Q: Hey Bill, there's been so much made about energy with this team and I think sometimes we just throw that out there as just a thought, a concept. Can you explain with this team specifically what starting with energy looks like, what it means, what it includes?
A: Well, I think everything we've had, the teams that play with the most energy always play the fastest and play more athletic and things like that. To me it's feet and hand activity, always bluffing the ball, always digging at the ball, first two steps in transition. There's a lot of things I think that go into it and certainly when you don't do that, which very rarely do you do it all the time. I mean, nobody does it all the time, but when you don't do that, things get exposed that you can cover up for. You can cover up mistakes from a technical standpoint with great energy or great athleticism or whatever.
But when you don't have that, then the tactical things become more prevalent and more obvious. And certainly we're no different than almost all teams in the country, but that certainly seems to be very apparent with this team in large part because we've got a team full of good athletes. But I don't consider us a team full of guys, that when the guy you're playing across against, you know that you're a superior, quick twitch athlete. We got really good athletes that need to be turned up to become great athletes. And when we do that, we're pretty effective.
Q: And when they don't have it, anybody but these guys specifically, what's the challenge of trying to get them to flip that switch? Is that easier said than done?
A: Well, yeah, if you don't have it to start, you're usually not going to get it back. I mean, everything's about momentum in sports. When you start out with it, you obviously want to prolong it as much as you can and when you don't, it's a lot harder than what maybe people realize to start something or turn something on when it wasn't prepared to turn on anyway, because a lot of its preparation. Time of day could play a role. There's a lot of things that could play a role in it, and those are excuses in my mind, but certainly we can say what we want to. When we're turned up, we're pretty good defensively and when we're not, we get real average.
QL And with Saturday, what was the biggest key with Grant (Sherfield) guarding him?
A: I think you may have just hit it on the head, energy. We didn't do a good job on him the first time and he scored three points from behind the yard and he still gets 25. So, he's a guy that can go get his own and he got his shoulders past us, he elevated over us. There's a lot of things that he did really well in the first game that we got to be much better at, at this game.
Q: Has the Alabama game proven itself what OU can do and have you watched the tape of that game to see how they blew them up?
A: Yeah, we watched all the tapes and certainly they were impressive in that game. And I'll be honest, I thought they were impressive last night. I thought they played well against Baylor and had opportunities in that three-to-five-point range late to make one play to really put a lot of game pressure on it and a breakaway layup turns into a layup for Baylor or something like that. So, they were in position to be there. So, I thought they were really pretty good last night. And of course, I think Baylor's really good especially away from home, but OU's a lot like us. When they play well, they're really good.
But when they don't, they've had their rough moments, and certainly that's been kind of like us. We look at our shortcomings this year, it's usually because of, we haven't lived up to the level of play in games when we actually have won. And that usually happens across America. But I would say there's usually a pinpoint reason on why that's happened. And I don't coach OU, but I'm sure they've had those pinpoint reasons too. But their personnel's good and they gotten more athletic because they're playing a couple of guys now that didn't play near as much when we played them the first time.
Q: Do you think Oklahoma is a tournament team?
A: I think our league right now has a solid eight in, and I believe that OU is still in the game for sure to be a tournament team. They're good enough to be in the tournament, there's no doubt about that. But they're probably going to have to do some things to give the committee a reason besides Alabama to say, if they're good enough to beat Alabama by half down 33 or whatever. And they're ranked number two in the country. They're definitely one of the best teams to get into the tournament. They should get in the tournament, if you just base it on potential and quality of team.
But still though, our league is so good that when you look at league records, even though you could have maybe a top 30 net team such as West Virginia and I don't know what West Virginia is in the league now, does anybody know? They four and six? Four and six, and right now they would be a lock to be in the tournament at four and six, a lock. And they should be, they're 20 in the net. Oklahoma's not quite as high in the net, so they're going to have to do something to show the committee that they're one of those better at large teams, not only by net but also by record. But they have plenty of opportunities to do so. They're capable, absolutely.
Q: Could you update Bobby, Zack, Cam, etc.?
A: I really don't have much of an update. I think we're all better. Cam won't be available. Kyle obviously won't be available. The other three I'll probably know more after today's practice, but from what I've been told, there was a chance that maybe Zuby could be worked in some today, but I haven't heard that yet. And this is what I heard this morning, but we'll wait and see how practice goes. I would think it's still day to day. And Bobby as well too. I don't anticipate those guys, but I could be wrong.
Q: Coach Townsend mentioned the other day that after Iowa State, you had the team meet instead of letting them go as you usually do. Was that just because the game that you played next was so close or did you really need to address some things?
A: I mean, well there's things that are not basketball specific. I didn't meet with our team about technical things that happened in Ames. And I told you guys, I didn't watch the tape, so I met with them more about team things, culture type things. But yeah, we've done a lot of meeting. I had a coaching buddy of mine say, "Teams that aren't as good, meet. Teams that are good, practice." And we were at a phase where we probably needed to talk some things out. So, without question, there's no hesitation on what expectations are and what everyone's role is based on where they are at with this particular team at this time. Yeah, but it wasn't about X's and O's.
Q: For a lot of reasons fans are abuzz about MJ and Ernest, can you just talk about what you see in practice and what kind of impact can they be on this team moving forward?
A: I think they both can be. I think Ernest had several good days in a row and then maybe took a little bit step backwards in Ames, but he's had several good games. And I'll be honest with you, MJ, the first time he's looked like he was moving and playing with the presence in a long time. So, I'm excited that if that thing can keep moving in a positive direction, that could certainly make our team much deeper but also much better. And I'm hopeful for that and it doesn't have anything to do with points and rebounds. It's just the presence and the mindset and the body language just seem to be the best it's been with MJ in a long time. And I'm thinking so much of that is health related.
Q: Coach, we had Kevin in here a minute ago. Could you discuss the challenges that he faced coming in with so much experience in the league, but entering a team, defending national champion with its own existing alpha dogs. What kind of challenges he had to face to become an accepted leader on this bunch?
A: I think it's been pretty smooth and pretty easy for him in large part because there's two anointed leaders and we needed a third, and he naturally became the third without having to really do that much. I mean, the third isn't going to be a freshman. The third isn't going to be KJ. So, he was automatically put into that situation because of his experience and success he's had obviously at Tech, so I don't think it's been hard for him in that role. It may have been harder for him in a role that's different than maybe the role that he had as a player at Tech. But I actually thought he's transitioned really well into being a leader and certainly I look forward to him even being more of one as we finish this because he has as good of understanding about what we're trying to do as anybody out there.
Q: 88 points, Jalen has two. What does that mean?
A: Well, I would've never thought that we would score 88 points against Texas and a guy who averages 22 gets two. So, I think it's a bright sign. I do. I think it's positive that other guys stepped up. We need Jalen obviously to play like Jalen's capable of, and here we look at this and it's the first single-figure game he's had all year long. Yeah, it is. I mean he's been beyond consistent. He's been great, but it was nice to see for somebody to pick him up on one out of 24 days, he wasn't great, which is a pretty ridiculously consistent stat out of... Well, what's been his low game other than two? He had 11 one games, so we could say maybe below average on that, but for the most part he's done everything we need him to do to give us the best chance. So, I think it was good for him to see also that maybe he doesn't have to carry the load all the time.
Q: Somebody was saying Devonte got traded, did you talk to him-
A: I haven't but he's a Spur now.
Q: The whole situation?
A: I do not know anything about it, but I know that they got four second round picks, Devonte, and they gave up Josh Richardson. So, I know that, that's all I know. But I obviously, I don't know the situation with the Spurs inside-and-out by any stretch, but I got to believe it's a good situation for him to be able to go somewhere and play because I'm sure he'll get an opportunity because there with the Pelicans, things have kind of got a situation where he wasn't playing quite as much. So, I'm happy for him.
Q: Given the state of this league and how you guys talked about it all year, how tough it is, I'd imagine we know the answer to this, but is there any concern after playing top 15 team after top 15 team over and over and over like this, about going to an unranked team for a couple of games like this? Is that even on the radar at all?
A: I hadn't even thought about that. So, I hadn't even thought about it. Maybe the guys think about it, I can't believe they do. We beat OU as bad as we possibly could the first time, we played them. And we're down 10 with four and a half minutes left. And we luck out to win basically by a possession. Same thing happened against Oklahoma State. So, I don't look at it that way. I know that obviously they're very capable when they're good, they're as good as anybody in our league. That's been proven. So, I don't look at it that way. I thought the question would be, Matt, is there any concern that over a course of two months, that this could wear you down to the point where maybe your team wouldn't be as physically ready or mentally ready come tournament time? That was your next question?
Yeah, but God, it's a bright question, but I think there would be concern with that for everybody. I think there's a balance that when you go into post-season play, there's a balance of playing your best, but there's also a balance of being healthy and batteries recharged and highest energy level, highest focused concentration type level, that give you the best chance. And when you put so much emphasis on every game and every day over a course of two and a half months or whatever, it becomes quite tiresome. So just to be real candid with you, I think it's a fine line you walk, being what you want to be at the most important time and not overdoing it now to the point where they could take away from them. They won the national championship in, what was it, '21?
And it was a COVID year, it was all screwed up. They also got two weeks off during February. And even though it was a bad two weeks because it was COVID, it was still a time where they came back against us, I don't know if you guys remember, we won by 30 or 25 because they were just coming back from COVID. They weren't a team yet and everything, but there was a time for them to regroup. Last year when we won, you guys remember, we weren't very good. We were winning games, but hey, we lose at Baylor, we lose a TCU. We labor at home. Our record was good, but we didn't kick it in and become a really good team until after the regular season was over because it's hard to sustain being really good if your talent level is comparable to everybody else over a span of four weeks.
If your talent level's better than everybody else, then okay, we cannot be great and still win. But last year's team that, we had to be really good to win because the competition was always stiff. And that's the way it is this year. So, I could see it taking a toll on teams. I think it's going to be a fine line to walk where you don't put so much emphasis on today because you know there's a bigger tomorrow. And to be honest with you, we've never gone through that here because for us to win the league, we've always had to beat one team. Now you got to beat five. So, it's a totally different approach in my opinion. And maybe it's six, but it's totally different in the approach, in my opinion, than it was in years past. Not to put too much emphasis on something presently that could take away from possibly later.
A: Well, I think everything we've had, the teams that play with the most energy always play the fastest and play more athletic and things like that. To me it's feet and hand activity, always bluffing the ball, always digging at the ball, first two steps in transition. There's a lot of things I think that go into it and certainly when you don't do that, which very rarely do you do it all the time. I mean, nobody does it all the time, but when you don't do that, things get exposed that you can cover up for. You can cover up mistakes from a technical standpoint with great energy or great athleticism or whatever.
But when you don't have that, then the tactical things become more prevalent and more obvious. And certainly we're no different than almost all teams in the country, but that certainly seems to be very apparent with this team in large part because we've got a team full of good athletes. But I don't consider us a team full of guys, that when the guy you're playing across against, you know that you're a superior, quick twitch athlete. We got really good athletes that need to be turned up to become great athletes. And when we do that, we're pretty effective.
Q: And when they don't have it, anybody but these guys specifically, what's the challenge of trying to get them to flip that switch? Is that easier said than done?
A: Well, yeah, if you don't have it to start, you're usually not going to get it back. I mean, everything's about momentum in sports. When you start out with it, you obviously want to prolong it as much as you can and when you don't, it's a lot harder than what maybe people realize to start something or turn something on when it wasn't prepared to turn on anyway, because a lot of its preparation. Time of day could play a role. There's a lot of things that could play a role in it, and those are excuses in my mind, but certainly we can say what we want to. When we're turned up, we're pretty good defensively and when we're not, we get real average.
QL And with Saturday, what was the biggest key with Grant (Sherfield) guarding him?
A: I think you may have just hit it on the head, energy. We didn't do a good job on him the first time and he scored three points from behind the yard and he still gets 25. So, he's a guy that can go get his own and he got his shoulders past us, he elevated over us. There's a lot of things that he did really well in the first game that we got to be much better at, at this game.
Q: Has the Alabama game proven itself what OU can do and have you watched the tape of that game to see how they blew them up?
A: Yeah, we watched all the tapes and certainly they were impressive in that game. And I'll be honest, I thought they were impressive last night. I thought they played well against Baylor and had opportunities in that three-to-five-point range late to make one play to really put a lot of game pressure on it and a breakaway layup turns into a layup for Baylor or something like that. So, they were in position to be there. So, I thought they were really pretty good last night. And of course, I think Baylor's really good especially away from home, but OU's a lot like us. When they play well, they're really good.
But when they don't, they've had their rough moments, and certainly that's been kind of like us. We look at our shortcomings this year, it's usually because of, we haven't lived up to the level of play in games when we actually have won. And that usually happens across America. But I would say there's usually a pinpoint reason on why that's happened. And I don't coach OU, but I'm sure they've had those pinpoint reasons too. But their personnel's good and they gotten more athletic because they're playing a couple of guys now that didn't play near as much when we played them the first time.
Q: Do you think Oklahoma is a tournament team?
A: I think our league right now has a solid eight in, and I believe that OU is still in the game for sure to be a tournament team. They're good enough to be in the tournament, there's no doubt about that. But they're probably going to have to do some things to give the committee a reason besides Alabama to say, if they're good enough to beat Alabama by half down 33 or whatever. And they're ranked number two in the country. They're definitely one of the best teams to get into the tournament. They should get in the tournament, if you just base it on potential and quality of team.
But still though, our league is so good that when you look at league records, even though you could have maybe a top 30 net team such as West Virginia and I don't know what West Virginia is in the league now, does anybody know? They four and six? Four and six, and right now they would be a lock to be in the tournament at four and six, a lock. And they should be, they're 20 in the net. Oklahoma's not quite as high in the net, so they're going to have to do something to show the committee that they're one of those better at large teams, not only by net but also by record. But they have plenty of opportunities to do so. They're capable, absolutely.
Q: Could you update Bobby, Zack, Cam, etc.?
A: I really don't have much of an update. I think we're all better. Cam won't be available. Kyle obviously won't be available. The other three I'll probably know more after today's practice, but from what I've been told, there was a chance that maybe Zuby could be worked in some today, but I haven't heard that yet. And this is what I heard this morning, but we'll wait and see how practice goes. I would think it's still day to day. And Bobby as well too. I don't anticipate those guys, but I could be wrong.
Q: Coach Townsend mentioned the other day that after Iowa State, you had the team meet instead of letting them go as you usually do. Was that just because the game that you played next was so close or did you really need to address some things?
A: I mean, well there's things that are not basketball specific. I didn't meet with our team about technical things that happened in Ames. And I told you guys, I didn't watch the tape, so I met with them more about team things, culture type things. But yeah, we've done a lot of meeting. I had a coaching buddy of mine say, "Teams that aren't as good, meet. Teams that are good, practice." And we were at a phase where we probably needed to talk some things out. So, without question, there's no hesitation on what expectations are and what everyone's role is based on where they are at with this particular team at this time. Yeah, but it wasn't about X's and O's.
Q: For a lot of reasons fans are abuzz about MJ and Ernest, can you just talk about what you see in practice and what kind of impact can they be on this team moving forward?
A: I think they both can be. I think Ernest had several good days in a row and then maybe took a little bit step backwards in Ames, but he's had several good games. And I'll be honest with you, MJ, the first time he's looked like he was moving and playing with the presence in a long time. So, I'm excited that if that thing can keep moving in a positive direction, that could certainly make our team much deeper but also much better. And I'm hopeful for that and it doesn't have anything to do with points and rebounds. It's just the presence and the mindset and the body language just seem to be the best it's been with MJ in a long time. And I'm thinking so much of that is health related.
Q: Coach, we had Kevin in here a minute ago. Could you discuss the challenges that he faced coming in with so much experience in the league, but entering a team, defending national champion with its own existing alpha dogs. What kind of challenges he had to face to become an accepted leader on this bunch?
A: I think it's been pretty smooth and pretty easy for him in large part because there's two anointed leaders and we needed a third, and he naturally became the third without having to really do that much. I mean, the third isn't going to be a freshman. The third isn't going to be KJ. So, he was automatically put into that situation because of his experience and success he's had obviously at Tech, so I don't think it's been hard for him in that role. It may have been harder for him in a role that's different than maybe the role that he had as a player at Tech. But I actually thought he's transitioned really well into being a leader and certainly I look forward to him even being more of one as we finish this because he has as good of understanding about what we're trying to do as anybody out there.
Q: 88 points, Jalen has two. What does that mean?
A: Well, I would've never thought that we would score 88 points against Texas and a guy who averages 22 gets two. So, I think it's a bright sign. I do. I think it's positive that other guys stepped up. We need Jalen obviously to play like Jalen's capable of, and here we look at this and it's the first single-figure game he's had all year long. Yeah, it is. I mean he's been beyond consistent. He's been great, but it was nice to see for somebody to pick him up on one out of 24 days, he wasn't great, which is a pretty ridiculously consistent stat out of... Well, what's been his low game other than two? He had 11 one games, so we could say maybe below average on that, but for the most part he's done everything we need him to do to give us the best chance. So, I think it was good for him to see also that maybe he doesn't have to carry the load all the time.
Q: Somebody was saying Devonte got traded, did you talk to him-
A: I haven't but he's a Spur now.
Q: The whole situation?
A: I do not know anything about it, but I know that they got four second round picks, Devonte, and they gave up Josh Richardson. So, I know that, that's all I know. But I obviously, I don't know the situation with the Spurs inside-and-out by any stretch, but I got to believe it's a good situation for him to be able to go somewhere and play because I'm sure he'll get an opportunity because there with the Pelicans, things have kind of got a situation where he wasn't playing quite as much. So, I'm happy for him.
Q: Given the state of this league and how you guys talked about it all year, how tough it is, I'd imagine we know the answer to this, but is there any concern after playing top 15 team after top 15 team over and over and over like this, about going to an unranked team for a couple of games like this? Is that even on the radar at all?
A: I hadn't even thought about that. So, I hadn't even thought about it. Maybe the guys think about it, I can't believe they do. We beat OU as bad as we possibly could the first time, we played them. And we're down 10 with four and a half minutes left. And we luck out to win basically by a possession. Same thing happened against Oklahoma State. So, I don't look at it that way. I know that obviously they're very capable when they're good, they're as good as anybody in our league. That's been proven. So, I don't look at it that way. I thought the question would be, Matt, is there any concern that over a course of two months, that this could wear you down to the point where maybe your team wouldn't be as physically ready or mentally ready come tournament time? That was your next question?
Yeah, but God, it's a bright question, but I think there would be concern with that for everybody. I think there's a balance that when you go into post-season play, there's a balance of playing your best, but there's also a balance of being healthy and batteries recharged and highest energy level, highest focused concentration type level, that give you the best chance. And when you put so much emphasis on every game and every day over a course of two and a half months or whatever, it becomes quite tiresome. So just to be real candid with you, I think it's a fine line you walk, being what you want to be at the most important time and not overdoing it now to the point where they could take away from them. They won the national championship in, what was it, '21?
And it was a COVID year, it was all screwed up. They also got two weeks off during February. And even though it was a bad two weeks because it was COVID, it was still a time where they came back against us, I don't know if you guys remember, we won by 30 or 25 because they were just coming back from COVID. They weren't a team yet and everything, but there was a time for them to regroup. Last year when we won, you guys remember, we weren't very good. We were winning games, but hey, we lose at Baylor, we lose a TCU. We labor at home. Our record was good, but we didn't kick it in and become a really good team until after the regular season was over because it's hard to sustain being really good if your talent level is comparable to everybody else over a span of four weeks.
If your talent level's better than everybody else, then okay, we cannot be great and still win. But last year's team that, we had to be really good to win because the competition was always stiff. And that's the way it is this year. So, I could see it taking a toll on teams. I think it's going to be a fine line to walk where you don't put so much emphasis on today because you know there's a bigger tomorrow. And to be honest with you, we've never gone through that here because for us to win the league, we've always had to beat one team. Now you got to beat five. So, it's a totally different approach in my opinion. And maybe it's six, but it's totally different in the approach, in my opinion, than it was in years past. Not to put too much emphasis on something presently that could take away from possibly later.
