Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Chris Lowery press conference transcript
11/19/2009 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2009
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Saluki men's basketball head coach Chris Lowery answered questions from the media before Thursday's practice. SIU travels to UNLV for a Saturday game.
Are you putting more emphasis on defense in practice before you go on the road for the first time?
"We are working hard enough right now, but we are not playing at the level where we can win on the road. I think that's the one thing that we're focused on, is being a little more disciplined -- gambling less, having more position defense, and really trying to help each other a little more by making the big steals and helping each other defensively."
Are you encouraged that your players seem to be correcting their mistakes?
"I'm really encouraged, because they are a good group. They listen, and they understand the things when we watch film. We try to go and incorporate into practice and take it to the game. We just have to have a healthy dose of our inside game and good defense to go on the road and win at UNLV."
Can you tell us about going into UNLV and a hostile environment?
"They go six-deep at the guards, so I think that's a challenge for us, because we go six-deep, too. That's their strength, and we know that their guards were phenomenal yesterday in a win versus Nevada, so we know that they are capable of going on big runs offensively and defensively. Coach (Lon) Kruger is a good coach. He's a Final Four coach. He's taken three different teams to Sweet Sixteens, so he understands how to win on every level. I think it is a challenge for us, but I think our team's up to it."
How important is it to play a game like this this early in a season?
"The thing that helped us was the USI game ,where we won at the buzzer. That helps, because we had to play error-free basketball in the last two or three minutes. Now, we can build on that and go to UNLV and, if we play hard, we have a chance to be there at the end of the game. That's all you want on the road. You want a chance to be in there or have a shot to win it. That's what were focused on this weekend."
Any concern with the newcomers with this test on the road?
"Obviously, it is going to be tough for some of them, but the one thing that they've been is resilient. When they've struggled in practice, they've come back and had a good practice. I think this is a test for all of us. We'll see if Tony Freeman and Kevin Dillard can lead us on the road. It's a test for everything. It's a test for our coaching staff, our players, our new guys, our older guys to come in and get focused and play them how we play them, no matter what venue we are at."
Any thoughts on the Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge? Is it good to have that?
"I like it, but I would like to have UNLV here next year. It's not going to happen, and that's what I don't like, where if you play somebody, you won't necessarily play them the next season. We'd like to play this game in December, not this early. I'd like to have some games before we have such a challenge. It's a great RPI game, and it's great for our league. It's a terrific opportunity for both leagues to make a statement before anybody else does in the country."
You talked about improving on defense the other night. What specifically is going to be your focus?
"Number one is second shots. We've done a good job of guarding the first shot in all of our games, but we've done a bad job of digging out those balls that bounce off the rim. We have to focus on doing the little things -- the rebounding after the great defense . The thing I'm most displeased about is the rebounding after we guard."
You guys have been making a lot of 3-pointers early, but also getting to the free throw line. Is that a good balance offensively to be able to shoot so well, but also be able to draw some fouls?
"I think so, because we are trying to establish the post with four guys. I don't think it is about one guy's production. It's about all four of them, and if we can establish one of them and the others play at a level where they are consistent, then we are going to always get on the free throw line a good number of times. Then it becomes a guard's game at the end, where we have to make free throws. I'm pleased with how we shot the ball. We've been very unselfish. We've shown that we have been passive at times and not taken open shots, but it's early on, and we are going to get better if we keep practicing like we are."
What has been the mood at practice this week? I'd imagine the guys are pretty pumped up for this first road game.
"Yesterday wasn't the type of practice that we needed to have, because we had some guys out with some little dings. Some guys had to go to class, so we didn't have everybody. We're expecting today to be a really good practice. This is the day we get ready for UNLV. Tomorrow will be a travel day and then a light practice, but today is when we have to win our game at UNLV."
Are you excited to go to Vegas twice?
"We didn't want to do that. We had a tournament, and they rescheduled it, and then they give us UNLV before the tournament. We want to make it a business trip for our kids. Most of them have played AAU ball, so they've have been to Vegas for the big tournaments out there. We're just going out there like it is another game. Obviously, our fans are looking at it differently, because it is a good time, but we want to go to win."
Do you have a personal relationship with Coach Kruger?
"I know Coach Kruger and everybody on his staff from my Illinois ties. It's kind of like Creighton, in that we know how they play, and they know how we play. It will be a good game, because they are well coached. Our responsibility is to make sure we are prepared."
Tony Freeman hasn't taken a lot of shots near the basket. Is that part of his game?
"That's one of the things we told him, because he doesn't have the ball as much as he's had in the past. We don't want him to become less aggressive. He's a great shooter. We know that, but we also want him to penetrate and pitch and have him do the things he's capable of doing. The biggest thing we talked about with him is rebounding. As a big, strong guard like he is, he needs to rebound better. We want him to be more aggressive shooting the basketball. We want him to have more of a comfort zone. We want him to be our guy, and with his leadership, help us win."
Tony Freeman seems to be a big-game player. Are these the type of games he looks forward to?
"He's extremely mature. He could complain about `I'm only averaging 11 a game,' but he knows that we are better than the teams we beat, but that's not important to him. Now is the time for him to step up and be the player that we hoped he would be when we asked him to come."
