Fran McCaffery 1-4-24
Fran McCaffery interview
Transcript
00:00 Hey guys.
00:02 It's been gathering.
00:03 It's like being back in Siena.
00:05 [Laughter]
00:08 We did.
00:10 [Laughter]
00:12 [Inaudible]
00:19 Well, let me start by saying thoughts are with the families at Perry High School.
00:27 Just want them to know that the Hawks are praying for them as they go through this difficult time.
00:38 Rutgers Saturday.
00:39 What have you seen from them this year?
00:41 They were really good last night.
00:43 They've been really good a number of times.
00:45 I thought the Seton Hall game, they were tremendous.
00:48 That was quite a battle, as you would expect with an in-state rivalry like that.
00:56 But I think they got a lot of weapons.
01:02 You think of Rutgers, you start with Cliff.
01:05 But Hyatt I think has really taken his game to another level.
01:10 Simpson, been really impressed with him.
01:12 Of course, Fernandez, a transfer.
01:15 They got Mag back.
01:16 He got hurt last year.
01:17 He was really starting to play really well.
01:21 And then he blew his knee out, unfortunately.
01:24 So he's back.
01:27 But they've got depth.
01:29 They've got some new guys that are really contributing, a couple of freshmen that are playing really well.
01:34 And you know they're going to play defense.
01:37 That said about their defense, the game the other night, they did let the three-point shooter get open a few times.
01:42 Have you seen or am I reading into it?
01:46 He's pretty good, though.
01:48 Jameson Battles pretty good.
01:50 They lost him a few times, and then they tried to clamp down on him as the game went on.
01:53 But the game was a little bit faster on both ends.
01:57 They were really pushing the ball, pushing the tempo as well.
02:01 They're, I think, in the top 20 and pushing the ball as well, as we are.
02:07 So you always know you're going to get a fight defensively from them.
02:12 But I think they do have a lot of confidence in their ability to score the ball from a number of different people.
02:19 I think you had mentioned after coming back from Christmas that Price was shooting well in practice.
02:25 Do you feel like that's just him getting more experience?
02:29 Yeah, you know, and he just needs more minutes.
02:32 You know, we're trying to play the guys that deserve to play, and it's hard sometimes when you're trying to play essentially 11 guys.
02:40 Sometimes it doesn't work.
02:43 You guys have--last year you started a one-threeing conference, and you guys rallied.
02:48 You won, I think, seven to nine.
02:50 Yeah, we did.
02:52 You know, it's a tough league, and you really--it sounds cliche, but you really got to go one at a time
02:59 and just try to prepare for the next one and figure out how to win that game.
03:04 And obviously if you're losing a couple, which we have, just play better.
03:09 I think we did some really good things the other night, but we didn't do enough to win.
03:13 We have to be better.
03:16 You know, you can't turn the ball over on the road and expect to win.
03:19 I mean, there's other things too.
03:20 We put them on the free-throw line too much, like I said, but when it's all said and done, you can't turn the ball over.
03:27 The things that Owen's doing as a freshman, I guess just how does that make you feel about the future of the program,
03:33 knowing that you have a guy so young?
03:35 Yeah, you know, the thing about him, you know, we know he's a good player,
03:41 but he's just an incredible person to have in your locker room, very humble but smart and competitive and talented.
03:52 And I think you look at him and say, "Boy, he's really doing well,"
03:55 but you also can plainly see that there's more in there, and I think that's what, as a coach
04:01 and I think as a fan, you get excited about to know that he's just getting started.
04:07 Where do you feel like you can keep pushing him, I guess, to get better?
04:10 Yeah, you know, I think the other thing is, think about the other night, we played him 36 minutes.
04:14 I mean, Ben was in foul trouble.
04:16 He was really tired a couple times.
04:18 We left him in there, and then we eventually went and got him.
04:22 But he was putting up pretty good numbers essentially in 20 minutes,
04:27 and I think it was inevitable that those minutes would keep going up, which they have.
04:31 I've noticed with Owen, unlike a lot of freshmen, he doesn't seem to get down.
04:34 Like if something happens bad to him on the court, he doesn't--he just moves on.
04:39 He doesn't let it linger too much, and I think that's where the veteran guys keep talking to him.
04:45 But you're right, he's pretty confident in what he knows he can do,
04:51 and I think when you talk about, okay, you say there's more in there, what does that mean?
04:58 He can really handle the ball.
05:00 I mean, he can go off the bounce.
05:02 You don't think about that too much with 6'10" guys, and the ones that do are in the NBA.
05:08 So he can go off the bounce.
05:10 He's got a quick first step.
05:14 He gets rid of it when the double team comes.
05:18 He's got a really good feel, and he doesn't seem to rattle.
05:21 So those are the ones that just keep getting better.
05:25 Every game that they gain experience, they gain confidence, and they get better.
05:31 Tony's starting to play with a lot of consistency on both ends.
05:35 How important is it to have another guard step up consistently,
05:38 or do you just need one of the three or four that play alongside him to do it?
05:42 That's the thing.
05:43 I mean, they all bring different things to the table.
05:45 They all deserve to play.
05:47 Sometimes you say, all right, we're just going to go with one and sit the other two.
05:51 I don't like doing that when they don't deserve it.
05:55 But I think Josh Dix has really, really played well in practice, and so has DeSante.
06:03 They're veteran guys, even though they're only sophomores.
06:05 They played last year.
06:08 And, of course, Brock has been really, really good.
06:11 He doesn't play like a freshman either.
06:13 He does a few turnovers once in a while.
06:16 I say, oh, that's a freshman mistake, but it's more of him being him.
06:19 He's just an aggressive guy.
06:22 Get Josh to hump a little more.
06:24 Yeah, but the thing about him is he's such a winning guy.
06:29 He does -- he's just not going to come in the game and start jacking
06:33 to try to stay on the floor.
06:35 He's going to come in and make the right play at both ends.
06:38 You talk about a guy who's not a mistake guy.
06:41 He just doesn't make them.
06:42 He's always where he's supposed to be, and he moves the ball,
06:45 and he plays defense, and he rebounds, and he pushes it.
06:49 If you play him at the one, he's fine.
06:50 If you play him at the two, he's fine.
06:52 If you play him at the three, he's fine there.
06:55 Probably got to find a way to get him in there more.
06:58 This is kind of more just like general basketball question,
07:01 but there was like a mock draft that had Zach Headey now going in the lottery
07:06 last season.
07:07 I mean, he was kind of maybe fringe second round.
07:09 Same thing with Luka Garza where, like, you know,
07:12 obviously he was prolific here,
07:13 but it didn't necessarily match up with where he was selected in the draft.
07:16 Like what are just your thoughts on the way that guys are evaluated
07:20 in taking that jump to the next level?
07:23 Well, you know, that's a constant debate, you know,
07:25 and I have multiple conversations with those guys, you know,
07:31 whether it be Uthoff and White or Tyler Cook or Luka Garza, Joe Wieskamp,
07:37 the Murries.
07:40 Those guys are really smart and they really work.
07:45 The amount of time that they put into evaluation
07:48 and analytics is really impressive.
07:53 You know, I think at some point,
07:55 one of the things I used to talk about a lot with them was
08:00 at what point does winning matter?
08:02 Like Luka Garza's a winner and Zach Headey's a winner.
08:06 You can lock into what you think they might not be able to do in the NBA,
08:10 but how about what they've proven that they can do?
08:13 You know, the thing about Luka to me was, you know,
08:16 when you're doing what he's doing in the post
08:19 and you're blocking 44% from three and you're blocking 55 shots,
08:24 you know, that's a guy who belongs in the NBA
08:27 and he's stayed in there for the most part.
08:30 I think Zach can do it.
08:33 You know, a lot of guys play in drop coverage now in the NBA
08:36 and that's always the biggest problem when you have a 7'4" guy.
08:39 Can he guard a ball screen in the NBA with those quick guards
08:42 coming at you 100 miles an hour?
08:45 You know, he's made himself a better passer too.
08:48 I've said this before, he was not very good when he got to Purdue.
08:51 As a passer out of the post, they've done a really good job with him there.
08:56 He's a weapon in a lot of different ways.
09:00 All right. Thanks, guys.
09:02 - That's right.