(06-29-2017 08:34 AM)ODU_NYG Wrote: Interview w/ JJ from last weekend. https://soundcloud.com/user-943507039/in...nes#t=0:00
Paraphrasing the transcript for anyone who can't listen. I bolded the most valuable response.
They start off by talking about the HS tournament happening, cool.
941: How do you reflect on the past year?
JJ: 19 wins wasn't the goal, we gave some games away (namely 3 that he could think of) solid season but not near what they would have liked. 4 best players coming down the stretch were soph. Hoping to be more mature in those situations next season. Fully expect to be good, the real question is depth. Can you get over injuries and bumps in the road? Have everyone here for summer school including Marquis and Michael (Godwin/Hueitt).
941: Replacing guys like Talley, Taylor, Baker, got some new faces and high profile transfers. What's the outlook for them along with the freshmen?
JJ: The freshman can come in and each of them give us something that we badly need - perimeter shooting. Didn't have that 1 or 2 guys last year to stretch the defense. Getting the freshman gives us an element we badly needed. Justice has to sit this year, but will work hard. McClinton tore ACL and had surgery, but we are trying to work with NCAA to get an extension and get a 6th year while spending this year on Masters.
941: What are you (JJ) allowed to do with the kids during the offseason with everyone on campus?
JJ: We're allowed 8 hours of basketball related activity (conditions, weight lifting, film, on-court bball) right now only 2 of those hours are allowed to be on-court bball with either the group or individuals. We do it with individuals to work on offensive skill work and shooting, spending a lot of one-on-one time. Lifting 4-5 times a week, see lots of gains at this time of the year. Once the season starts you maintain the bulk. In addition everyone is taking at least one summer school class, some with two.
941: Are they allowed to play in summer league?
JJ: They can play in summer league, but it's hard for them to due to the hectic schedule. Our guys are playing pickup in the new practice facility with a number of guys who play collegiately and are local or professionals who are here locally.
941: How do you divide up the 8 hours and what's the talk of it? There's some controversy around it. Plus, you aren't allowed to watch the pickup games?
JJ: We could watch them play but it would count as the 2 hours of on-court. So the pickup is good for the players since they like it but there is limited benefit - don't want to include it as official time.
941: Rules related to you and recruiting. Explain what you (JJ) can do during the offseason.
JJ: Right now until July we can't have prospects come on campus with their families and take unofficial visits. Unofficial just means they pay their own way. Once July hits it becomes a dead period for unofficial visits but then there are 3 four day periods where college coaches can go out to sites like the Peach Jam to watch teams compete in AAU tournaments. The 2nd and 3rd week there's different locations. Vegas is usually the last week with 200-300 teams competing. The mid major coaches spend 8am to midnight in the gym to evaluate the kids you are trying to recruit (the kids going to high major schools are easier to pick out).
941: How has the recruiting strategy changed from 2013 if at all, and are you a believer in altering your style based on the players you have or making them adapt to the way you play?
JJ: The biggest lesson we learned from T Holland is you don't take a round peg and fit in square hole. It's our job as coaches to make changes, sometimes drastic, based on personnel. It's our job to make our kids successful. You saw a shift around the halfway mark last season on how we were playing - we were playing a smaller lineup more often and spread the floor and allowed our players to attack off the dribble. That's how we see ourselves next year, getting ahead in transition, just makes more sense for this group to take advantage of the athleticism of these guys. There has been a subtle change that will be more prevalent going into this season.
They talk some NCAA changes from last season, pretty dry stuff so I left it out. Summed it up by saying with 351 programs with different budgets, it's really hard to find a one-size-fits-all strategy with rules. Dives into transfers and JJ says it's a mess right now and not good for the kids or for the college.
941: MTSU made back-to-back championships but lose 2 key players, Rice loses Rhoades and Evans, how does JJ size up CUSA?
JJ: I was with Rhoades earlier this week. Rice took a huge hit, they lost a lot of players and they've had to replenish their whole roster. MTSU will be good again, UAB will be very talented, WKU is probably the team everyone has their eye on. They've done an amazing job amassing talent down there, doing stuff no one in CUSA has ever done. Positive: extremely talented. The key will be they are all new and young and will need to develop chemistry. They are the preseason favorites without question. UTEP lost key guys but Floyd is such a good coach that even if they start slow he reinvents the team during the nonconference schedule and is competitive in the conference schedule.
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Imagine if JJ did this....
