| Coach Jerry Slocum's Conversation With the Media |
| Friday, October 7 2005 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Q. Can you give us a synopsis of where the team is following your offseason workouts? A. “I think our preseason has gone well. I think we’ve had about as much of a preseason as we all can take and we’re all looking forward to next Friday when we can get started and be together in terms of two-and-a-half hours a day and start to implement things that we want to do. It’s been a very, very positive fall. I give these guys a lot of credit. They’ve done a tremendous job in terms of wanting to learn. They’ve been like sponges in terms of picking up things and wanting to be good. It’s been very, very positive.” Q. From when you started in April until now do you think the program is in better shape? A. “I think we’ve made progress. Where we are in terms of the scale of where we want to be to contend for the conference championship, yeah we’ve got a ways to go. The thing that I have liked about us is our work ethic has been good. Our conditioning and strength training has been on a very uptick in terms of how much better we’ve got and how much stronger we were from the springtime to now. Then our new kids have added a large part of athleticism to us. We’ve gotten some shooters in that we needed which was obviously a weakness. Now we need to start to put the pieces together and work towards the goal of being competitive and getting on the floor and doing the things that you love to do. For a basketball coach this is a favorite time of the year. You’re still undefeated. You get a chance everyday to work with good kids that are hungry to want to get better. Everything is on the uptick in terms of being positive.” Q. How much competition is there to get into that starting rotation right now? A. We’re going to play 10 kids a night so the competition has been very, very intense. Everybody knows that it’s kind of an open take for them right now. They have the ability to get playing minutes. We’re very excited about that kind of intensity that we’ve seen early in our season. That will continue as we go through. Kids that do play well will play.” Q. From what you have seen on tape of this team last year, what is the biggest off-season improvement you’ve seen this group make? A. Believe it or not, I’ve looked at some tape. I really haven’t concentrated on what has been in past more than what’s been in the future. I know that we were very poor offensively. This group has been coached very well defensively in the past. Obviously, our concern has been and our recruiting emphasis has been on maybe some kids who can score, who maybe a little bit more athletic, who can shoot the ball from the three-line a little bit better. That’s kind of been our emphasis.” Q. Do you feel that Keston Roberts is a player who can come right in and make an immediate impact? A. “For us to have the year that we want to have, Keston’s a major part of it. He’s a very offensively skilled kid. When you can put Quin Humphrey and Keston Roberts on your two wings, those are athletic guys who can put the ball in the basket and find a way to score. Both of those kids are above-average scorers. I look for both of those guys to have good years for us.” Q. What kinds of impacts will some of the other newcomers have on the program? A. “I think like I stated earlier is that offense has been the case for us. We think that with our recruits with Mikko (Niemi) wh’s a solid point guard that shoots the ball extremely well from Finland. We have Keston Roberts who we just talked about. He can just score the ball. He’s good from the three-line, he can take you off the dribble and play there. Jack Liles is a inside presence that we need. He’s a high-energy kid that can play above the rim, that can rebound above the rim. Those three guys will be kids that will definitely contribute this year right away.” Q. Is it safe to say that some of these kids can step right in and maybe crack the starting lineup? A. I don’t think we have a first or a second team right now, but I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you that Keston Roberts is going to be a major factor for us. It’s the same thing with Mikko. Those guys are going to play. Jack’s going to play. All three of those new kids who are eligible to play this year will play. There’s no doubt about that. To what extent, how many minutes, that’s yet to be seen, but those guys are going to definitely contribute.” News and Notes: - Practices for Division I teams officially start at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. - The Penguins will play Geneva College on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:15 p.m. in a free exhibition game. That day also features the YSU-Western Kentucky football game at 1 p.m. and a women's basketball exhibition game at 5 p.m. |