BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The LSU men’s and women’s basketball teams participated in the final day of 2009 SEC Media Days on Thursday at the Birmingham Marriott.
Head coaches Trent Johnson and Van Chancellor addressed a panel of national and regional media members as well as SEC-TV and Raycom networks during a two-hour session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They were joined by senior guard Garrett Temple of the men’s team and senior forward Kristen Morris and junior guard Allison Hightower of the women’s team.
The following is a transcript of quotes from today’s media session:
LSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Trent Johnson
“Once there is a change, a strong emphasis is placed on the head coach, and I think our guys have done a great job of adjusting to this change and not letting the distractions surrounding our program get to them. They have all done what we have asked them to do and there is a strong sense of accountability surrounding us. But still, this is a team that is coming off a tough season while also losing their best player in Anthony Randolph. It is early but I feel really good about a kid like Garrett Temple, a kid who was voted team captain by his teammates and totally gives himself to the program.”
“We are going to defend and rebound and they are allowed to go as fast as they want as long as they protect the basketball. This is a group, that when they are pushed to the limit they might revert to their old habits, but will have to push through that. Offensively, we are going to take good shots and make open shots, but there will be flexibility in who scores. Our identity will be that we compete at a high level, and if we get beat it will only be because we were outcoached and outplayed, not because we did it to ourselves or underachieved. I love the challenge of trying to be successful on a consistent basis. That is why we are coaches, there is no pressure. This is a group that wants to be a good team.”
Senior G Garrett Temple
“I had surgery on my wrist and ankle during the off season, in March. I have just been trying to get healthy in my off season, which was my main goal. I believe that we can win the SEC West and make it all the way to the championship. We have a good new staff that we mesh well with. The new coaching staff is a good one. These freshmen this year are lucky to have this new coaching staff.”
LSU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Van Chancellor
“LSU is a great place to coach. It is very easy to recruit players to LSU. We have seven freshmen and a junior college player. I am very excited, our players are very talented and they work hard. My fans expect us to be back to dominance on Nov. 16. That is our first game against Notre Dame. It will take as much time as it will take those seven freshmen and a junior college player to mature and get better. Being young in the SEC, it is very hard to get confidence and keep it. We are going to start two freshmen at least, maybe three. Anybody else we start besides Allison Hightower has never played a meaningful minute in the SEC.”
“As you grow older as a coach, being around a young team just energizes you. It makes you feel young. You think young. You get up every day excited to be a part of your team. This year our practices have a lot of spontaneity to them. The greatest thing is coaching a team that absorbs everything you are teaching. When you get that type of team, it is a lot of fun to coach. Every player is trying to learn and work. We call our players into the office and meet with them before practice. Their attitude has been unbelievable and that is what I really like.”
Junior G Allison Hightower
“I’ve learned a lot since last year. I looked up to all of those girls from last year and tried to follow in their footsteps. This has been a great experience playing with them. Coach Chancellor has really stressed leadership to me. We have one senior and it’s important for me to step up and try to lead this team vocally.”
Senior F Kristen Morris
“We expect to play hard and compete in every game, every practice and to just develop and keep our legacy here at LSU going. We are a lot more versatile this year. We can play a lot of different position. We’re also strong rebounders. We’ve seen that early on, which is promising because that was something that we struggled with last year.”