Kansas State University Athletics
Cats Host Media Day
Oct 26, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Head Coach Jim Wooldridge
On changing the offensive style of the team...
“Well the thinking behind it was really about two things, one is the type of players that we have. I think what we are doing now probably fits them better, and the fact that we lost Jeremiah Massey as a low post scorer. We didn’t replace Jeremiah (Massey) with another post-up type player that can offer what he offered. So this offense is more conducive to what we have, getting guys in the post out, using screens and getting back in there again. It is a motion offense.”
On the team’s new offense...
“It’s a five man motion, and each guy plays in and each guys plays out, each guy will find themselves on the wing, and each guy will find himself in the post. So there is a lot of versatility to it, and we feel like that is basically the kind of team that we have. It’s a versatile team, it’s an athletic team, and in contrast to that it is not your big post-up style offense. We are going to have to move around and cut in there, slice in there, and screen in there so that it fits the type of player that we have.
On the point guard play...
“Well Clent was our point guard a year ago and we expect him to do more along those lines. We gave Clent a lot of responsibility a year ago as a young player and I think that experience will help him become a better player as he comes into his sophomore year. Part of that being better will be how he can communicate to the team. Can he make others better on the floor from his position? That’s one of the things that good point guards do and I think that he is ready to take that step. Mario Taybron is another point guard on our team that I think is capable of doing those types of things as well. So really for the first time since I have been here we have depth at that position. We can run Schyler Thomas in there; we’ve got another kid, Akeem Wright, that can even play a little point guard.”
On the rebounding that he expects...
“I don’t think that we are going to be a great rebounding team, but I don’t think that we are going to be the worst rebounding team. I think that we are going to lie somewhere in the middle. I think that we have got some guys that can get to the ball. That is one of the facets of the game that we are going to have to make a later judgment on as we play other people. One of the goals of the motion style offense is that we will have the ability to create a good offensive rebound pattern for us. Maybe at times we will be able to collapse a defense and that is a difficult thing to rebound defensively from and that will maybe give our guys an advantage to do just that.”
On how the returning players are handling the offensive transition...
“Well I really don’t see a problem with any of them, I think that they are all handing it well. You know we changed a little bit of our system a year ago and we just made more of a dramatic change this year and I think that they fell into place with it fairly early and I think they will this year as well. It’s a movement game, maybe that’s the best way to describe this thing. We got a lot of parts moving out there and I think that fits the personality of each guy on our team and ultimately who we are as a collective group. We haven’t played any games yet so we are going to play some games and we are going to find out exactly who does what, but right now with this movement game that we have going on I think it really fits who we are.”
PLAYER QUOTES
Junior Forward Tyler Hughes
On the post play this year without Massey...
“It’s going to be difficult to replace what he brought to the table offensively scoring 18 to 20 points a game but Dramane, Serge and I are going to do our best to get rebounds and put backs to help out in the post.”
On how the season ended last year...
“It’s disappointing to not make it to the postseason last year. You work hard and get in position to play and then don’t get a spot its going to be difficult. I guess we didn’t knock of the right people or win the right games.”
On the close games last season...
“You can’t take anything for granted in this league. Against
Sophomore Guard Clent Stewart
On off-season workouts...
“Coach told me to work during the off-season a lot on ball handling and shooting the ball a lot better this year so I definitely got in the gym this summer and shot balls. So I’ve been mostly working on shooting this off-season.”
On the new offense...
“We’re real excited about the offense this year. It’s going to be a motion offense with everyone capable of scoring. You have four perimeter guys driving with a post player so it’s a lot of movement. It should open up plenty of chances to score and we’re excited about that.”
On the surplus of ball handlers...
“It’s a lot of competition knowing that there are four or five guys that can handle the ball at any time and it also makes it more fun.”
On his personal goals for the season...
“Like I said I want to improve. Whatever I can do to help this team improve during the season I’m going to do and help myself improve along the way.
Junior Forward Cartier Martin
On him being a leader...
“In a way I feel like a leader on this team. I’ve been showing guys different things, showing them how to be more efficient in the game.”
On the motion offense...
“It’s a lot of screens to try to get people open and hopefully find that one defender who falls asleep so we can get that easy lay-up. It should be fun to play and see how it works.”
Junior Guard Akeem Wright
On his personal goals for the season...
“My goals right now are to help with whatever they need. Coach has asked me to be the guy that can step up and be the defensive specialist when needed so I’ve been working more on the defensive side of my game than offensive.”
On rebounding this season...
“It’s just going to take all 5 guys to help get defensive rebounds and get a body on someone. We’ve been working on that a lot in practice and I think we’ll do fine.
On his feelings for the motion offense...
“I like the motion offense because it gets everyone moving and creates mismatches when all 5 guys are moving at once. It gives tall guards like myself to post up more and get the easy 15 footers. I think it’s going to work well for us.”
Junior Guard Mario Taybron
On working with Clent Stewart...
“Clent and I have been working with each other a lot. I’ve been helping him with shooting and he has been helping me get the offense down to what Coach Wooldridge wants out of a player and a point guard. It’s not even a competition, we are just helping each other out.”
On the motion offense...
“It’s pretty cool. It’s basically the same offense I ran at my junior college last year, so I’m trying to help every one else that doesn’t know ho to do it.”
On the new players in the program...
“Everybody is learning, so everyone is trying to help each other out, one-on-one, off the court and on the court. That is what we are doing; just talking with the coaches and each other so we can help each other out. We are basically a family.”
Sophomore Forward David Hoskins
On the motion offense...
“It fits my game, I played that style offense in high school. I like to post-up, drive, and do all sorts of things so I think it is going to work for me. I think I can get to the basket and create for our players that can really shoot the ball well.”
On sitting out and if it affected his game...
“It was really tough for me, I have been playing basketball since I was six years old so not playing in games for a whole year was really tough for me. I still practiced with the team and kept up on my game though. I had to do something though and coming to
Junior Guard Lance Harris
On the disappointing end to last season...
“We actually had a practice after the Big 12 tournament thinking that we were going to be able to play in the NIT. Coach thought that we had enough wins to play in the post-season tournament, but it didn’t end up happening so some of the returning players have that in the back of their minds and were looking forward to this season and hopefully getting into post-season play this year.”
On being a leader on a team with a lot of young guys...
“Yeah I feel like I am a leader, me, Cartier (Martin), and Clent (Stewart) have played those minutes. I feel like I can show some of the younger guys stuff that they didn’t understand both on and off the court just like people did for me when I was a freshman.”