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BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY

October 24, 2018

Jamie Dixon

Kansas City, Missouri

THE MODERATOR: We're now joined by Coach Jamie Dixon from TCU. Coach your thoughts about the upcoming season?

JAMIE DIXON: Thank you. It's great to be here as part of Media Day and what we think is the best conference in the season and we've proven that.

Excited about the season. We have a relatively young group with five returning guys that have played a lot of minutes, scored a lot of points and done a lot of things with those guys. But the other eight are all brand new, haven't played any college basketball.

It's an interesting make-up of a team. Obviously Jaylen Fisher is not playing right now, not practicing, but he's starting to do a little bit more going forward here. So we anticipate him being ready for the start of the season but obviously not having gone through a lot of practice time with us as far as five-on-five. Then Lat Mayen who redshirted for us, those are our two guys and injury situations, you have Kouat and JD Miller, two guys that play the same position so usually one of them on the floor. So those three guys are the three guys that have played college basketball for us and the other eight we're getting them ready. I think it's been a challenge for us, something we knew was going to be in the cards for us and something we would be working on and we're trying to take advantage of all 30 practices going forward. We are at number 19 here now as we get ready for our November 7th game.

As far as looking forward to the conference and the non-conference, excited about our schedule, excited about the Big 12 SEC Challenge, opportunity to go play in Diamond Head in that classic. A lot of great things for us ahead, but, again, I just can't believe that this conference has become what it is so quickly in basketball, whether it be the ratings on TV, whether it be the rankings, as far as RPI and the strength of the conference overall. It has far exceeded everybody's expectations which is a not a great thing for the coaches, but certainly exciting and challenging for the fans. We're excited to be a part of the best conference in the country.

Q. Jaylen Fisher, with the multiple injuries he's had, are you all going to ease him back?
JAMIE DIXON: Yeah, I was just talking about him. The timing of his injuries have been interesting because it's not like we've ever had to rush him back to get back in the middle of a season. He has always had an extended recovery time, more than what would normally be done. Yes, he's had numerous injuries, one in high school. Since he's been with us, they've been season-ending injuries. So it's not like we've had to rush him back for a game in any situation.

After last year's surgery we had another issue this summer and obviously we have kept him out a prolonged period of time. In no way has there ever been a reason why we had to get him back by a certain time. It's always been extended recovery time and we've just ran into some, well, he's ran into some really bad luck. That's been unfortunate for him. He goes so hard. If somebody walked into our practice and we're doing 5-on-5, somebody would say this kid plays 100% and played injury free for the whole year. But I never seen a guy work so hard as everybody has seen him play so hard during games.

It's been a real challenge, but I'm just amazed at how he's handled it and how his energy is. Anybody that's had an injury when they're trying to play, it can be devastating. Physically, as well as mentally, but he's handled his energy, his enthusiasm, his involvement, camaraderie with the team has been amazing. Whether you see him on the bench or in practice, so it can wear on a kid. Somehow he's managed. Again, I can say it can wear on a kid, I don't think I've seen anything like this, I don't think anybody has, and I think he's ready for the start of the year and we will look forward to getting him -- be a little bit of time getting him there as we did last year with game experience because nothing prepares you for it. But I think he's going to somehow pull it off again.

Q. Obviously the Big 12 announced the Big East Challenge and you mentioned the SEC Challenge. How big is that and how excited are you as a former Big East coach with that alliance?
JAMIE DIXON: There is a personal factor in there, there is no question.

I think it's tremendous. I like the Big East. I like the challenge with the SEC first off, I think it's great, I think it's unique. I didn't know quite how to handle it being in the conference schedule but I think it's been good. I know it's really what our conference wants. I think the coaches have come around to seeing the value of it as well and I thought ESPN did a great job with it as far as making it the big day, the event of that Saturday during conference play. So I think it's been tremendous.

I think given the situation with the 20 conference games that I think pretty much every conference is going to go to eventually, I thought the Big East opportunity was something we needed to look at. I think I joke about it because I mentioned -- I thought I mentioned that a year ago, two years ago, really, when I first heard the talks, and I kind of thought it fell on deaf ears, but it seems like it's gotten -- it's going to be a great thing for us.

I love the ten teams, it's another conference that's going to be in a similar situation that needs to probably find two games to make up for the other 20 that the other Power Five conferences have and you put the Big East in there, because they're the next one. I think it's great. Obviously for me I was thinking about who we would play and there are seven teams that were in the Big East when Pitt was there and we remember the Big East and there is a lot of history between those seven teams and even the other ones, Butler, there is a history there, too, as well, Xavier, we had a great Sweet 16, Elite Eight game so there is history there as well. With all of those teams. Personally, it's going to be I think even more exciting for me.

I think just having those two games, home and home situations already built into our schedule while a challenge, we are not going to spend time having to find that game. I think it's a great thing, a great opportunity for us, and the only concern I guess is the timing of it, where we're going to fit it into the schedule. That's my concern, to make it as big of an event as the Big 12 SEC Challenge. I think that's important and how we go forward whether it's on one day one weekend, two, three days, during the middle of the week.

But I think making it an "event" rather than just games would be great.

Q. I was curious with your roster, the experience, the lack thereafter that you addressed. But you're looking at, how do you assess the talent you have on that roster and the coaching challenge of blending the new guys with the people you have coming back?
JAMIE DIXON: I think the biggest thing that stood out for us in our program, we've always been low turnover teams, right now we're turning it over a little too much, I think everybody is probably in the season in practices, but I think we have a talented group but a young group for obvious reasons. You can't hide from the fact -- I hate to use the word "young" but we have eight guys that haven't played college basketball. We had four guys that were in our program but they didn't practice as much as I would have liked them to, whether it be an injury or one kid came at semester.

I like that we have gotten bigger and more athletic. My intention, my thoughts going in we would be deeper with this roster, just not having as many guys sitting out but with the injuries it slowed us down a little bit. I think eventually we're going to have great depth and like I said, good size, good length, good athleticism, all those things, but as far as running games in college basketball and being a part of that and doing the things necessary to win games, we haven't had a lot of experience doing that and those eight guys specifically and you keep Jaylen out of the equation, but put 'em all in there and give them some time and minutes, I think we can be pretty good across the board. I'm looking forward to having a team very deep and athletic at the same time.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you very much. Good luck for the season.

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