Kansas State Men's Basketball Holds Annual Media Day
Oct 23, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 23, 2002
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The cold and rainy conditions were unable to keep a damper on Kansas State's 2002-03 Basketball Media Day as a large turn-out of the Kansas media greeted head coach Jim Wooldridge and the Wildcats, Wednesday.
The weather also did little to dampen the enthusiasm regarding the fast-approaching season as K-State looks to improve on its seventh place Big 12 finish in 2001-02. Below is a transcript of coach Wooldridge's comments as well as those of various players.
2002-03 Kansas StateMen's Basketball Media Day
Oct. 23, 2002
Head Coach Jim Wooldridge QuotesOn the new season...
"We appreciate everybody being here. This is a great day to talk about our programs and the beginning of the season. Although we've been practicing for nine or 10 practices, we feel this is the beginning of the season. We find ourselves faced with some real challenges, as we did two years ago. Our program and our teams over the last two years, I felt like have done some real positive things to help improve the perception of the program and the image of the program. We are making progress as we battle up the line in what we consider to be the best league in the country."We know that this year we'll again have to over-achieve in order to do that, to move up the ladder in this league. But I think we have a collection of guys that could surprise some people and do some things that I guess a lot of people don't think they can do. We have a lot to prove, but I think our guys are ready for that kind of challenge."
On his newcomers...
"All four of these kids are going to have to play major roles on this team. Frank Richards, Jarrett Hart, Tim Ellis and Marques Hayden all will play minutes. And that's a lot to ask of new players. But we're in that position again. Jarrett and Frank, as far as recruited players, are two kids who will play the 1 and 2 positions for us, and at times, if Frank comes out of the game, Jarrett will move over to the point. They've responded well in their seven or eight weeks here now. They're picking up things at a pretty good pace. Suffice it to say that they will be players, like Larry Reid was two years ago and Matt Siebrandt two years ago, they will be counted on to play significant roles on this team."
On the biggest challenge this season...
"Like the last two seasons, it's overcoming odds and challenges, and over-achieving and getting new players to blend with old players. I think it was said a couple weeks ago by a coach in our league that if you look at our league, years ago, you had to win the Big Eight championship to go to postseason play. Today, if you finish in sixth place, you're a good enough basketball team to go to the NCAA Tournament. That's the challenge, is the competition and trying to move up the ladder to get into one of those slots."
On Pervis Pasco's experience in Europe from the tour...
"I don't want to make too much of that. I think what it did was gave him an opportunity to be exposed to a place he's never seen. I think it's also important to point out that he was recognized, by being on that team, as one of the returning players in this league who had accomplished some things the year before. I think it built a little confidence in him. The whole experience was a confidence-builder for him."
On Janerio Spurlock's recovery from the knee injury...
"He's completely healthy. By not participating in any activity other than riding a bike for six months, you're going to be slowed down a little bit. I'm sure he's feeling the effects of that. But as far as him being able to participate in all activities, he is 100 percent."
On the 'three' spot...
"We've got some candidates. Gilson (DeJesus) is back and he probably is a little more advanced right now than the other two. Tim Ellis could slide down there and play some three. Of course, Quentin Buchanan, although we're going to move Quentin inside a little bit more this year, but Quentin will play the three at times for us. We might even, depending on the combination of players, move Jarrett down there and play some three guards. Janerio has an opportunity to compete at the three. We've got a lot of threes, and we need more twos and ones, so we'll end up probably at times looking at playing a point guard, Frank Richards, for example, and playing two threes, depending on fouls and fatigue and such."
On Marques Hayden...
"Marques has come in and I think he's made a real impression in the 10 practices that we've had. His talent is that of a legitimate Big 12 player. His learning curve is that of a freshman. He's got a lot to learn. But he's made an impact on this team already. As I mentioned earlier, the fact that he's a new player and the talent he brings to us, we've going to give him an opportunity to sink or swim early-on. We need him that much. He's an excellent rebounder, he's got great hands, he's a good passer. He does some things naturally and instinctively that we need out of that position. And yet he has just the beginning of his freshman year to be evaluated.
"So we think he's going to be a good player. We're going to give him an opportunity, much like we did with some new players a year ago and in my first year, to play through some mistakes. Because we think he can help us in Big 12 play."
2002-03 Kansas State
Men's Basketball Media Day
Oct. 23, 2002
Player Quotes
Junior Guard Jarrett Hart
On preseason expectations for the team...
"We take that as a challenge. We like that. Everybody's going to come in looking at us as the underdog. That sort of helps you out here and there. Not too many people favor you, so you work extra hard to get on top. I think we are going to surprise some people this year."
On being a leader on this team...
"Coach has pulled me aside and talked to me about being a leader for this team. I'm just trying to be a leader by example whether it be on the floor, off the floor, going to class. I have been on this level once before (at Oklahoma), so I think that's why he wants me to come and be a leader. I was at OU when they went to the Sweet Sixteen, so I've been through a little bit of it. Hopefully, we can get everyone a taste of the (NCAA) tournament this year."
On practice so far...
"It's been really intense. Coming from junior college, it's another step up. I've been on this level once before and it hasn't changed a bit."
On the pressure to perform immediately...
"I like that. Basically, it didn't matter to me if I played a lot or didn't. I wanted to contribute to the team. I want to come together as a team and win. If we win, everyone looks good."
On the chemistry with backcourt mate Frank Richards...
"We are a pretty good fit on and off the court. We sort of clicked from the first time we met. So far, so good."
On Frank Richards...
"He's the type that can push it and score. He can run the team. He's really quick. He changes direction. He does all of that. I think with his talent, he can take us a long way, along with help from the other guys."
Senior Forward Matt Siebrandt
On preseason expectations for this team...
"I think it both makes us mad and inspires us. It frustrates us in the fact that you think you are getting better every year and you're feeling good, but that okay, we probably lost the best player on our team in Larry Reid. They probably think he's our entire team. That's probably why we get the 11th-12th placement that we got. But it inspires us because we know we are better than that. We know what we are capable of. I guess we just have to go out and just show them."
On being in his third season with the program...
"I really feel comfortable going into my final year. I really feel comforable now with the triangle offense. It's so easy for me now. I know what to expect during the season. I'm really excited about the season because I think we are getting better. The new guys are getting better and better. I think this is the year we will make our big step."
On the newcomers...
"They are all as good or better than we expected them to be. Frank's (Richards) is great point guard. Jarrett (Hart) can do a little bit of everything. Marcus (Hayden) is a big man down low. Tim (Ellis) is really athletic and can get up and down the court. They are all going to be very important this year. They show every day in practice what they are capable of."
On Marcus Hayden...
"He can be really good. He's one of those guys that might be a little undersized like myself, but he is so big and really athletic. He's going to be really good player. It just might take some time. I think in four years, he will be one heck of a player."
On the growth of Pervis Pasco in the offseason...
"I think he has grown up a lot. He's really leading the team this year. He's doing a lot more than he did during his junior year. I think he's going to have a way bigger year than he did last year."
On the basketball tradition at Kansas State...
"I am very conscious of it. You look at the media guide. You look at stuff around town and campus. You talk to fans. They tell you how it used to be around here. We all want it to be back that way. It just takes awhile. I think we all know that and we are going in that direction."
On it being the 100th year of Kansas State basketball...
"That's a big deal for me with this being my last year. That's a lot of tradition. I don't know if they were playing with peach baskets back then, but that's a lot of basketball. A lot of tradition. I am proud to be a part of that."
On being close to turning this program around...
"I think it's really close. I think if we take care of business in the non-conference, like we should have last year, then I think we are very capable to having a big season."
Senior center Pervis Pasco
On the advice he can give to the newcomers...
"We have a lot of new guys. I told them that you have to come out every game and play with confidence and be ready to play every day. We have to go and out get these early wins and that will give us confidence during the conference season."
On the basketball tradition at Kansas State...
"I know Kansas State has always been a fighter. There's really been a lot of tradition to come through here."
On playing over in Europe with the Big 12 Select Team...
"I think that helped my confidence a lot. I was able to relax and just play basketball. Just go out and enjoy myself. It gave me some more experience to bring back to this team."
On being close to turning this program around...
"I think it's real close to turning it around. I think the guys that we got in and the attitude that I have been seeing in the early practices, I think we have a really good chance to be a good team."
Senior forward Janerio Spurlock
On being picked low in the preseason Big 12 polls...
"I wouldn't say it's bothering us, but we see it. We know we have to go out there and prove we are better than that. We have to go out this season with a chip on our shoulder. I think that's what we are going to do. We are going to come out with a chip on our shoulder and prove to everyone that we are not team in the lower part of this conference. We ended up seventh last year and we didn't even win any road games, so with a couple road win, we are in the top part of the conference. We don't understand why we are picked so low, I guess because we have a lot of new players, but we will see."
On the newcomers...
"They work real hard. Real hard. Their work ethic is real good. They never give up. I think that one thing that Coach loves about is the effort. If you have an effort, the smarts will come with it."
On not being able to win a road game last year...
"I really don't know why we couldn't win on the road last year. We had a couple of close games. We probably were a little immature. Hopefully, this year it will be better."
On when he came back at full strength from the injury...
"It was probably the end of August. August 22 or 23."
On the rehabiliation process...
"It was probably the hardest thing besides when my mother passed away. I hope that I never have to go through that again."
On if he knew something was wrong when the injury happened...
"I knew something was wrong. That I was going to be out for awhile because I couldn't bend my knee. Once I knew I couldn't bend my knee, I started to panic a little. I started to tear up a little bit. My knee then blew up like a basketball. I knew something was wrong then."Freshman forward Marques Hayden
On the change from high school to college...
"I would probably say that my high school work ethic wasn't always there, compared to collegiate workouts. The biggest difference is that you are busting your butt on every possession. Coach is telling you have to do this or this. You have so many things to be doing at one time. In high school, you dunk the ball and sometimes shoot outside. It's a little different now."
On when he knew it was going to be different at the college level
"This summer, I was up here half the time, justing playing pick-up ball with my teammates and lifting weights. That was kinda of the difference. Then in the preseason, we have individual workouts and that's how you learn the triangle piece by piece. And then in practice, we started running a lot of plays and stuff like that, that is when I started to realize this was the big-time."
On being overwhelmed...
"I am more anxious to get started than overwhelmed. There are still a lot of people that are skeptical of me making the decision to come to Kansas State. I just saw a lot of good things in this program that other people didn't see."
On selecting Kansas State
"A lot of people ask me why would pick a school like Kansas State? When you walk around Bramlage Coliseum and you see all the tradition. Tex Winter, Jack Hartman, Mitch Richmond, Rolando Blackman, you have people like that. Then you have people like Coach Wooldridge that's a great coach from the (Chicago) Bulls. This wasn't an opportunity I was going to turn down."
