BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYS

October 20, 2005

LaMarcus Aldridge

Brad Buckman

Daniel Gibson

P.J. Tucker

COACH RICK BARNES: To my left here we have LaMarcus Aldridge, a sophomore from Seagoville, Texas; nickname L. Train. We have Brad Buckman, from Austin, Texas, a senior who goes by the name Dude. We have got Daniel Gibson from Houston, Texas, goes by the name D-Gib. He's a sophomore. P. J. Tucker, from Raleigh, North Carolina, junior, goes by the name of Tuck because he tucks a lot of food away. Since we're the last group, I am sure you don't want a long opening statement, so why don't we go right to questions.

COACH RICK BARNES: Well, I think that it's not -- I don't know about judging it on the past week. I'd have to go back where we ended the season last year and what took place right after we got back from the N.C.A.A. tournament, the attitude that this group of guys started approaching this coming year with. We had a good spring, a really good summer, had a great fall. With the new rules of the N.C.A.A. we -- obviously practice has changed, we're allowed to have the group in there for a couple of hours prior to the start of practice last Friday night. I like the group. I think that these guys have been the core of what we have tried to get done and they have shown some leadership and I think they know as well as I do we can add Kenton Paulino to this group and the real key to our success this year is going to be the way we develop our players from 6 through 11 and the roles that those guys play.

COACH RICK BARNES: I don't think that anyone can put expectations on us more than what we put on ourselves. Our goals are lofty and they always will be and we expect to have a great basketball team. Every year we start -- outside expectation. We don't talk about it. I think it is a compliment to our program and these players. We realize it's pre-season. We know we're going to have to play a schedule that's going to be as tough as any schedule in the country. We'll continue to work with the way that we're capable of, and guys will continue to do what they are supposed to do. We think that every night we go out we have got a chance.

DANIEL GIBSON: Yeah, all those guys are in the gym working hard everyday. J.D. has an incredible shot. I don't think there's anybody in the -- in the country with a better looking shot than he has. A.J. and Craig, both of those guys are awesome ball handlers, they are going to help us a lot in the back court as far as just giving as you lot of depth. All of them are hard workers and that's what Coach Barnes loves. I think we're going to be all right.

DANIEL GIBSON: Oh, I am loving every minute of it. Both of those guys they have came back with a lot of hunger. You can see both of them every day in the gym. It's like a little kid, with his first candy bar. They are just so happy to just be back out there on the court. And I think all the rest of the players are just feeding off the energy that they brought back to the team. Experiencing it, a year without them last year, it really helped a lot of the players gain a lot of experience just being out there without those two guys. And with them back, I believe the game will be a lot easier and slow down for them.

LaMARCUS ALDRIDGE: It was very hard just watching the games and just seeing the team, you know, struggle at times, but coming through in the end I just felt like I could have just did -- I could have did anything just to help. I wanted to but I couldn't even walk. It was out of the picture. It was frustrating watching everything go by and I couldn't do anything. The rehab was really, really hard because I had to sleep with my leg in this little brace every night and I couldn't move and it was just really painful, but now I am back and I am 100% and I am ready to go.

LaMARCUS ALDRIDGE: It is for old guys, yeah, but I am an old guy now, I guess, but I got back on the court in about mid-July. That's when I went to Nike camp and I worked out with a couple of guys there.

COACH RICK BARNES: We did a DNA and he actually is 32. (Laughter).

COACH RICK BARNES: I don't know if guys have to quit, but it does help that P.J. is going to class. I will say that. It does help. (Laughter). But I think the rivalry with Oklahoma has been a healthy rivalry. I think it's been good. I think that the teams mirror each other in a lot of ways. I think that Kelvin and I have similar philosophies, basketball-wise. I am obviously a better looking guy than he is. If we play basketball he wasn't very good; but the reason he does all the loose ball drills because that's how he had to get on the court as a player. But if it got down to he and I playing, it won't be a rivalry. To have a rivalry you have got to split some games and he would never win a game from me. Believe me. Is that accurate P.J.?

P.J. TUCKER: No doubt about it. No doubt.

COACH RICK BARNES: What do you think?

DANIEL GIBSON: No question.

COACH RICK BARNES: I am not going to ask you, Brad, because I am not sure what you will say (laughter).

COACH RICK BARNES: If it goes well in the league, even though my son has never shown any desire whatsoever to coach, in about -- he's getting ready to graduate in December. In about four years if he doesn't have a job, I am going to hire him. No matter how long I can stay at Texas it's a possibility. I think it's great. When I look at Coach Knight and Pat and obviously Coach Sutton and Sean, I mean, you're talking about two guys that have grown up at the feet of two of the greatest coaches ever. It's just a natural progression. I think, you know -- I think both of them -- the sad part about this is I think both of those guys loved their kids so much I can see both of those guys coaching for a long time, a lot longer than -- because today I don't think there's a mandatory retirement age anyway and both of them love it so much. I can see maybe stepping aside sooner than they want to just so their kids can have a shot at it. I think it's great because I think that, again, both of those guys, both Pat and Sean, they can leave now and go to other programs and be very successful.

LaMARCUS ALDRIDGE: I don't feel anything. If anything I feel stronger and better now. My legs have got a lot stronger and I don't have any side effect, no soreness, no pain, no anything.

COACH RICK BARNES: Would somebody ask P.J. and Brad a question so I can make it worthwhile bringing them up here.

BRAD BUCKMAN: I like to be quiet, doesn't worry about it.

COACH RICK BARNES: P.J., how does it feel going to class today? Would you explain the difference in this year and last year?

P.J. TUCKER: Oh, man.

COACH RICK BARNES: I am serious.

P.J. TUCKER: It feels good, feels good in class. A lot more people want to help you now, no doubt about that.

P.J. TUCKER: I think it all came down to after the meeting coach made me get on the Stairmaster about two days and I sweated for about a week after that, so I really had no choice, but it really -- like I said, really just a case where maturity level has to step in, after years and years of bad habits, stuff built up. It's time for a change and, you know, came at a bad time. But whenever it was good, really helped me out a lot. These guys and coach staff, everybody stood by me and helped me out in all the times. But I really took the opportunity and time to get better in school and to get better as a basketball player. So it all came out to be actually a positive thing.

COACH RICK BARNES: Bradley, could you use the word "dude" in a sentence?

BRAD BUCKMAN: Absolutely not. (Laughs).

COACH RICK BARNES: Brad, you are a senior. You have been at the program now for four years. What is going to be the difference in your mindset this year as opposed to last year?

BRAD BUCKMAN: Obviously I have matured a lot, so...

COACH RICK BARNES: Thank goodness.

BRAD BUCKMAN: Consistency will be my problem this year to fix. And in order to be better than last year, my consistency level has got to be a lot better. That's one thing I am going to focus on, doing it from game to game. I can't be having big games against Oklahoma State and not doing very good against Colorado. So I am going to have to try and work on that this year.

BRAD BUCKMAN: It's actually LaMarcus that will do all the work. I will just throw him the ball. That's how I see it. No, it's great to have a guy like this on your team. It makes it a lot easier for you to played and it makes you look a lot better. If you can get a couple of passes to the guy, get a couple of stats on the boards with assists, I will work off of him. I think it's a good tandem between me and him. It going to be a tough, tough court if you have got to play me and him every day.

DANIEL GIBSON: Yeah, I will just say that I am going to focus a lot more on just basically just trying to make the game easier for my teammates. A lot of times with P.J. and LaMarcus out there they make it easier for me so I can just return the favor and just try to get them to open looks give them the easiest shot possible and try to be a leader. That's basically going to be my main focus this year.

BRAD BUCKMAN: I will enjoy being on the court while these guys are doing it. That's what I am looking forward to.

COACH RICK BARNES: My closing statement would be after being with you all this afternoon, if we decide to stop coaching and stop playing, we think we can get a job doing your job because the questions were outstanding. We appreciate it.