MBB Quotables: Brown Previews Mizzou – Wichita State Athletics

Isaac Brown wants his players focused on the little things ahead of Tuesday’s big matchup against undefeated Missouri at Charles Koch Arena. The Shocker head coach sat down with local media this afternoon to preview the game. Read on for the transcript:
 

 
HEAD COACH ISAAC BROWN ON…
 
… Opening statement:
“Missouri is a good basketball team, 7-0 right now. They’ve got some incredible offensive numbers. They have a new coach in (Dennis) Gates, who came from Cleveland State. He’s doing a great job. They’re averaging 93 points per game, 52% from the field, 37% from the three-point line, forcing 22 turnovers-per-game. They got a lot of guys out of the portal, and they’ve got Kobe Brown back, who was one of the preseason All-SEC guys. They do a good job pushing the ball in transition, and they’re making right at 10 threes-per0game, so we’ve got to defend this game. It’s going to come down to our defense because they can really score the basketball.”
 
… Gus Okafor’s breakout game against Tarleton:
“He was focusing on doing the little things like getting to the glass, getting offensive rebounds, putbacks, running in transition. He did the little things, and then when he got a wide-open shot, he was able to knock it down. He’s shooting a great percentage from the three-point line, and when you can do that, you can score the basketball.”
 
… Facing a red-hot Mizzou team:
“Playing at home always helps. We’ve got a tremendous fan base. Hopefully, we’ll have a great crowd. We did well against Missouri last year down there, so we know exactly what we need to do, even though it’s a new coaching staff. We’ve got to defend at a high level because right now they’re scoring the basketball. It’s their 93 points-per-game versus us giving up only 60, so our defense has to win that battle.”
 
… Protecting the paint:
“We’ve just got to defend overall. We’ve got to get stops, whether that’s twos or threes, and we’ve got to get back in transition. We’ve got to make sure we’re contesting shots. We’ve got to get our 50: X defense into the game. It’s been good so far. We’re holding teams to 59 points-per-game, which is an incredible number, and that’s got to carry into this game.”
 
… Whether he’s concerned about Saturday’s defensive performance against Tarleton:
“Against Tarleton State, we played more pack-line defense. We didn’t get up and pressure the ball as much as we wanted to because they had a small lineup. Give Coach (Gillipsie) a lot of credit; they did a good job getting it to the short corner. Our trap wasn’t good enough and when your trap is not good enough, when they dive that guy to the post, they can get layups. So we’ve just got to get better at trapping the post and make them not be able to make that pass to the guy diving to the rim.”
 
… Shooting 54 percent on Saturday after struggling to make shots in the first few games:
“Number one, we got more baskets in transitions. In order to start scoring the basketball, you’ve got to get out in transition. You can’t go against a set defense. It’s hard to score. We got to the offensive glass and got some putbacks, and that always helps, and we had some guys step up and make some wide-open threes. Our offensive numbers need to continue to grow because we’ve got to get guys making wide-open shots. If we can get out in transition, get some easy baskets, get some offensive rebounds, get some putbacks and make some wide-open shots on offense, those numbers will go up.”
 
… Craig Porter Jr.’s leadership:
“In the locker room, in practice, in the games, he’s becoming a better leader. He’s more vocal talking to those guys. He’s an extension of the coaching staff on the floor. We need him to make sure he’s getting guys in the right positions. He’s doing a good job running our basketball team. Last game, he had four turnovers, and that wasn’t like him, but he learned from that, and he’s just got to get guys in the right position. He’s got to give these guys confidence that they can make shots even when they’re missing. He’s got to make sure that he’s giving them easy baskets, so they don’t have to create on their own, getting them in transition, breaking the defense down, getting them wide-open shots, getting our bigs some dunk down passes, so they can get some dunk shots. Hopefully, he can continue to do that, and we can continue to grow as a team.”
 
… Room for improvement:
“We’re getting better and better every game. Defensively, our numbers are really good. Offensively, our numbers are getting better, but we can always become a better offensive team. Right now, we’re averaging right at 65 points-per-game. We’re only shooting 26% from the three-point line. That number needs to go up, and our field goal number needs to go up. And that can go up if you get stops, get out in transition, get easy baskets, play inside out and step up and make wide-open shots.”
 
… How the defense has come together so quickly:
“Just buying in. It started this summer. That’s the number one thing we preached, talked about defense. Our defense is ahead of our offense, and in order to win basketball games, you’ve got to defend, you’ve got to rebound, you’ve got to play with toughness, and these guys are getting more confident on offense. You can see it in practice, guys are making shots, and now we’ve just got to take that into the game.”
 
… Keys to improving that three-point number:
“I’m happy with the looks we’re getting. The two games we lost, we defended the three-point line well. They stepped up and made some tough shots. As an offensive team, you’ve got to be able to make tough shots when someone is guarding you. We’re getting good looks. The three guys that lead us in scoring, Craig Porter is shooting 37% from the three-point line, Gus Okafor is right at 46% and Jaykwon Walton is about 38% from the three-point line. We’ve got to get the other guys to get their numbers up. They’re taking good shots; they’ve just got to step up and make them. They’ve got to live in the gym getting up shots before and after practice, and we’ve got to continue to help them get confidence by getting out in transition, getting the easy baskets, getting to the free throw line, being able to see the ball go through the basket, and those numbers will start to go up.”
 
…Specific players who took lead roles in emphasizing the importance of defense:
“Kenny Pohto and Craig Porter. Those guys have been here the longest and know exactly where you’re supposed to be, our defensive principles. Talking about making the guy that’s handling the ball feel you. We’ve got to deny passes, make sure we’re on the blue line. Everybody has to flood the paint. We cannot give up second shots. We’ve got to get our deflections numbers up, and those guys are talking about that every day in practice.”