Colorado State University Athletics
Miles, Rams looking for consistency
1/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2009
By Nic Hallisey
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- With the Rams heading into their first home conference game Saturday against BYU (1 p.m. MST, Moby Arena), Head Coach Tim Miles took a minute to answer questions about the season so far.
What positives can you take out of the season thus far?
As I look back at the beginning of the year, I thought it was promising. Then we got beat up with some injuries and now since then we have the chance to be on the rise again. We made it to the championship of the Rainbow Classic tournament and just fell short. I think we're starting to get a better feel of our rotation and I think we're starting to figure things out.
What do you see as the team's biggest improvement from last season?
We have more depth. We're a better rebounding team. At the same time, we need to be a better defensive team. If we could become a good defensive team, and a good rebounding team, now you have the chance to be a real good team. We've struggled to find consistency on offense. We've had a lot of guys show up and play excellent, but on different nights. We need guys to play well all on the same night, and do it consistently. When we do that, we can be a good offensive team, too.
You recently switched Jesse Carr and Marcus Walker in the lineup. What made you decide to do that?
You're always looking for a spark. It's nice to have a bona fide scorer come off the bench, and that is Marcus. We felt that if we could bring Marcus in off the bench 4 or 5 minutes into a game, he could bring some energy and scoring to our offense and that would benefit us. I think it has helped Marcus' game and I think it has helped us, too.
Do you see the switch as a permanent change?
It works for us now. If it continues to work, I'll keep it up. You never know what goes on during the course of the season, but if I like it, we're going to keep doing it.
What player have you seen the biggest improvement in since the start of the season?
I think Travis Franklin has gained a lot of ground. I think he came in not knowing a lot of what was going on but has done a lot of real positive things. I think Travis is a young guy that can be a good player in our league. I would say that Adam Nigon has continued to impress me. Also, Andy Ogide before he got hurt. Now that he's feeling better, he has to adapt his game to understand that he's the No. 1 guy in an opponent's scouting report. I think Andy can make some big plays inside for us.
How key is it to have players like Adam Nigon and Travis Franklin contribute off of the bench?
We need every player in our program, one through 13, to be contributors in our program. When it comes game time, we need consistency. We need four or five guys scoring in double figures each night, and right now we only have one player averaging that. At the same time, I believe that these guys can do that, and I believe that they can take that next step.
How have trips like the preseason visit to Vancouver and the Rainbow Classic tournament helped the players and coaches build chemistry?
I don't think there's any question, when you go out on the road and spend five or six days together, there's a lot of bonding. You get to know each other in a new way, you learn to accept each other and those are great events for your program. This is a close-knit group anyway, but those experiences just further your ability when it gets down the road during game time.
How can the trips be used to benefit the team on the court as well?
Any time you're building trust, you're improving your program. And that's what those trips do. They allow you to build trust, build faith and invest time in each other.
The Mountain West Conference has some teams that are starting to contend with some big schools and gain a little national recognition. Where do you see the Mountain West Conference compared to other conferences?
By all accounts, the Mountain West Conference is as strong as it has ever been. If you look at the top four teams that I think really set the conference, they are Utah, BYU, UNLV and San Diego State. That's not to say that Wyoming, New Mexico and the rest of us aren't there, but those teams really seem to have set themselves apart on a national scale, and that's good for the conference as a whole.
How big is it for the conference to have Mountain West teams getting wins against teams like Louisville and Gonzaga?
I was in the airport in another state and a guy walked up to me and noticed I was from Colorado State and the Mountain West. He looked at me and said, "Utah just beat LSU by 30." People pay attention all across the country and that's good for our league.
Now that conference play has begun and you've seen where your team is at after the non-conference schedule, where do you see the Rams at the end of the year heading into the conference tournament in Las Vegas?
I see Colorado State in a fight to get to that upper echelon. We're not there, and that's not where we want to be. What we have to do is keep developing our program, keep developing our players and keep recruiting so that we can become the first tier of our league.
Can you talk a little about everything you do off of the court during a week like this past week when there were no games?
I've slept in my bed three times during the past 15 days. We've been busy traveling, playing and all that. What I did this past week was first sat down with my staff and we organized the week. Then we started two-a-days with the team. I was here Monday and then left first thing Tuesday morning for recruiting. I missed practice on Tuesday, film session on Wednesday, and a booster event on Thursday because I was recruiting. I got back on Thursday, did a few interviews, went right into practice and then went home and introduced myself to my kids. Then we'll have practice again today (Friday) and we'll get ready to strap it on at 1 p.m. on Saturday against BYU.
How have you seen Jesse Carr mature since coming to Colorado State?
Like any freshman, Jesse has had his peaks and valleys. Some days he plays real well, and other days he doesn't play so well. We continue to build a forward path with Jesse. A lot of it is confidence, and my job is to demonstrate confidence in Jesse. I need to show him that I believe in him, and I do. Jesse needs better defense. He needs to handle pressure better. When you're in Ainsworth, Neb., you don't always get the chance to compete with the level of athletes that Jesse has seen in his first three months of college basketball. I expect big things out of Jesse. I think he's going to be very good for us. He's the type of kid we want to build around. He's a great student, he's a smart kid and a heck of a basketball player.
With Carr and a solid sophomore class, what type of future do you see for Colorado State?
Our strength is in those two classes. We've had to rebuild this program and that seems to be where we can put our most talented guys. As they get better and they understand what's expected out of them and as they learn how to win, I expect our program to improve tremendously.
In addition to the younger classes, you signed four new recruits earlier this season. What do you see in them that they can bring to CSU?
The four guys that we signed are three high-school players and one junior-college player. Devin McDonald from San Jacinto Community College is a dynamic, quick, player. He's an explosive player from a world-class junior college. Trevor Williams is a guy that everyone in the country saw potential in. He's a 7-foot player with an NBA body. He has a big upside. Pierce Hornung's dad played football here. Pierce is a tough kid who epitomizes everything I look for in a player. He's very smart, plays hard and is very focused on winning. He plays for his teammates and knows how to win. Lastly, Greg Smith is from Ralston High School in Omaha, Neb. Greg is a 6-6, 6-7 wing player that can play multiple positions. He is very versatile and very athletic. He has a swagger and an aura about him that I love and that I think will make him successful in the conference.
