Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Media Day
October 20, 2014 | Cowboy Basketball
After a little more than two weeks of practices, Oklahoma State head basketball coach Travis Ford and several players met with the media Monday afternoon during Winter Sports Media Day. Seniors Michael Cobbins, Le'Bryan Nash and Anthony Hickey, along with junior Phil Forte, met with the electronic media before sitting down with the print media. Coach Ford did the same, while all other players did photo shoots with photographers from the various media outlets. Here are the quotes from media day.
Head Coach Travis Ford
Opening statement
"Appreciate everybody being here. Wow, seems like time has flown. We've been going for about a week and a half or so and one thing about our basketball team right now, I like the mentality of our team. It's a very scrappy, aggressive basketball team. Our freshmen have shown some toughness that I haven't seen from freshmen in a while as far as a core group. That's been fun to watch. We are leaning on four veteran players that have a lot of experience. Starting with Michael Cobbins, a fifth-year senior, LeBryan Nash, senior, Anthony Hickey, senior and obviously Phil Forte. (That's) four experienced guys who our team is going to rely on. They're going to be very important pieces to our basketball team. Leyton Hammonds and Jeff Carroll are two guys who are also returning, are both much improved. They've gotten better. "
"We've got a lot of balanced depth. It's probably the quickest team I've coached since I've been at Oklahoma State. Very quick and again, very aggressive basketball team. Scrappy basketball team. It's been fun to coach them. I'll tell you that. We haven't had to coach effort. We have not had to coach egos. We have not had to coach anything like that. Everybody seems eager to get better. They seem eager to accept challenges."
"If we continue with attitude we have right now, then we've got a chance to have a pretty good basketball team. As a core, as a group, as a whole we like some things that we're doing that I think gives us a chance to be excited about our basketball team."
On point guard Anthony Hickey
"He's one of the best point guard defenders I have ever coached. I'm talking, on the ball and off the ball, he can really guard the basketball. He's leading our team in steals by quite a few right now in total number as far as practice is concerned. He's got a toughness about him. He is a competitor, an extreme competitor. More than anything I've liked this far is his coachability. He's really tried to adapt, but he's been very coachable and really tried to fit in on the team. He's really tried to get everyone involved. He's really 'Phil, teach me. LB, show me how things are done here'. I've really been impressed with that."
On the Cowboy's strong defense
"I hope we're going to surprise people with where we're picked. I don't think there's any question that our identity is going to be defense. This could be the best defensive team that I have coached, ever. We have that ability. We've got the make-up of that. I think we have the toughness. We've got some guys that can protect the rim. We've got some guys that can pressure the ball. We've got guys that understand what to do defensively, so yes, I think this could be our best defensive team. Our offense has to complement our defense."
On Michael Cobbins returning to practice
"After the very first day of practice, at the very end of the day, I turned to everybody and said, 'I knew when we lost him, but now I even understand why'. Michael Cobbins brings such a presence, a leadership, an understanding of how we want things done and an understanding of how to play the game. He's looked tremendous. He really has. We all knew when we lost him it would hurt us, but watching him play again, I realized even more how tough of a break it was."
On Le'Bryan Nash returning
"I'm not surprised he came back because I think he had an incredible year last year. He shot 52 percent from the field, so I think he did a great job at that. We're putting him in difference positions on the floor to try to be effective. Scoring close to the basket is his strength. We're not changing that. We're just putting him in different positions to be able to do that. He's not going to be as one-dimensional as he was when he was playing with different guys. The bottom line is, we're challenging him. Le'Bryan Nash has been here for three years. We're challenging him to have the best year of his career, plain and simple. He's been very good in practice. He's had dominating practices. He's lost some weight and I like that dedication."
On the strength of the Big 12
"I think it's strong as it's been. From top to bottom, it's going to be stronger. The balance of this league is going to be strong again. Who knows what's going to happen, but it's going to be very strong. We'll be the number one league in America again just because we're, one through 10 from a balance standpoint, this is the strongest league in America."
Senior Post Michael Cobbins
On role after injury
"It was pretty tough (adjusting). I enjoy being out there and helping my team, and it killed me because I wasn't able to do that. But, I had to pick up a different role for the team and tell them what I saw from a spectator or coach standpoint; things that we don't always see on the court."
On the look of the team
"I'm really impressed by just how tough everyone is, especially some of the new guys. They're real gritty, they don't mind getting in there and getting their hands dirty, and they don't mind being physical."
On the Big 12 preseason rankings
"It is what it is. People could pick us high or low, nothing is going to change, we just really have to get out there and prove to ourselves what we can do.”
On team chemistry
"I'd say it's pretty good. This is pretty much a whole new team, and we've bonded as quickly as I've ever seen a team bond. Moreso than the past four years that I've been here, and that's something I really like to see. Off the court, we all hang out with each other too, and that's even more important than being jelled on the court. If things aren't right off the court, then they won't be right on the court."
Senior Wing Le'Bryan Nash
On losing Michael Cobbins to injury last season
"He was our defensive presence at the rim. He's a great shot blocker, and we knew that if we got beat off the dribble that we'd have Mike back there. It hurt us a lot when he went down, and our defense got weak on the inside so we had to make up for it. It took us a long time, but we did what we had to do. I'm glad he's back and he's getting better and better every day.”
On the look of the team
“I think everybody is just buying into their role, they're doing what they have to do to help this team win. We know what the expectation is and we want better. We want to win, we want to try to win the Big 12, so nobody is getting a big head and everyone is getting along.”
On Big 12 preseason rankings
"We don't worry about what everybody says, we just worry about what our team thinks about us. We all think we can win and we don't need anyone else's opinions, all we need is our team, our families, OSU, and we need to believe that we can win."
Senior Guard Anthony Hickey
On living in Stillwater
"I love the atmosphere. I went to the football game, I love that, I'm glad I'm around a team that can help me fit in and I'm up for the challenge this year of entering the Big 12. I'm glad that I landed in Stillwater, I'd rather be no place else."
On bonding with the team
"As soon as I got here, they welcomed me. We connected off the top, especially when we started playing. I started to get used to where guys were going to be at, especially Phil (Forte), he's probably gotten me my most assists already. Finding people is what I do best, and I'm just trying to be a good point guard.”
Junior Guard Phil Forte
On last year
"It was an interesting year to say the least. I think we learned a lot, just that whole year off the court took us away from what we should have been focusing on the court. We've learned, the coaches have learned, the team has learned that we can't let any distractions come within this basketball team and affect us."
On losing Marcus Smart
"It's been different, definitely off the court, especially because I'm used to seeing him every day, but all good things must come to an end, and when you get someone like Hick (Anthony Hickey) to step in right when he leaves, it kind of makes the transition a lot smoother."
On Anthony Hickey fitting in
"Coming into this season, losing Marcus (Smart), the point guard spot was something that we really needed, and his style of play definitely fits Coach Ford's system. The way that he gets into the lane and affects the game on both ends of the court will really help our team out."
