TCU men's basketball head coach Jamie Dixon recaps the win over West Virginia and previews Saturday's game against West Virginia.
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00:00 Got in late last night, a good win for us on the road.
00:04 Offensively very good, defensively could have been better.
00:09 But it was really a good win for us.
00:12 Obviously, I'm a lot familiar with being up there in West Virginia.
00:18 And so it was good to see a lot of friends.
00:21 It was good to get a win on my dad's birthday.
00:24 I thought about that as well afterwards.
00:26 And it was a good win.
00:29 I liked what we did offensively, really good, really unselfish.
00:32 I liked our guards 12 assists,
00:35 which is something we really emphasized this last week.
00:37 And ball movement was really good, really good balance.
00:41 And really unselfish, that was it.
00:45 Defensively foul trouble, not good enough.
00:50 But we won with offense on the road, which is rare.
00:52 You don't wanna rely on that, and that's what we did.
00:54 So gotta get better this week defensively, these two days I should say, and
00:58 be ready for Saturday, Central Florida.
01:01 A huge game for us, obviously, as for everybody at this time of the year.
01:06 And we've accomplished some things, but we've got more to do.
01:09 And I believe this team can be better than what we are.
01:12 And that's what we're striving to do.
01:13 And coaching, I actually joked about it afterwards.
01:15 I not joked about it, but talking to the media, Steve was there.
01:23 West Virginia, and I called the time out, I think we're up 16.
01:28 And probably in retrospect, probably shouldn't have done that.
01:32 But I'm trying to coach our guards every day.
01:34 We've got three every play, and we've blown some leads.
01:38 And so every day we're coaching, we have three brand new guards.
01:42 I mean, you can't hide from it.
01:43 And it's unique, and we're trying to do something you don't wanna be doing
01:47 with three new guards.
01:48 But they got better, Jameer's really played well lately.
01:51 Gotten better, they've all gotten better.
01:53 But there's just some things that we can clean up, and time score situations.
01:57 It's where we gotta improve on.
01:59 And we're trying to turn some guys into point guards that haven't really
02:04 played 40 minutes of point guard on a regular basis.
02:08 Especially at this level, and trying to do what we're trying to do.
02:11 >> Coach, I was in that same situation you guys were at BYU.
02:14 >> Yeah. >> It's how encouraging was it that
02:16 the team responded this way?
02:17 >> Yeah, I mean, and we prefaced it before by West Virginia has done this
02:23 regularly where they've, Kansas State, they were down and came back and
02:27 went into overtime, I think they're down 20.
02:30 They'd beaten Kansas, they'd beaten Texas there at that court.
02:35 So it was better, I wished our defense would have been better.
02:39 I wish we would have had a couple better possessions end of the first half.
02:42 And I wish we would have not fouled as much, but
02:47 obviously the result was different.
02:49 But we could have pulled away instead of letting them close the gap.
02:55 It was 16 and they're 12.
02:57 And so I think we're still, those are the things like again, asking why.
03:01 I mean, still trying to coach them up, still trying to get better in those
03:05 situations, and that's why you call them timeout at minute 20 or
03:11 whatever it was left.
03:14 We're just trying to get better, and we have guards that have simply not been in
03:18 that situation, and not for us at the same time.
03:21 So, but yeah, better, I guess we improved from it, we held the lead.
03:27 But again, defense could have been better and less fouls could have been better too.
03:31 >> Did you have a feeling they were gonna come out in that two, three zone?
03:33 >> Yeah, we did, especially when they started big.
03:36 Now we had practiced against the zone over and over for the last couple days.
03:41 So we knew it was coming.
03:43 We even did zone work in the shoot around that morning that we normally don't do.
03:50 So we did more, but then when they started the big lineup,
03:52 we knew for sure that they were gonna start in the zone.
03:54 So that's what we anticipated.
03:57 We've looked at the Baylor loss as where people would kind of talk about
04:03 us not attacking the zone well, which we've always been good at.
04:08 And as I looked at it, it was more really our lowest,
04:12 our biggest problem was transition offense.
04:17 But we knew that other teams may look at that as, they didn't play good against
04:20 the zone and our lowest numbers, our lowest efficiency by far was what we did
04:25 in transition, which last night was terrific in transition.
04:28 So sometimes things just don't go as planned.
04:31 I will say, if you shoot 33s and you have a bad night shooting,
04:36 there's not a lot you can do.
04:38 You gotta do what you do.
04:39 If you don't do that well, then you got problems.
04:42 And that's kind of what we had in that game.
04:44 So I think we're certainly better.
04:48 We had a few more actions in there as well, but not much.
04:54 We just, I think we had a better understanding of just
05:01 in some ways simplifying it a little bit more.
05:03 But some things that since we hadn't seen the zone,
05:05 we thought our guys understood and where to get the catch and
05:12 where to look for the ball.
05:13 And we just, once we got into the game, we didn't recognize it the first time,
05:18 but we certainly did yesterday.
05:20 Chuck getting in there early was good too.
05:21 We had that prepared for that as well against the zone.
05:24 >> Roman, you see out there, defensive numbers are pretty impressive.
05:27 >> Yeah. >> What stands out to you about the-
05:29 >> Athletic, athletic at every position.
05:32 And guys got guys coming off the bench, they play very hard, change defenses.
05:37 I think it's the length is what why their field goal percentage defense and
05:42 their efficiency, like you said, is that good.
05:45 So certainly we've seen teams like that.
05:48 We've got to attack their different defenses.
05:54 We've got to take care of the basketball.
05:56 We've got to get shots up and we've got to get offensive rebounds.
05:59 >> You just look forward to the next week and
06:01 how well you think your team is prepared to go into the tournament?
06:05 >> Well, yeah, I mean, we're practicing today.
06:08 It'll be light, obviously, it'll be mental.
06:10 We'll look a lot of film on the defensive end.
06:12 But we're kind of, I mean, say that,
06:15 we feel like Jacoby's rounding in the form now we got Ernest's situation.
06:19 He's missed five games if you count the Kansas State game.
06:22 So I mean, not ideal, but we're gonna have to figure out where that's at.
06:26 And so we got a lot of things going.
06:27 I mean, just when you think you got to figure it out, something changes.
06:32 But today, we'll really focus on the defense,
06:38 ball screen coverage, which wasn't very good in the last game.
06:42 Unique situation, foul trouble wore us down.
06:46 Not having our best big defender by far is hurting us.
06:50 And Hazard, obviously, I mean, saying the obvious here, but don't wanna, yeah.
06:56 So I don't wanna be an excuse guy.
06:58 So we gotta be better.
07:00 We got coverage, gotta be better.
07:01 A lot of guys gotta be better in ball screen coverage.
07:04 >> What did Ernest have to bring to you guys on the defensive end of the court?
07:08 >> Well, he gradually was just getting better and better.
07:10 And we kind of had known, we weren't sure.
07:12 Obviously, you're gonna get coached at Kansas and all, but
07:15 you gotta be on the floor to get coached.
07:18 And you gotta see those mistakes.
07:20 And obviously, he wasn't.
07:21 He was their third, five man, and sometimes fourth.
07:23 So, but he just kept getting, he's gotten better and better and better.
07:28 Defensively and offensively, free throw shootings start there.
07:32 Passing, we found, I'm talking offense here first.
07:36 We'll get to what he changes, games for us to some degree.
07:40 But offensively, playing through the post, some to him.
07:43 He may not score as much, but we can still throw it into him, and
07:47 good things would happen.
07:48 And then defensively, he's game changing.
07:52 Maybe not as much as maybe we thought as far as rim protecting,
07:58 blocking shots, but ball screen coverage.
08:01 We saw dramatic improvement was loading up, being off to the ball.
08:08 And not so much rim protecting, but just, it's pure size.
08:11 Size of us accounts for, makes up for a lot of mistakes.
08:15 As one that didn't have either of those, I'm jealous as I speak.
08:22 >> I know you said it is up to him to play in the past, but
08:25 what's the chance he plays against UCF?
08:28 >> We'll see today.
08:29 It's up to him.
08:32 We'll see.
08:32 It's a total, how he feels.
08:36 I haven't talked to him today, so we'll see.
08:40 He did more each day last week, I guess I would say.
08:43 [INAUDIBLE]
08:47 More each day, but nothing live.
08:49 >> Awesome.
08:49 >> You kind of know the 21 season, probably make a plan in a postseason tournament.
08:54 You just kind of reflect on that progress the program continues to make.
08:57 >> Yeah, I mean, we hit it running and
09:02 winning that NIT in the first year of a team that I think, I don't know how many,
09:06 but it was a complete surprise.
09:09 And when you win the NIT and win it like we did,
09:11 we got pretty good by the end of the year.
09:13 We were an NCAA tournament team, NCAA the next year.
09:16 COVID was not good to us, as I find out.
09:19 Now a lot of teams are practicing, we weren't.
09:20 That kind of can catch up to you, I guess.
09:23 It's, we know, and then we did.
09:25 So, for those two years, but I mean, we've done, everything's first here.
09:32 I know that, I understand that, but that's why I came here to be.
09:35 And then, as I said, when I got here, we're gonna raise the bar and
09:39 then the standards change and you're competing against yourself,
09:43 which I know plenty about.
09:44 So it'll be like, we didn't do it.
09:48 I wasn't part of it, but that's what I wanted to create.
09:50 And so we're getting there.
09:53 I mean, in no way do I feel where I wanted to be.
09:56 I know everybody, I think here is just thankful to be having these conversations.
10:03 But I just, I expect more, I believe more.
10:06 And I don't care where you are, who you have.
10:09 I just believe it's possible with, you have to believe and to get there.
10:15 It's the only way.
10:16 So, I don't think there's limitations.
10:20 I know when people told me I was crazy for coming here,
10:22 they told me all the limitations.
10:24 But I think those are self imposed.
10:26 They don't help, let's put it that way.
10:28 Discussing them don't help.
10:29 >> Anything else, Joe?
10:33 >> I guess Darius is doing the clothing dress.
10:35 >> Yes.
10:36 >> Saturday, how has he been as a coach?
10:38 >> Man, he's unbelievable.
10:41 It's, and I tell him how much we love him.
10:45 I love him, what he's brought.
10:47 We didn't know who he was.
10:48 He came here on a full academic scholarship.
10:52 And he was a manager in the first year.
10:55 Obviously smaller throughout, but he was in the gym all the time.
11:01 And we just loved having him around.
11:04 And I've had the guys like that in Pittsburgh that were managers that
11:09 turned into walk-ons and just guys can bring something.
11:13 Doesn't matter how good a player they are or where they're at.
11:16 And Darius has gotten better and better and he is a good player.
11:19 And his thoughts of him maybe going and playing somewhere next year with
11:22 that extra year, the COVID year, at a different level.
11:26 So he just means a lot to me.
11:30 He means a lot to our program.
11:31 He's one of our guys.
11:34 He wants to play more minutes.
11:35 So he's one of the, every guy, like every guy in that regard.
11:40 And but I want guys that wanna play more minutes.
11:44 You don't wanna have the opposite.
11:45 But and then he's
11:49 spiritually is a big part of our program.
11:58 Out community wise, he's always engaged in all the events that we do.
12:06 Brings other events to our attention.
12:10 We discuss certain things and being really truly the one kid that's from
12:15 Fort Worth, the heart of Fort Worth and born and raised.
12:20 We always wanna get his take on things as well.
12:25 So he just, he means a lot and
12:29 I think he's just gonna be a shining example of
12:39 TCU and our program,
12:43 the school, Fort Worth,
12:48 city of Fort Worth and wanna make sure I get it right.
12:55 I think it's the Chancellor's scholarship program.
12:59 >> He said, what did he say, Bill?
13:01 Community?
13:01 >> Yeah.
13:03 >> Community scholar, Chancellor's, I think it's Chancellor's Community Scholar,
13:06 but I think it's, he'll be a great
13:12 positive example of the community scholarship
13:21 Chancellor's, from Chancellor's office and what it does and what it's going to do.
13:30 I think it's, I don't get into the details of it,
13:35 but it means a lot and we didn't know who he was when he came here.
13:39 And I love his story about once he found out about that scholarship opportunity,
13:45 how he put all his efforts into and
13:51 put his focus on attaining that and getting that.
13:54 So truly a great example.
13:57 >> All right, anything else, man?
14:01 >> So I wish I had the right.