Murray State University Athletics
MSU Hosts 2003 Basketball Media Day
11/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Murray State men's basketball head coach Mick Cronin discussed the upcoming season, his first with the program, today during MSU Basketball Media Day in the Murray Room at the Regional Special Events Center.
The Racers host VASDA-USA on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:15 p.m., at the RSEC in the second of two exhibition games. MSU will open its 2003-04 regular-season schedule at home on Nov. 22 against Wagner at the RSEC.
Quotes from head coach Mick Cronin during Media Day on Thursday:
Opening Comments:
"I can tell you, up to this point, I've been pleased with the effort of our guys. One thing I'm trying to do as a first-year head coach, along with having a lot of players who are not experienced at playing in our style of play, is that I'm trying to remain patient. Although we've been working on our offense for two weeks, this is their first time running it. I go home and get a little frustrated that we're missing assignments, missing screens, passers are missing the open guys, but I realize that we did those same things our first year in Louisville. In fact, I remember in February of last season scouting games from the previous year and thinking 'wow, we didn't run our offense very good our first year in Louisville,' so that's just the process we're going through. You try to remain patient, but you still have to be effective and efficient with your system and get it in as soon as possible to be able to win games."
"The guys have been tremendous with their attitudes. We just try to get things in as fast as possible, and also teach and make sure the guys understand what we're trying to do because we're not just playing 'walk-it-up' basketball. Right now, we have three different variations of the press, and we have a couple of different offenses in. Then, you start talking about playing 10 guys and we're playing some guys that have been here for four years and have never gotten in the game before. A guy like Nate Akin, who was in the game and was a big factor in our season-opening win the other night. I'd say I'm extremely optimistic at this point and really happy with their effort and their enthusiasm to play in the new style, their enthusiasm with the new coaching staff and their willingness to learn."
"We talk a lot about the difference in coaching and criticism. We have a young aggressive coaching staff, and we want our players to understand that there is a big difference in coaching and criticism. When we're trying to coach and teach, just because you're being corrected doesn't mean you're getting criticized. You're getting coached as a player to learn a system and a certain style of play. So, these are all the things we're going through with a first-year coach with a first-year system. To be able to win the other night against a high-quality opponent without Rick Jones and with Adam Chiles playing 12 minutes, I was pleasantly surprised to be real honest with you."
"I told the guys before the game that there was one goal we had in mind for the first game. We had a new coach, a new coaching staff, some new players and a new style of play and we all came into this from our own separate areas, but we wanted to come out of it as one and to be able to fight through some adversity. Not that I wanted to get down by 13 points, but we probably couldn't have written a better script for our first game. I've been preaching to everybody that our style will be a second half style. We've got to stay together and we'll be a team of runs. So things came out pretty good for our first night, all things included."
On one of the things they're working on right now:
"One of the things we're working on is watching film. Just teaching the guys how to watch film constructively. A film session is not a blame session. You can't get in there and be thinking, 'Oh gosh, he's going to get on me.' We all make mistakes, coaches included. We have to get in there and see what we did wrong and see how we can improve it. We need to see the areas where we're weak and where we need to get stronger at, and also, where we did things well and point out those things. So we did that for the first time on Tuesday."
On MSU newcomers Kelvin Brown and Adam Chiles:
"For our fans, I think they were able to see their talent level the other night in the opener. Of course, the film never lies, so defensively, they've both got to get better. The system is a little bit more complicated and there's a little bit different level of intensity here than it is in junior college basketball, which is where they played last year. So, they still have some improving to do on the defensive end, but you got a chance to see their talent level the other night, and they do bring some things to the table for us in terms of scoring."
On who stood out in the exhibition game on Monday and on what ways a player can contribute to a team:
"I'd say I was most pleased with Nate Akin's appearance off the bench. I think he thought I was kidding when I told him he was actually going to play this year, but he got in the game at a crucial time and hit a big shot and a couple of big free throws. He does everything you ask him to do."
"One thing I've learned from the two future Hall of Fame coaches that I've worked for is that you have to practice what you preach. If you tell guys that if they do things the right way and if they get in shape and if they hustle and if they're team guys, then they'll be rewarded, then that should happen. They may not play in every game and they many not play the whole game, but they will actually get in the game and get a chance to contribute."
"You can contribute in a variety of ways. You can be a leader or you can dive on the floor. You can get a deflection or a loose ball or set a tremendous screen. Or, you can help somebody out on the defensive end. You don't always have to be scorer to be able to contribute. We don't talk a whole lot about scoring. We talk a lot about passing, execution, defensive rotations...things that win games."
