Indiana's Kaleb Banks Looks Forward to Sophomore season
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00:00 - Hey Caleb, thanks for joining us today.
00:02 I appreciate it.
00:03 When the coaches met with you after the season last year,
00:06 what did they want you to focus on in the off season?
00:09 And how do you kind of feel like you fit
00:11 in the puzzle of this team for next year?
00:13 - They wanted me to take that big step next year.
00:17 The flashes I saw last year,
00:20 they just wanted me to improve off that.
00:22 I feel like I fit in well with this team this year.
00:24 I know it's a lot of new guys and a lot of returning people,
00:26 but I try to lead on the new guys,
00:28 show them what we're about and stuff like that.
00:30 - Alec.
00:32 - Hey Caleb, appreciate you doing this.
00:36 So kind of going off that, looking at this current team,
00:39 you know, where do you see yourself
00:40 having the biggest impact this season?
00:43 And kind of what did you learn as a freshman
00:44 to really help you succeed in that area
00:46 and that role this year?
00:47 - I feel like I see myself having a big impact,
00:50 just making impact plays,
00:52 where there's grabbing that key rebound,
00:54 making that key defensive stop,
00:55 or just scoring, making that key play for the team.
00:59 And what was the second question?
01:01 - Yeah, just like, yeah,
01:06 and just kind of what did you learn as a freshman
01:09 to kind of help you in that area,
01:10 whether that be kind of having that key stop,
01:12 you know, scoring that key point,
01:14 or just in any sort of that role?
01:16 - I learned that, just to, I really learned that
01:22 you never know when it's going to be your moment,
01:24 so just always be ready for that moment.
01:26 It may be times where it's not your moment,
01:29 but it may be times where you're in the fire
01:31 and you got to, you're going to be,
01:33 you got to be ready to step up and make that moment happen.
01:35 - Alex?
01:37 - Hey, Luke, thanks for the time.
01:40 We appreciate it.
01:41 Curious, just when you look back
01:42 at your first year in college,
01:45 I guess kind of a two-part question,
01:48 what would you say maybe you feel like you did well,
01:51 and what maybe would you say you struggled
01:53 with your first year?
01:54 - With my first year, I feel like,
01:59 I think I learned, I did well with adjusting
02:02 to the learning curve.
02:03 I think I adjusted pretty quickly,
02:05 I would say, as a freshman.
02:07 Shout out to the leaders from last year's team,
02:10 like Miller, Kopp, and some of the other guys.
02:13 I feel like I struggled with how long the season can be
02:18 and how the ups and downs can come at you,
02:20 just how to react to those.
02:23 (phone ringing)
02:26 - Jack?
02:28 - Hey, Caleb, thanks for the time.
02:30 I guess from a skill development perspective,
02:32 what's kind of been your biggest focus
02:34 throughout this summer and in kind of the practices lately?
02:38 - Definitely I've been shooting the ball a lot
02:41 and been in the gym a lot, shooting the ball.
02:43 Also been working on my ball handling, stuff like that.
02:46 - Mason?
02:48 - Hey, Caleb, hope you're doing well.
02:51 One of the features of the non-conference schedule
02:53 this year is a game in Atlanta,
02:55 and that's an area that's pretty close to you.
02:58 Just kind of curious about your emotions
03:00 and maybe the excitement you might have
03:03 getting to play back in Atlanta.
03:04 - I'm very, very excited about that game.
03:07 I'm having, I can't wait to go back there and play.
03:09 I haven't played back in Atlanta in a while.
03:11 I know that's kind of new for like any youngin'
03:13 to go to Atlanta and play.
03:15 So I understand that's going to be a big moment
03:16 for me and my family.
03:18 I have a lot of my family there as well.
03:21 - Alex?
03:22 - Caleb, I'm curious if you could tell us a little bit
03:26 about some of the new guys that have arrived
03:29 in the front court.
03:30 Obviously a lot of people haven't,
03:31 I mean, we've seen them on film, but haven't,
03:33 I know a lot of the fans haven't gotten a chance
03:34 to see them play, but guys like Mbaka, Ware, Peyton Sparks,
03:39 what have you seen from them so far in workouts?
03:42 And what do you feel like, I guess,
03:43 those three guys are going to bring?
03:45 - They're going to bring a lot to the team.
03:48 We're all jelling well right now.
03:50 I know everybody's working in the gym every day,
03:53 so it just makes you want to work in the gym
03:54 every day as well.
03:55 Matt, we call him Matt, but he's a really good player.
04:00 He's a nice two-way player.
04:02 He can shoot a ball really well.
04:03 Khalil, he's a dog, I feel like.
04:05 He can shoot a ball as well.
04:06 And Peyton, he's just, can't nobody really stop him
04:08 in the paint.
04:09 - Anybody else have any questions for Caleb?
04:14 Mason, go ahead.
04:15 - Yeah, Caleb, I kind of wanted to go off that.
04:19 Your list is a forward, but we kind of saw you
04:21 in a few different roles last season.
04:24 How comfortable are you with maybe bringing the ball
04:27 up the floor or whether it's finding your shot on your own
04:30 or being a spot up, kind of where you see yourself
04:33 fitting into that?
04:34 - I feel like I've been working on that,
04:38 just being more comfortable playing out of position,
04:42 stuff like that, or maybe inside my position,
04:44 but just being able to do a lot of different things.
04:47 But I've been working on my ball handling for sure.
04:49 And I've been fighting down low with the bigs as well
04:53 this summer so I can be prepared to be put
04:57 on the court anywhere.
04:58 - Alec.
05:00 - Hey, Caleb, thanks for doing this.
05:04 My name's Alec.
05:05 You guys obviously brought in a good amount of transfers.
05:08 And I think one of them got on campus yesterday
05:10 for the first time, an Anthony Walker.
05:12 What do you think he can kind of bring to the team
05:14 as someone who's been in school for four or five years
05:16 and has experience in the NCAA tournament,
05:18 playing in Elite Eight and Final Four?
05:20 - I feel like we have a very young team,
05:23 so that leadership would be key.
05:25 He went to Miami, and Miami's a good school.
05:26 They obviously made some good March Madness runs.
05:30 I feel like he can bring that kind of knowledge.
05:33 And he understands how to get there,
05:35 so he can bring that to this team.
05:37 - Last question for Alex.
05:40 - Caleb, last year you guys had a lot of upperclassmen
05:45 that moved on, and obviously Jalen also went to the NBA.
05:49 Who has stepped up maybe this offseason
05:52 as kind of the leaders in the locker room?
05:54 And what's kind of the messaging been this offseason
05:57 in terms of what each guy needs to do
06:00 to kind of be ready when the season starts?
06:03 - A couple of our older guys stepped up, really.
06:07 Trey Galloway, Xavier Johnson, Anthony Liu.
06:10 But this offseason, they've just been preaching
06:13 and trying to build a workout culture.
06:15 Like, everybody's in the gym nonstop,
06:17 just trying to be the best version of ourselves.
06:19 So when that time comes, we all ready for war.