Kenrich Williams becomes the fifth player in TCU men's basketball history to have their number retired.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:06 >> How you doing?
00:07 >> Good.
00:07 >> Good.
00:08 >> All right.
00:09 >> Quick question for Kendrick.
00:11 >> Kendrick, can you just talk about what it means to have a day like this where
00:15 you're honored for your career here at OTC?
00:18 >> Yeah, it means a lot.
00:19 Honestly, I've never imagined myself leaving my jersey retired.
00:27 At any level, I just recently got my high school jersey retired.
00:30 And Coach Jason called me with the news about TCU and
00:36 I was happy with joy, to be honest.
00:40 And I was full of old memories that I had of playing,
00:46 a lot of my playing time here, and nothing but good memories.
00:53 So I'm extremely blessed.
00:54 >> How did TCU prepare you to represent the NBA?
00:59 And when did you know that you could make it at TCU and
01:03 make it in the NBA starting at a junior college?
01:06 >> Yeah, that's a good question.
01:09 I knew I had a chance to make it probably my junior year after joining the I.T.
01:15 I had a really good, strong year that year.
01:18 I kind of put myself in position to get a chance to play in the NBA.
01:25 And TCU just helped me so
01:29 much to grow as a young man as I was and
01:35 into a man, and I learned so much.
01:39 I learned just how to hold conversations with guys, how to look people in the eye,
01:46 how to build relationships with people, and those things are very valuable.
01:54 And those things are something that you need in order to play at the next level.
01:58 So not just as far as skills, but your personality as well.
02:03 So TCU did so much for me.
02:06 >> Can I just ask you about your kind of personal life and
02:11 how much you pour into them and what you all mean to every team you've ever been on?
02:14 They always talk about consistency and how much of a great person you are and
02:18 you never have a bad day.
02:19 What in your life has brought you in and made you be that way,
02:23 where you are so consistent, you never have a bad day, and
02:25 you're always kind of positive and pouring into guys?
02:27 >> Well, I think it's just my journey and what I've been through.
02:31 As a kid, I grew up in a single parent household,
02:37 so I watched my mom struggle a lot growing up.
02:41 And she always had a great attitude.
02:44 No matter what, she always had a great attitude.
02:46 And that's something I try to carry on over to basketball, and
02:50 just even outside of basketball as well, just trying to just keep that positive
02:55 mentality and just have a great mindset every day.
03:00 Every day I show up and hopefully influence people around me.
03:03 >> You had the opportunity to play for two head coaches here,
03:06 your final two under Jamie Dixon.
03:08 You won the NIT and made the NCAA tournament.
03:10 But Trent Johnson is the one who recruited you to TCU.
03:13 Can you talk about your relationship with him and
03:16 the impact that he's had on your life?
03:18 >> He had a major impact on my life.
03:20 He was my first coach here at the division one level.
03:26 He instilled a lot of confidence into me.
03:27 He made me a player, kind of how I was,
03:33 as far as competing hard, playing hard every night.
03:37 And pretty much, we have a great relationship.
03:42 He's someone that shows up to some of my games in the NBA.
03:45 I see him in the crowd sometimes, and I'm like, man, Coach J is here.
03:48 And it's a good feeling to know that you have someone like Coach J still in your
03:53 corner, and still rooting for me, and know where everyone has a relationship.
03:58 Cuz he was the one that kind of brought me here.
04:01 >> On the other side of that, Coach Dixon, for the last two years,
04:04 can you talk about his impact and relationship with him?
04:07 >> His impact was major as well.
04:09 I think Coach Dixon prepared me to play in the NBA.
04:14 He did a good job of preparing me to play in the NBA as far as expanding my game,
04:21 allowing me to kind of play with the ball, and
04:23 just allowing me to be a good leader for the team.
04:27 And like I said, the things he does is pretty much,
04:36 he continues to just always kind of encourage guys.
04:39 And he encouraged me a lot in my last two years with the,
04:44 he definitely helped me get to where I'm at today.
04:46 >> On that note, on preparing for the NBA,
04:47 I think you came to TCU with one three-point attempt.
04:51 You left as an awesome shooter, obviously prepared for the NBA.
04:54 What was that process like here at TCU from going, even your first year here,
04:58 I think 14, 15 attempts, last year over 100.
05:01 What went into that process?
05:03 >> Man, that's pretty much just putting the work in,
05:08 trusting in the help and favor of God.
05:12 My first year at junior college, like you said, I shot maybe one three.
05:17 And I always believed I was a good shooter.
05:21 But coming here and standing in the gym, staying focused,
05:25 those are the things that kind of helped me prevail as a three-point shooter.
05:32 And also that confidence that you get from the coaches, Coach J and
05:35 especially Coach Deacon.
05:36 And yeah, man, that's just, this is what it is.
05:43 >> You talked about the memories that came back to you when you heard
05:46 TCU was gonna retire your jersey.
05:47 Was there anything that came to you first,
05:49 a quick memory of only a quarter in practice that you immediately thought of?
05:51 >> That's a good question, man.
05:56 No, to be honest with you, nothing popped in my head.
06:00 But the thing that I'll remember most is
06:03 walking the stage and receiving my degree.
06:09 And I think that's the most important thing to me,
06:12 just being able to receive my degree.
06:15 And that's the first thing I thought of, kind of,
06:18 whenever I pretty much heard my jersey was getting retired.
06:22 I was like, man, I'm an alumni.
06:24 I'm really an alumni now.
06:25 It's really soaking in.
06:28 And it was just a good morning.
06:31 >> Have you had a chance to walk on the court yet and see all those shirts for you?
06:35 >> No, I haven't seen it yet, not yet.
06:37 >> Your face is all over the arena.
06:38 Jeewell says he wants a shirt, so.
06:40 >> Okay, yeah, I guess we got a renowned team, so.
06:43 >> When you look at the team that you were on and
06:48 then some of the guys that have come after you, it's you, it's Alex Robinson,
06:52 it's Desmond Vane, it's Mike Miles.
06:54 Can you talk about what it means to be a part of the legacy of this program in
06:58 a way that kind of has helped it build and rise to where it is now?
07:01 >> Yeah, it's a good feeling.
07:05 When I first got here from Trinity College,
07:09 the team that went 0-18 the year before.
07:12 And I didn't think too much of it.
07:17 I just was happy and
07:18 blessed to be able to kind of come here to a Division I school like TCU,
07:23 like a prestigious school like TCU.
07:25 And pretty much just trying to change the culture, to be honest with you.
07:30 And change the kind of, I guess, culture and just the,
07:36 how can I say it, make it into a basketball school.
07:45 But really, of course, TCU is always gonna be a football school, but
07:50 giving some notoriety for the basketball end, with the basketball program.
07:55 And like I said, it never was my desire to get my jersey retired or
08:03 anything like that, or receive special awards.
08:08 I just wanted to come here and just give people an opportunity to kind of
08:13 change the program and change the culture here.
08:16 And overall, you see, with myself, Desmond Payne,
08:21 the guys who came after me, you can even see it in the crowd today.
08:28 We're at the past games, and I mean, fans are loving basketball now.
08:33 So it's a good feeling, and yeah, it's just a blessing.
08:38 >> If you were to give any advice to the current players on the team or
08:42 incoming TCU basketball players, what would that be?
08:46 >> Just work hard, work very hard.
08:50 It sounds cliche, but that's what it's all about.
08:53 It's not working hard, it's about staying focused, staying in the gym.
08:56 If you really wanna get to where you wanna go, which is,
09:00 most of those guys wanna go to the NBA.
09:02 It's about putting the work in after practice, before practice.
09:06 It's about being respectful to not only your coaches, but to the people around you.
09:11 And just ultimately having fun with the game.
09:16 A lot of times it gets stressful, but it's about having fun.
09:20 >> You get your family here, and they've been a part of this journey with you.
09:24 What's it been like having them with you?
09:26 And then also, do you have any advice for Trey Mann as he starts his family?
09:28 >> Yeah, no, it's a great feeling to have my family with me.
09:35 It's an honor, cuz we all got the same last name.
09:38 So my jersey is hung up, they're a part of that.
09:44 So it's a good feeling.
09:45 And they've been with me since day one.
09:47 My wife's been with me since I was in high school.
09:50 So she's been a part of this journey with me.
09:52 And adding on to my daughters, they'll be a part of this legacy as well.
09:58 So, but no, Trey Mann, I'm very happy for him.
10:05 He just had a baby yesterday, or today?
10:07 >> Today.
10:08 >> Today, and it's on his birthday.
10:10 And you couldn't ask for anything better than that.
10:13 >> So Kendrick, how do you as a girl, then?
10:17 >> I would rate myself the best.
10:21 >> [LAUGH]
10:23 >> I'd wait for her.
10:25 >> You got any predictions for that?
10:30 >> A win, a win.
10:32 Playing it simple just like that, a win.
10:35 And the guys are gonna get it done.
10:37 >> Anything else for Kendrick?
10:40 >> Kendrick, what's TCU's reputation now in the league?
10:44 >> It's starting to come along.
10:47 Of course, you got myself, but I think Pesman Baines is doing
10:52 a tremendous job of holding the torch down for TCU.
10:57 We also had Kurt Thomas who came here, played a lot of years in the NBA.
11:01 So the reputation in the league is kind of like a blue collar type of reputation.
11:09 You know what you're gonna get.
11:12 You're gonna get the hardworking guys who come in and
11:16 do the right things and are respectful, and that's pretty much it.
11:21 >> Karrick's mentioned that this is kind of a blue collar place, and
11:24 that's exactly kind of what the Thunder tried to model themselves after.
11:27 Nick Collison has his jersey retired for similar things.
11:29 What's it like to be embraced by a kind of similar culture?
11:32 >> No, I mean, it's a great feeling.
11:34 It's a great feeling.
11:35 It's a lot of similarities.
11:42 The culture here at OKC is just amazing.
11:44 Even today, Sam Preston is gonna be here today.
11:49 And it's a good feeling to know that the GM of the team is looking out and
11:57 showing a love like that.
11:58 And that just kind of is a testimony to what OKC,
12:04 the Thunder is about, and the city is about, just showing a lot of love.
12:09 Ultimately, they show so much love to me, not only me, but my family as well.
12:14 And that's all you can ask for in the team.
12:18 >> Any last questions, Karrick?
12:21 Okay.