Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Chris Lowery press conference transcript
11/29/2011 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2011
By Tyler Wooten
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Saluki men's basketball team is in the midst of a 12-day break between games. After beating Chicago State last Friday, Southern Illinois will not play again until it hosts Western Kentucky on Wed., Dec. 7.
Head coach Chris Lowery met with the media prior to his team's practice on Tuesday afternoon.
Q: "Will this week off help in practice?"
"It gives us a good chance to practice and really get a chance to focus on getting better. We need as much practice time as possible to get better at some things and look at some different things on both sides of the ball."
Q: "What is your priority in practice this week?"
"Our priority is getting better. We've obviously made strides just from putting Josh (Swan) in the lineup and then made more strides with putting Treg (Setty) in the lineup. I think both of those guys are really poised, and as long as they can continue to help us they'll stay in the lineup."
Q: "How do you measure progress in an off-week like this where there aren't any games to compare to?"
"We scrimmage. We have two scrimmages during the week to measure, where we tape and we monitor, so we're actually going to have two of our own games. That's good for us to be able to watch film and be able to break down and talk about some things and be ready to play."
Q: "In what areas have your freshmen made the most strides so far?"
"When Josh and Treg are in the lineup, our turnovers have gone down a lot more, which is kind of ironic that they're playing their first few college games and we turn the ball over less when both of those guys are in. It's a credit to them and hopefully they continue to grow."
Q: "Was this schedule break planned?"
"After we had the schedule finished, we penciled this in as the time to really get good. When we see Western Kentucky, they're going to have played 10 games by the time they get to us. That's why we have to play these scrimmage games and get some more game experience. We'll have referees, we'll have a score, just because we need that experience. It allows you to really spend a lot more time with them and go over the ins and outs and the small things that we need to get better at."
Q: "What's the latest on T.J. (Lindsay) and Dantiel (Daniels)?"
"Dantiel's still not practicing, so he's out. T.J. is back to practicing again and will have a chance to be in the rotation."
Q: "What role will we see Kourtney (Goff) in? Do you still see him as a point guard or a spot defender?"
"It's kind of ironic, he and Josh (Swan) are our two safest guys. Kourtney's had two turnovers his last two games and Josh has had one, therefore those guys playing more is giving us more opportunities to make shots. Kourtney came out of nowhere as a walk-on and got into the lineup because he makes good decisions and he can really defend."
Q: "Did you ever anticipate Josh starting at point guard?"
"No. We never envisioned him starting this soon, we never envisioned him playing point, but his poise has allowed him to. He's a player, and that's a good sign. He can do a lot of different things. We're not going to say he's one thing because we don't want him to focus on it. He can do a lot of other things that I think will eventually come out as he progresses and matures. Right now, he's done a really good job of being our guy who brings it up and sets it up."
Q: "What do you feel the identity is of this team so far?"
"I think it's growing, it's a work in progress, and I think that's the identity at this point. We have a chance to really get better defensively. If you saw Treg's steals in the last two games, he's done things defensively that we didn't know he could do, and Josh in the same manner. We're stealing the ball at a high clip on the defensive side of it. Our thing is that we have to take care of the ball, and if it comes to playing those freshman a lot more, then that's what we have to do."
Q: "Is what Josh and Treg doing starting to rub off on other young guys such as Antonio (Bryer) and Harry (Whitt)?"
"I think it is because before Dantiel got hurt he was really playing well, and I think those three have been the most consistent out of the young guys. Harry's been up-and-down, Antonio has had some injuries and surgery, and now he's slowly trying to get back in the mix, but all of them have been consistent, off and on the court, so that's why I think you're seeing them get better. their attention to detail is very good and I think that they've really made strides as far as the basketball side of it, and that only comes with experience."
Q: "What does Justin Bocot need to do to turn his season around?"
"He just has to develop his confidence. We haven't lost our confidence in him because we're still playing him as a senior. The one thing he's done has been defend. In the past, if he wasn't making shots he wasn't going to do anything else, and as a senior I think he understands that he has to do other things if his offense isn't helping. He just has to keep shooting and keep developing confidence. He's getting open shots and he's not taking bad ones, he's getting opportunities. We'd like to see him get open out in transition a little bit more, but we also have to make sure we take care of the ball, and I think that's where you've seen Josh eliminate a lot of our transition turnovers."
Q: "Have you seen the confidence grow from the win on Friday?"
"I think so because our demeanors have not changed in practice. They've still been great in practice. They've still had great attitudes and the right mindframe when they come to work everyday. Confidence is a win away. We got a win now, so it can grow even more from that. But, we have to be ready for Western Kentucky coming here next week and this week is a big part of that."
Q: "Can you talk about your annual kids clinic that you're having this Sunday?"
"This will be the first time we've ever done it without there being a game that Saturday, so that'll be our day off, which means we'll be able to spend a lot more time with it. A canned food product or a toy is the cost to the camp and everybody that comes gets a free t-shirt, and there will be some other free giveaways at the door also. It's a terrific event to provide stuff for the food shelters and the Toys for Tots organization for Christmas."
Q: "Does Treg still have the green light to shoot from the perimeter?"
"I think what sets him apart is that if he doesn't feel comfortable, he isn't going to do it. Treg has the green light to make plays, but he also knows that he doesn't feel that he's shooting well enough from the perimeter, and that's not me saying that, that's him. As a youngster, to be able to understand that, to know, 'If I'm going to make plays, I'm going to make them to get fouled for a free throw or make a basket,' that's him, that's not me coaching him. That's also why he's starting and why he's had some successes, he's not doing things that he can't do right now."
