Oct. 13, 2009
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Head Coach Steve Fisher
Opening statement:
"I know I can speak on behalf of both men's and women's side of the basketball ledger. Both programs are very excited about the start of season. Official practice begins Friday. We're not having a Midnight Madness (event), but we're having a pick-a-seat (event), so we're encouraging people to come out. The ladies will practice first. Beth (Burns) will introduce her team, we'll introduce our team, and then we'll practice. So we would encourage all of you to come out and get a sneak preview for a little bit looking at our teams. I believe we're going to have a little thing upstairs in the concourse area, so we would encourage people to come out.
"Recently, I returned from Denver. We were picked second in the league, which I like people believing that we're going to be good. We lost more scoring than anybody else in the league, bar none, and still they're expecting us to be good. I have said to our team, to everybody that will listen, that's a good sign. That's a sign that we have a program. That's not a sign that the sky is falling when you lose four starters and five of your top eight or nine players. We've got a lot of new faces. ... We have Brian Carlwell (and) Tyrone Shelley, who were transfers sitting out (last year). Then we have added a new influx of people: Malcolm Thomas, a local product, a transfer from Pepperdine to San Diego City College, who's with us; a freshman class that includes much-heralded Kawhi Leonard, Chase Tapley, Alec Williams ... so you know we're going to have to have a scorecard to see who these new guys are for a while and yet with the limited things we can do with them, I like what I see.
"We've got best depth than we've had in the past, probably the best depth we've had since I've been here. My biggest concern continues to be at the point guard spot. As much as some of you would say "What's he doing?" Richie Williams was a staple at both ends of the floor. He was, without question, in my opinion, the best defensive player in the league, steals, also covering for people. It shows only when you go back and watch the tape, he will be missed maybe more than anybody in this program and we're thin there. D.J. Gay, who's been more of a scoring guard, will now be given the ball and say `You're our point guard. You still have score, but you're our point guard.' And our backup, we're grooming a backup who's not really a backup right now, so that's a sticky wicket, but we've got depth, we've got good kids, we've got good athletes, we expect to be good. So does BYU, who returns four starters, plus a player or two from the mission. (UNLV) is going to be much better than they were a year ago, and they were picked to win the league a year ago, with the transfers they've got and the new kids they've got. So I'm excited as all coaches are at this stage about the prospects of our team.
"We're going to be a fun team to watch again. We should run better, we should be a better offensive rebounding team, so we'll just see kind of where we evolve in a month with where we are right now. This is the best time because between start of school and first game, 10 guys are positive they're going to start. So there's no wondering, worrying ... and then we'll have to deal with that part of it when definitions come in to who's going to do what. I like our team and I'm ready to get going."
On the older guys showing the ropes to the new players:
"We've got a nice blend of players. Our three veteran returning players include Billy White, D.J. Gay and Tim Shelton. I have failed to talk on Shelton. (He) is my only concern physically right now. He had a second microfracture surgery as soon as the season ended. He has still not been given clearance to go full scale. You're looking at a guy who's had four major knee operations. It's a worry to me because we're significantly better with Tim Shelton on the floor. Those right now are the three returning players that have some clout and have leadership abilities. Brian Carlwell, who was with us last year, he's got those natural leadership qualities. He's a good communicator. So they've done a nice job. D.J. Gay has asserted himself more now that all those other (seniors) have left. I like what I've seen. They've mentored the younger guys in the right way; they haven't talked down to them but they've done a nice job of how they've dealt with them."
On Shelton's time table:
"He meets once a week with Dr. Chris Behr. He's doing a little bit more now. He's in the weight room, he does some light running, he shoots quite a bit. I would say we're hopeful that by first game that he would be able to participate, but I don't want to do to him what I did to him last year and he did to himself. Kids want to play and they know if they don't practice, they don't play so he I think we rushed it a little bit. In mid-January he was a shell of what he had been early on and I don't want that to happen."
On how the 2009 NIT semifinal finish helps recruiting:
"I don't know that it has much impact on recruiting, to be honest with you. What I do believe it will help is selling a few more season tickets, getting a few more people that had not seen us play in person until the end of last season, whether they saw a game, we were here, K-State at Jenny Craig, St. Mary's here, or watched the game (at Madison Square Garden). That will help us; that will get a few more bodies in the stands early and then our job is to entertain and win so we keep (them) and that they bring some more. I don't know that it's got a great impact on recruiting, to be honest with you. We have felt like we have been able to get into homes of most good players that we wanted to get into."