TCU men's basketball head coach talks midweek bye and the upcoming rematch with Iowa State. TCU will head to Ames to take on No. 14 Iowa State this Saturday.
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00:00 First off, I just want to talk about it.
00:05 Thank you for all the outreach and my father, his passing.
00:11 Obviously, it's been a tough week for our family, but
00:15 it's been a tough five years or so, it's been hard.
00:18 So I had planned a trip after
00:24 knowing we had the bye week, I had planned a couple weeks ago,
00:28 I made a trip to go out to LA and see him and recruit on the off days.
00:32 We're gonna kind of do that, come to guys with recruiting and
00:34 then as it got closer and closer, he wasn't doing as well.
00:37 So I flew out Saturday after the game and I was there for,
00:41 I went straight to the hospital on Saturday and then he passed.
00:49 He was gonna come back Monday morning, but he passed on Monday evening.
00:52 So I would say he waited for the bye week.
00:57 So he wouldn't do it, but he got back here Tuesday morning for practice.
01:05 So we had a couple days off and then practice, that was the plan anyway.
01:09 So, but he was my best friend,
01:14 best man in my wedding, great father.
01:20 And a lot of people reach out to me here, California.
01:26 The Pittsburgh writers sent me an article and I sent it to Steve.
01:33 Because everybody in Pittsburgh knew him, all the media knew him,
01:37 because he'd come to all the games and he'd sit in the press room and
01:42 talk to everybody and so everybody knew him in Pittsburgh.
01:44 So I think Steve's kind of got this article,
01:49 all the Pittsburgh writers have reached out to me and they all knew him.
01:51 And you guys didn't get to know him as well.
01:55 He was here the first year, Steve, he came a lot the first year and
01:59 he came to the garden when we played the NIT.
02:03 But after that, he just wasn't the same and cancer is a bad thing.
02:08 And so, that's just kinda,
02:14 he battled for a while.
02:18 So he was 86 and he was my best friend and
02:23 he meant a lot to raise three kids.
02:26 And he was a special man and he taught me my love for,
02:34 he coached me when I was young, he coached the basketball teams,
02:36 he coached the Little League.
02:37 I played Little League in California and I loved,
02:41 everybody played baseball, baseball, baseball.
02:43 But he kinda pushed me into the basketball.
02:46 And he loved college basketball cuz he grew up in the garden and
02:48 watching St. Jones and all that.
02:50 So I think I probably got pushed that way a little more than most kids out in
02:54 California and that's where I ended up.
02:57 But he loved being a part of it and so I thank everybody for reaching out.
03:02 And the support, he loved TCU.
03:05 He loved TCU cuz they gave me a chance.
03:08 And I got a text from Coach Monahill and
03:14 not Thomas but Bill, and Bill's the one that recruited me.
03:24 And he came over to my dad and he said, when I had a game he was watching,
03:29 he said, I know I'm not supposed to talk to you, Mr. Dixon, but
03:33 we love your son and we wanna offer him a scholarship.
03:35 So Bill sent that text to me, so that meant a lot.
03:41 And so, He loved TCU, so that's enough.
03:51 My mom's unaware, she has Parkinson's, a lot of people know, and she hasn't.
04:01 So we don't know, we'll figure out.
04:03 We've got a 24-hour care for her, so.
04:05 So we've got to figure out what we're gonna do.
04:12 She stays at home and we have care for her.
04:16 So Parkinson's is not good either, people, not good.
04:20 It's brutal.
04:23 So, but you know what I do have, and I text my guys when I happen.
04:27 I have a great staff, and the guys have been great.
04:32 The players have been great, the players, I've said,
04:35 what high character guys we have, and they reached out to me.
04:40 I said, I couldn't do that when I was 21, 22, 23.
04:43 I didn't have that maturity, but they reached out to me and I respect that.
04:49 But I have a great staff, so they've been there for me all the way through.
04:53 And they were here for the players, and we're ready to go for Iowa State.
04:58 So practice today, practice tomorrow, head up there, and we'll go from there.
05:06 I had a good practice Tuesday when I got back, got after it.
05:10 We obviously know what we gotta do, defensively and rebounding.
05:11 We're not where we need to be.
05:13 And offensively, I think we lead in scoring, and
05:17 our numbers just keep going up the charts, offensively and efficiency.
05:21 And our defensive numbers have not improved, and that's on me.
05:23 I gotta get it done.
05:24 I gotta find a way to get this team to rebound, defend better.
05:28 And we're gonna do it.
05:29 So that's what I told them, and we're gonna work on it here hard today.
05:32 So that's what we've gotta do.
05:35 I mean, it's not hard to figure out.
05:36 We've had some shooting the ball well.
05:41 We've been low turnovers generally.
05:43 Iowa State was the game, obviously, that everybody bring up the turnovers.
05:47 Second half, we got it under control, but we dug a hole.
05:50 But that was two weeks ago.
05:54 We've gotta be better.
05:55 The standings are unbelievable.
05:57 You look at it, we're winning the Texas game.
05:59 And we said that.
06:00 We told our guys, go into that game.
06:01 And we're playing for first place,
06:02 cuz we figured how things were gonna play out, and they did.
06:05 And so we're game at a first, bye week, not used to those.
06:09 But it's time to get better defensively and rebound.
06:14 And those have always been a strength in my team, and
06:16 right now I have not got it done.
06:20 So we're gonna get it done.
06:23 We're gonna get better.
06:23 And that's what I told our guys.
06:25 We have high character guys and guys that wanna do the right things.
06:28 And so we just keep grinding and keep getting better at it.
06:31 And that's where I keep pushing to get better at it.
06:34 So that's what we got.
06:36 So I apologize for getting emotional.
06:37 But I need to say that,
06:42 cuz a lot of people know me.
06:46 I've had so many people reach out to me.
06:48 And from here, from California, from Pittsburgh, from New York.
06:54 So I appreciate it all.
06:56 And there we go.
07:00 All right.
07:01 >> I would say, what's been the message to the team about the ball pressure?
07:04 >> We saw it against Texas.
07:10 We tried a ball pressure too.
07:13 We forced a lot of turnovers.
07:14 I think we looked at it.
07:15 So we're seeing it every day in practice.
07:18 Theirs is better.
07:20 They're first in the league in force.
07:22 So we're third in force in turnovers in the league.
07:25 Houston's two.
07:26 So we're doing the same things, not quite to that level.
07:30 So we see it every day in practice.
07:32 We want more.
07:34 So we're gonna work on more today.
07:36 And that'll prepare us better.
07:41 But we've got to limit those for two reasons.
07:48 You want possessions to score on, but
07:50 then you don't want to give live ball turnovers.
07:52 And that's really the live ball turnovers are the ones that really
07:55 are game changing and that game presented some as did the Texas game.
08:02 So, but we have to out rebound them, which we did.
08:06 Last time we have to get back to that number.
08:09 That one is troubling to me, the rebounding numbers.
08:16 They're not where they should be.
08:18 And we have to get that fixed.
08:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:23 >> Are you surprised at all with the way this conference has been as far as
08:28 the amount of everyone being so level?
08:31 >> Yeah, no, I don't think so.
08:33 I really anticipated it.
08:34 I remember people were saying five was gonna win the league, five losses.
08:38 And I thought six.
08:40 So that's kind of what I thought.
08:45 You look at it and if you ask me maybe I thought we were gonna be,
08:50 it's similar every year cuz I thought we did well in the transfer portal.
08:53 And we got some guys, especially early right away in the transfer portal,
08:57 we got some guys.
08:58 So if you're asking me what I thought in May, or what I thought in December,
09:03 or what I thought, they're probably different.
09:06 But in May, I felt we really got the right pieces.
09:10 And then it's May, June, as it went on, they got that guy, and
09:13 then our league just continued to pick up guys that everybody in the country
09:17 was recruiting.
09:18 So at that point, I was like, it's gonna be top to bottom.
09:23 And you can look at every team, they went and got a guy.
09:25 And your first thing is you wanna play in the best league in the country on
09:30 the phone call.
09:30 And the commitment of these schools, as we know,
09:33 I mean, it's faintly obvious here, but can't say it.
09:36 But the resources in this league are
09:42 historically good basketball programs that care, and their thing is basketball.
09:48 And they're gonna find a way to get the best players.
09:51 So call it what you will, but
09:57 this league has got the best players too.
10:00 And that's what they continue to do, and that's why the separation.
10:07 But everybody has it, so that's the thing that's created.
10:11 And I think we'll see more of this now,
10:15 because you can find fill holes in late.
10:20 And classic examples are in this league.
10:27 >> Playing on the road in the Big 12 is always difficult, but
10:31 obviously then they're undefeated at home.
10:32 Is there anything particularly unique about playing up there?
10:35 >> I mean, it's probably unique about it is probably it's underrated nationally.
10:39 I mean, everybody in the league knows what the atmosphere and
10:42 how much they care about basketball and the history and Johnny Orr.
10:47 But I think that's probably,
10:49 if you know Iowa, you know that basketball and
10:56 the Midwest, but sold out.
11:01 They had a couple tough years there and the place was still sold out, packed.
11:06 So, the state of Iowa loves basketball and
11:14 they have a history of filling the place.
11:20 Big state school, we got students, we got alumni.
11:22 They put resources into it, their facilities are,
11:27 the arena's amazing and practice facilities are amazing.
11:32 I mean, they care, simply put, they care.
11:38 That's a good thing.
11:39 >> As you got the atmosphere here, I was here for the Texas game.
11:43 And there were kids that slept out overnight.
11:45 >> Yeah. >> It was about 500 kids in line to come
11:48 in an hour before the game.
11:49 Can you just talk about that?
11:50 >> I mean, my dream coming here was to create that atmosphere.
11:54 And I know people look at me like I was crazy and dreaming.
11:58 And, but that was my dream.
12:02 I thought it possible, I mean, when my junior, senior year, we were sold out and
12:08 it was packed and I know that wasn't the case for the last, I hate to
12:13 date myself here, but 30 years, 40 years, whatever it is.
12:17 Closer to 40 now.
12:20 Yeah, that was my dream, to create it, make people proud.
12:24 And it's funny, cuz I mean, people will tell you, when they watch it nationally,
12:29 they talk about what it looks like on TV.
12:32 And the floor looks great, they really, I had nothing to do with the floor, but
12:35 they really, The floor looks beautiful,
12:42 then when you have the packed place and the arena, and it looks good.
12:47 I mean, there's no bathrooms, but they don't know that on TV, but
12:50 that's not something you guys complain about.
12:53 But it looks great on TV, and so that was, to create that spirit,
12:59 to create that student enthusiasm,
13:06 was my dream and to see, to be respected nationally and
13:11 the people to see it on TV and know and love, talk about teaching basketball.
13:18 And so, we leave the country on fast break points, we have great kids.
13:22 And we're packed and sold out.
13:27 And some of them are new to it, they're new to
13:31 following up and when to cheer, when to get loud.
13:36 And so, we're waiting for the first down, but it's good to see.
13:45 And it's good to see passionate fans, and I love the students.
13:49 Our student numbers are remarkable when you really put in percentages.
13:53 They really are.
13:54 I mean, I said it from the first year I was here,
13:57 I was like, we had 1,000 seats for students at Pitt.
14:01 I mean, we're getting, I don't know what the number was,
14:03 I've heard 3,000 we had for one game this year.
14:05 I mean, you only have 8,000 undergrads.
14:09 So I think that's right.
14:12 I mean, we're growing, we're growing bigger, but that's what I saw.
14:19 >> They got the guard back in the lineup, Lipsey.
14:21 What does he kind of provide to them?
14:23 >> Toughness, I mean, we had the turnovers and he didn't even play.
14:26 And he's the lead, I think the nation steals, he's the lead.
14:30 And so, I don't know what, but he's tough.
14:37 He's experienced because he played so much as a freshman and he's got a good feel.
14:41 He's not the best athlete in the league, but he knows how to play.
14:44 And he's a two point guard and tough, physical, strong, gets in the lane.
14:50 That's a lot of good things, a lot of good things.
14:55 >> Are there any challenges when it comes to preparing for
14:58 an opponent the second time that changes that?
15:01 >> Well, it's what we're normally used to doing.
15:02 So this is, I think it depends on time and where you are and if you won,
15:08 if you lost, and where you're going and are you playing them at home.
15:12 So I mean, we were playing, they didn't have lifts.
15:15 So there's, I think there's, yeah, there's always some differences.
15:22 But we need a different result, I know that, that's the challenge,
15:26 different result, different first half, I guess.
15:29 I'll take the second half, but we need a different first half.
15:31 >> Any last questions for Coach?
15:35 >> Thank you, Coach.
15:35 >> All right, we got Avery here.