Aggie basketball's master plan according to Billy Kennedy

A&M's head coach grants TexAgs a unique look at the program

On getting back to practicing…

“Well it’s exciting, coming off of the final four and all the enthusiasm that comes with that and knowing what we have to build and what we have to get done. It was great getting started on Monday. Our guys are really excited about it. We’re just working on some things, fundamentally, that we needed to improve on during the year. For the next five to six weeks, we’ll be in individual workouts.”

On the new NCAA offseason practice rules…

“We get two hours a week, so we’re trying to get our guys in here for three 40-minute workouts a week. We want them getting used to coming in the gym all the time. Last year, our guys lived all over Bryan-College Station, but this year we are moving them closer to where it’s convenient and easy for them to be gym rats. That’s what you want and we didn’t have that last year. We’ve got to get these guys in the gym more.

“The new rules with summer workouts now, you can work your guys out for two hours a week, so we will have our guys here for both summer sessions. Hopefully the recruits will have finished school so they can get here for both summer sessions, but most of them will be here for the July session. We will be able to start implementing our offense, defense and some fundamentals of what we do.”

On the positives during the season that can be built on…

“We had the moment where we lost Khris (Middleton) and Dash (Harris) and I really thought the bench rallied. Elston Turner stepped his game up to another level and we played well in those stretches. I think we beat Oklahoma State with Alex Baird coming off the bench, a walk-on. (We) played really good against Baylor and Texas, and then we got our pieces back, so it took us a couple of games to get that back in place. I really thought during the last three weeks of the season, our practice habits were better, Khris Middleton was back to form and we played much better.

“Unfortunately, we got to the Big 12 Tournament and beat Oklahoma and then didn’t have enough to beat eventual national runner-up Kansas.”

On why he feels the team improved down the stretch…

“We got better over the last few weeks, and I couldn’t say that throughout the year because of the injuries and because of lack of effort in our practices sometimes. But the last few weeks, I thought our guys really bought into it. To beat Oklahoma in that game, it was a big game because Oklahoma finished with a losing record. Instead they could have had a .500 record and gone to the NIT, so they were playing for something also which made it a big game. The Kansas experience, again you’re getting some young guys opportunities to play in a packed house and we were able to gain something from that.”

On how big the spring and summer is for the team…

“It’s huge. Programs are made over the course of a year, and then back-to-back-to-back years. It takes time to implement a culture and style of play and we missed that spring and summer and then I missed three weeks of practice. This team had gone through a lot of different hurdles and adversity, and most teams we played against didn’t have to go through that. Now, Texas Tech had some similar issues, but other than that, everybody else was way ahead of us. To get (practice) going and to have the staff intact and to build on the things that we didn’t get a chance to makes us excited about the spring and it will help us a bunch.”

On how much of his system has been seen by the public…

“I think it’s just been glimpses. We haven’t been able to be consistent enough because we haven’t put in the work or the time. The style of play, and I’ve said it before, we want to play similar to Kansas. Tough, physical basketball where we are not afraid to run in transition and attack. We didn’t get any easy baskets this year off of our defense. That comes with time, that comes with more athletes, that comes with players we recruit. We’ve got some of it in, but in a lot of ways we’re back to year one, after just completing a year one.”

On whom the team needs to build…

“Our seniors, Ray Turner and Khris Middleton, if Khris decides to come back. We have to build on those two guys and then the guys that come back. Keith Davis had probably his best year since he’s been here and we’ve got to get Kourtney Roberson healthy and in shape. Those guys are the guys we have to build on, the upperclassmen. They are more in-tune to what we want, and I think that will help us. We’re bringing in almost a whole new team, so those guys will be a factor also.”

On the recruits that have already signed to A&M…

“J-Mychal Reese and Alex Caruso are going to have to have an impact. They are going to play. The young people we bring in are going to play for us next year out of need, and because they are good enough to play. I’m really excited about both of those kids coming in and they’ve been able to come workout with our guys some in pickup games, and you can already see that they are going to have an impact on the perimeter.”

On what the staff is still looking for…

“We didn’t have enough guards. I said it all year long, and I’m going to hold it true, we’re going to have six or seven guards. We will have four new perimeter guys who will most likely be three freshmen and a junior college point guard if we are able to get the guys we want. We want to sign a big guy. We want to get a post guy who can mix it up some and defensive rebound. We weren’t a very good defensive rebounding team, we weren’t physical in the post and we got in foul trouble in the post, so we want to add a piece there. And then we want to get the best available player we can get, hopefully with some size at the four spot.”

On the possibility of Khris Middleton leaving for the NBA draft…

“Last year when I got here, Khris [Middleton] had the summer workouts at the different camps and his goal was to have a great year this year and to ride it off into the draft. Then the injuries and missing 12 games, he didn’t play healthy for 16 to 18 games, made for about three quarters of the season where he wasn’t himself or didn’t even play. This is how it works now days, these kids want to look at the opportunity of the draft and he had geared himself up for that. Right now, he’s evaluating his situation and will decide before April 10th, what he’s going to do.

“Right now, we don’t know what he’s going to do. We’re preparing for him not to be here, because that’s what we do with recruiting. Obviously we are telling him the pluses and minuses of him coming back. He’s a young 20-year old junior and he’s just physically maturing and getting stronger. I think he has made great strides in the weight room. He was the best I’ve seen him all year in the workouts we had this week. He’s just coming into form to be the player he can possibly be.

“We’re talking to him about building the team around him. Obviously he’s going to get more shots, he’s going to be better, he’s going to be healthier, he knows our system and there are so many advantages to him coming back. He will be a legitimate first round pick if he comes back, but he has to determine what is best for him and we’re going to support him in whatever he decides to do.”

On if he would advise him to go to the draft, knowing he was an automatic lottery pick…

“Yeah, I would tell him to go. If he’s a middle to late first rounder, and it’s legit, you need to go. Anything beyond the first round is a toss-up, and it’s usually best for you to come back in most situations, depending on how deep the draft is and who puts their names in.”

On the response to the staff on the recruiting trail…

“It’s been really positive. It’s a five-year plan and you come into a situation and thinking one thing and then realize a year into it that you have some holes that need to be filled. We’re at the ground level in a lot of ways. When you get the job on May 15th (2011), and look at last year’s recruiting class being Elston Turner, Jamal Branch and Jordan Green, and then you lose Branch, you really have gone a year without a significant amount (of players) in one class. We get the job May 15th, so we miss out on that class and then we get behind on this incoming class.

“We have six spots to fill right now and we’ve filled two with letter of intents, have one commitment right now and can sign three more. We’re catching up and have really put our focus in the 2013 class. It’s going to be a great class because it’s good in Texas. We’ve got our hooks in some kids and now we’ve got to get them, but the ’13 class is going to be the impact class. It’s hard when you bring six guys in so late like we are and you have to fill so many holes. We’re still trying to build a culture and we’re recruiting some intangibles more than just talent right now.”

On what he is looking for in recruits…

“We have to be careful of who we bring in and make sure that those six guys want to be Aggies and are excited to be here. They need to bring some things that we lack in our program, some toughness, some character, unselfishness and things that win championships. Sometimes the talent can come before that, but most times if you can build your base around those principles and then bring talent in, it really helps.

“The (high school) junior class we’re talking about, we’re able to really specifically go after because we know our situation. We know we have three scholarships, we know our needs and we know who we have a great chance to get, so that is where we are really going to have a chance to make an improvement.”

On the SEC versus the Big 12…

“I really think that the SEC is an underrated basketball league. The Big 12 is known for being a basketball league. You’ve got the Oklahoma States, Kansases, Kansas States and Iowa States who have basketball traditions, but when it comes to players and you said ‘How many professionals are coming out of the Big 12 versus the SEC?’ there is not a lot of difference. I think Auburn, Ole Miss and Georgia are underrated programs just because it’s a football dominated league in football country. We’re going into a great league, and I think it’s every bit as good as the Big 12, if not better.

“What we have to do is continue to recruit the best players and I don’t think it matters what league we’re in. We’ve just got to get the best talent. It is more athletes in that league, more running and jumping than half court play, but we were going to recruit those guys anyway. Being from Louisiana and my staff having southern ties, we were going to recruit those guys whether we were in the Big 12 or the SEC. The biggest thing is just trying to get our people understand that we are going to a good basketball league. Kentucky just won the national championship, they’re going to be good all the time, Florida is good, Vanderbilt was a great team this year, so we’re going to a great basketball league.

“We’ve got to let Texas know in this immediate area that when we play Auburn, we need your support because that is going to be a war.”

On why his style of play fits better in the SEC…

“I think I’ve had more athletes, if you watch the Murray State team this year and the Murray State teams I had the last couple of years, you would see athleticism and guard play. The Big 12 has some big plotters in it, the 6-9, 6-10 and 6-11 post guys. The SEC has 6-8 and 6-9 guys that run and jump. There will be some differences, but the way I want to play kind of fits that style, so we are excited about that part and joining the SEC.”

On establishing his system and seeing it work at Murray State…

“I really believe that you are measured out as a coach when you leave a program. Is it in better standing than when you got it? There were no second thoughts (about leaving Murray State), I always wanted to be here at A&M, and it’s a great opportunity. I loved Murray State and I loved my players to the point where we went to the first round regional in Louisville and watched them beat Colorado State. The best thing I got out of that is knowing that my plan works. When we get the guys in here and build the toughness and character that it takes to win championships, it will happen here. It didn’t happen overnight there. When you do it right, it takes time.

“Anybody can just go grab anybody to field a team and be good for one year, but we want to be good in the long term. Murray State has won three straight conference championships, been in three straight post-seasons and two round-of-thirty-twos because it was done the right way, and it gave me a lot of confidence and enthusiasm watching those guys play. It’s going to happen here, it’s just a matter of time.”

On being able to recruit guys from all levels of talent…

 “I think after going through the recruiting process this year, we need to be smarter and recruit guys that fit our program and fit our style of play, but also get the special players that everybody knows can play. You’ve got to get guys that fit your program and that would be good here at A&M, which we think anybody would be good here at A&M, but at the same point, there are guys that may have success with me that may not have it in another program.”

On what the current roster needs to understand this offseason…

“That when they walk in the gym, it’s business. We come in and go to work with no excuses. We’re going to work hard, we’re going to lead, we’re going to have fun with it and we’re going to look at bringing in another guy with us to help their teammates out a little more. If we can build that kind of culture as we improve our talent level and plug in the holes we have right now, we’ll get better as a team and our program will grow.”

On the trip two of the players are taking to China this summer as part of ‘Athletes in Action’…

“(Jordan Green) and Daniel (Alexander) are going to China with a very good team, some other major high level players on that team, so practicing against other guys and being in positions where you have to speak in front of other people and the leadership skills and the confidence they are going to get so they can grow and mature is huge. Those experiences will be all positive. Jordan and Daniel both played significant minutes for us this year. They both were freshmen, so for them to have this experience and then come back adds to our program, so we are excited about that.”

On finding a true point guard…

“It’s a must that we get another guard, whether it’s a junior college player or a freshman. We would like a guy who has had some experience playing at the college level. It’s a must that we have three guys who can play the point, more so than whether it’s a junior college player or a high school guy. We feel confident in J-Mychal Reese and Alex Caruso can play some point. We know Elston (Turner) can play some point in a pinch, but over time you want to have guys that are natural point guards.

On Elston Turner’s ability to be an impact player in the SEC…

“I think so. He’s got a great feel for the game. He can score and he can play the two, three or the one. He’s got a lot of versatility to his game, so we are going to put a lot on his shoulders and we’ve expressed to him that he is now a senior and people know him and will try to take him away, as they did Khris (Middleton) this year.”

On things that needed immediate improvement when he came to A&M…

“From a team building standpoint, the relationship with our players and the trust that they have with each other needed to get better. They like each other, but I thought the trust on the court was an area that you would think a team that won 24 games and went to the NCAA Tournament would be better at. That’s something that is going to improve. Our work ethic needs to improve, and just from a toughness standpoint, I think we needed to get tougher. That’s not a knock on anybody, but every program is different and every coach’s demands are different and there were a number of holes.

“Then not having enough guards was something (that needed fixing). When we took the job, there were 11 guys on scholarship and then three injuries put you at eight, and that’s just not enough to go to war with in the Big 12. Fortunately, we got Zach Kinsley in a one year deal, but the SEC with the new rules makes it very difficult to recruit certain junior college kids and to take one year guys that other leagues can take. We’re going into a league with needing to plug in a lot of holes with some restrictions that are greater than some other leagues.

“That being said, I’m still excited about being here. This is a great place with great facilities. I love my staff and we’re in an area that can get good players, but we’ve got to get them and they have to be as good as we think they are.”

On the first step to making the program exactly how he wants it…

“We have to be able to dominate defensively. If we can get to where we dominate teams defensively, the rest will take care of itself.”

On where the program is headed…

“I think next year, because we’re going to bring so many new guys in, we’re going to have improved our talent and improved in some other areas. Transitioning to the SEC and going to arenas that you have never played in before, I think as a basketball coach, we realized those things matter a little bit. Now it’s not a great deal, but it’s back to having the right players and the right toughness and the right chemistry, I think. But we’re relying on six new guys, and how they blend in is going to determine how good we can be next year. The class we are putting a lot of stock in is the ’13 class. That class has to throw us over to another level.”

On how exciting it is to have a fresh start to the next season…

“It’s really exciting, because the guys we are recruiting, we’re going to at least know what they can and can’t do and what they are about. So factoring them into our program and getting another spring and summer with the guys that are already here, I think we’re going to make significant strides. You never know going into the year how injuries are going to play. Kansas had no injuries and had all five starters play every game which led them to a tremendous year. Anything is possible if we can stay healthy and we can have one of these young guys surprise us and be a special player.”