Glynn Cyprien
Gary Blair
Texas A&M Basketball
“First off, I just wanted to give an update on Coach Kennedy’s progress. He’s doing better. He’s coming around every day, in fact he came by the office last night and we met. So he’s doing much, much better. We practiced twice on Saturday and he was at both workouts on Saturday. In fact, when I leave here we’ll meet this morning as a staff. He’s progressing, he’s coming along and it’s a day-by-day process. I just wanted to tell you guys he’s getting better, so please keep praying for him and his family through this difficult process.”
Any idea on a timetable as to his return?
“No, I really can’t say. I think the biggest thing is for him to come day-by-day, spend more time around the team and just gradually come on back and be a part of what we’re trying to do here.”
Can you give us an update on how things are going basketball-wise?
“The guys have been working hard. We went twice on Saturday and after reviewing the tape cleaned some things up from the exhibition game. We worked on some situations and some things we want to do differently defensively in getting prepared for this game on Wednesday. Offensively, we put in a few new sets. Overall though the guys are working hard and I think they’re excited to get to Wednesday and to get to play someone different.”
With the big games looming next week, are you guys where you wanted to be at this point, or ahead or behind?
“As a coach you always wish you had more practice time. I think this upcoming week, especially with Liberty, we’re going to see some things that we really are going to have to get comfortable with real fast. Liberty is going to play some matchup zone and so we have to be prepared for zone. Coach Layer is a good coach, I’ve known him for many years. You always wish you had more time, but having a veteran ball club like we do will really help. We’ve made some progress but we’ve got to get better between now and Wednesday.”
Is the pace we saw the team play at on Thursday indicative of how quick you guys want to be?
“We want to play quicker, we want to play faster, and that’s what we’re talking about. We also have to clean some things up. We had 19 turnovers last game, and some of that is just sloppy and being soft with the ball. Anytime you play fast you’re going to have some turnovers, but we want to continue to push, push, push. And that’s the type of pace we’d like to play at, or faster, as the year goes on.”
Has Kourtney Roberson slimmed down from last year? Have you noticed that since you guys got here?
“Yeah, he’s done a good job, and a lot of that credit goes to Darby Rich, our strength coach. He’s been phenomenal. He’s really helped those guys. Khris (Middleton) has put on some weight, in fact all our guys have put on some weight. But in Kourtney’s case it’s really helped him physically and mentally.”
How many guys do you like to have in a rotation with the kind of pace you’re looking to play, and do you think you have that?
"Well, I think to play fast you have to play nine or 10 guys and you have to rotate them, and I think we have the guys to do that. Dash (Harris), what he brings to the table in terms of his speed and leadership, playing fast is going to benefit him tremendously. But now we have to get Jamal Branch in the fold so we have two point guards who can play that way. And it’s going to take some time, that’s the hardest position to play, the point guard spot. It’s just like a quarterback in football. So we have to get Jamal up to speed on what we’re trying to do. But I think we have enough depth to play fast, I really do.”
Would that be one of your biggest concerns, depth-wise, just because of how important the position is?
“No question, because that’s where it starts, at the point guard spot. And last game we even played Elston (Turner) at the point, the reason I did that is because I think we’ll see some zone throughout the year and Elston is such a good shooter. To have him at the point spot and/or to play four guards…moving Khris (Middleton) over to the four spot really extends out the defense and gives us the ability to shoot the ball.”
Besides knowing Coach Kennedy so well, what else attracted you to the job at Texas A&M?
“Coach Sutton always talked about this being a sleeping giant. When I was back at Oklahoma State he always thought this job, this situation here, was a sleeping giant. Really, when Billy got the job I was awfully excited for him, but to come down here and see the facilities and see the progression that the program had made in terms of the commitment…it helped that women’s basketball has shown you can win at a high level here. That was tremendous. I never was going to go anywhere where you couldn’t have a recruiting ‘base’, because I think in any job you have you have to have the ability to recruit. And in the state of Texas and the surrounding states that’s what helps with this job. You can recruit that area.”
Talk about how the staff Coach Kennedy has put together has helped get you guys and the program through this difficult and extreme situation…
“It’s been great. All these guys have years of experience. Everyone brings something different to the table, yet we all know each other. We’ve got just a piece of everything and such a selfless staff. It’s been unique. And in this scenario, with the situation what it is, it’s really made it easier for us to sit down and iron things out and trying to figure out a philosophy and a way we want to play. It’s really a blessing to have a staff like this during this time.”
Talk about Ray Turner’s progression…
“Ray’s working hard. That was kind of one of the big knocks on him coming into this year, but he’s working hard and fighting through walls. As we say, when you get tired you can’t get tired. That’s been the biggest thing. He’s also taken some ownership in the program. He needs to understand that for us to be good, Ray Turner has to be consistent. We’ve been on him every day about being consistent…consistently rebounding, consistently being athletic and making athletic plays.”
What’s your preferred role for him?
“Well, he’s got to be a rebounder. He’s got to run, he’s got to be a better defender. He’ll get points off the rim. He’ll get put-backs and there will be times when the ball will go in the post and he’ll get some baskets in the paint.”
What does Jamal Branch do really well, does he see the floor really well?
“He can. The thing he does well is he can get it and push the ball, but he’s got to make better decisions. He’s got to become a better decision-maker and I think he will in time. He’s got to learn to read defenses. Again, it’s like a quarterback. But he’s really progressed and we’re awfully glad to have Branch. He’s going to be a great player for a long time.”
What’s your assessment of Naji Hibbert and what does he need to do to get minutes?
“It’s still early, and we need Naji to play at a high level for us. We brought him in last week as a staff and told him he just needs to play better at game time. He’s got to hit shots, defensively he has to be more consistent, but he has the ability to do that. I think the big thing for him is just consistency. He needs game minutes, and he’ll get that.”
What was it like for you personally being the first coach off the bench last week, and stepping up and taking over? Were you nervous?
“No, not nervous. I’ve been fortunate to work next to a lot of great head coaches. Once the ball went up it was just coaching. Again, a lot of that goes back to our staff and preparation. I thought our guys were prepared. As long as you prepared it makes it easier on me. The one thing I’ll always continue to do is get input from our staff, whether it’s every time out or during the course of the game, because of our experience. So I would say I was not nervous, but that could change on Wednesday.”
Will there be some nerves for you or the players on Wednesday, the season opener?
“Anytime you start playing for something that matters, which starts on Wednesday, there will be a sense of nervousness. I think playing at home helps. Having veteran leadership helps. Having a veteran point guard helps. And being prepared surely helps.”
So you definitely will be coaching the team on Wednesday?
“I think so, but I think everything is day to day. Whatever’s best for the program. If Coach comes back, I’ll be just as happy. We’re just kind of going at it day by day to be honest with you.”
How would you describe Jordan Green?
“Athleticism. Defender. Long. Wiry. Boy, I could tell you a whole lot of adjectives about Jordan Green. I really like him. He’s got to get back to the mold because he was out (sick). But we like him a lot. He’s going to play a lot of minutes. He’s got great athleticism, he can get out and run through passes, he can really defend. He’s got a toughness about him that most freshmen don’t have. So we can utilize him in a number of ways.”
Talk about Keith Davis and his role on the team…
“Keith plays hard, real raw. He’s long. He really does some things well for us. He’ll just have to bring some athleticism. We have five guys, maybe six in the post that can play. We have to figure out who those other three guys are going to be. So I told those guys on Saturday that now is the time we start narrowing down our roster and figuring out who is going to play. And Keith is going to have to compete for one of those spots. But since we’ve got here he’s been good, he’s worked hard every day and he’s trying to get one of those spots.”
*Note: Cyprien quotes provided by A&M Media Relations department. Still waiting on Blair.
Cyprien, Blair visit with media in advance of season openers
Associate head coach Glynn Cyprien
Opening Thoughts…“First off, I just wanted to give an update on Coach Kennedy’s progress. He’s doing better. He’s coming around every day, in fact he came by the office last night and we met. So he’s doing much, much better. We practiced twice on Saturday and he was at both workouts on Saturday. In fact, when I leave here we’ll meet this morning as a staff. He’s progressing, he’s coming along and it’s a day-by-day process. I just wanted to tell you guys he’s getting better, so please keep praying for him and his family through this difficult process.”
Any idea on a timetable as to his return?
“No, I really can’t say. I think the biggest thing is for him to come day-by-day, spend more time around the team and just gradually come on back and be a part of what we’re trying to do here.”
Can you give us an update on how things are going basketball-wise?
“The guys have been working hard. We went twice on Saturday and after reviewing the tape cleaned some things up from the exhibition game. We worked on some situations and some things we want to do differently defensively in getting prepared for this game on Wednesday. Offensively, we put in a few new sets. Overall though the guys are working hard and I think they’re excited to get to Wednesday and to get to play someone different.”
With the big games looming next week, are you guys where you wanted to be at this point, or ahead or behind?
“As a coach you always wish you had more practice time. I think this upcoming week, especially with Liberty, we’re going to see some things that we really are going to have to get comfortable with real fast. Liberty is going to play some matchup zone and so we have to be prepared for zone. Coach Layer is a good coach, I’ve known him for many years. You always wish you had more time, but having a veteran ball club like we do will really help. We’ve made some progress but we’ve got to get better between now and Wednesday.”
Is the pace we saw the team play at on Thursday indicative of how quick you guys want to be?
“We want to play quicker, we want to play faster, and that’s what we’re talking about. We also have to clean some things up. We had 19 turnovers last game, and some of that is just sloppy and being soft with the ball. Anytime you play fast you’re going to have some turnovers, but we want to continue to push, push, push. And that’s the type of pace we’d like to play at, or faster, as the year goes on.”
Has Kourtney Roberson slimmed down from last year? Have you noticed that since you guys got here?
“Yeah, he’s done a good job, and a lot of that credit goes to Darby Rich, our strength coach. He’s been phenomenal. He’s really helped those guys. Khris (Middleton) has put on some weight, in fact all our guys have put on some weight. But in Kourtney’s case it’s really helped him physically and mentally.”
How many guys do you like to have in a rotation with the kind of pace you’re looking to play, and do you think you have that?
"Well, I think to play fast you have to play nine or 10 guys and you have to rotate them, and I think we have the guys to do that. Dash (Harris), what he brings to the table in terms of his speed and leadership, playing fast is going to benefit him tremendously. But now we have to get Jamal Branch in the fold so we have two point guards who can play that way. And it’s going to take some time, that’s the hardest position to play, the point guard spot. It’s just like a quarterback in football. So we have to get Jamal up to speed on what we’re trying to do. But I think we have enough depth to play fast, I really do.”
Would that be one of your biggest concerns, depth-wise, just because of how important the position is?
“No question, because that’s where it starts, at the point guard spot. And last game we even played Elston (Turner) at the point, the reason I did that is because I think we’ll see some zone throughout the year and Elston is such a good shooter. To have him at the point spot and/or to play four guards…moving Khris (Middleton) over to the four spot really extends out the defense and gives us the ability to shoot the ball.”
Besides knowing Coach Kennedy so well, what else attracted you to the job at Texas A&M?
“Coach Sutton always talked about this being a sleeping giant. When I was back at Oklahoma State he always thought this job, this situation here, was a sleeping giant. Really, when Billy got the job I was awfully excited for him, but to come down here and see the facilities and see the progression that the program had made in terms of the commitment…it helped that women’s basketball has shown you can win at a high level here. That was tremendous. I never was going to go anywhere where you couldn’t have a recruiting ‘base’, because I think in any job you have you have to have the ability to recruit. And in the state of Texas and the surrounding states that’s what helps with this job. You can recruit that area.”
Talk about how the staff Coach Kennedy has put together has helped get you guys and the program through this difficult and extreme situation…
“It’s been great. All these guys have years of experience. Everyone brings something different to the table, yet we all know each other. We’ve got just a piece of everything and such a selfless staff. It’s been unique. And in this scenario, with the situation what it is, it’s really made it easier for us to sit down and iron things out and trying to figure out a philosophy and a way we want to play. It’s really a blessing to have a staff like this during this time.”
Talk about Ray Turner’s progression…
“Ray’s working hard. That was kind of one of the big knocks on him coming into this year, but he’s working hard and fighting through walls. As we say, when you get tired you can’t get tired. That’s been the biggest thing. He’s also taken some ownership in the program. He needs to understand that for us to be good, Ray Turner has to be consistent. We’ve been on him every day about being consistent…consistently rebounding, consistently being athletic and making athletic plays.”
What’s your preferred role for him?
“Well, he’s got to be a rebounder. He’s got to run, he’s got to be a better defender. He’ll get points off the rim. He’ll get put-backs and there will be times when the ball will go in the post and he’ll get some baskets in the paint.”
What does Jamal Branch do really well, does he see the floor really well?
“He can. The thing he does well is he can get it and push the ball, but he’s got to make better decisions. He’s got to become a better decision-maker and I think he will in time. He’s got to learn to read defenses. Again, it’s like a quarterback. But he’s really progressed and we’re awfully glad to have Branch. He’s going to be a great player for a long time.”
What’s your assessment of Naji Hibbert and what does he need to do to get minutes?
“It’s still early, and we need Naji to play at a high level for us. We brought him in last week as a staff and told him he just needs to play better at game time. He’s got to hit shots, defensively he has to be more consistent, but he has the ability to do that. I think the big thing for him is just consistency. He needs game minutes, and he’ll get that.”
What was it like for you personally being the first coach off the bench last week, and stepping up and taking over? Were you nervous?
“No, not nervous. I’ve been fortunate to work next to a lot of great head coaches. Once the ball went up it was just coaching. Again, a lot of that goes back to our staff and preparation. I thought our guys were prepared. As long as you prepared it makes it easier on me. The one thing I’ll always continue to do is get input from our staff, whether it’s every time out or during the course of the game, because of our experience. So I would say I was not nervous, but that could change on Wednesday.”
Will there be some nerves for you or the players on Wednesday, the season opener?
“Anytime you start playing for something that matters, which starts on Wednesday, there will be a sense of nervousness. I think playing at home helps. Having veteran leadership helps. Having a veteran point guard helps. And being prepared surely helps.”
So you definitely will be coaching the team on Wednesday?
“I think so, but I think everything is day to day. Whatever’s best for the program. If Coach comes back, I’ll be just as happy. We’re just kind of going at it day by day to be honest with you.”
How would you describe Jordan Green?
“Athleticism. Defender. Long. Wiry. Boy, I could tell you a whole lot of adjectives about Jordan Green. I really like him. He’s got to get back to the mold because he was out (sick). But we like him a lot. He’s going to play a lot of minutes. He’s got great athleticism, he can get out and run through passes, he can really defend. He’s got a toughness about him that most freshmen don’t have. So we can utilize him in a number of ways.”
Talk about Keith Davis and his role on the team…
“Keith plays hard, real raw. He’s long. He really does some things well for us. He’ll just have to bring some athleticism. We have five guys, maybe six in the post that can play. We have to figure out who those other three guys are going to be. So I told those guys on Saturday that now is the time we start narrowing down our roster and figuring out who is going to play. And Keith is going to have to compete for one of those spots. But since we’ve got here he’s been good, he’s worked hard every day and he’s trying to get one of those spots.”
*Note: Cyprien quotes provided by A&M Media Relations department. Still waiting on Blair.
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