Convo from early this afternoon…
Opening Statement: “Big 12 play, Saturday game at noon. It'll be awesome. It'll be great opportunity to honor our seniors. And our seniors have been hugely impactful for us, and it'll be the last Saturday home game for our for our team. So just a great opportunity to play a team in West Virginia, Coach DeVries, who I know well and have a ton of respect for genuinely just love the way they play and the way they compete. And, you know, with a pretty prominent player in our league getting injured and then continuing to build their team without him, I just think they're playing great basketball. We're going to have to play great and excited about the atmosphere too, because I think we'll have an opportunity to really fill this place and make it the toughest place to play in the Big 12."
Do you think you're getting team's like TCU or WVU's best shots as they push for March?: "I think every game in this league is it's on. I mean, there's nothing you can show up to and think it's going to work out. And so West Virginia had a great home win against Cincinnati, and played Baylor to an overtime game. And so it's like anybody you know, you just have to show up with an edge, and our edge needs to be. How physical can we play this game without fouling? That kind of is what it boiled down to against TCU, that we didn't do well. We just weren't physical enough rebounding the basketball and had too many fouls and gave them opportunities to get to the free throw line. Playing on the road is tough, and that's what makes protecting your home court so significant, and our ability to, you know, to do a good job of not turning the ball over against this team is a big deal. I mean, I know the rebound is always going to be huge for us, but they guard the three point line well. They turn people over. They're just doing a great job of getting the right shots and maintaining the physicality on both ends is going to good for us."
How's JT after doing something to his head?: "I mean, I think our whole team's dealing with it like every team is in our league. I mean, this, this is a daunting schedule to play 20 games and for us to not have a break, and I think it really puts the emphasis on depth. And JT, you know, tweaked his ankle at the end of the game, but I would anticipate him being a full go."
How important is it for you to get deeper into the bench over the next couple of weeks?: "Yeah, I think, you know, all these games are so one game seasons. I mean, you try to put it all together. But when you're in a game where you see it flow in a certain way, and you know what your team's going to need in order to, like, I think we got to be able to find a way to still win those games, even when we got to play more minutes with particular guys, but, you know, you look back on it, I did feel like that this time of year. The more you can keep trusting your your roster to play deeper into your bench. That way you can keep the energy that you need to finish games. And that's where I see our benefit going down the stretch, because we do have a we do have a good roster with depth, and I gotta do a better job utilizing it to give us the maximum amount of effort and physicality to finish games. And we did struggle down the stretch against TCU, but I would anticipate our ability to play more guys at home would be an advantage."
On that note, you've talked about improving your sub patterns, how does that work and why hasn't it changed to this point?: "Well, in the last one, it was foul trouble. I mean, it's kind of always dictated by, what do we do in rotating our team when we have foul trouble on the on inside? I mean, that's kind of the biggest place. And JT got two fouls, and he picked up his third early in that second half against TCU. So it shortened the bench in regards to leaving D5 out there a little bit longer than what we needed to and getting Fede to play more minutes.
And then when you get behind, I think at the guard spot for us, and I said this to our roster, I mean, I think making shots is one thing, but when you're playing against a team, and that's where I thought Posey was tremendous for them in this game, and that's kind of he's been an X factor. If you go back at their wins that they have in our league, he ends up having an impact when they won at Baylor. I thought Posey did a great job his energy and his effort. So what I'm looking for is not shot making necessarily all the time. It's like who's making the intangible plays to come up with a loose ball, who's making the defensive effort plays, who's getting a hand on an offensive rebound and creating an extra possession. Sometimes, when you're in these games, you don't see the urgency in those moments, but you see like the discouragement of shot making being a big part of it. So I think more for me, yes, we need to play deeper into our bench, but yes, we also need to have the urgency of the edge that you got to compete with, and that's what I'm looking for more than anything from our roster."
How have you had to adjust your usage of JT with teams trying to take him away?: "I think any team in our league is going to try to limit JT's opportunities around the basket, and I think we just got to do a better job of making sure we got good spacing and we're putting pressure on the rim because TCU and specifically that double team, we got to spread out and got to get the ball closer to the basket, and got to put more pressure on the rim. When the double team happens, we ended up being extended. Tried to screen it. Can't do that the entire game. I mean, the rim pressure has got to be the most important aspect of what we do, and how do we get that? And we lost that, that part of it over the course of the game, and didn't apply pressure at the basket like we needed to."
What kind of intangible has Jovan Small brought to WVU?: "Yeah, I think, you know, this year specifically, Small is just super aggressive. Last year, you let the game come to him quite a bit, and he was playing more kind of in the flow of a system. It feels like this year he's just aggressive on all possessions. I mean, shooting, if you go under the ball screen, he's driving it left and shot faking to get to the free throw line, he's attacking the basket. He's pressuring the ball. His mentality offensively is to go score and then play-make as a part of his aggressiveness. And so, I mean, I'm telling you, he's playing as good as anybody in our league. And when you have a point of attack score, distributor, like he is who can get to the free throw line, I mean it takes all five guys to be great. We can't just rely on one person. And that's where our team defense wasn't as good as it needs to be against TCU, and we're gonna have to be great as a team defensively to contain the way they're playing and the way Small is playing."
And a closing note...G Chance McMillian appeared to not go through practice today. Had a boot on his right foot after tweaking the ankle in Fort Worth. McCasland echoed that the team is just using extreme precaution for all players going through an ailment.
"We specialize in high quality autographed sports memorabilia."
Opening Statement: “Big 12 play, Saturday game at noon. It'll be awesome. It'll be great opportunity to honor our seniors. And our seniors have been hugely impactful for us, and it'll be the last Saturday home game for our for our team. So just a great opportunity to play a team in West Virginia, Coach DeVries, who I know well and have a ton of respect for genuinely just love the way they play and the way they compete. And, you know, with a pretty prominent player in our league getting injured and then continuing to build their team without him, I just think they're playing great basketball. We're going to have to play great and excited about the atmosphere too, because I think we'll have an opportunity to really fill this place and make it the toughest place to play in the Big 12."
Do you think you're getting team's like TCU or WVU's best shots as they push for March?: "I think every game in this league is it's on. I mean, there's nothing you can show up to and think it's going to work out. And so West Virginia had a great home win against Cincinnati, and played Baylor to an overtime game. And so it's like anybody you know, you just have to show up with an edge, and our edge needs to be. How physical can we play this game without fouling? That kind of is what it boiled down to against TCU, that we didn't do well. We just weren't physical enough rebounding the basketball and had too many fouls and gave them opportunities to get to the free throw line. Playing on the road is tough, and that's what makes protecting your home court so significant, and our ability to, you know, to do a good job of not turning the ball over against this team is a big deal. I mean, I know the rebound is always going to be huge for us, but they guard the three point line well. They turn people over. They're just doing a great job of getting the right shots and maintaining the physicality on both ends is going to good for us."
How's JT after doing something to his head?: "I mean, I think our whole team's dealing with it like every team is in our league. I mean, this, this is a daunting schedule to play 20 games and for us to not have a break, and I think it really puts the emphasis on depth. And JT, you know, tweaked his ankle at the end of the game, but I would anticipate him being a full go."
How important is it for you to get deeper into the bench over the next couple of weeks?: "Yeah, I think, you know, all these games are so one game seasons. I mean, you try to put it all together. But when you're in a game where you see it flow in a certain way, and you know what your team's going to need in order to, like, I think we got to be able to find a way to still win those games, even when we got to play more minutes with particular guys, but, you know, you look back on it, I did feel like that this time of year. The more you can keep trusting your your roster to play deeper into your bench. That way you can keep the energy that you need to finish games. And that's where I see our benefit going down the stretch, because we do have a we do have a good roster with depth, and I gotta do a better job utilizing it to give us the maximum amount of effort and physicality to finish games. And we did struggle down the stretch against TCU, but I would anticipate our ability to play more guys at home would be an advantage."
On that note, you've talked about improving your sub patterns, how does that work and why hasn't it changed to this point?: "Well, in the last one, it was foul trouble. I mean, it's kind of always dictated by, what do we do in rotating our team when we have foul trouble on the on inside? I mean, that's kind of the biggest place. And JT got two fouls, and he picked up his third early in that second half against TCU. So it shortened the bench in regards to leaving D5 out there a little bit longer than what we needed to and getting Fede to play more minutes.
And then when you get behind, I think at the guard spot for us, and I said this to our roster, I mean, I think making shots is one thing, but when you're playing against a team, and that's where I thought Posey was tremendous for them in this game, and that's kind of he's been an X factor. If you go back at their wins that they have in our league, he ends up having an impact when they won at Baylor. I thought Posey did a great job his energy and his effort. So what I'm looking for is not shot making necessarily all the time. It's like who's making the intangible plays to come up with a loose ball, who's making the defensive effort plays, who's getting a hand on an offensive rebound and creating an extra possession. Sometimes, when you're in these games, you don't see the urgency in those moments, but you see like the discouragement of shot making being a big part of it. So I think more for me, yes, we need to play deeper into our bench, but yes, we also need to have the urgency of the edge that you got to compete with, and that's what I'm looking for more than anything from our roster."
How have you had to adjust your usage of JT with teams trying to take him away?: "I think any team in our league is going to try to limit JT's opportunities around the basket, and I think we just got to do a better job of making sure we got good spacing and we're putting pressure on the rim because TCU and specifically that double team, we got to spread out and got to get the ball closer to the basket, and got to put more pressure on the rim. When the double team happens, we ended up being extended. Tried to screen it. Can't do that the entire game. I mean, the rim pressure has got to be the most important aspect of what we do, and how do we get that? And we lost that, that part of it over the course of the game, and didn't apply pressure at the basket like we needed to."
What kind of intangible has Jovan Small brought to WVU?: "Yeah, I think, you know, this year specifically, Small is just super aggressive. Last year, you let the game come to him quite a bit, and he was playing more kind of in the flow of a system. It feels like this year he's just aggressive on all possessions. I mean, shooting, if you go under the ball screen, he's driving it left and shot faking to get to the free throw line, he's attacking the basket. He's pressuring the ball. His mentality offensively is to go score and then play-make as a part of his aggressiveness. And so, I mean, I'm telling you, he's playing as good as anybody in our league. And when you have a point of attack score, distributor, like he is who can get to the free throw line, I mean it takes all five guys to be great. We can't just rely on one person. And that's where our team defense wasn't as good as it needs to be against TCU, and we're gonna have to be great as a team defensively to contain the way they're playing and the way Small is playing."
And a closing note...G Chance McMillian appeared to not go through practice today. Had a boot on his right foot after tweaking the ankle in Fort Worth. McCasland echoed that the team is just using extreme precaution for all players going through an ailment.
"We specialize in high quality autographed sports memorabilia."
