the country. What is going to give us the most problem? And I felt like the interchangeable athletes at the three, four, and five, 6'6", 6'7" type athletes who give Haas problems. So we scrimmaged Dayton. So this year we got West Virginia, which I believe is the best pressing team in the country. Guys that aren't going to play hard. Guys that are going to let you catch. So we've put a lot of time on our deficiencies, so to speak. I do think with the additions and departures that we've had, we've already improved. I think with the confidence of some of the guys that are returning, they'll be better at it. But it was something that was frustrating, not just for coaches, but obviously our fans.

The one thing I kept telling our guys, you keep playing good teams and put yourself in a good position. Just don't lose that. That's a good thing to play a Top 10 team in the country and be up by eight with three minutes to go. It's not a good thing to lose that and lose the game. But you keep putting yourself in those positions and try to make improvements with it.

Q. Coach, lot of talk about the older guys in the program. But you have two freshmen on the team this year. What type of a role and impact do you think that Carsen and Tommy will have this season?
MATT PAINTER: I think Carsen Edwards has a chance to really impact our team. He was our second leading scorer on our trip to Spain. So anytime you can come off the bench, play half the game and still be our second leading scorer, it is different, it is loose. International basketball at that time of the year. You know what I mean? Sometimes the competition isn't the best. But he can really shoot the basketball. We've got to be able to put him into positions where he's playing to his strengths. He's a talented and athletic guy where he can put a lot of pressure on the basketball defensively. So we're going to have him hawk the basketball and try to use that athleticism, but also learn in our system, learn our on system offensively and defensively. That doesn't come overnight. So the more he can make strides in that area, the more he'll get used. Because he's a weapon and a very, very talented guy.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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