Penn State Men's Basketball
Senior Forward Lamar Stevens Press Conference
Media Day – October 7, 2019
Q: Not a lot has changed from the last time I saw you in terms of games played, but what have you done over the last couple weeks and months just for your game?
A: Something I've really taken pride in is staying in tip-top shape, working on flexibility for longevity, making sure my body's right, eating right, staying hydrated. On the court I've been working on my shot, working on becoming a better playmaker for my teammates. Those are the two main things I've been focusing on the most this off season.
Q: You talked about how when you got back you wanted to get better at that three-point shot. Where do you feel like it is right now compared to where you felt like it was last year?
A: I feel like I'm very comfortable with it. It's where I am right now, I'm very comfortable with shooting it and I'm confident in it, so that's where I stand right now.
Q: Coach Chambers mentioned that the expectations of the NCAA Tournament can be overwhelming. How do you feel about those expectations and what are you expecting out of this team this year on the court?
A: For me, being a senior, just knowing this is my last year playing college basketball, something I always dreamed about as a kid. It's not overwhelming for me, it's a challenge that I'm ready to accept and I think that my teammates are as well. It's something I've dreamt about forever. I'm excited for the challenges that come and the adversity we're going to face to get there, but I think this team will be ready for that step.
Q: Lamar, you have a couple more Catholic League guys joining you this year. Izaiah [Brockington] and Seth [Lundy], who also went to Roman [Catholic High School]. Can you talk about those guys a little and what exactly you feel they'll bring to the team?
A: Izaiah, it's going to hurt me to say this, is probably the best athlete on the team. He has a 44- or 45-inch vertical, something crazy. [He's] super fast, super good at transitioning. He's a good three-point shooter and I think he's one of the most exciting players we have on the team. I think fans are really going to fall in love with his game. Seth reminds me a lot of myself when I was a freshman. He has really good size and he has good skill. Probably a better three-point shooter than I was coming in. He can impact the game in so many ways on offense and defense, he can create his own shot. He's a good athlete. I think that's the guy that came here with the Big Ten-ready body, so I think he's going to be really good for us as well.
Q: Coach Chambers talked a little about the team developing a "Mamba mentality" and mentioning your name as creating that mentality within the rest of the roster. Is that something you feel is day-to-day that you try to develop or is that something that gradually you try to keep building in terms of your basketball IQ?
A: I think that's something that's an everyday thing. Coach [Chambers] wants me to have that mentality, that killer mentality, that dominate mentality in every drill and practice and everything we do. I think it's good for me and for the team because there's no settling. You can always get better and you can always push yourself to that limit and never settle for less. I think that for me, personally, it's an everyday thing in every drill and every practice.
Q: How have you and the other two seniors, Grant [Hazle] and Mike [Watkins], how have you guys been working on your leadership and working with all the sophomores and freshmen?
A: We've all seen so many different things playing in the Big Ten the past three years, so we try to pass down our experiences and our knowledge that we've learned to the younger guys to prepare them a little bit faster for all the things they may encounter. Just trying to share that knowledge and set the tone on the court being the hardest playing people there, so they can follow the lead. Be the loudest player on the court, stuff like that. That's how we really focus on leading this team.
Q: When you're getting the best version of Mike [Watkins] what does that look like?
A: It's a guy that can get a double-double every night and get any amount of blocks. He's a game changer. He can pave the game in so many ways, offensively and defensively. I think when Mike [Watkins] is at his best, he's probably the best big man in the Big Ten and I don't think it's close. I think he has real pro potential. Just with his ability to catch lobs and block shots and impact in so many ways. Mike at his best is a really, really, really good player.
Q: What do you feel like your role is in getting him to that place?
A: One thing I think Mike [Watkins] has really grown up with in over these last couple seasons is holding himself accountable. Knowing when he's at his best and maybe when he's not and what to do to make sure he stays at that level. That's something Mike has really taken pride in and something he's really shown to his team and coaches over this past time. We hold each other accountable, as we would with any other teammate, but Mike is hardest on himself.
Q: Early on this season, what do you think is the biggest difference with this year's team and last year's team?
A: The biggest difference for sure is our depth. We have 11 guys that could seriously play and seriously make impact. We have a lot of guys that can erupt for 20 points a game. We have guys that can get stops and rebounds. That's the biggest difference for this team. There's so many guys that can play, so many different guys that can start each night and really step up in times that we need it. I think that's the biggest difference.
Q: You can tell that last year Mike [Watkins] had not physically been where he had been in the past. Where is he now in regard to that compared to where he was when he was All-Big Ten Defensive?
A: He's back to that form.
Q: How important is that to get back to where you want to go to have that Mike [Watkins]?
A: It's very important. When Mike [Watkins] is Mike, he's the best big man in the Big Ten. That says all for itself. We can use that every night and he really helps the guards in times where they may get blown by, he's always there to save the day with a huge block and can come up with a very timely rebound and score. Mike can win us games in so many different ways. Having him out there at that high level is something that's very important to us. That's something he's really taken pride in to make sure he's that Mike every night.
Q: Izaiah [Brockington] had a year to transition into the program, what has it been like for Curtis [Jones Jr.] to come in and be expected to be an immediate impact guy as a senior?
A: Curtis [Jones Jr.] is a fifth-year senior. He's seen so much. He's been in the Big Ten and he knows what it takes, so he got here and immediately got in right with the guys and immediately fit right in. He immediately emerged as a leader because you could tell his knowledge of the game and the experiences he's been through. He was able to shed some of that light on me and some of the younger guys. Curtis' transition has been smooth since he's gotten here and he's really emerged as a big-time player for us.
Q: Coach [Chambers] said that he shares a lot with you, just to get better, certain things like podcasts or just little moments. Is there something specific that stuck with you, coming up this season, that he shared with you?
A: We share so many things it would be hard for me to pinpoint one, but I would say we always talk about Kobe Bryant and his mindset going into practice and even games. We always try to attack it and be the best you always, and it's never any days off with that. I think that's something that me and him have really taken pride in. Like you said, he's always showing me stuff and always sending me stuff and talking to me about different ways to get better on the court and as a man. It would be hard for me to pinpoint one, but that he's harped on the most.
Q: You mentioned how much Seth [Lundy] reminds you of yourself. Do you take a bigger mentorship role with him because you see so much of yourself in his game? How much do you work with him on his individual game?
A: Me and Seth [Lundy] went to Roman Catholic together too. I was a senior when he was a freshman and it's the same thing now. We've developed a really strong brotherhood and a real trust within each other. When we play each other, you would think we wouldn't like each other because he knows my game and I know his game and we're always pushing each other to get better. That's something I've taken pride in because I see his potential and I've known him for years. For me to see him succeed would mean a lot for me because I know the work he puts in and I know how good of a guy he is.
Q: Through the grind of the season, especially the Big Ten, how is this year's team compared to last year's team better equipped to handle a tough two or three game stretch, so it doesn't spiral and you guys aren't starting 0-8 or 0-9 in Big Ten play?
A: I think those experiences we went through last year are really going to help us this year get through tough spots like that. There's never a season that's not going to have its ups and downs. I think last year we experienced the worst of it and we were able to climb out of that and continue to play hard and continue to play Penn State basketball and continue to come in here and get better each day. I think that we're prepared for that with the older guys that we have and I don't think anything will really knock us off our course this year.
Q: Both you and Coach have talked about the depth of this team. How do you think the depth of this team is going to play into the diversity of the lineups you can put up on the floor? Whether that's going bigger or going smaller at times.
A: I think we always want teams to match up to us. I think we have so many different dynamic lineups, but if it ever was to come down to it that we had to match up with the team we could in any way. We can go big, we can go small, three-point shooters, slashers, and tough rebounding. We can do so many different lineups and I think that's what's going to help us win games and match up on days our shots aren't following, being able to put in a bigger and better defensive lineup to get stops and rebounds.