Following a win on Tuesday over Oklahoma State, the Horned Frogs look to make it two in a row on Saturday when they take on No. 15 Baylor.
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00:00 Baywatch.
00:01 >> [LAUGH] >> All right.
00:04 >> All right.
00:05 >> I need you.
00:06 >> On the road, you gotta go back out on the road in this thing.
00:09 How hard is it?
00:10 I mean, everybody talks about it.
00:11 >> Yeah, well, it sure will be a new facility.
00:14 See what their new place looks like.
00:16 I know they went smaller.
00:18 And as far as what I've heard, it cut it in half, really.
00:22 It was a pretty nice facility they just got rid of down there.
00:26 It was a little too green for me, but we'll see how this one looks.
00:29 But it'll be an easier trip than our first couple.
00:34 We can drive and hopefully we don't run into any issues,
00:38 which we've run into on a regular basis here.
00:41 But you're playing somebody good.
00:45 I mean, they ask you, do you look at the schedule?
00:47 And it's, you're not gonna come down.
00:50 You just, I mean, I've been doing this a long time and
00:52 I've been in the best conference every year.
00:53 You just know you're gonna be playing somebody good.
00:55 And there is another way to look at it.
00:58 And prepare your team, get better.
01:01 And so I know it's a Saturday three o'clock tip off.
01:07 So we'll head down there tomorrow after practice, get down there early.
01:11 I guess we'll go shoot down there beforehand.
01:13 We won't be able to get there in the morning.
01:16 They gave us the early morning time slot.
01:20 So I don't think we can get that.
01:22 So I think we'll shoot down there.
01:24 So that'll be our first time looking at the facility.
01:28 But certainly know the team, know the personnel.
01:30 Get some new guys.
01:31 Shoot the three.
01:33 But they are certainly, they're experienced as well.
01:39 But Walters is obviously a big time freshman, top five guy in the country.
01:44 I recruited him, everybody wanted him.
01:48 And then they got the big transfer.
01:51 Dennis was a kid, everybody was recruiting.
01:53 He took all the visits in the late and back play of the year.
01:58 And he's a great guy.
01:59 I love his vision.
02:00 Sees the floor well, gets off the ball well.
02:02 So we gotta keep getting better.
02:05 We got two days of practice here.
02:06 And yesterday was obviously, I guess, travel day, off day.
02:10 We got back late.
02:11 But we gotta get better defensively.
02:14 I mean, we didn't do the job early.
02:16 In the last game, luckily, we got done the second half defensively.
02:21 But really, it was an offensive execution in the second half that got it done for us.
02:25 But defensively, what we're really working on.
02:27 We gotta take away their three point shot.
02:29 They're a team that can really shoot it, obviously.
02:30 I think they're still tops in the country.
02:33 I don't know, I haven't seen the updated ones.
02:35 I think they may have dropped a little bit.
02:36 But it's what they do.
02:40 >> There have been a couple of times this season where teams fall behind in
02:47 the first half, made it in the second half, come back.
02:49 And you're three and one in games where you've failed by ten or more points this
02:52 season.
02:52 Talk a little bit about what you think the challenge is out of the gate for
02:57 your team at times this year.
02:58 >> Well, I mean, we've played 20 games against good opponents.
03:01 So you're gonna be down sometimes early.
03:04 And that's, I guess, the trend is that it happened twice in a row.
03:09 Came back, got away, and came back and lost by one.
03:13 I mean, the first, there were two different ones.
03:17 So I don't think we turned the ball over in the first game.
03:18 We didn't turn it over in the last game.
03:21 So two different things, two different teams, two different venues.
03:27 You wanna play great for 40 minutes, but no one does.
03:30 And you gotta know there's gonna be a run.
03:34 We just happened to have two early.
03:35 And both we came back from.
03:38 But you don't wanna be down 18 in the first half.
03:42 So it usually comes down to defense.
03:48 We're doing it.
03:48 Sometimes teams are gonna make shots too.
03:50 You can defend it well and make shots.
03:52 I don't think that was the case in those two games.
03:56 But there'll be stretches when they make some tough shots.
03:58 And you just gotta withstand it, stick to what you're doing,
04:01 get good shots in your end, and believe in yourself.
04:05 But our thing is we gotta be better defensive.
04:09 We gotta take away the three.
04:09 We're emphasizing no layups as well.
04:12 And then turnovers, our numbers aren't horrible, but
04:17 it's always the challenge, always the challenge.
04:19 And we wanna have, that hurts you on offense, hurts you on defense.
04:24 Especially with a team like us where offense remains such
04:26 an important part of what we do.
04:30 So I'd say that's certainly the thing for us offense.
04:34 We gotta get shots up.
04:36 We can't have turned the basketball over.
04:38 And I like the shots that we're getting, the shots like I said.
04:41 We've progressed with all new guards.
04:44 Offense, we're getting there.
04:45 Defense, we're not where I wanna be.
04:48 That's to be expected, I guess.
04:50 >> I think he may have played all 20 minutes the other night.
04:53 What can you kinda say about stepping up?
04:55 And I know he always played hard, but
04:57 it seems like he's taking his motor to even another level.
04:59 >> Yeah, I mean, in the second half, we were right to him in the second half.
05:05 And the guys found him, they got them all in the right place.
05:09 We executed and he made the right play.
05:11 Wasn't so much the scoring, but he made other guys guard him,
05:15 delivered a pass, played in space.
05:18 Wouldn't have led directly to an assist, but
05:21 got us space and playing on the other side of the floor.
05:25 So the big thing for him this year has been his playmaking is so
05:29 much better than when he got here.
05:31 He was a five man.
05:32 Then guarding on the perimeter, had a few breakdowns last game, but
05:36 he's been really good for us.
05:37 And probably the breakdowns, cuz the game before he was really good,
05:42 two games before, he was really good at defensive force.
05:46 And but playing all those minutes, you're gonna have some slippage, I think, and
05:50 I worry about that on the defensive end as well.
05:52 So that wasn't by design, but he was playing well, got down early, and
05:58 we survived it.
06:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
06:02 >> How hard is that transition for
06:04 a player to make, we go from basically being on the side five to-
06:07 >> Usually not done,
06:08 it's usually not a complete, usually a failure rate and waiting to happen.
06:12 But he worked at it, he's played hard.
06:15 I don't know how much he played in high school and prior to, but
06:20 generally, we deal with it all the time when we're recruiting guys.
06:26 Not so much transfers as much, guys that have produced a little bit at one place,
06:32 but completely changing their game.
06:34 In high school, you deal with a lot, but
06:36 the biggest challenge for me is those guys guarding on the perimeter.
06:40 And even last year, while he was shooting the ball from three and
06:43 he shot 40%, defensively on the perimeter, he was not great.
06:47 And he's good now, he is good now.
06:50 And they're just used to running back to the paint, and
06:55 that's what they've been doing their whole lives,
06:57 cuz that's what they're told to do in the middle of the two-three zone.
06:59 And but he's gotten better at it.
07:02 He plays on the perimeter, he guards the dribble better and
07:05 guards the shooters better on the perimeter.
07:07 So there's a whole lot to it, but I always think the defensive thing's
07:10 the biggest challenge for the guys.
07:12 Cuz then they can't guard on the perimeter, then they can't get on the floor, and
07:15 then everything's not going well.
07:18 >> When's it fair to start asking how many teams is this league conserving?
07:22 >> I mean, it's probably,
07:26 you start those brackets in July, I think.
07:30 So- >> [LAUGH]
07:33 >> It's always, I mean,
07:34 I'm not judging you, Brian.
07:35 >> Yeah, I mean, is it a ten team?
07:38 I mean, is it a ten team?
07:39 >> I think we'll always have more NCAA tournament teams than get in.
07:43 I mean, I think we're gonna run into it more.
07:44 Last year, Oklahoma State was an NCAA tournament team, but
07:49 because of their conference record, which to me shouldn't be factored in.
07:55 Somehow, somebody decided that, the media, I think,
07:59 decided November games are more important than
08:02 playing better teams in January, February, or March.
08:06 I mean, it makes no sense to me.
08:09 I mean, everybody balances their schedule depending on what conference they're in.
08:14 And to say differently is we'll have a top ten schedule in the year.
08:19 And people are right.
08:21 I had somebody comment about our schedule.
08:22 I said, by the way, our strength of schedule is number one in the country
08:25 the rest of the year.
08:26 But that didn't make it in the, somehow he forgot to put that in the paper,
08:32 the article.
08:32 So you don't want a fact to get in the way of a story that you've already pre.
08:37 But I just think that that's something we're gonna run into.
08:43 I think Oklahoma State was a perfect example this year.
08:45 And now with more teams, I think it could be maybe one more.
08:48 And I've talked to the conference about down the road,
08:51 we go to 20 games because I think that becomes a factor as well.
08:55 I mean, they won't ask me, but
09:00 I've been the guy that's been in these conferences for the last 20 years.
09:03 I know what they look like.
09:04 I know what happens.
09:05 And it's just game after game after game.
09:11 And it's just, but you shouldn't.
09:15 Why would a game, I guess even a lesser opponent, be honest.
09:20 And really, it turns out to be a lesser opponent in November, December.
09:23 Count more.
09:24 It makes no sense.
09:28 And it talks about 32 games,
09:33 it doesn't talk about games in November and December.
09:40 Those are the challenges.
09:43 But I think we'll see how some things play out.
09:46 And I would say the thing that everybody brings up is the year we were number one
09:51 seed at Pitt and we had three number one seeds.
09:55 We had 11 and 16.
09:57 Well, there was a clear difference between 11 and those other five.
10:03 They didn't beat the other 11.
10:05 And that's not the case in this book since I've been here.
10:08 There hasn't been that separation.
10:11 >> Coach, what's been your reaction to everything that's happened with
10:13 the women's basketball team and them beating UCF on Tuesday?
10:17 >> Just I'm supporting them in every way possible.
10:21 And it was, I didn't get to see the game obviously,
10:27 but it's obviously we all deal with injuries and prepare for it.
10:33 And support them all the way through.
10:36 So it was, I don't know who they play next.
10:41 I know they missed Kansas State and Iowa State.
10:48 Who do you got next?
10:49 >> At Tech.
10:51 >> At Tech?
10:51 >> Yeah, At Tech.
10:53 >> So, but we seem out here practicing and working out.
10:57 I was just actually talking to one of the girls and one of the new players who I
11:00 know, I had to coach against her dad, and Davis.
11:06 And way back, so that's kind of interesting.
11:10 She just came in during the team, but there's,
11:14 I guess I don't have walk-on trials before, but now they're having them.
11:17 So that's, we have four or five walk-ons.
11:22 But she, it was funny, I said, I know you.
11:25 And she goes, yeah, you know me.
11:26 We met her when she came through.
11:30 So her dad coached at Montana and I coached at Northern Arizona.
11:33 So I remember when they came to campus, he reached out to me,
11:37 Coach Davis and the group.
11:40 So yeah, that's it.
11:43 Borough was down in their same section downstairs and they're up here.
11:46 So we see them all the time and
11:48 I wish them luck in the Texas Tech game coming forward.
11:53 >> Coach, can you talk a little bit about the progression you've seen from
11:55 the last few days, especially now the rebound again?
11:57 Cuz it looks like you've been throwing.
11:58 >> Yeah, I mean, I've said it, I think, before.
12:02 I hadn't seen him play in high school and
12:05 obviously we knew that he was highly ranked, seen the name.
12:08 I was at Kansas, but he really didn't play at all at Kansas.
12:11 I mean, we were actually recruiting another kid that left there and
12:15 played more, we were trying to get him.
12:18 And then all of a sudden this guy told me, a friend of mine,
12:24 Ben Allen told me about Ernest.
12:26 And a friend of him had recruited him hard and knew the coach.
12:34 Yeah, we knew the coach, but just told us what he was looking for and
12:38 he wanted an opportunity to play.
12:40 And but then watching him play, I was amazed by his athleticism.
12:45 First time I watched him play was at USA Basketball,
12:47 cuz the last minute we got him on a trial, so he needed some size.
12:54 But I was just amazed to see how hard, how fast he could run, his athleticism.
12:59 But then I also totaled up, he ended up not making it.
13:03 And they needed big guys, I mean, obviously they struggled,
13:06 the team struggled with him.
13:07 I think they came in sixth over there.
13:10 And he needed size, but he just didn't produce, he didn't get rebounds.
13:16 I'm watching him, I'm watching, how is this guy not getting rebounds?
13:19 And so really, Coach Benford, our staff, all the GAs,
13:22 I mean, he's in here constantly.
13:25 And we're watching film with him, just to
13:27 Watch what he's, so many wasted movements is what we saw.
13:36 And out of position, and just trying to get him to be at the right place.
13:40 And you see him, he's playing hard, but
13:42 he's not, it's not at the right spots in the right places.
13:47 And so we're seeing that progress where he's going.
13:49 So we chart every practice, we chart every game, crashing, crashing and
13:54 blocking out.
13:55 And so we show him the percentages, there's a green is good, red is bad.
13:59 And we got the whole diagram up there, everything is statted with us.
14:03 And so he's really taken to it.
14:08 I said, he's not getting rebounds, he's got good hands, he's that athletic,
14:12 that big.
14:13 But just not in the, not teaching him all the different moves.
14:19 We have five moves that we have going to an offensive glass that we talk about.
14:24 So we go through those every day.
14:25 So we just got better, obviously, there's no question about it.
14:29 And then the free throw shoot, I gave him a, at Oklahoma State,
14:34 I think that's where it was, at Oklahoma State, we got there,
14:39 we shot the night before, is that what we did?
14:43 And he went there and he shot the entire time.
14:48 And we were tired, and we had, the trip was, we got there late.
14:54 And he went and shot the, and the guys don't shoot, but some do more than others.
14:59 But he shot the entire time, he shot free throws the entire time,
15:03 which I said to him as he was shooting, and I was coming off the 8 for
15:07 10 in the last game.
15:08 And I said, when you first got here,
15:10 you would have been talking the whole last 20 minutes.
15:12 So it's, you've earned it, you got the reward the other day by going 8 for 10.
15:19 And, but yeah, I said that to him over there when,
15:24 it was the night before, we just gave him free shooting.
15:27 And he wouldn't get there, cuz you never know if you're gonna get there,
15:30 cuz you don't have anything too scheduled, too planned out.
15:33 Because I think we missed the other two that we wanted to get to and
15:38 shoot on the night before.
15:40 So we'll go down to Baylor and shoot beforehand.
15:43 I don't know if Bucky's blocks us or we're in the opening down there.
15:49 Hillsdale or is that what I got it right?
15:50 >> Hillsboro.
15:51 >> Hillsboro.
15:52 >> Is there one in Hillsboro?
15:54 >> There's a big one.
15:54 It's opening this week.
15:56 >> Did you know?
15:56 >> It's just been a big day.
15:58 The Eclipse, they're opening it with the Eclipse.
16:01 >> I know, it's the same time.
16:04 >> You guys follow that stuff?
16:05 >> All right.
16:06 >> Anything else for Coach?
16:07 >> I don't think so.