Q: Just a general feeling of being told games are canceled, even if they're made up, different opponent, the emotions that plays out on you.
A: It obviously sucks that we called off the Colorado game and then this Saturday's game. But it's a reminder of last year and to see that COVID is still around and in large and effect now, it's really crazy to see that.
Q: How do you manage it? I mean, coaches talked a lot about, "Don't plan too much. Don't get frustrated, roll with it." I mean, that sounds easy, but is it easy and how do you manage it?
A: It is easy because it's been happening or it's happened before so it's not like it's anything really new. Maybe for the new guys it's surprising a little bit. But no, it's really just really being thankful to be in the moment, to be practicing, to be playing at least instead of in isolation or quarantine or anything like that. So that's how I see it. I know guys on our team see it that way, too, as it just being fortunate to play, being fortunate to have games scheduled.
Q: You just got done lifting?
A: I just got the shooting, actually.
Q: For everybody else, I want to make sure, that you weren't sick.
A: Oh no, no, no. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good.
Q: What do you sense within the locker room with your team, with the guys? I mean, do you get a feeling that people are worried? Are they panicking? Are they just rolling with it? How do you sense that?
A: Just rolling with it. Everyone, all the guys that were here last year and the year before kind of have been through it, like I said. So we're just telling them how it goes. This is the norm in college basketball, in any sports. Now that's how the norm is. But just reminding them to not really think too much about it, just to move on to whatever game is scheduled. We're focused on that, stuff like that. Just do the stuff that we can control.
Q: How much do you guys need to play? You got one tomorrow night, as of right now it's on, right? How much do you need to play to keep this process of gelling and coming together and progressing and all that stuff going?I
A: Really in practice, you can only tell so much about how your team is and how you guys gel together and play against other opponents. Unless you really do play against other opponents. Going to the games, going into this game tomorrow, it's just like I always keep saying, it's just another chance to get better before conference keeps rolling around. So it's just really seeing where we're at every game because that Steven F. Austin's still in our memory from when we played them. We just want to come back out and give a better performance.
Q: After all the transition that's transpired, you may have ended up with a better opponent in Nevada. Talk about that. And I think they play with two seven footers.
A: I believe so. I haven't seen much of them. We were starting scouting all that today as far as them, but I know they're a really good team. And I know one guy off there, Grant Sherfield, really good scorer, really, really active, really good athlete. So we're going to have the key in on him and some other guys, too.
Q: Has coach talked about how they got us here in 2005?
A: No, hasn't brought it up. Maybe he will at practice, but, no, he hasn't brought it up.
Q: What it like playing with essentially two point guards? Does that give you more open looks? The fact you've got two guys looking for you at all times?
A: I would say so. Yeah. Them just being aggressive, making plays for other people rather than themselves, and being selfless as a point guard. And those two spots, I think helps me C.B., J. Wil, J. Cole, and a lot of other shooting guards, the guards that are on the wings, not really have to work too much to get a basket because they're helping us out. So it is nice having that out there.
Q: If coach Self wanted to give you guys a New Year's resolution as a team for 2022, what do you think that would be?
A: More active on defense. Big one, yeah.
Q: I don't know how much you've done it or at all, but when you look at last year's team and, and what you guys are doing this year, coach has talked a lot about we're better in transition, I think. Some areas you're better and some areas maybe not yet. Do you look at that and are you noticing any of that stuff? Does anything jump out at you anyway?
A: It kind of jumps out or jumped out to me when we first started official practice and we were kind of seeing where our strengths are on our team and stuff as in transition and stuff. So that's when we kind of realized that's what we do. And it is different than last year because we didn't get a lot of points out of that. So it's just a really different feel out there with different combinations of teams on the floor at the time. But when everyone's out there, everyone has that same mindset to get out and run once we get a defensive rebound or moving the ball offensively. And then defensively that's where we're still working on every day, but we just have to have that mentality to be a defensive squad.
Q: I also wanted to ask you in the Eudora High School gym last summer you talked big, big eyes, big smile, you're ready for this leadership role. How has it been for you? I mean, have you enjoyed it? Obvious your play has gone to another level too. I know the leadership part's important to you. How has that been over this first 10 games? Has it been what you thought it was?
A: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have all the support from my teammates and that's all I can ask for is the support and just for them to trust me as a leader. And know that I'm willing to do everything for them too, lay down everything on the line for them. So they know that, and it's kind of been established and I kind of feel comfortable in this position as a leader. And I know we have other guys that are like sub-leaders or leaders with me and they still look up to those people too. So it's just the amount of respect that goes throughout our team.
Q: I know you've got Mitch, so you'll never feel like the old man.
A: No Mitch, Chris, J. Cole. Yeah.
Q: But do you feel like team dad every once in a while?
A: Sometimes.
Q: I mean, you have a favorite leadership moment so far? Has there been one where, whether you had to yell and scream or just be tough, whatever it was, where you kind of thought that's cool, they listened?
A: Really, I would say in the games we played this year, when we start out and we have the lead and then we let it fade a little bit, let the team get confidence to come back in. I think it was last game or the game before that, I remember bringing the guys in the huddle. And I just talked to them in a calm manner. I was just like, "Guys, we've been through this. We know what to do. Just everyone take a second, take a breath. And then let's get back focused again because we kind of got out of line there." So I know the guys, that's my way of being a leader, really kind of confronting you face to face and talking to you face to face in a calm manner because I feel like that that relays better to me.
Q: Last thing I want to ask you, are you worried about the season?
A: No, not at all.
Q: How does it impact you having another wing in C.B. that's so aggressive offensively? And the two of you are just playing so well together and reaching new heights.
A: I mean, with C.B. and then all the other weapons we have, it's really hard, really hard guard. I would say if the defense is designed to stop me, then you still have C.B. and you still have Remy and you still have Dajuan that can get shots and David, that can get going. So we have a lot of guys and we can bring guys off the bench too, that are still the same aggressive as C.B and I. So that's really nice to know that we have different weapons like that because when people key in on me, it makes a little bit better because then they're going to have to focus on other guys too, so it can't just be me.
A: It obviously sucks that we called off the Colorado game and then this Saturday's game. But it's a reminder of last year and to see that COVID is still around and in large and effect now, it's really crazy to see that.
Q: How do you manage it? I mean, coaches talked a lot about, "Don't plan too much. Don't get frustrated, roll with it." I mean, that sounds easy, but is it easy and how do you manage it?
A: It is easy because it's been happening or it's happened before so it's not like it's anything really new. Maybe for the new guys it's surprising a little bit. But no, it's really just really being thankful to be in the moment, to be practicing, to be playing at least instead of in isolation or quarantine or anything like that. So that's how I see it. I know guys on our team see it that way, too, as it just being fortunate to play, being fortunate to have games scheduled.
Q: You just got done lifting?
A: I just got the shooting, actually.
Q: For everybody else, I want to make sure, that you weren't sick.
A: Oh no, no, no. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good.
Q: What do you sense within the locker room with your team, with the guys? I mean, do you get a feeling that people are worried? Are they panicking? Are they just rolling with it? How do you sense that?
A: Just rolling with it. Everyone, all the guys that were here last year and the year before kind of have been through it, like I said. So we're just telling them how it goes. This is the norm in college basketball, in any sports. Now that's how the norm is. But just reminding them to not really think too much about it, just to move on to whatever game is scheduled. We're focused on that, stuff like that. Just do the stuff that we can control.
Q: How much do you guys need to play? You got one tomorrow night, as of right now it's on, right? How much do you need to play to keep this process of gelling and coming together and progressing and all that stuff going?I
A: Really in practice, you can only tell so much about how your team is and how you guys gel together and play against other opponents. Unless you really do play against other opponents. Going to the games, going into this game tomorrow, it's just like I always keep saying, it's just another chance to get better before conference keeps rolling around. So it's just really seeing where we're at every game because that Steven F. Austin's still in our memory from when we played them. We just want to come back out and give a better performance.
Q: After all the transition that's transpired, you may have ended up with a better opponent in Nevada. Talk about that. And I think they play with two seven footers.
A: I believe so. I haven't seen much of them. We were starting scouting all that today as far as them, but I know they're a really good team. And I know one guy off there, Grant Sherfield, really good scorer, really, really active, really good athlete. So we're going to have the key in on him and some other guys, too.
Q: Has coach talked about how they got us here in 2005?
A: No, hasn't brought it up. Maybe he will at practice, but, no, he hasn't brought it up.
Q: What it like playing with essentially two point guards? Does that give you more open looks? The fact you've got two guys looking for you at all times?
A: I would say so. Yeah. Them just being aggressive, making plays for other people rather than themselves, and being selfless as a point guard. And those two spots, I think helps me C.B., J. Wil, J. Cole, and a lot of other shooting guards, the guards that are on the wings, not really have to work too much to get a basket because they're helping us out. So it is nice having that out there.
Q: If coach Self wanted to give you guys a New Year's resolution as a team for 2022, what do you think that would be?
A: More active on defense. Big one, yeah.
Q: I don't know how much you've done it or at all, but when you look at last year's team and, and what you guys are doing this year, coach has talked a lot about we're better in transition, I think. Some areas you're better and some areas maybe not yet. Do you look at that and are you noticing any of that stuff? Does anything jump out at you anyway?
A: It kind of jumps out or jumped out to me when we first started official practice and we were kind of seeing where our strengths are on our team and stuff as in transition and stuff. So that's when we kind of realized that's what we do. And it is different than last year because we didn't get a lot of points out of that. So it's just a really different feel out there with different combinations of teams on the floor at the time. But when everyone's out there, everyone has that same mindset to get out and run once we get a defensive rebound or moving the ball offensively. And then defensively that's where we're still working on every day, but we just have to have that mentality to be a defensive squad.
Q: I also wanted to ask you in the Eudora High School gym last summer you talked big, big eyes, big smile, you're ready for this leadership role. How has it been for you? I mean, have you enjoyed it? Obvious your play has gone to another level too. I know the leadership part's important to you. How has that been over this first 10 games? Has it been what you thought it was?
A: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have all the support from my teammates and that's all I can ask for is the support and just for them to trust me as a leader. And know that I'm willing to do everything for them too, lay down everything on the line for them. So they know that, and it's kind of been established and I kind of feel comfortable in this position as a leader. And I know we have other guys that are like sub-leaders or leaders with me and they still look up to those people too. So it's just the amount of respect that goes throughout our team.
Q: I know you've got Mitch, so you'll never feel like the old man.
A: No Mitch, Chris, J. Cole. Yeah.
Q: But do you feel like team dad every once in a while?
A: Sometimes.
Q: I mean, you have a favorite leadership moment so far? Has there been one where, whether you had to yell and scream or just be tough, whatever it was, where you kind of thought that's cool, they listened?
A: Really, I would say in the games we played this year, when we start out and we have the lead and then we let it fade a little bit, let the team get confidence to come back in. I think it was last game or the game before that, I remember bringing the guys in the huddle. And I just talked to them in a calm manner. I was just like, "Guys, we've been through this. We know what to do. Just everyone take a second, take a breath. And then let's get back focused again because we kind of got out of line there." So I know the guys, that's my way of being a leader, really kind of confronting you face to face and talking to you face to face in a calm manner because I feel like that that relays better to me.
Q: Last thing I want to ask you, are you worried about the season?
A: No, not at all.
Q: How does it impact you having another wing in C.B. that's so aggressive offensively? And the two of you are just playing so well together and reaching new heights.
A: I mean, with C.B. and then all the other weapons we have, it's really hard, really hard guard. I would say if the defense is designed to stop me, then you still have C.B. and you still have Remy and you still have Dajuan that can get shots and David, that can get going. So we have a lot of guys and we can bring guys off the bench too, that are still the same aggressive as C.B and I. So that's really nice to know that we have different weapons like that because when people key in on me, it makes a little bit better because then they're going to have to focus on other guys too, so it can't just be me.
