Anthony Grant Talks About the Upcoming Men's Basketball Season
10/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2009
Alabama head men's basketball coach Anthony Grant met with members of the media Tuesday afternoon to discuss the upcoming 2009-10 season prior to the official start of practice. The Crimson Tide begins preseason practice on Friday. Below is a transcript of Grant's comments, along with remarks from senior point guard Mikhail Torrance.
Head coach Anthony Grant
Opening comment:
"First of all I want to thank everybody for coming out. I really appreciate you guys coming out today. We're excited to kick things off here on Friday. Our guys have been through six or seven weeks of preseason conditioning and I think they are probably more excited than I am to get that over with and actually get to the sport, actually playing and having a chance to get some continuity on the floor. We've been able to put in a little bit of our system with the amount of time we are allowed by the NCAA, a maximum of two hours per week. I think now with practice starting we are looking forward to getting our guys familiar with the system and style of play, our terminology and our staff getting a lot more familiar with our players and getting things in terms of the expectations that we will have for guys and getting those things in place."
Thoughts on the upgrades in Coleman Coliseum with new the scoreboard and on-court seating:
"I think that's relative, I don't have the benefit of knowing what it was like before with the gameday atmosphere on a regular basis. I've been in the building three years ago as an opponent, but not on a regular basis. Things have been done that I am excited about when you look at the new scoreboard. I don't know if you guys have had a chance to get on the floor and see it, but I think it adds a great feature to the arena. I think when you look at the end zones, the baselines, what they've done to the scoreboards up there and new graphics. I think that certainly helps with the appearance overall in the arena. The seating configuration, we'll probably know a lot more about that once we're in season and we have games going on. I think it was done to add a level of excitement, a level of atmosphere to our game. Again, I think that remains to be seen. I think all the things that were done and the decisions that were made administratively to make those changes were for the benefit everybody involved."
On the point guard position and the newcomers on the team:
"I think the point guard position with the way we play will be very important. I think one of things that we have to do is we have to make sure we're efficient offensively. We take care of the basketball and make sure we take good shots and put guys in position to do what they do best and obviously that starts with the point guard. We have three guys on our team that have the ability at various times to play that position in Mikhail Torrance, Anthony Brock and freshman Ben Eblen. I think with those guys, there will be times that those guys play together and there will be other times they will be the primary ball handler in the game. I think hopefully, again it's all relative right now, because we haven't played anybody and we haven't really practiced, but going into the preparation for the season we will have at least some options for the point guard position. In regards to everyone else, I think again, we are heading into a part of our season where we will have to determine a lot. I am excited about what I've seen out of the guys, their commitment, their work ethic and their willingness to do the things that we're asking of them as a staff. I think right now heading into the start of practice we're about where we need to be."
On the loss of Demetrius Jemison and how that will affect the inside play:
"I look at it as we're going to play with the guys that are available to play. Obviously, I think as a coach, you always want more. I think no matter who you are or where you are, you wish you had a little bit more of this and little bit more of that. For me right now, I think our focus is whoever is able to perform on a daily basis in practice, to get acclimated to our style of play and affect winning will have an opportunity to be on the floor. We are going to try and control the things we can control, that's how hard we play, how committed to the goals we set for our team.
On the coaching staff's expectations for the team:
"I think the things I just talked about. We expect our guys to be team. We expect our guys every single day to bring a level of energy to the practice floor and to the games. We expect from an offensive standpoint to be able to play unselfishly, to be able to play team basketball and defensively play to our identity, which will hopefully be an aggressive, disruptive-type team."
On level of excitement from the fan base:
"That's probably a question you can answer better than I could, in terms of knowing and seeing what the atmosphere was like before compared to what it is now. I'd say I've been extremely pleased with the way we have been received, obviously in Tuscaloosa and throughout the state, the opportunities I've had to go around and speak at different tipoff clubs and different events, related to the University. There is a level of excitement, I think about the University as a whole, obviously about the direction our athletic programs are going. I'm excited."
On what his style of play is:
"In a word, up-tempo. We want from an offensive standpoint to be a team that tries to get out in transition as much as we can and plays an aggressive, attacking style. Defensively, we want to be a team that plays 94 feet in one form or another, whether it's pressing or man-to-man or applying some type of pressure using the entire floor. I'd say the up-tempo style is probably the best way to describe it."
On the toughest part of the coaching transition:
"Right now, being honest with you, the toughest part is the demands on your time. There are so many different things that need to be done when you take over a program. So many things that requires your attention and you want to make sure you are doing the things you need to do that will ultimately affect your program. Trying to balance the demands on your time, along with your family, are the toughest thing in that first year.
On Mikhail Torrance's senior leadership:
"I have been very pleased with Mikhail in terms of his work ethic and his commitment to do the things we are asking him to do, but I think in terms of the leadership, that is something I think our team is in desperate need of. I'm interested to see, as we begin practice here and as we get closer to the season and even into the season, who emerges to take that leadership role. I think that's some that is desperately needed within our team. I think we have some guys who more than are capable of stepping up and filling that role. I don't think it will be one guy that we will say `O.K. this is the face of who we are.' I think we have several guys as a team that need to play different roles in terms of providing that leadership and I think Mikhail is one of those guys."
On the progress of JaMychal Green:
"Well you know with JaMychal, I did have the chance to work about 20 days with him with USA Basketball (prior to Green's freshman season). The thing I walked away impressed with was how good a kid he was and how talented he was. I thought back then he had a chance to be a terrific. I thought Alabama was not only getting a great player, but a great kid. I still feel that same way. I think he's got a chance to be special. I think he can be as good as he wants to be. In terms of his maturity as a basketball player in some of the areas we addressed, there is no substitute for experience and he got valuable experience last year as a freshman. When you look at college basketball, any team that has veteran players is ahead of the curve. There is no substitute for that. The experience he got last year, even though he was making mistakes, fouling and other things, hopefully will make him better. I think some of those areas, we'll know once we get into the season whether or not the adjustments that need to made as an older guy have been made. I've been really pleased with his work ethic and what he's done to this point."
His thoughts on redshirting players:
"I think what we try to do is bring guys in that can help our program. So, we're never going to look at a guy walking in and say we are bringing him in to redshirt. I think the reason you add guys to your team is because you feel like they can be an asset to you team. Now, with that said, I am certainly not against that if a guy is in need of that to help his development whether it be on the floor or off the floor. I'm not opposed to that. I feel like if you give a kid an opportunity to compete and he is ready to compete, then you let him compete. I have no preconceived notions of when a guy comes in what is competitive nature will be an his ability to help our team."
On his recruiting priorities right now:
"Well with Demetrius' injury, I think the plan if he can get himself back to where he would like to be, he would like to come back for a fifth year, which I believe would give is four scholarships. The priority for us right now is to improve our team. The needs of our team are on the perimeter, adding skill, handling, passing and shooting and obviously the front court size and physicality. I think overall, guys that fit our style of play and we are trying to address those needs in recruiting right now and I feel like our staff has done a great job addressing some of those needs and I like the direction that we are going from a recruiting standpoint. At the end of the day, it comes down to signing guys. So, it's still a work in progress, but I am excited about where we are right now."
On if the team has bought in to his style and philosophies:
"Well based on six weeks of preseason conditioning, they are all still on the team. So I think they have bought in pretty well."
Senior guard Mikhail Torrance
On the offseason conditioning program:
"It's not fun, but we're going to reap the benefits when we start playing. I just can't wait to get started. I've watched a lot of film and seen how they (VCU) did it last year, and I know we can do it as well."
On the Tide's crop of freshmen players:
"They're adjusting well. Tony Mitchell, he's doing a great job right now, and so is Ben (Eblen). They're anxious to get started just like we are, and we're going to kick it off Friday."
On Coach Grant's style of play:
"This is my last season and I'm trying to go out with a bang. This is the perfect coach for me, to help me out the most, because I'm an open-floor type point guard. I can't wait to get started."
On the benefit of taking over the point guard position during the second half of last season:
"It helped a lot. I am getting more comfortable right now from playing last season. Like coach says, we're all freshmen right now since the system is new. It's going to be new to all of us."
On the benefit of playing alongside Alonzo Gee during his senior campaign in 2008-09:
"It helped me a lot. He was my roommate, so everything he did, I kind of watched. Some stuff I will do differently, as far as how he approached certain situations. It helped a lot, but I will do a little stuff that's different."
On freshman Ben Eblen:
"I remember my freshman year, I wasn't as strong in the weight room as him. He came in physically fit and he's in shape. He's poised. Some freshmen would come in with a new coach, a couple of senior guards and be kind of rattled a little bit, but no. He is holding his own right now."
On team's sprits heading into practice:
"There's a lot more team chemistry. We are always together; we eat together all the time. We all play together a lot now. You are going to see when we start playing the togetherness we have right now."
On the biggest question mark facing the team coming into the season:
"How quick we are going to be able to pick up the system. That's going to be the biggest question for me, and our toughness. Coach puts that on us all the time - are we going to be ready? I think we are."
On what has been the focus of JaMychal Green's offseason improvements:
"He is more confident now that he has a year under his belt. Now it's a breakout season, I think, for him. Everything leads to it. He is looking great in individuals (workouts) and leading the pack in conditioning, so I feel like there should be no excuses for him this year."
