From player retention, recruiting and the transfer portal, thinks it has been a very productive offseason.
Says Curtis Givens is everything they thought he'd be. He's bringing the ball up the court well and is shooting the three well. Vyctorius Miller has also been really good with the ball in his hands. Calls him one of their versatile scorers. Robert Miller is a stretch big who can score from all levels and can play interior defense really well.
Tried to use the portal to fill immediate needs. He doesn't want large numbers there. They got three guards this year and they had a combined 47 PPG of production last year.
Loves the work ethic and coach-ability of his team this year.
Fired up about the direction of the program. Says year one was incredibly painful and difficult, but last year they took clear strides forward, which helped them in the recruiting trail. He's proud of last year, but he didn't come here to play in the NIT.
Noah Boyde is a month away from being cleared with an ACL injury, but outside of that they're really healthy.
Calls Daimion Collins a once in a lifetime athlete and he'll never coach someone as athletic as him again.
Corey Chest took advantage of the redshirt year and gained 20 pounds. Says he can guard 1-5 on the floor and has been one of the better rebounders this offseason.
It was a big offseason for Mike Williams. He had to grow up a lot faster than he should've last year, but was able to settle in and be a great player. He's a winner, he's tough and he wants to lead.
Tyrell Ward has gained some weight this offseason, getting up to 200 pounds. Finished third in the SEC in 3pt shooting, so thinks this is a big two months coming up for him before the season opener. Wants to see him become a more well-rounded player, especially on defense.
One of their main goals in the portal and freshman class was adding perimeter defense. They were horrible defending the three last year, so they were intentional in adding guys who could help out in that area.
Trey'Dez Green is all football right now. They'll address his situation once the season is over.
Feels the game has changed and you don't really need a 6-11 bruiser in the paint anymore. Says Jalen Reed isn't a center, but he'll be one of the guys who gets a lot of playing time down low. They won't have a true center, more of lengthy forwards playing the 5.
Says Jordan Sears is quick, athletic and strong. He's been really impressed by his mentality as he moves to the SEC. He tells him all the time that he didn't come here to learn how to shoot or pass, they're trying to turn him into an elite point guard.
They added Mike Chatman from Stanford as strength coach, Jalen Courtney-Williams comes from Creighton as an assistant, and David Patrick comes over as an associate head coach. Feels like they went 3/3 on their hires. Got their guy at every spot.
They're not going to be a slow team that plays in the half court. Thinks their roster is constructed in a way where they can push the ball and score quick. Got to limited the turnovers though.
