Nov. 1, 2011
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Weekly News Conference
Fowler Athletics Center
San Diego State Men's Basketball Head Coach Steve Fisher
Opening Statement:
"We are preparing to tip it off for exhibition game number one on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to putting the crowd in to see how we perform with people watching. It's an exciting time for us, a little bit nervous still. We'll have eight scholarship players that will be playing tomorrow, so I'm going to have to have a talk with the officials before the game to make sure that we don't have to ask for six fouls. I'm anxious to see the new guys that we've talked about and how they blend in, added roles for (James) Rahon and (Chase) Tapley in particular and on and on. Every Division I program in America is doing the same thing. They're using these exhibition games to maybe experiment a little bit, try different combinations, play someone that you don't know and who doesn't know everything you do. It will be a good look for us tomorrow.
On who has emerged as a leader:
"I really do like the disposition of our team. They come to practice every day and you don't have to worry `who are we going to have to motivate to go and play hard.' It's been a fun group to work with; they're very receptive. I think because there is so much opportunity, everybody thinks that they're going to have a great chance to get on that floor and play a lot, which sparks an excitement and competiveness that we've seen. Right now, I think Xavier Thames is a young guy that our fans have not seen who has been impressive. He will start tomorrow as our point guard. He has size, strength, toughness, and experience. I'm anxious to see how he will react and respond."
On expectations for the beginning of the season:
"The goal and expectation for all of us is to win. In order to do that you have to grow with your team, you have to grow fundamentally, you have to know who you are as an individual. We've been working and talking and doing all of that but it sometimes manifests itself a little different in a game, but we're using exhibition games one and two to prepare ourselves for the start of the season. Then, anything goes, whatever we have to do on Nov. 11 to win. These games are to see what we think we can do, maybe we haven't done, maybe have to do all the time in order to be successful."
On the advantages or disadvantages of this team compared to last year's team:
"I think it's nothing but positive. If you don't have pressures of expectations that are at least self-imposed, then you're probably not in a very good program and you're probably not a very good player. We have all of the above. This isn't 2010-11. This is the 2011-12 season, so we have to come out and not feel like we have to live up to what happened last year. We have to see what we have to do to be as good as we possibly can and right now, I don't think that any of us know for sure what `as good as we possibly can' really means. We will find that out. I do know that there's an excitement going into the season that's a residual of last year, and it's natural. We have fans that came maybe for the first time last year that have bought season tickets. There will be an element of excitement when we start this season, which maybe supersedes what we've had in the past."