Nov. 13, 2001
SAN DIEGO - Quotes from San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher, junior guard Tony Bland and junior center Mike Mackell at Tuesday's press conference.
Men's Basketball Weekly Media Day - Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Quotes from San Diego State head basketball coach Steve Fisher
Opening Statement:
"We are ready and anxious to get started. I am excited about our team. I think we have a group of guys that coaching effort will not be an issue for us and that is so important. Obviously we have to get a lot better and I think that we will.
"My biggest concern out of the gate is that three potential top eight guys not able to play in our opening weekend. That includes the obvious in Brandon Smith with the knee surgery, Al Faux who is still on the suspended list and Karlo (Kovacic) (will miss first game only). That's three guys we were counting on to play, that we are not going to have."
"That means opportunity for other people. We are ready to go. I think it will be a fun weekend for us. It will be a big crowd and it will be like making a road swing against conference people."
Q: Compare the Coach Knight-Texas Tech situation to your situation:
"I think any time you are at a place as long as Bob Knight was expectations are exponential with success. When you get good they expect you, because you were good, to always be good and then they think because you were good it is the university's Devine right to be good.
"I'm sure he is refreshed and excited. Obviously he has been embraced by the Texas Tech community. He is a great coach, not a good coach but a great coach. He will do a wonderful job at Texas Tech."
Q: Would it be a bigger game for you to coach against him (Knight) or would it be just another game?
"I'm anxious to play against him, hopefully. I think that would be excitement for everyone. Once you start playing you don't realize anything except the guys on the floor - in terms of whom you are playing against. To play against someone you have respect for who has done a wonderful job and you know who will be prepared is exciting."
Q: What have you learned most about your team in the two exhibitions?
"I think our two exhibition games were really helpful in letting us see blemishes that we have. We played two decent teams. If we want to win, I mean really win, we have to become better at our conversion play, especially defensively. We gave up subtle baskets. They are subtle shots that if you look at tape you say you can't do that against good people and win.
"I think conversion is an issue we must get better on and we must take care of the ball. We had 38 turnovers in two games. Those are areas of major concern.
"But, I like our team. I like the things I saw. We are athletic. We will be deep. When we get all of our guys back, we will be able to present contrasting line-ups. I think we can go big and zone a little bit. I know we can go small and be quick and pressure more. I think we can present problems to people because of our depth and versatility.
"We should have a legitimate low-post player in Mike Mackell. The last two weeks he has practiced so much better. He twisted his ankle on Sunday and practiced maybe an hour yesterday until I pulled him out. A lesser guy would not have practiced. He is probably not 100 percent today but he will be prepared to play on Friday.
"We are going to have more of an inside presence which should make our best returning player Randy Holcomb better.
"I think there is rust from those games that showed on Tony Bland that I did not see in our preseason stuff. I'm hoping that part of that is that he is too anxious.
"I think those are some of things we have noticed."
Q: Status of Deandre Moore?
"Deandre is practicing a little bit more. He still needs to get in game shape and he is not sharp but he is our best point guard. We need Deandre back. He will play. I need to try and do a better job of getting him five-minute stints, bringing him out for a couple of minutes and putting him back in. He needs to continue to work on those shin splints that are bothering him."
Q: Status of Brandon Smith?
"I think Brandon is 95 percent ruled out. We haven't even talked about it. He was shooting a little yesterday, but nothing other than that. He is further along than I thought he would be at this time but it would probably take a minor miracle for him to play this weekend."
Q: What is this team capable of in regards to end of season goals?
"We expect to win. That is self-imposed pressure. We have said that we expect to be better. We are playing better non-conference people and we play seven road games as opposed to three a year ago. I don't know if our record non-league will be better than it was at 10-3 last year. But we have a better team.
"I know we will be better in the conference. We are going to win more than four games. If we don't make a tournament at the end of the season, we will all be disappointed. But, after having said that, that is still lofty. That is a lofty goal in terms of the next step for our program. We scratched out a 14-14 season last year and won four conference games, including two of our last three.
"We are going to better. I think that is realistic yet it might be stretching the bar a little bit to do that. I hope at the end of the season we are talking about who we are going to play in a tournament."
Q: Status of Al Faux?
"Al Faux is on suspension until I guess I tell him he is off suspension. We are not taking him to Texas Tech and when I get home from that we will meet again and reevaluate after that. I like Al but he has issues that he has to deal with and he has to take care of his business on and off the court.
"That being said, we need him. He is arguably our best guard. If you watch us play, he is without question our best shooter. He is so much better than he was a year ago. I'm putting heat on him when he gets back to play well."
Q: How long does it take for a team to mesh together?
"I would hope that right now we would have a comfort zone with one another. I look on the floor in our second exhibition game and I saw a line-up that we had not practice a lot with. That was three big guys - (Chris) Walton, (Mike) Mackell and (Randy) Holcomb - out on the court together and we didn't function particularly well.
"I think we can put combinations out there that will function together right now. But when we go to the bench and start making substitutions what will it look like? I need to do a better job in practice giving us that opportunity. It's going to be there, especially early without Al (Faux), Brandon (Smith) and without Karlo (Kovacic) in the first game.
"I am going to be disappointed if we do not play well this first tournament. We will make mistakes but I am going to be disappointed if we do not show that we are a veteran team. We have a lot of new faces but we are not 18-year-old freshman."
Q: What are you expecting from Randy Holcomb this season?
"Randy a year ago wanted to take it out, pass it to himself and dribble down and pass to nobody but the rim. You got that feeling at times that he didn't have anyone to go with him, which was not true. Now he knows he has a lot of people that can all play. He is more willing to share the ball.
"I like Randy. Of all of our players he has logged more practice minutes that anyone else on the team. He had knee surgery last season and has a knee that swells -up. But he loves to play and I love that in him. That may be his strongest quality. He loves to play. Sometimes he tries too hard. He is so much better than he was a year ago in every part of his game. He is much better defender. He is much smarter player. I think with other people he will have a lot more open looks this season."
Quotes from junior guard Tony Bland
Q: Where is your game now compared to where it was when you were at Syracuse?
"I think I am still a little rusty after sitting out a whole year and not being able to play in game competition. You are not going to be able to jump into it. I think my rhythm is coming back and I am picking up where I left off in Syracuse."
Q: What impressed you most about this program?
"It's great support. It is a program that really has the potential to be a great program. I played for a great program in Syracuse and I see some of the same qualities in this program. All we need is a couple of wins and we can turn it into a great program."
Q: Do you get the sense that there are veterans on the team that really wants to win?
"I do get that sense. With this team I see guys that really want to win. Some guys that really want to win but don't know how. We have guys that know how to win. If we add all that together it is a good combination."
Q: Are you looking forward to playing a game with a great deal of national exposure?
"We want to go and get as much attention from the media and the fans. Our plan is to play everyone head-on and try and shock the world."
Q: How will your mental toughness help the team recover in difficult times?
"I think we can bounce back because we have grown from last year. We have a lot of leadership qualities and maturity on this team. With that, it will allow us to bounce back from a loss."
Q: What would it be like to play Texas Tech?
"I have played against a Coach Knight team before and I think if we play on Saturday it would be a good experience. Two coaching legends going against each other, two programs that are on the rise going head-to-head. It is like a winner take all."
Q: Do you feel comfortable playing the point guard position?
"I feel more comfortable now than before. I grew up playing point guard but I hadn't played it in a number of years. Obviously, switching back to the point guard position was a little uncomfortable at first. After sitting out a whole year my game was uncomfortable at first. I am kind of getting back into the mode of everything. I am feeling a lot more comfortable now."
Quotes from junior center Mike Mackell
Q: Are you looking forward to playing a game with a great deal of national exposure?
"To be in that type of environment will be great. To see two great coaches to go head-to-head once again and hopefully we will pull out a victory."
Q: How much difference is there between junior college ball and what you have seen here?
"In the two exhibition games I did the same thing that I do during practice, play hard and post and I was lucky enough to benefit."
Q: What were the main factors in you deciding to come to San Diego State?
"Fisher. His name speaks for itself."
Q: What individual goals or stats do you hope to achieve this season?
"I just want to go play hard and to the best of my abilities and do whatever it takes to help this team win."