The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Basketball Media Day: Kermit Davis Press Conference
9/30/2019 | Men's Basketball
<i class="icon-video"></i> Kermit Davis Press Conference<i class="icon-video"></i> Devontae Shuler and Breein Tyree
Davis, Shuler, Tyree Meet with Media on First Day of Practice
Ole Miss Men's Basketball Head Coach Kermit Davis met with the media Monday on the team's first official day of practice. The full transcript can be found below. Senior guard Breein Tyree and junior guard Devontae Shuler also answered questions from media members.
Opening statement…
"I know a lot of other college basketball teams have already tipped off. It used to be a drop-dead date of October 15th, and you couldn't see your guys at all or work with them. It is a little bit different feel now. It's always exciting to have your first official day. We went this morning for about 50 minutes. We'll do that three or four mornings a week. There's no contact, we don't tape. It's more for basketball IQ things and learn some different actions we're doing offensively and defensively. Today, at this point, I like where our team is. Compared to last year's team, I was very proud of that team, we're deeper more athletic. We look more like an SEC team, and we're excited about getting going today."
On Blake Hinson's health…
"He went home right after our August period and didn't feel well. We got him back here and ran a lot of series of blood tests. Some came back normal. He's improving. We're waiting on more tests that were done today to come back, but he's feeling a lot better. Hopefully we'll get Blake back (full contact) at some point in the next 2-3 weeks. We have to get these last tests back, but everything has been a lot more positive lately. He's back now on his own starting to run and shoot. He hasn't done anything with the team since he's been back. We're waiting right now for these tests to come back. At home his dad called me, he tried working Blake out but he didn't feel like working out. He went to the hospital there, those people were great, but we wanted him back here with our medical staff."
On the absence of Hinson in team drills…
"I've missed him. It's been great to see some other guys develop but I've missed his voice. It's one of the main reasons he started last year, so many games. Even as a young freshman, his voice was the best in our gym. Defensively his energy level, it'll be good to have him back."
On replacing Terence Davis' production…
"It's hard. You have to look at, number one, the veteran backcourt we have that's back. You hope to have that same Breein Tyree that made the jump from 10 points to 18. Devontae (Shuler) made a jump too. Both of those guys have to step up. It might not be production in points scored, but their leadership which has been better. How they defend, how they share the ball, you've got to start there. We have a lot of capable guys. From Franco (Miller Jr.) to Bryce (Williams) to Austin Crowley, KJ (Buffen) can play some three. Luis Rodriguez has had a great camp. You'll see guys coming back playing different positions, maybe not TD's (Terence Davis) position. We'll start with Devontae (Shuler) and Breein (Tyree) with their games taking another step."
On mentality heading into this season…
"We've changed as a program from this time last year, our maturity level in the classroom, our maturity level the way we go about our business day-to-day. We're not close to where we need to be, but I'm proud of the progress. You see us practice, and we look more like what an SEC team should look like."
On bench depth this season compared to last…
"It is different. The competition, fans see it in games, but coaches see it and appreciate it in practice. That's where your team grows. It grows also when a guy knows he's got to give his very best effort because there's a guy right behind him to get into the game. That competition, when you have two or three at every single position, when everyone's got to be on edge every single day, the competition to get better grows."
On the newcomers…
"We'll know a lot more in the next 25-30 days, but Khadim Sy had his best week of practice last week. Carlos Curry has made some progress and has some great days, just needs to be more consistent. KJ Buffen, just from his body you can see, is up to 225 pounds and is more physical and looks more ready to play than he did last year. Austin Crowley has had some good days from a basketball IQ standpoint. He's very athletic and is about as athletic as anyone in our league at his position. Sammy Hunter has been a great addition, just has to rebound the ball better. He's capable and shows flashes that he's going to be a great player in our league. Antavion Collum had a great scrimmage to end our summer. All of those guys are going to be really good players here. There's a lot of playing minutes up for grabs on this team."
On the decision to redshirt Shon Robinson…
"One thing when we started talking to Shon and his high school coaches way back, he's 17, he'll be 18 in May. That's a young senior in high school, so he's a young freshman in college. He came here 198 (pounds), and he's already 215. He gained 17 pounds in three-and-a-half weeks. He's going to be good. It's what's best for him and what he feels comfortable with. He's going to do great in practice, but I think that bodes well with what the staff has done with recruiting depth."
On KJ Buffen progressing as a shooter…
"He shot the ball a lot better this summer. He's a more confident shooter. I've been on him for shooting more, but you don't want a 6-foot-7 guy just running around the three-point line. He's got to go back and rebound the ball. He's got skill driving the ball and passing it, but he'll make plenty of threes this year."
On Bryce Williams…
"He's got flashes, and he's so athletic. He's taken coaching well. He's made a lot of progress since he's been back in the fall. He's just got to act more like a point guard. He can shoot, is quick with the ball, his physicality, point of contact, defending, getting hit with a ball screen, getting himself through contact, being a better rebounding guard. He's had some great moments with us since he's been back."
On Luis Rodriguez…
"If we started today, he would start. He's physical and when the ball goes up, he's a natural instinctive rebounder. He's playing more confident. He feels good in the system. He's not thinking so much, he's just playing. Sometimes when guys are trying to grasp a system defensively and offensively, it paralyzes them and they don't move freely. He's moving freely now, and he's going to do really good things this year. He's the best on ball defender we have."
On Devontae Shuler…
"Devontae (Shuler) is a point guard. I'm not saying he can't (play off the ball), but hopefully we'll have three guards out there, and when Breein Tyree rebounds the ball he can advance it up. It's a set play when the ball is dead on the side, Devontae will be the guy to initiate the offense. We'd like for KJ Buffen to rebound the ball and take it up the floor making good decisions, or Austin Crowley or Bryce (Williams) or Franco (Miller Jr.). Bryce had his best week last week, and Franco has really come on and gotten himself playing at a better pace. Devontae is playing more like a point guard, and he has settled into that role. Devontae's shooting percentage really improved last year. That was the first year he really played the point. His assist-to ]-turnover ratio was about 2-to-1, and we'd like that to be more like 3-to-1, which would put him at the top of our league in that category. He really can be one of the best on-ball defenders in the SEC."
On Hurricane Dorian's impact with Franco Miller Jr. and Sammy Hunter, who hail from The Bahamas…
"We talked to (Franco Miller Jr.'s) Mom and big Franco a lot. I know Coach Yo has been right there with her family in Freeport. Sammy was affected in Nassau. Franco did a great job with the relief drive he did, and we want to thank everybody who contributed. Mississippi College comes here for the exhibition game, we're going to do a hurricane relief game. We're not going to charge, but we're going to accept cash donations at the door that goes directly back to the Bahamas to help everyone there."
Opening statement…
"I know a lot of other college basketball teams have already tipped off. It used to be a drop-dead date of October 15th, and you couldn't see your guys at all or work with them. It is a little bit different feel now. It's always exciting to have your first official day. We went this morning for about 50 minutes. We'll do that three or four mornings a week. There's no contact, we don't tape. It's more for basketball IQ things and learn some different actions we're doing offensively and defensively. Today, at this point, I like where our team is. Compared to last year's team, I was very proud of that team, we're deeper more athletic. We look more like an SEC team, and we're excited about getting going today."
On Blake Hinson's health…
"He went home right after our August period and didn't feel well. We got him back here and ran a lot of series of blood tests. Some came back normal. He's improving. We're waiting on more tests that were done today to come back, but he's feeling a lot better. Hopefully we'll get Blake back (full contact) at some point in the next 2-3 weeks. We have to get these last tests back, but everything has been a lot more positive lately. He's back now on his own starting to run and shoot. He hasn't done anything with the team since he's been back. We're waiting right now for these tests to come back. At home his dad called me, he tried working Blake out but he didn't feel like working out. He went to the hospital there, those people were great, but we wanted him back here with our medical staff."
On the absence of Hinson in team drills…
"I've missed him. It's been great to see some other guys develop but I've missed his voice. It's one of the main reasons he started last year, so many games. Even as a young freshman, his voice was the best in our gym. Defensively his energy level, it'll be good to have him back."
On replacing Terence Davis' production…
"It's hard. You have to look at, number one, the veteran backcourt we have that's back. You hope to have that same Breein Tyree that made the jump from 10 points to 18. Devontae (Shuler) made a jump too. Both of those guys have to step up. It might not be production in points scored, but their leadership which has been better. How they defend, how they share the ball, you've got to start there. We have a lot of capable guys. From Franco (Miller Jr.) to Bryce (Williams) to Austin Crowley, KJ (Buffen) can play some three. Luis Rodriguez has had a great camp. You'll see guys coming back playing different positions, maybe not TD's (Terence Davis) position. We'll start with Devontae (Shuler) and Breein (Tyree) with their games taking another step."
On mentality heading into this season…
"We've changed as a program from this time last year, our maturity level in the classroom, our maturity level the way we go about our business day-to-day. We're not close to where we need to be, but I'm proud of the progress. You see us practice, and we look more like what an SEC team should look like."
On bench depth this season compared to last…
"It is different. The competition, fans see it in games, but coaches see it and appreciate it in practice. That's where your team grows. It grows also when a guy knows he's got to give his very best effort because there's a guy right behind him to get into the game. That competition, when you have two or three at every single position, when everyone's got to be on edge every single day, the competition to get better grows."
On the newcomers…
"We'll know a lot more in the next 25-30 days, but Khadim Sy had his best week of practice last week. Carlos Curry has made some progress and has some great days, just needs to be more consistent. KJ Buffen, just from his body you can see, is up to 225 pounds and is more physical and looks more ready to play than he did last year. Austin Crowley has had some good days from a basketball IQ standpoint. He's very athletic and is about as athletic as anyone in our league at his position. Sammy Hunter has been a great addition, just has to rebound the ball better. He's capable and shows flashes that he's going to be a great player in our league. Antavion Collum had a great scrimmage to end our summer. All of those guys are going to be really good players here. There's a lot of playing minutes up for grabs on this team."
On the decision to redshirt Shon Robinson…
"One thing when we started talking to Shon and his high school coaches way back, he's 17, he'll be 18 in May. That's a young senior in high school, so he's a young freshman in college. He came here 198 (pounds), and he's already 215. He gained 17 pounds in three-and-a-half weeks. He's going to be good. It's what's best for him and what he feels comfortable with. He's going to do great in practice, but I think that bodes well with what the staff has done with recruiting depth."
On KJ Buffen progressing as a shooter…
"He shot the ball a lot better this summer. He's a more confident shooter. I've been on him for shooting more, but you don't want a 6-foot-7 guy just running around the three-point line. He's got to go back and rebound the ball. He's got skill driving the ball and passing it, but he'll make plenty of threes this year."
On Bryce Williams…
"He's got flashes, and he's so athletic. He's taken coaching well. He's made a lot of progress since he's been back in the fall. He's just got to act more like a point guard. He can shoot, is quick with the ball, his physicality, point of contact, defending, getting hit with a ball screen, getting himself through contact, being a better rebounding guard. He's had some great moments with us since he's been back."
On Luis Rodriguez…
"If we started today, he would start. He's physical and when the ball goes up, he's a natural instinctive rebounder. He's playing more confident. He feels good in the system. He's not thinking so much, he's just playing. Sometimes when guys are trying to grasp a system defensively and offensively, it paralyzes them and they don't move freely. He's moving freely now, and he's going to do really good things this year. He's the best on ball defender we have."
On Devontae Shuler…
"Devontae (Shuler) is a point guard. I'm not saying he can't (play off the ball), but hopefully we'll have three guards out there, and when Breein Tyree rebounds the ball he can advance it up. It's a set play when the ball is dead on the side, Devontae will be the guy to initiate the offense. We'd like for KJ Buffen to rebound the ball and take it up the floor making good decisions, or Austin Crowley or Bryce (Williams) or Franco (Miller Jr.). Bryce had his best week last week, and Franco has really come on and gotten himself playing at a better pace. Devontae is playing more like a point guard, and he has settled into that role. Devontae's shooting percentage really improved last year. That was the first year he really played the point. His assist-to ]-turnover ratio was about 2-to-1, and we'd like that to be more like 3-to-1, which would put him at the top of our league in that category. He really can be one of the best on-ball defenders in the SEC."
On Hurricane Dorian's impact with Franco Miller Jr. and Sammy Hunter, who hail from The Bahamas…
"We talked to (Franco Miller Jr.'s) Mom and big Franco a lot. I know Coach Yo has been right there with her family in Freeport. Sammy was affected in Nassau. Franco did a great job with the relief drive he did, and we want to thank everybody who contributed. Mississippi College comes here for the exhibition game, we're going to do a hurricane relief game. We're not going to charge, but we're going to accept cash donations at the door that goes directly back to the Bahamas to help everyone there."
Players Mentioned
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