TCU men's basketball players Avery Anderson III, Micah Peavy, and JaKobe Coles speak to the media following the win against Southern in the season opener.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 >> All right, we have Jacoby, Micah, and Avery.
00:12 Question.
00:14 >> Just for you all, how good did it feel to get back out there tonight?
00:20 >> It felt good.
00:21 It's been a long time since the tournament time, and
00:23 we've been preparing all summer.
00:25 And we executed pretty well.
00:27 Some stuff we got wrong on defense, but overall, we like how we're looking.
00:31 >> Micah, I know they talk to you a lot.
00:32 This obviously is a lot of expanded role.
00:34 You start tonight with two, 21 points in 21 minutes, 10 of 13 points before.
00:40 How did you feel out there in that expanded role?
00:42 >> I felt great, but I got those points because guys like Jacoby and
00:46 Avery were on selfish in the ball and just found me when I cut.
00:49 And I just feel like as a team, we just played very unselfish, so that's why.
00:54 >> If you guys kind of got off to a slow start,
00:55 you kind of, as a couple players on the court,
00:58 what was your mentality when you came up against them to the game?
01:01 >> Really just be that spark.
01:03 I had seen that we had got off to a slow start, so
01:05 I just wanted to pick it up on the defensive end and really just make that
01:08 presence.
01:08 >> Jacoby, to that point, you guys had eight turnovers in the first eight minutes,
01:12 it seemed just five for the rest of the game.
01:14 What changed after this first couple minutes on the court?
01:17 >> We just got slowed down.
01:18 I mean, first game, first game dinner sometimes happens.
01:22 We had to come collective as a team and just talk and
01:25 ultimately just make the open pass, make the right correct pass.
01:29 Ultimately, that led us to not having that many turnovers towards the end of the game,
01:33 so it was good.
01:34 >> They were hitting shots, especially three early.
01:37 Was there any adjustments you guys made or
01:38 was it just kind of just a pampered lock in thing that you guys wanted to do?
01:41 >> Adjustments in this effort, I mean, our game plan was to run them off the line
01:45 cuz that's what they did in their expedition game.
01:47 So yeah, they started off hitting shots and this effort lock in and
01:51 I think we did that, I don't know if they did after the first half.
01:54 >> Hey, Roberts, you played Oklahoma State last year.
01:59 What made TCU so attractive for you when you went to the training court?
02:03 >> Just their playing style.
02:04 I feel like my playing style just getting up and down the floor and
02:08 they were the number one transition team in the Big 12 last year.
02:11 So really, I just wanted to play my playing style for them.
02:15 >> How much fun was it tonight when you got guys like Micah and
02:18 some of the shooters you guys have all get down court?
02:20 >> Yeah, I felt good, the first game, just really playing with these guys and
02:24 me being back on the floor is my injury.
02:26 It just felt good being in a new spot and just playing with the new guys.
02:31 >> Micah, you had a career high tonight.
02:32 Is there anything you worked specifically on the off season to prepare to take on
02:37 a more offensive role?
02:38 >> I really just worked on my line, just worked on just if I miss a shot,
02:43 just an explain mentality, just be more aggressive.
02:46 And I felt like I did that tonight.
02:47 >> So what's your assessment of how Jameer played off?
02:51 He's got a big role trying to fill the shoes of Micah last year.
02:55 >> Jameer's gonna be a special player.
02:57 I like the way he plays.
02:57 He plays hard.
02:58 He's very aggressive on both ends of the board.
03:02 Very unselfish guy.
03:03 Every guard we have, they're all special.
03:05 So I'm excited to see all of them.
03:07 But Jameer, you're gonna see a lot from him this year.
03:11 >> It feels like you guys have a significant amount of depth this year.
03:14 What's it like going against each other in practice knowing that you guys can roll
03:18 eight to ten deep in a game?
03:19 >> I think Coach Dixon has built teams that are pretty deep,
03:22 especially in the last two years that we've been here at TC.
03:26 And we've had pretty deep teams.
03:28 So they did a great job in their off season finding the guys and
03:31 finding the right guys.
03:32 I know he said earlier this year that we've got a high character team, so
03:36 it has a lot to do with that as well.
03:38 It's gonna be games where Micah might have 20, Avery might have 20,
03:43 I might have 20, somebody else might have 20.
03:46 Ultimately, we just gotta be happy for each other and just play it selfish.
03:49 >> You said that there's some things that you need to clean up defensively.
03:52 Can you expand on that a little bit?
03:54 >> Just rotations.
03:56 They, I think, took what, they had ten threes today?
03:59 A lot of the threes they had was just miscommunication on rotations.
04:02 We gotta be there to make, I don't know what that means, but
04:05 it's just basically the roll guy, somebody gotta be there.
04:08 So when they hit the pass to the roll guy, they skip pass,
04:11 they hit him in the corner.
04:12 So we just gotta talk a little bit more, and
04:14 we gotta focus in more on the scouting, stuff like that.
04:16 So that's probably it.
04:19 >> Last year, y'all seemed to, at some points, kinda struggle rebounding.
04:22 How'd y'all feel about grabbing boards tonight?
04:25 >> I mean, we've been talking about a big offseason.
04:27 I mean, we're gonna play big.
04:29 We got a lot of athletic guys.
04:31 So we gotta crash the boards hard, and
04:33 we're gonna be the most physical team in the Big 12, in the country.
04:36 And so as long as we're good on that, there's no one that can stop us.
04:40 We're all physical.
04:42 We're all gifted.
04:42 We're all versatile.
04:43 So being able to rebound and be able to defend,
04:45 we're gonna take care of everything else.
04:47 >> 108 points is more than you guys had in any game last season.
04:51 What do you think's different about this offense that allows your ceiling to be
04:54 higher?
04:55 >> I mean, for me, I would just say, like Coach said,
04:59 it's just so many, we have so many versatile players.
05:02 So on the offensive end, everybody's gonna be the bucket for us.
05:06 So I feel like we really just need to work on our defense for real.
05:09 So I'll be able to take care of it.
05:11 So that's why I feel like we score so many points, so
05:13 we have so many versatile scorers.
05:15 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:25 >> What?
05:27 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:29 >> No, it's just,
05:30 I just know that's a good number.
05:33 We just need to clean up on the turnovers a little bit.
05:36 But yeah, I think that's just something we can do every game,
05:39 just have a lot of assists.
05:40 Like you said, we have a lot of guys who can score the ball and
05:43 carry on self-defense.
05:44 >> When you think about the three-point shooting,
05:47 that's about 43% of the range.
05:48 Is that an added weapon that you guys have this year?
05:52 >> Yeah, we have a lot of guys who can hit shots, Kobe, Avery, Trey.
05:57 >> I'm not trading you.
05:59 >> Yeah, I'm gonna hang on that.
05:59 >> [LAUGH] >> I'm gonna hang on that.
06:01 >> You owe me, I mean.
06:02 >> [LAUGH] >> Yeah.
06:05 >> Any last questions?
06:06 >> Speaking about that, you were able to work pretty well on the outside,
06:10 was that a point of emphasis during the offseason?
06:12 >> Yeah, I mean, I've always been a guy that's been able to step out and
06:16 hit threes.
06:16 I think it just comes with being more consistent when hitting the threes.
06:21 And ultimately, just letting the game flow.
06:23 I mean, I'm playing more minutes this year, so
06:25 I'm a guy that can score all three levels.
06:27 So just taking the open shots, taking the good shots, and not forcing,
06:31 is gonna help me be more consistent.
06:33 But I got in the offseason and just got in the gym and shot as much as I could.
06:39 And that's ultimately what I'm working on.
06:41 And defense is another thing that I wanna work on and get better.
06:44 And I feel like I'm making those steps, so it's gonna be a good year.
06:48 >> Mike, for you, last for me, 16 turnovers tonight,
06:52 you scored 22 off those turnovers.
06:55 Is that something you'd like to see more points scored,
06:58 forcing that many turnovers?
07:00 >> Yeah, we need to score more off those turnovers.
07:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
07:08 >> For the last couple years now, we've seen guys like Darius Ford,
07:11 energetic on the bench throughout the entire game.
07:14 And the exhibition, and then again tonight, see the walk-ons get on.
07:18 And you guys are showing the same kind of energy on the bench with them in
07:21 the final few minutes.
07:22 Does that speak to the camaraderie and the culture of Mount Jesus basketball?
07:26 >> Yeah, we love D4, we love all walk-ons.
07:28 Every guy gets along.
07:30 It's just a testament that we all want each other to do the best they can, and
07:33 we're happy for every guy.
07:35 And that's what we build here, and that's what we'll continue to build.
07:37 And it's exciting, and hopefully we can have more games where we go up and
07:41 see those guys get in, and hopefully they get in and do what they do.
07:44 >> All right, thanks guys.
07:47 >> Appreciate it, Charlie.
07:48 >> Thanks, guys.
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