Oct. 22, 2002

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The men's basketball team met with members of the media on Tuesday morning to discuss the team and the upcoming season. Head coach Gene Keady talked for an hour and was preceeded by his players, who spoke for 45 minutes. Below is part of what the Boilermakers had to say.

Gene Keady

On the changes made after last season
"Last May, after the Iowa loss, we came back with a bunch of young men on the staff and acted like we were a brand new staff that didn't know our kids, didn't know what style of play we were going to do. We covered everything. We covered the style of play. We covered our recruiting. We covered the evaluation of players. We took six hours that day to talk about these issues. Team chemistry was something that we spent a lot of time on before we went to Europe. Leadership is something that you either have or you don't have. I think that's created by parents nowadays that don't teach their children to be leaders because they do everything for their children. Fundamentals are always the main thing that needs to be worked on. We're trying to overcome this lack of our signature; playing hard, team defense, and good fundamentals. I think our staff has done an extremely good job of working with the players in drills, teaching them defensive slides. We called Matt Kiefer, Chris Booker, David Teague, and Melvin Buckley last spring after we got beat by Iowa because I didn't think that I did a good job with Darmetreis and the new guys we got the year before, and told them if you don't show up in a defensive stance, don't come here. If you're worried about being a pro, worried about shooting a lot of threes, worried about style of play, don't come here because we're going to play team defense and I though we did a lot better job preparing our new guys. I couldn't be happier with our new people. They have shown up with the right attitude. They've shown up with the sense that they have to be in a stance. They know that they have to get back on defense. I thought the Europe trip was good timing. It got our kids we had coming back on the right track. I thought our reunion was timing to get our fans back on track and let everybody understand this is about family, not individuals and that was something that we lost last year. I don't know why."

On what impact of McKnight and Kilgore will have this year
"We really missed Brandon second semester last year. I feel that we would have won a couple more games with him because of his quickness. I spent a lot of time this summer because when I was a high school, junior college coach, our fast break was our priority, scoring a lot of points was a priority, and then as you get into coaching, you try to save your job so you get a little more conservative about shot selection and stuff like that as you get up in your career. I think that maybe we hadn't emphasized the year before about recruiting guards that could push the ball, because if you don't have guards that will push the ball, everyone says that you want a fast break. Well, if we recruited guards that will push the ball, we will fast break. Everyone wants to fast break; everyone wants to be exciting don't they? Everybody wants to score points because you want to sell tickets. You want your fans to be happy; you want your players to be happy, so I think Brandon will give us that. He will push the ball. Darmetreis is learning now, how to play at both ends of the court, so I've really been happy with his progress so far too."

On how the point guard position is stacking up in practice
"I think it's good. I think it's been competitive. That is probably the biggest issue of all in practice. I don't think anyone seems to have the starting position cinched, where as the last two years that was not the case and I blame redshirting on that because we lost our redshirting process when we had some guys flunk out. I'm not coming up with any excuses; I'm trying to come up with some reasons. Why would this program go 13-18? I think because we had redshirting over the years. Most of them were older guys and transferees. We always had that in the process of guys who were older on the team, and I think that made a big difference. We lost that, and I think that we played Allison a year too soon, Rodney a year too soon. It would have been nice to redshirt those kids and had some more time under their belt."

Do you expect to redshirt anybody this year?
"We will, but probably won't decide until our first exhibition game. We will have to wait to see what injuries are like, maybe some guys will play above and beyond what we expected and we want to play them this year. I would say right now there could be possibly up to two that we would redshirt."

Do you have a starting line-up in mind yet?
"No, I don't have a starting line-up. I'll tell you why, it has been good competition in practice. Everyday, it's someone who is better."

What will be Chris Booker's impact on the team and can he learn from Kilgore?
"Well in all fairness, we probably should have redshirted Darmetreis like we did to Chucky White. He needed the time for fundamentals and we needed the time to get to know him better. I don't think Chris needs that because he is a big body. It looks like his forte will be rebounding, playing team defense and inside shots. It looks like he has a nice inside touch. All you need to do is look at our rebounding stats last year and it's pretty evident that we need some big bodies to get some rebounds, so we can stop people from getting second and third shots. Other than our chemistry, that has probably been our biggest weakness these last two years."

What position will Booker play?
"He will play both power forward and center. We have four or five guys who will do that."

Have you got a new passion for coaching because of these players?
"I've always thought I was enthusiastic before every season started. I really like the way they practice. I like the fact that we had a chance to work with them last spring. We have installed what we really want them to do and we reinstated how you can win. What we did four or five years ago, we went to a different philosophy of recruiting longer, bigger, greyhound type athletes and we wanted to press more, run more, shoot more threes and we ended up getting students who weren't qualified for Purdue and that hurt us. Therefore, your half court defense went out the window and your good players went out the window. We didn't have the redshirt program going and it set our program back. It's one of those things where you hope that what we are doing now, the fundamentals we have worked on, that it's paying off. I think that we have a good practice until I watch tape. Then it's like, wait a minute, I didn't know we were that bad. They've given the effort, but now we have to execute. Quit making mental mistakes, make the right passes, those sort of things as you watch tape. We have a little time to do that thank goodness."

The role Matt Kiefer will have
"The whole freshman class has been a nice edition because all of them have been better than I though they were going to be. Matt has been like a young Brad Miller. He can run, he can pass, he can shoot it, he understands how to play, and he has a self asserting attitude. He wants to do well so he's been a great addition to this team so far but we haven't played a game yet. So far it's been nice having him here because I consider him a very good player."

How Kiefer plays defense
"None of them play defense worth a hoot, that's just a fallacy all players have today. We're trying to teach him that, we've worked at that the hardest, but he wants to learn and that's a big step forward."

On overall team defense
"We're not satisfied with where we're at. We let the ball in the lane too much, we got to keep the ball out of the lane and we have to get physical. We have to get back to intensity, return to play hard mode. Don't know why we didn't continue that, but evidently we let it slip."

On Kenneth Lowe's injury status
"Couple more weeks now and he plays everyday on defense, he runs hard. He tries to handle the ball a little bit with that sore thumb, but he's kept his conditioning, that something we're concerned about. He's playing defense everyday and that's what we're concerned about, so he'll be ok."

Freshman Guard/Forward Melvin Buckley

How were the first ten days of practice?
"I think that it has been a good experience for the freshman because we've gotten a chance to learn the system and we're picking it up pretty quick. I think the difference is that everyone had to learn it together because it's a new offense. Nobody has the advantage of knowing it, so it's pretty good as freshman because you are on the same page as the sophomores, juniors and seniors. The first ten days of practice has been enthusiastic and everybody's been up beat. It's been pretty good."

What has been your biggest adjustment since practice has started?
"I think my biggest adjustment has been that college is more of a fast-paced game than high school. You didn't really think about it until you get there. The scrimmage that we played recently was probably a real good breaker and just got me into the flow of things."

Freshman Guard David Teague

How were the first ten days of practice?
"They have been going alright. I've just been learning a lot of stuff and trying to correct things on defense. I try to let everything else take its place."

What's been the biggest adjustment since you arrived at Purdue?
"Learning how to play help defense and getting up to the ball and getting my technique right. We focused so much on the defensive end of the floor that it's really been a lot to take in."

Ivan Kartelo

How were the first ten days of practice?
"Pretty good. We are all trying to learn the offense. I think that we are still a little confused but it's going pretty well."

How does it feel to be back after missing last season?
"I can't wait to play. For the year that I didn't play it was hard to sit and watch all the time. I just can't wait. I want to get back into a game and help my teammates in a competitive atmosphere."

Matt Kiefer

On the first ten days of practice?
"I think that they went well. I think we are playing pretty well as a team. I just hope that we continue to work harder and practice like we have the first ten practices and see how it goes from there."

What's the biggest difference from playing in high school?
"The biggest adjustment for me is the physical play. That is the biggest adjustment I have to make, to be more physical in the lane when I am trying to post up and stuff like that. That is definitely the biggest thing I had to deal with. It's all a lot different."

Brandon McKnight

On the first ten days of practice?
"It's been going good and very competitive. It seems like everyone comes in wanting to work hard everyday. All the newcomers and veterans are listening to what coach has to say. No backtalk or anything like that. It just seems like everybody wants to win this year."

On how it feels to be a sophomore with one year under your belt
"It's like you've got to grow up overnight. I was just a freshman and didn't say anything. Now, I'm a sophomore point guard and there are only two point guards, so you know we have to be really vocal. I have to play a bigger role and know what to say to the right people at the right time. It's different, it's like I had to grow up overnight."

On the defensive philosophy
"Everybody plays defense real hard. If we don't, we have to pay for it at the end of practice. So everybody just decided to get out of the way while we're practicing instead of having to run after practice. So we just focus on that."

Brett Buscher

On the first ten days of practice
"It's been real intense. It's been the most competitive practices since I've been here. We're really getting after it and trying to do what the coaches want, and get better as a team."

On the team's height this season
"It's definitely the biggest team that I've been on since I've been here. My first two years here I was one of the tallest players. Now I am just a pretty average guy on the team. We are definitely going to have some size this year and hopefully we can take advantage of that down low in the post."

Chris Booker

On the first ten days of practice
"They have been pretty intense. I think that it gets better each and every day. I think everybody's improving and getting better at some aspect of the game and knowing what coach wants."

On the adjustment from junior college
"This is a lot more demanding as far as what the coaches expect from you. That is the biggest thing because at Tyler we only had one coach and that was the head coach. He couldn't be at many places at once, so it's more like your own responsibility to do certain things. Here, Coach Keady, Coach Martin, Coach Foster and Coach Price and the managers and the trainers are all looking over you at once. It keeps you on your toes and doing what you have to do."

On the team's height this season
"It will benefit the team because that is what we were lacking last season. As far as going against them everyday it helps you become a better player because trying to take it to each other everyday trying not to let anyone slide to just to make every post player we have better."

Kenneth Lowe

On the first ten days of practice
"They've been up and down. More good than bad, a lot more good than bad. There has been a lot of teaching and it's been competitive. This is one of the most competitive teams I've been around and played on. Everyday the younger guys are really going at the older guys. That is one thing that I really like."

On the team's chemistry
"No matter what five is together, they normally play well together. That is one thing that we didn't have last year. We just didn't play well together. There aren't too many things that we can say about last year besides we didn't play defense, but we just didn't play well together. That is one thing that we're doing this year."

On his injured right thumb
"It's feeling good. Everyday it's feeling better. Hopefully I will be able to shoot in two or three weeks, but I've been doing everything in practice, all the drills and going five on five. It's just a matter of me being able to shoot the ball and catch it easier. It makes my hunger for the game increase everyday because I want to be out there practicing and playing with my teammates. This injury is going to make me work even harder to get healthy."

Darmetreis Kilgore

On the first ten days of practice
"It's really been going good especially on the defensive end and especially with these new guys. I really like the competitive spirit they brought to the team. They won a couple of drills on us and I really respect them."

On the adjustment from last season
"I love it because I am a totally different player. I have a better attitude this year coming in and just listening to what coach is saying. I am just here to help these guys learn and teach them how to be successful at this level."

Kevin Garrity

On the team's height this season and if the defense is being corrected
"It helps. It gives us time to rest with substitutions. Mostly, it helps us push each other and get better. Without a doubt. We had a 13-18 record last year, so defense is going to be one of our major things this year. It has to be and rebounding."

Austin Parkinson

On the first ten days of practice
"I would say the first 10 practices are night and day from last year and the year before. I would say this team works harder than any team I've been a part of. Our enthusiasm is a lot different from last year as well."

On what the new players add to the team
"The young guys have brought a lot of enthusiasm, which has been nice. This is the first team since high school and AAU days, where I enjoyed hanging out with the guys, and you knew everyone cared about winning and everyone wanted to win. I think this team really likes each other. Last year I don't know if that was really the case or if it was the case the year before. This year everybody likes each other, and I think it's evident out on the court we have 12 or 13 guys that can really play and that is going to be exciting."

On the concentrated effort to improve the defense
"I told some of the guys here that we play so much defense at practice that when we get in a game, and we get a stop, we are just going to roll the ball back to the other team because we play so much defense. Defense has been the emphasis and the offense that we've put in is kind of complicated so we've had to take baby steps with that. I think we will be a different defensive team on the floor this year."

Matt Carroll

On the first ten days of practice
"They've gone well. It's good to be back practicing again and getting after it and not just doing conditioning and weightlifting. It's been a nice adjustment to get back to practicing."