SIUE men's basketball press conference transcript

Wednesday, we talked with Lennox Forrester, Mark Yelovich and David Boarden at SIUE media day. We also talked with Coach Amanda Levens, Whitney Champlin and Sydney Stahlberg. Those interviews will be posted tomorrow. The athletics director opened the conference, and then Levens and Forrester spoke to the media. The players then answered questions before the coaches came back and did the same. Here is Hewitt's address and the question portion of the event. Again, we had it in video, but the audio went out on us.

Let's see what they had to say.

Dr. Brad Hewitt (opening address) - 

"We're obviously very excited about this basketball season. the entire fall has been nothing but a pleasant surprise for us. The success of both our soccer programs, our volleyball, cross country, our golf, our tennis...we are competing against full Division I schedules and we are competing well. All of our team sports are assured of a .500 season, volleyball is very close with one more win. Our men's soccer program is on the verge of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, and possibly the highest seed with a little upset Saturday night in Omaha [update: we'll take a tie] it's been a very rewarding fall. This process seems to have flown by when I look back at these last three years, although it drags on at times. It is so difficult for our student athletes. They have sacrificed and given up opportunities for post-season. We cannot thank them enough, and I would like to take the time to publicly thank them for what they are doing for our program. The foundation they are building and they are always doing it in the right way. They represent us socially, academically and obviously athletically. We are never embarrassed and we are always very proud of them. They are excellent young people and are reflections of their coaches. I had the honor and privilege of hiring both of these coaches and I could not be more satisfied with the commitment and work ethic they provide. the leadership and the mentorship they provide for their student athletes. And it is hard. They are both extreme competitors, and if you ask them to compete they probably would. It is hard for a competitor to day in and day out face the challenges of this transition we are faced with. To stay positive, to keep these student athletes positive and remain focused on what is important. What is important to us is every time they cross the white line they give us 100 percent effort. That each time they represent us, and unfortunately for student athletes, they found out that's 24/7 they represent us. They do it with class and dignity and the character we are very proud of. They always, always are trying to do the best. I will turn you over to the most important aspects of this day, and that is our coaches and student athletes."

Head Coach Lennox Forrester (address)

Again, with this being our third year in the transition phase, once again I'll tell you this. I am very excited. Excited for our team, excited about their work ethic that they have had on and off the floor. I am proud to be a part of what these young men are doing on a daily basis. We have a lot coming back from last year, we have our leading scorer and leading rebounder in Mark Yelovich, and a young man I thought really stepped up last year in the midway point in the season, who really demonstrated a few good things both on and off the floor. and that's also David Boarden.  It's a challenging year. When I look at our team right now,  I can tell you we have gotten better. better in the talent we have to put out on the floor, better in what these guys expect and know what to expect from me. We have definitely gotten better there. Now, with the challenging schedule that we have, more challenging than last year. Someone came up to me and said, coach, this isn't a schedule, this is suicide. I'm not sure what they are going to say this year about our schedule, because it is just as tough if not tougher. Because of the young men we have on this team and the fact that they enjoy, the fact that they relish the challenge we put forth for them, I know they will be competitive day in, day out.  what is our goal this year? well, I can't tell you our goal is to make the NCAA tournament, because we definitely don't have that. I can't say our goal is winning the conference title, because we definitely don't have that. but our goal is getting out there day in, day out and being competitive. That started from the first day these kids stepped on campus, it started from the first practice we had this year on October 15, unlike Amanda [Levens] we started on October 15, not Oct. 2, but it all started then. These young men have done a tremendous job. Like I said, effort wise, they are doing tremendously well. Never have to get after them for that. Yesterday, they didn't like me too much because we do suicides after every turnover and there were about 36 turnovers yesterday in a two and a half hour practice. The fact these guys put forth the effort every single day and relish the challenge we put forward to them this year, I am very pleased about it. We are playing three Big Ten schools this year, would that scare some people? Yes, it would. It's a unique and a great opportunity for our guys to get out there and make a name for themselves. Last year, we played Illinois, ranked about 16th in the country at the time we played them. Got beat by 27. Played Purdue, ranked fourth in the country, got beat by 27. A lot of people, they wouldn't want that challenge. Just looking our guys in the eyes in the locker room and just seeing the passion in their eyes to get out there and perform well. Yeah, 27 is nothing to brag about....but when you are playing the fourth ranked team in the country, the 16th ranked team in the country, you know what...I was proud of our guys. The same thing is what we have this year. I am not afraid, I am not scared...I know these guys aren't either to get out there and perform on a daily basis. Yes, its tough, but these guys will be ready for the challenge. We also have a pretty challenging home schedule, we play Morehead State, as a matter of fact, we play nine Ohio Valley games with six Ohio Valley games and I know we have some tough ones. We have Murray State coming into our building, and we also have to go there. That's a team that was a couple of plays away from being in the Sweet 16 last year. We have Morehead State also, which i consider to have an NBA pick in Kenneth Farried coming into our building and they are picked to finish right behind Murray State in the OVC. We also have Middle Tennessee State, who did very well in the Sun Belt, you know. When you look at our schedule top to bottom, I mentioned the Big Ten schools, but when you look at the teams from the MAC, the Missouri Valley, the Ohio Valley, its what I would call a very challenging schedule for any team in the country to play. I am excited about it, I know our guys are. The administration is to. I am going to look forward to this year, and thank you guys for coming out.

Junior Mark Yelovich 


 - What are you looking for individually and for the team?


   Same things as the first few years, individually means nothing to me. I am basically doing anything I can to get my team ready to go and ready to win some games. 


 -Starting to have that burning desire this year?


   I had a rough two years, we haven't gotten that many wins, and it has gotten to me. I am coming in more focused this year and trying to get the guys ready too. 


 - Aamir was a big part of the offense last year, how do you see it gelling now that he is gone?


  Aamir is some big shoes to fill. We have five new guys, a couple transfers, and we also have Kevin back, so that should help once they get to know the offense, like Aamir did. They are really going to help. 

 - Do you feel more like a leader now a couple years in, and what can you do individually to help the team?


 Especially with these new guys and just a few returners me and Dave, the captains, and individually I am going to go out and play as hard as I can each game so we can get as many wins as we can. 


 - Biggest difference between this year and last year?


 This year we have a couple guys coming in like Abel, he's probably more athletic than guys we have had in previous years. Some new guards coming in. Other than that, it's basically all the same. 


Senior David Boarden


 - How do you see the team being better this year? 


 we matured more everywhere. When I first got here, I thought we were really young, we had some upperclassmen, Aamir was a junior and last year as a senior he brought a lot of experience but I think now that everyone has kind of had a lot of Division I experience playing a lot of teams I think that just everywhere all around we have gotten more mature in the decisions we made, and I know last practice we had a lot of turnovers...but I think a lot of them came from really good defense! I think we are getting better everywhere we can, you know? I think our big men are getting better everyday, yesterday they finished really well in the post, as far as guard play goes, Kevin Stineman is a great returning guard and we brought in some junior college guards like Cory Wickware and well Mark is just getting better every day, so that doesn't hurt at all. 

 - In general, what are the things this team can do to be better?

 It's the same thing, really, as last year. rebounding will be huge. Boxing out, playing defense, adjusting to new defensive principles we have put in. The new guys learning how to play, fitting them into system, its going to be a huge thing for us, taking good shots is always huge. That will cut down on some of the yelling coach has do do. We are bonding a lot better I think than last year. Everyone is accepting roles really well so it should be a very positive experience for us. 

 - What did you learn from Illinois and Purdue last year?

 Me and Aamir sat down and had a talk immediately following the game. In the Purdue game especially, we were Okay for the majority of the first half and what really set in was fatigue, and how they played at the same rate the entire game. We talked a lot about consistency, you can't get tired and decide to take a bad shot. You can't get tired and get trapped and dribble into it anyways. You have to play more with your head than your legs, because your legs are gone. The passes you might make that someone might be athletic and get it anyways, you have to think about it. Take a ball-fake, take a couple dribbles and go somewhere else with it. Shot fake, down screen, just do something different. I think thats what we took from it. Mental mistakes more than physical

 - Will you be more of a vocal leader as a senior?

 I see myself stepping into the vocal role a bit, but we don't really have to have a vocal leadership. A lot of guys are stepping up knowing we really don't have that guy like Aamir, the general coming from the point guard position. I think Kevin Stineman stepped up a lot, Cody Rincker has been very vocal, and he will run through a brick wall. That is very helpful when you have a guy yelling at you, you can't really do anything about it. You can't say anything back to him. Cody, get off me! He's playing hard and I'm doing the same thing. I thought this year coming in, coach Forrester told me I was the captain guys would say well you're the same age as me, you got here the same year as me, but guys are just taking it, you deserved it, coach gave it to you, we are going to roll with it, we are going to listen to you and we are going to stretch out the same way, run the same way and get everything done. 

Lennox Forrester Q and A session


 - How good can this team be next year and what do you need improve on?


  I think David Boarden did touch on the two things that were our achillies heels, turning the ball over and rebounding the basketball. If we can do those things, I think we will be a lot better team.   Being able to compete a little better and be in a lot of games down the stretch, rather than last year. I thought the first half we would play well and second half really didn't do a great job as far as protecting the lead and making up for our deficit a little better. If we can do that and take good shots like David said, and obviously he mentioned that because I am on him the most out of anyone on our team as far as taking good shots...the two things are our rebounding and taking care of the basketball


 - What have you seen from the post players, Zeke, Nik, Dob and Abel during the offseason?

 I think those three young men have taken it up a notch higher as far as getting more rebounds and we are doing a better job getting on them with goals in practice as far as how many rebounds they should have in practice, and if they don't get that there are going to be some consequences they have to pay. Just getting into their mindframe as far as what its going to take for them to do their job to help us again as a team.


 - Have you settled on a starting lineup yet?


 Well, if I tell you what it is today and you ask me tomorrow I'll give you a different answer. We are still trying to figure that out and now is a time I am starting to think. We have tried different combinations in practice, just to see who plays well together and who gels well together and kind of use that as a "this could be our starting lineup." One of the things you want going into a game is these are the best guys who could get you off to a great start. Hopefully you have some young guys coming off the bench that can help protect leads, I remember when I played and I say this to the guys now even, when you get off the bench you better look at the score and the time. If we are at a bigger deficit than when you went in, that tells me you aren't doing your part. Right now we are just trying out different combinations to get the best five guys out there who can really play and give us a great start when we start the games.


 - How do you take some of the pressure off of Yelovich?


  Just looking at it stat wise, Mark took a lot of shots last year, and we I think have guys around him who will help him not carry such a huge burden. Last year, Mark took some bad shots because he almost had to, I think that's the way he felt. I think now with some addition to the teams and some guys definitely improving, that will help him out. Now, I also believe in this too, that as a freshmen if you do well you will drop off a bit as a sophomore because you think it is going to be a little easier. Mark got better last year and he got better this year. He will continue to be a huge part of our team, but I am confident we have guys around him who can help. 

 - Settled on a point guard?

  That's a spot we are kind of struggling with a bit, and we are trying to figure it out. We have Kevin Stineman who played two years for us, and we have a freshman guard and also a junior college guard so hopefully we can fill that void. Turnovers, how can you eliminate turnovers? Yesterday, the majority came from our point guards and that is definitely something we need to take care of.  I don't care what division basketball you are playing, if you don't have a point guard that can deliver and take care of the basketball you aren't going to be very good. Right now we are trying to figure that out. It might be by committee. Aamir played 30 minutes a game last year, and maybe two or three guys will play those minutes just to give us a solid spot at the point guard position. 


 - Impact of losing Denycko Bowles


  A guy like Denycko is unique. He was such a team player. We recruited him as an undersized five. He played the five, four and three. and the fact that he was such a team player it didn't matter if he was in or out of the game, he was going to cheer for you if he was on the bench or in the game. Those types of people are unique, you have someone like that on a team, it helps with the chemistry and everything else. Yes, he started every game last year. The guys that we have add a little bit more on the floor when it comes to handling the ball better, shooting the ball better,  rebounding better. And yes, Denycko did play a huge part for us in the two years he was here, but again I feel we definitely have upgraded from there.


 - Talk about Chatt and Messer


  Chatt is a playmaker, he can handle the ball, he passes it, he can score. He is one of the best three point shooters on the team, he is an athlete. In fact, his first three weeks here he never dunked the ball. I said, man, I've seen you play all these games and you dunk. He said coach, give me some time, my legs will come back! In junior college he wasn't used to all the lifting and conditioning and all of that. He's a special player. He makes our team better because he is a playmaker.
Messer has done a tremendous job. For a freshman, he is solid. The guys named him snail, because of the speed at which he goes, but I'll tell you what, he is very efficient at what he does and is a very good basketball player in the fact that he has a great basketball IQ, he is fundamentally sound and a guy who will shock you. You may not notice him in practice, but when you go home and watch the tape, the reason why you don't notice him is because he isn't turning the ball over or taking bad shots. He is a guy who will have a bright future here, not speed wise or athleticism, but he is going to do the right things and is making a huge impact. He has been solid every day in practice. 


 - How do you see Anthony Mitchell contributing in his second year here?


  The good thing about Anthony is he is practicing every day. We never knew last year when he would be practicing, he just had bad knees. When we recruited him, we knew he could be a huge part of our team, in the fact that he could rebound the basketball, he can score inside, he can score outside, he is very quick. One of the quickest guys I have seen with his first step getting towards the basket. He can do all those things, but at the same time I'm hoping his knees hold up to where he can give us some rebounding and scoring to be successful this year. 


 - Why did Reggie Reed win the walk-on job?


  He was someone we recognized in our tryout, and we thought he would be pretty good for our guards, because the fact he is very quick and plays good defense. Whenever we try to add a walk-on we want to know what they bring to the table for us, and that's what he brings. He is competitive, understands his role just like Cody Rincker, another walk-on. He gets after it and tries to make our guys better. He's a good person, on and off the floor and I think he is going to be a great asset to our basketball team.


 - Where do you see Abel Tillman fitting into the mix?


 Again, two things we were lacking last year. We weren't rebounding the basketball and I feel as though we didn't have enough inside baskets. Those are two things Abel can do with his athleticism. He can run the floor and finish so he brings presence on both sides of the ball. He'll fit in really well with our team, just a matter of whether he brings it day in and day out. He is making strides, and I am counting on him a lot and just know he will fit in well to our system and style of play. 


 - What have you learned as a coach with this team and what does this team have to prove this year?


 As far as proving, last year as much as I loved that team, there were times where we were inconsistant as far as being competitive night in and night out. That was a team I really enjoyed being around. Looking back at the tough schedule, I remember there was a stretch where we played North Dakota on a Thursday, traveled that night to Minneapolis, stayed in a hotel, woke up, flied to California in the morning, got there, practiced, ate dinner at midnight our time and played at 2 p.m. the next day, and flew back to IPFW, getting blown out there and Mark Yelovich missed two point blank layups and I took him out of the game. I slapped him on the butt and said "smile," he said "what?" and I just said smile, because it was so challenging for those guys and that schedule. That brings some inconsistency, whether the guys are giving 100 percent day in day out, our schedule is a little better this year, not from a challenging standpoint, because I think it is more challenging. The closeness of games, we don't have to travel too far and you look at the second half of our schedule, and we're playing a lot of home games which is really going to help us. It will help give us a rest and also help with classes and traveling, wear and tear on the body. Those things definitely are going to help us be a better team. 


 - And at the end I had to ask...What do you think about the new mascot?


 I haven't seen it yet, but I'll tell you what, I heard about it the other day, and the first person I thought of was my daughter. She is terrified of these mascots. If she likes it, I am all for it. 

Posted in: Archives,Men's basketball