Nov. 6, 2012

On the scrimmages and how the team is playing...

"Obviously our team is at the beginning stages of a long season, we still have a great deal of work ahead of us. Our guys have consistently practiced with good energy and enthusiasm. We think this team has a very good connection with each other right now. We have one game then a week before we play four games in a week. So it's (the season) going to be upon us very quickly. I was just reminded this was the earliest tip-off that I ever had as a coach. Right now we are roughly less than four weeks of practice, so it is a fast turn around."

On the health of the team...

"We are pretty healthy right now. We have some bumps and bruises, some tweaks and twists, and fortunately we made it through the pre-season as healthy as we have been in the last couple of years."

On the rotation...

"I think there are still parts of our rotation and what our ultimate depth ends up being is to be determined. I don't know if we have a complete answer to that. However, we are not going to be exceedingly deep, but I think we should have enough guys provided stay healthy. Maybe in the ideal world we could have one more guard to give us a little more depth. But for the most part, I think we are in a good place with that as long as stay healthy."

On if he knows who will be starting...

"No, but I have a pretty good idea in my mind. We will get through the rest of this week of practice and make that final determination later in the week."

On Evan Gordan and if he will be able to help from the bench...

"Yes, he could. He could also start."

On people having high expectations for Jahii Carson...

"Obviously those expectations are primarily based on his legendary high school career here in the Valley. That has set expectations very high, as well as not being able to play last year, kind of had the pot continue to boil with those expectations. With all that being said, that's importantly a lot being himself, he realized he's at the start of his college career. Some of these mythological expectations, in essence aren't really fair to him. I assure you when he comes out on Saturday, he's going to be wearing a Arizona State shirt and he won't be wearing an "S and a cape."

On Jahii Carson...

"He's been very even keel. Just going about his business like everybody else. All the guys are looking forward to playing. I suppose they like that knowing that after practicing one day after another."

On bringing basketball back to the spotlight...

"Absolutely, we are going to be in the spotlight this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. We need the students there supporting us. Our students have done a great job with this football season. We have a group of guys that are really easy to cheer for and easy to be proud of. I think the students that know our players, have classes with them, and talk to them at the MU (Memorial Union), they realize these are the kind of guys that are so easy to get behind. Our players themselves, had made a great investment on the campus. They are consistently reaching out, doing different things with our student body, trying to build definity, and trying to solidify that connection. Because coaches and players alike realized that very powerful impact our student body has. Not only on game day helping us get that home court advantage, but obviously creating the legend that helps attract recruits. So apart of the basketball program being the spotlight, really falls on the shoulders of our students. They have a real stake on what happens here at Arizona State."

On his prospective of the last two years...

"I don't have a great need to defend or apologize at this point. We spend a lot of time breaking that down, talking about it, and the larger purpose right now is to focus on this team today. We have evaluated things that obviously we all could do better. Those of you who have followed us closely, know we could also had to deal with a number of challenging circumstances. But I think the need to plow the ground that we have already gone over, has already lost it's purpose, and the larger purpose is this weekend at our opening game."

On possibly changing the playing scheme, because of the lost players...

"It had nothing to do with it. We have talked about this stuff excessively since April. The guys who have left our program, haven't left because of the scheme, they have left because of playing time. We had some guys that weren't playing as much as they liked, and have transferred to other programs, a little different, in just about every single program in the country."

On Central Arkansas...

"We don't have a whole lot of information as you could image. It's the opener for both teams, so to the existent you can project things to go as last year, that's as good as it gets. Obviously teams change personnel, they made changes in there scheme as was just suggested. So you really go into the first game a little bit blindfolded, and you really have to focus even more than normal, but just your good habits, fundamentals of the team."

On the players embracing the man on man defense...

"The defense is good. I think our guys have picked up on things rather well, playing with good energy. There are still some things we have to get better at, obviously it's a work in progress. But I think we have made some real strides here in the last couple of weeks."

On the teams goals...

"Without getting into a whole lot of specifics, our primary goal is to have a program that we can all be proud of and easy to cheer for. That pretty much covers a wide canvas of things and we do have a program that's easy to cheer for right now. You are going to talk to Carrick in a minute, if you can't get behind a guy like that, It's hard to imagine. We have guys that are really easy to cheer for and easy to be proud of. Then on a daily basis, we just try to do everything we do, we just try to build and establish championship patterns."

Quotes from Senior F/G Carrick Felix

On being ready for this weekend...

It's been a long time coming. I think we are all ready in a sense, with moderate preparation, and with the time we have putting in. A lot of guys are just excited to get going.

On liking the new styles of play...

I like it a lot. It gives everybody a chance to be themselves, to be free, and play their game. Defensively is where our bread and butter is. We all mesh together with the man-to-man defense. We all have a better feel for ourselves.

On reading zones...

We still have our zone, too. Honestly, the man-to-man and zone have the same principles, there are just a few differences between the two. But we still have our zone in place.

On getting hyped for the game Saturday...

Oh yeah, we are pumped and hyped, but at the same time we are focused. We know on Saturday when everything starts up and the season starts, it's a whole different world. It's just a change in mindset, so we have to stay focused and continue to get better every day.

On what he learned about himself and his teammates over the offseason...

I have learned a lot. We have a lot of guys who can compete now and play to win--a lot of good character guys like Jahii Carson, Bo Barnes, Evan Gordon, Jordan Bachynski, and Ruslan Pateev. They are all great guys, and just being around them every day I get to see the sense of urgency to win. With that, everything that we have going on now with our team is at a good spot.

On Evan Gordon's game skills...

Evan is crafty. He has a way for scoring the ball. That's one thing that we are definitely going to need from him this year, is to put the ball in the bucket, because that's what he is good at.

On he and Jahii Carson's chemistry on the court...

I think it will work great. I played with Jahii Carson in club basketball in high school. Just seeing how much he has progressed, as well as me, will definitely be something to watch. Over the last couple of days in practice and our last scrimmages, you can tell we are set in need. Even the team has chemistry together, which has been missing in the last few seasons.

On Jahii Carson always having confidence...

Yes, Jahii Carson has always been confident. A lot of people look at Jahii Carson and think he is flashy and look at his dunks. Jahii Carson makes everyone on the team so much better. It's amazing being out there on the court with him, because he's able to talk to you, pass you the ball, and gives everyone opportunities to score.

On top players enjoying the spotlight...

It depends on who you are. Some players are like that, while other players shy way from the media, like myself. I like it, but at the same time I don't like the media at all. I tend to want to stay to myself.

On adjusting to the unknown Central Arkansas...

We just make sure we focus out there, get down and get detailed on stuff we do know about them. At the same time, we really have to come together as a team. Like you said, we don't know much about them so we have to come together as a team. We have to come up with our own game plan on what we are going to do, and plan things we need to execute on the court.

On what is asked of him offensively...

Right now the coach has me playing the two, three, and four, which I think is great, but the one through four positions are the same. We are all out on the perimeter. We are all passing the ball, cutting, and going off screens. So, it's all the same, just making sure I run the court. I think that would be huge for me, running the court and rebounding for my team, being a vocal leader.

On getting the students ready for the season...

I would tell them it is going to be an exciting year. We have a chance to do something that has never been done before in Arizona State history, which is winning the Pac-12 Championship. I think we are very capable of doing that. I would like them to come along and be a part of the ride, because we need the student body as much as ourselves as a team.