Danny Manning presides over TU's Thursday practice at the Reynolds Center.
JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World
Next week, the University of Tulsa basketball team travels to Toronto for a series of four exhibition games with Canadian opponents. During a Thursday news conference at the Reynolds Center, new Golden Hurricane coach Danny Manning addressed a variety of topics:
Could the 2012 U.S. Olympic basketball team beat the 1992 Dream Team?
Manning: “Hell, no. No. No. I don’t think so. The original Dream Team? No. . . . I think this (2012) team is talented. Some of the best players to ever play the game. But you go back to the Dream Team – those guys were icons.”
Manning on the status of a rebuilt TU team that includes six first-year freshmen: “We’re a work in progress, but we’re trying and we’re getting better each and every practice. That’s the goal.”
Manning on the Canada trip: “Seeing our team in game action – that’s very beneficial.”
Any definition in regards to establishing a starting five and a rotation?
Manning: “The rotation changes with every mistake. That’s probably the best way to put it. There’s nothing set in stone. You’d like to think that the older guys – the upperclassmen – will provide a little more leadership and stability out on the court, but at the same time, they’re still learning a new system. It’s free-flowing. It’s very liquid at this point.”
Manning on TU’s style of play: “We need to be an uptempo team. We need to score as many points as we can in fast-break situations. Play great first-shot defense and rebound the basketball and push the ball up the court. We also need to be a team that is very good defensively – not giving up open, uncontested shots. We don’t want to put ourselves in a situation where we gamble for a steal, and we miss it and then we’re at a disadvantage because we’re playing four-on-five at that point. . . . We have some pretty good team speed. We should be able to get up and down the court fairly well. It all starts on the defensive end.”
You have so many new players, but do you occasionally see signs that TU could be better than you expected?
Manning: “Yes, absolutely. I’m seeing a lot of signs. There are times when we’ll go out there and make great basketball plays. We tell the guys all the time that a great basketball play for us is a series of solid plays. College players – or kids in general – think a great play is a top-10 ESPN deal or a super-athletic play or a freak play. . . . We’re not swinging for the fences. We want a series of good plays.”
Manning on 6-5, 285-pound freshman forward Zeldric King: “At times, he does a very good of using his body. And at times – being a freshman – he doesn’t use it as well. He has a great feel. His savvy is very good for a freshman. He understands what we’re trying to do. It’s just a matter of making sure he understands game speed at the college level. It’s hard to simulate that in practice.”
Manning on King’s conditioning: “We’d like for him to continue to condition himself to be able to play extended minutes at the college level. He’s not there yet, but he will be there when the season rolls around.”
Manning on freshman Rashad Ray: “At some point, he’ll be our point guard. . . . We do have Tim Peete there, who has been very solid and shows leadership qualities. Rashad Ray is a very talented player. Shaq Harrison has also been playing the point some for us. We’ve put a lot of guys at that point guard spot. Our (point guards, shooting guards and small forwards) are interchangeable, and our (power forwards and centers) are interchangeable. All those (guards) at some point have been at the point guard position or initiating our offense.”
Manning on team chemistry: “(Hurricane players) are spending time together. My family came to town last weekend and we go to the Cheesecake Factory. I walk in there and see eight (players), sitting down and eating. Those are things that are very encouraging for us as a staff – to see those guys bonding and spending time and wanting to be around each other.”
Manning on his first five months as the Hurricane coach: “I’m enjoying it. It’s fun. Every day is an adventure, so to speak, because it’s new. As a staff, we enjoy spending time together. We enjoy talking ball. We enjoy . . . mentoring the team that we have, and we’ll continue to work hard and enjoy the process and enjoy the journey.”
-- Bill Haisten
