Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Nevada [Exh] on October 17, 2025
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Men's Basketball
vs Nevada [Exh]
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Quotes from Larry Krystkowiak's Weekly Press Conference
12/2/2014 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2014
On preparing for a tough non-conference stretch:
The next game is always the most important. We will worry about the Shockers and fix some things that were broken from the weekend. We have a limited amount of time to get ready for Wichita State, offensively and defensively. At this stage you just try and survive each game and hope you can get the win on a nightly basis. Tony Dungy says that you want to be able to do ordinary things extraordinarily well. We aren't going to try and reinvent the wheel this week. We want to remain consistent with our approach and clean up some things that have hurt us in previous games. Possessions will be important and we will need to make free throws and rebound effectively
On the new offensive game plan:
We knew gaining confidence wasn't going to happen overnight. Opening up the floor was key to us and we know that really good teams can take away half-court sets so we don't want to have a focus on just one guy. This system is more about equal opportunity and ball movement. We want to spread it around. We need to have multiple players in double figures and different people have been stepping up offensively the last few games. Players with the hot hand have been flourishing in this system as you've seen with Kenneth, Kyle and a few others.
On the defensive approach:
You have to have a sense of urgency in every play defensively. I think going back to the pervious question, our offense has helped us on defense. We don't want to get sloppy and lose track of fundamentals so this offense exposes people in practice and helps players lock in defensively.
On preparing for a big game:
I'll never say we are completely prepared. We've been in hostile environments and on a big stage. I've said that the goal of the program since I arrived was to survive, then be competitive and now win some games. Our maturity helps. That doesn't mean juniors won't make mistakes sophomores make but they should be better prepared at this point than last season. We're ready for the challenge and hopefully the ball bounces the right way Wednesday.
On the mix of experience and youth on his team:
Our veterans need to continue to improve. They can't be predictable. I think Delon has to be better and Jordan has to be better. As for our younger guys, they need to have a sense of urgency. It takes time. Division I basketball is a learning experience. You put your guard down, it hurts your team. Then you play teams like we are going to play and it absolutely kills you. We've had some glimpses where Isaiah, Jakob and Brekkott shined at SDSU. Then, there are other games where they've struggled. You want the young guys to solidify their good habits on the court. I have a ton of faith in them and we will get better every day. I think we have a really good blend of experience and youth.
On Jakob Poeltl:
Jakob's got a big body with a nice wingspan. He changes and alters shots on the defensive end. He runs well and has great hands. He goes and gets our misses extremely well. He and the rest of the `4's' and `5's' have put some heat on other teams. I'm not surprised. You always want to see kids evolve. I'm not blown away by Jakob but he comprehends things so well at both ends. If you can shut down the mental process that allows you to make plays.
On Wichita State:
It's a program that's established with great quality kids. They grind you and play great basketball. A couple years ago they were one or two plays from being national champions. They don't beat themselves. You may need to have a little luck to beat such an extremely well-coached team.
On how this game came to fruition:
They called us and for some reason, we said yes. Kansas and UNLV were driven by ESPN, but this game, as daunting as it is, is one they reached out about. They practiced here prior to that NCAA Tournament you mentioned. They were looking to beef up their schedule. We wanted to beef up our schedule. Now it's here, unfortunately (laughter).
On what it means to play such an important game:
It's appealing for fans when you throw their streak and success in to play. We are revved up and have the adrenaline flowing. It's like a UCLA or Arizona coming in. You have the full attention of the players. This is what is coaches look forward to - big games that kind of remind us of the good times we used to have when we played.
On Delon Wright and leadership:
Delon has really improved. He had an impact on games last season but now there's more leadership. He's been extremely vocal in practice. You look at the calendar and we are less than 100 days from the Pac-12 Tournament. It goes fast so fast for seniors like Delon and Dallin. They want it to end on a positive note. Brandon has also been a great leader through hard work and determination defensively. We talk with our team at various workshops and I think it's a mistake to tell people "you're a leader". Some guys have it and some guys don't. I encourage all our guys to lead in any way they feel comfortable. You can always pick someone up and have an impact without necessarily "leading". I think that puts less onus on me and that's where you want to be with your program, with the players leading it from within.
Players Mentioned
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