Penn State Basketball Conference
Men's Basketball Media Day - October 16, 2018
Lamar Stevens | F | Jr.
Q: Coach said that they have been double-teaming you a lot at practice, to get you ready
for opposing teams, both nonconference and Big Ten, keying in on stopping you as you step into more of a leadership role without players like Tony Carr and Shep Garner on the offensive end. How have you responded to that?
LS: I think that Coach [Chambers] has done a great job at preparing me. I watch a lot of film with the coaches, to see how I can be affective in the game if I am getting double-teamed, to get other players good shots, because now everybody is in scramble mode. Honestly, my teammates have been great being confident, making plays, and hitting big-time shots. It's been really good so far playing out of the double team. I think we're getting better every day.
Q: How have your own expectations changed given that you won the NIT tournament and were the Most Valuable Player in the NIT tournament?
LS: I think the sky is the limit for our team. We have a lot of talented guys, freshmen specifically, that a lot of people don't know about. These guys can really really really play and can impact the game in a lot of ways. John Harrar has been great for us, Jamari [Wheeler] has been great for us. Those are two guys that are going to surprise a lot of people. If we continue on the path that we're on right now, and keep getting better every day at practice, then the sky is the limit for this team, honestly.
Q: Have you done any physical alterations over the off-season as more and more of the load is put on your shoulders?
LS: I think I came into it with the same as I did last year. I learned from my freshman year how important that aspect is to being a successful player on the team. Going into this year, we have a great strength and conditioning coach, Greg Miskinis, who really pushes us to our limits each day in the off-season. That's really helped me to be in the best shape possible. I think that I am in the best shape that I've ever been in and I'm as strong as I have ever been as well. I came in with the same approach as last year, equally important.
Q: Tony Carr and Jamari Wheeler have two different styles of play. How much of an adjustment has it been with [Wheeler] at the point?
LS: The offense has been working great. Jamari [Wheeler] has grown a new level of confidence in his own game and he takes pride in what he does well. It hasn't been much of a difference. We know what Jamari [Wheeler] can bring. We've played with him in practice and in the games last year. He takes pride in what he does and does a great job of making everybody better as a point guard. He's been very confident with his shot so it's been a pretty easy transition.
Q: Between your time at Roman Catholic [High School] and your first two years here at Penn State, I'm going to guess this is the first time in a long time your preparing for a season without Tony [Carr] around, what has it been like for you without Tony [Carr] with you?
LS: It's been different. I've played with Tony [Carr] for the majority of my life, but we have such a great team that it's hard for me to say that there has been much of a difference. Everybody is so coachable and together. Everybody is looking to get better every day and we have a really talented team. It hasn't been too much of a difference. It's weird just not having a friend around, but other than that, on the court this team has been great. The transition has been easy.
Q: And for both of you, as good of moment as that was, how difficult was it to get so close, even though you did win the NIT, but get so close and get left out of the NCAA Tournament last year?
LS: It was really difficult as first, but we used that as motivation going into the NIT to prove to everyone in the country that we are a NCAA team. I think that we did. The way we handled opponents in the NIT showed what we were capable of and possibly what we could've done in the tournament.
Q: Last year in the NIT, we saw you become a more consistent three-point shooter. What have you done in the off-season to help make sure that's a consistent part of your game?
LS: I shot a lot every day. That's about it.
Josh Reaves | G | Sr.
Q: Coach said earlier that you guys still want to be the same defensive-minded team and that speaks well to some things you do well, how have some of the younger guys gotten adjusted to that defensive style of play?
JR: Just trying to bring as much energy as we can to practice to try to show them what it's going to be like during games and what it's going to be like at practice for the rest of the season. They're just willing to learn and listen. They are very coachable. All the new guys, the transfers and the freshmen, everybody has been very coachable understanding different roles and concepts. I know it's a lot to throw at them at one time so coach has been doing a really good job of spreading out, teaching the concepts, and learning progressively as we go along. They have just been doing a great job of just learning and being coachable.
Q: Given the success you guys had last year, do you anticipate being treated any differently in the Big Ten this year, in terms of the effort they give against you guys?
JR: Honestly, I feel like teams are going to prepare for us the same way. I feel like we've really made a name for ourselves in the Big Ten. We competed really well last year. We won a lot of big games and teams are starting to understand that. When we went to the Big Ten media day, a lot of the coaches were saying that they don't like to prepare for us because of the type of team that we are. It's just the type of thing that we've earned over time so I think it's just going to continue to grow.
Q: What type of satisfaction does that bring you guys given how long you've been here and given the level of respect you've been given previously in your careers?
JR: When I first got here, we were placed to be twelfth or thirteenth, at the bottom of the league with a few other teams and it's just been a really good feeling knowing that we were able to get in the top six last year at the end of the season. We were able to do a lot of great things and prove to a lot people that we are able to compete with anybody in the country. It's been really satisfying knowing that we were the team to be able to do that. We were a collective unit, followed the game plan, and executed to the best of our abilities. The players that we had, just made it so much more special.
Q: Jamari has some similar character traits as you, how has he done in the off-season? Sometimes off-season's can be even more important than the regular season themselves in terms of development.
JR: He's gotten a lot better. Offensively and defensively, he's anticipating a lot better. He's being more vocal, he's bringing a lot more energy and he's been pushing everybody to be there best. He's been loud and communicative. I've always said that he's really annoying because he always brings so much energy. Even if it's at 5:30 in the morning, you can always tell when Jamari is in the room. You can always tell when Jamari is coming through the door. He's always been that person. He's always going to try to get better and push everybody to be better.
Q: Coach compared Izaiah [Brockington] to you, both being lefty's, being lengthy and having good verticals. What kind of impact has he made in practice? I know he's going to sit out a year per transfer rules, but down the road what kind of impact do you think he can make not just on this team but for years to come?
JR: There are a lot of similar traits. A lot of the guys joke about it, when they see Izaiah do something in pick-up or practice that I've done. I feel like he can make the same impact that I do on the defensive end. He's been really good paying attention and learning, just trying to get better every day. I know he has a year, like you said, so he's been really working on his game. Getting everything more consistent and just being more patient. I feel like he can actually make a really big impact when his time comes up.
Q: [Coach] Pat Chambers mentioned he really likes the personalities of [Daniil Kasatkin] and [Myles Dread], so far what have they added to the locker room?
JR: They have two very different personalities that I don't think we've had on this team. [Daniil Kasatkin] is very quiet and to himself, but when he does get comfortable around people, he's very vocal and he's very joking. It's funny to see when he does get comfortable with people and he makes those comments that you don't see coming. For Myles [Dread], I've known Myles [Dread] for years now. Going back to when he was in seventh or eighth grade, I've always been very close with him. I always have talked to him and treated him like he was a brother of mine. Coming into the team, they both do a very good job of trying to understand everything. They know they are not going to understand everything in one day. They are very willing to ask questions and to contribute to the team anyway that they can. It's just a learning process from here on out, and they are going to get better every single day.
Q: Josh, be honest, how many times have you watched the dunk that sealed the game in the Big Ten Tournament against Ohio State?
JR: I don't necessarily watch the dunk. I watch the reaction that I had afterwards. It was just such a surreal moment. Every time I see a picture of it or see a video of it or if some tags me in it on social media, I get goosebumps still. It was such a spur-of-the-moment thing that I didn't even know what I was doing and then I had the ball. It was just an amazing feeling, and then I tried to focus in on what was going on. Everyone was yelling. Just watching the video and knowing that it was something I will always remember is a surreal feeling.
BOTH PLAYERS
Q: Coach said that he had four spots in the starting lineup pretty much nailed down, but he said the fifth spot is a battle between the freshmen. What have you seen from the freshmen in practice? Is it really as intense as he has played it out to be?
LS: It's very intense. They are all hungry for that spot. You can just tell. They all work their butts off every day. Whether its before practice, after practice, in the morning, they're all in here non-stop. That battle has been intense and it's be really great to see that they are coming in really hungry and wanting to step into that role. I think all of them are capable. All of them will be really confident. Whatever one does end up getting that spot…you know what? They're all going to be great! Off the bench, starting, I don't think it's going to be that big of a deal.
JR: You guys know how intense Coach Chambers is. He brings that same intensity out of people. He brings the same energy every day. He tries to get people to compete more than they've ever competed before. All the freshman are already very competitive people. People may be quiet or more vocal or crack jokes more, but when they step on the court, they are fighting for something. They all know it. They all know they are fighting for a spot to either play more minutes or get an extra minute here or there. They're very competitive. They are showing it everyday, sacrificing their bodies, trying to take charge, diving on the floor, just doing anything to show that they are a tough-minded player, that they are tough and physical, that they are a Penn State basketball player and that they can contribute.
Q: Question for both of you, what stands out to you most about playing for Pat [Chambers] over your career and what was does he make you a better player?
LS: What stands out the most is probably his willingness to always find ways for me to get better. Whether its reading a book, or watching film, or just talking to me, or taking me out on the court and actually doing an individual workout with me, anything. I think that's something that he really devotes to all of his teams and his players that he really does care, his genuine care for everybody. I think that's something that not most coaches around the country would do; want everybody to get better and reach their full potential in every way.
JR: I was just going to say the relationship that he built. I know I can go to Coach Chambers for anything. He's been there with me through the easy times and the bad times. He's like an uncle I never had, somebody I can really go to and talk to about anything. Over the years, our bond has gotten greater. Every single day he asks me how I'm doing, 'is everything ok?' You just don't get that anywhere. That gets me better, that makes me know I'm playing for somebody who really cares about me. That makes you want to compete even more; you want to get after it every single day, even harder than you did the day before. That's the biggest thing.