Prosser Preseason 2003
11/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 3, 2003
Skip Prosser entered preseason practice with plenty of optimism. Four returning starters from a 25-6 team, plus four highly touted freshmen will do that for you. Prosser's challenge, as always, comes in fitting the pieces together, and dealing with the prosperity and adversity that comes along. Gold Rush writer Jay Reddick was part of a group of sportswriters who talked to Prosser on the eve of preseason practice.
Q: You made a comment that Chris Paul is a true point guard, and Taron Downey is more of a natural wing. People think that means Chris Paul will start. What is your approach to starting lineups?
A: That's why we practice. That will all be determined through practice time. Taron Downey was a point guard for 31 games last year, and Wake won 25 of them. In my estimation, that counts for something. The statement I was making is that Chris Paul is a true point guard; he has one position. I think Taron, and Justin Gray, can play a couple of positions. One might not be exclusive of the other one.
Q: Because they are all 6 feet tall, is that a problem, in style of play or personality?
A: Chemistry-wise, maybe. I can't predict the future. I just know all three of those kids are really good kids, they're all three thick as thieves, and they all want to win. Everybody wants to start, play all the minutes, score all the baskets. That's human nature. But we've been blessed the last couple of years with a group of unselfish guys. I expect this group will be just as unselfish.
Q: Losing Josh Howard's leadership could be tough for this team. How do you handle that?
A: I'm concerned that we have no seniors. I think seniors, having that advantage of no choice, play with a sense of desperation, and we'll miss that. Josh and Steve played their four years and graduated. That's just the way it is, and it's one of the beauties of college basketball. It's the hand we're dealt.
Q: Do you see somebody stepping up into the go-to role?
A: I hope so. It may not be just one person; it may be more than one. That usually is the way it happens. Somebody leaves, somebody takes their place.
Q: Does the longevity of your new contract change you at all going into this season?
A: No, I don't think so. I don't know how it would. Long-term, we're just trying to be 1-0. I've felt that way in 30 years of doing this, so what my contract is is not an issue in terms of preparation for a season.
Q: What are your points of emphasis in preseason?
A: We have to become stronger inside. We have to have more of an inside-outside balance. Last year, our post players were all freshmen and sophomores. This year, there are still some freshmen and sophomores, but they are a year older. We have to continue to get better at guarding. We did pretty well, we were 11th in the country in field-goal percentage defense, which is excellent. One thing we didn't do was create a lot of turnovers, so we're going to work on that. Our 3-point shooting was eighth in the ACC last year, and that's a concern. Part of that is a function of not being strong enough inside, and allowing teams to pressure our perimeter. We were a strong rebounding team last year, and we have to not assume that's going to happen again. We have to be unrelenting in our emphasis there.
Q: With your 3-point shooting, having Justin around for the whole year should help, and also bringing in Chris Paul.
A: I hope. There's a big difference in making that jump from high school to the ACC, so we'll see.
Q: What did you ask Eric Williams to do in order to get slimmed down for this season?
A: It wasn't necessarily a number. I'm more concerned with how he plays with the weight he has. I think it's hard to make that adjustment to college. Improvement might not be about being a few pounds less, but rather having the experience to get to the right places earlier, and become more anticipatory and less reactionary. If he reacts, he gets there late, hence the foul.
Q: You've wanted to extend defensively since you've been here. Is that going to happen more this season?
A: I love pressure. I don't think anybody likes to play against pressure. We've been successful the last couple of years pressuring less, but we'd like to get back to that.
Q: Last year you had five freshmen to work in, this year you have four more. What are the problems that brings?
A: They simply don't have an appreciation of the speed of the game, how hard you have to play every single possession. We're fortunate they come from good programs. Having said that, it's still a different level.
Q: Vytas Danelius returns as a second-team All-ACC player. What have you seen from him in individual workouts?
A: Vytas has had a metamorphosis from his freshman year, when he was a back-to-the-basket player, to his sophomore year when he was stepping out, shooting and making 3s. I think the next step for him would be able to guard better on the perimeter, improve his ball skills. He's moved from a 5 to a 4, if he can get some 3 skills, I think he could blossom into an excellent player. He is very athletic vertically, he needs to be more athletic horizontally.
Q: People talk about who will take the last shot; can Justin Gray be that guy?
A: I would rather have somebody with Justin's chutzpah, who wants to take every last shot -- I'd rather have more guys like that than not enough.
Q: Coming off the regular-season championship and losing only one starter, you might think this team would be regarded a little higher than it has been. Is that a motivational factor as it was last year?
A: As I've said many times, I'm in the education business, not the entertainment business. I think that's what separates us from the pros. The lesson we learned last year is that you cannot let others put a ceiling on you. We referenced that theme a lot last year. To a degree, we're still flying under the radar a little bit, and that's a lesson that bears repeating.