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PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYOctober 17, 2013Nick JohnsonSean MillerSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from Coach. COACH MILLER: We're all very excited to begin our season here. I feel like we have been at it longer this year than ever before because of the new NCAA rules which has allowed us to work with our players in the summer, and we have worked very hard there and the same here in the fall. I think we have a group of guys that are really committed to each other. We have a team that's close. And I believe that as a group we're a team that recognizes how difficult it is to win, to win championships. And to be here with Nick, a guy‑‑ I felt the same way a year ago when Solomon Hill was here. Nick embodies all of the qualities that we really try to live by in our program at Arizona, and he's going to have a lot to do with our success this year, because to me he's the natural leader of our team, certainly one of the most talented players in the Pac‑12, and I think somebody that is on track to have a great season himself. So I'm excited to not only be here, but also with him. THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions. Q. Over the last few years of the Pac‑12, you guys have finished just within a game or two of first place ever since you won the regular season championship a few years ago. What do you see out of this team that might lead you to believe that they have a chance to get over the top this year and actually grab that top spot? COACH MILLER: No, your observation is spot on. A couple years back when we had Derrick Williams I think we kind of became that team that overachieved and did better maybe than everybody anticipated. In the subsequent years, which have been two, we have really missed the regular season conference championship I believe by a game, I believe, both times. Although last year there was like a three‑ or four‑way tie. But part of what we talk a lot about is the process. You can't take a day off in college basketball. We talk a lot right now as a group, the importance of our team growing from Saturday to Saturday. We had officials in two weeks ago for the first time, and we talked a lot about when we played the Red‑Blue game, which would be our second time with the officials, to be that much better. How much better can we be as a team and you as a part of our team. And the same thing as we move towards this Saturday. So I think from our perspective we can only control who we are and the closeness of our team, the improvement of our team, how hard we work every day. And those qualities, most of the time, stem from the oldest or most experienced, the most talented players on our team. And Nick I think would echo what I would say. And we talk about it a lot. And I think so far so good with our team. Not that we're perfect, but I think our mentality every day is one that we're going to get better because we're investing and working hard. Q. Nick, you guys are looked at as the clear favorite to win this conference. How do you view yourselves and who are the teams you guys are looking at as being the top contenders along with you? NICK JOHNSON: There's definitely a big group. You got the Oregon, Washington, UCLA, Colorado, Cal, I mean, there's numerous teams this year that are all going to be at the top and challenge for the championship. Definitely it's a deep league this year. Definitely looking forward to it. And as far as us, we're just, like Coach said, working hard every single day, honoring the process and we'll see what happens. Q. We received an update on the officiating program this morning, and I just was curious what your thoughts were on all the changes and improvements and grading the official on every call and non call this year. COACH MILLER: I'm so focused on our own program‑‑ we have a lot at stake‑‑ that I haven't really thought about anything beyond that. We have our plate full to become a better team, to work hard every day, and our focus‑‑ my focus is to lead our program. Q. When you get a player who is perceived as a one‑and‑done type of player, is there‑‑ do you handle that player differently than a player that you know is going to be in your program for a long time? And, also, how do you integrate a player like that into a team that's pretty well intact? COACH MILLER: Well, I think, first of all, the answer to the first part of your question is no. We like to say the standards in our program are the standards. Whether you're a senior or freshman, whether you start or you're a non‑scholarship player, we have the same expectations for everybody. And when that's the case, that takes care of itself. But with this year's freshman class‑‑ but in particular Aaron Gordon. He's a very easy guy to deal with because his greatest strength isn't his ability as a basketball player. To me his greatest gift that he's given his teammates and us is that he's an incredibly hard worker. He's extremely focused. He's somebody that is tireless in his own approach to be great. But, yet, at the same time, because of how he plays the game and how he conducts himself, he's a fun guy to have as a teammate. He's a fun guy to have as part of your program. He makes that easy. And that would be a good question for Nick, because Nick has known Aaron for some time. And we're fortunate because we also have two other freshmen, Elliott Pitts and Rondae Hollis‑Jefferson, and both of those guys, they come from winning backgrounds as well. And I think that part of why I say what I said earlier, that we have a team that's committed to the process and each other, sometimes it stems from those new players, are they willing to listen to Nick, are they willing to embrace all of the things that we think are important in our program. The answer to that has been a resounding yes. And I think the character of those three freshmen has a lot to do with where we are right now. Q. Nick, how has T.J. McConnell's game helped to improve yours or maybe vice versa and what do you think he brings to the team? NICK JOHNSON: It's helped me a lot, honestly. He is a true point guard in every sense. He literally will pass up a layup to get you an open shot or however you want to say it. But it's helped a tremendous amount just playing with him throughout the year, or for the past year. He was able to practice with us last year, wasn't able to play, but I kind of got a sense of where I need to be when he has the ball and stuff like that. And we are starting to gain a little connection for knowing what each other are thinking. So it's definitely good on the offensive end. Then on the defensive end, I mean, he's a‑‑ I call him a bull dog because he comes in practice every single day and works hard and. I mean, he's going to be great for our team this year. Q. Nick, can you address what we were talking about with Aaron? When you have a guy that's never played with you before but is perceived to have NBA talent, how do you as a veteran player handle that? NICK JOHNSON: Well, I actually played with Aaron in my AAU days. He was a little bit younger, still the same player, though. Explosive. Athletic. I call him a little kid because that's how he plays, he plays with so many energy and he works so hard. I truly believe that's what makes him so good. But like Coach said, he just comes in every single day and works hard. When he first got here this summer he actually sent me a text and he just told me anything you need or anything that you want to tell me to help ease in my transition, go for it. And, I mean, coming from a McDonald's All‑American and that highly rated of a player, I knew right away what kind of a person we had in him. So he's a joy to be around and I'm looking forward to playing with him. Q. I was wondering, the projection here and some of the other ones I've seen have you guys far and away above everyone else, and then a tight cluster of five or six teams below. I was wondering what you think of that and as far as the conference race. COACH MILLER: Well, this is my fifth season as the coach at Arizona, and I think that I can make this statement very clear: That I believe that it's the deepest conference that I have coached in. One of the things that sometimes is often overlooked in a conference is not who is at the top, but who is at the bottom or the bottom half of the league when it's all said and done. To me, we have never had more depth than we have this year as a conference. I think that some of the teams that have been at the bottom are much, much improved. As a matter of fact, they might not even be near the top. And I'll also tell you that we're not experienced enough to be head and shoulders above the field. We have a lot of parts, and I think that if we have some health on our side and some good fortune, we might be able to get there and be a special team down the road. But if you come to watch us practice right now, one of the things that you feel is that we have a lot of new faces, a lot of newcomers. And we lost a tremendous amount of talent, but what we really lost is players that have been in big games and been through the long college seasons before: Solomon Hill, Mark Lyons, Kevin Parrom. Now, you have someone like Nick who can pick that mantle up and give that to this year's team, but it's obvious to me just in how we practice that we have a long way to go. I'm very concerned about the early part of our schedule. And it's an important part for us that we improve each week, because where we are right now isn't anywhere close to being what I would call the head and shoulders or even the best team in the Pac‑12. I also think there's seven or eight teams that could finish as high as maybe first or second. There's not a big difference between a lot of teams, and I don't believe there's a big difference between our team and six or seven others. I believe in our team. We have a lot of things working for us, but one of the things that we don't have is experience. THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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