St. John's University Athletics
QUOTES: St. John’s Men’s Basketball Pregame Media Availability
St. John’s Head Coach Mike Anderson and junior forward Julian Champagnie spoke with the media during a media availability session in advance of the season opener against Mississippi Valley State
St. John’s Head Coach Mike Anderson
On the team’s mindset heading into Tuesday…
“They’re anxious to play. A lot of guys have been up here throughout the summer months, and they [have] put a lot of time in the gym. For the guys that are coming back, obviously it gives them an opportunity to play in front of our fans, our students. I’m looking for a charged up atmosphere. I think with the way we play, it only adds more excitement.”
On team chemistry…
“I think we’re still in that learning phase with one another. We have guys that are just coming back. Julian [Champagnie] has only been back for a couple of weeks now, so we’re still understanding roles. I think, more importantly, now that we’ve played somebody other than ourselves, we can see if we can get those guys [the new guys] to come and give us some quality minutes whenever they do get in the game. I think for the most part, the guys are getting a grasp of what we want to do. There’s another level I want to get to. We want to come out playing really good basketball. Mississippi Valley [State] gives us an opportunity to start the season, so tomorrow is going to be a big day for us.”
On what he expects to learn about the team on Tuesday…
“I guess my gauge is going to be who can pick up on things that we’re doing the quickest. Those are the guys that are going to play. [For] the guys that aren’t playing as much, how do they handle that. How do they handle that adversity. You think about Posh [Alexander] last year, he came out of the gates kicking, and then he found that extra gear. It really accelerated our play because of what he brings to the table.”
On a message to the fans…
“Show up and show out. I want to see them in here energized. I always think our fans are worth eight to 10 points for our basketball team, especially with the way we play. It takes the guys to a different level. We had to manufacture that last year, and I think we did okay, but can you imagine having fans in here just pushing our guys to another level. I’m looking forward to our students and our fans coming in. My vision is sellout, that’s it. How do you do that? You have to put a product out there that people enjoy. I know [in] New York, they want to see a show, so we want to go out and perform at a high level.”
On Rafael Pinzon…
“He’s got another gear. He’s got a little moxie about him. There are some guys that have that ‘it,’ and you can see it. When he’s pressed upon, when guys get after him, he raises his game another level. I didn’t know he can do that, and he’s been doing that. He’s been impressive throughout camp. I’m excited about him, I really am. He’s got size. The pressure doesn’t bother him. He really sees the floor well. [He’s] a capable scorer [and] a really, really good passer. He just has to get seasoned. How do you do that? Through playing games.”
Junior forward Julian Champagnie
On the team’s preparation for Tuesday...
“I feel like we’re ready. We have been practicing extremely hard, tightening up some loose ends. I think we’re ready for tomorrow.”
On the upcoming season…
“I’m super excited for this year as I am with every year, honestly. All three of my years here, I have been super excited for every season. Obviously, we have some expectations around us, which is fine. I feel like every team does, some better than others. We hear what fans and other people expect, but at the same time, it’s a day-by-day process. We’re going day by day. Our first game is tomorrow, and we’re going to plan to win that game and then on to the next [game]. That’s our mindset right now. Getting better every day.”
On the higher expectations for this season…
“There’s definitely a little difference in expectations. We know it’s there. At the same time, we don’t think about it too often. It’s not something that we necessarily feel. We know it because it’s kind of hard to get away from it, but it’s not something that we necessarily feel.”
On what he needs to improve…
“I feel like I could do better in one-on-one defense. That’s my biggest one right now that I’m focused on, but I’m not focused on these kinds of things for my well-being. I feel like if I play better and defend better, I can help my team better. I can help my team in other ways besides just scoring the basketball.”
On what will indicate the team is playing well…
“Coach [Anderson] always says it’s not an offensive game. We’re not worried about the offensive end of the floor. Our main focus is on defense because if they don’t score and we don’t score, the game is tied. When we’re playing defense, when we’re getting steals and deflections, that’s how you know we’re getting better. That’s how we’re going to feel better: playing defense. I feel like we have a lot of weapons on offense, but I think everybody knows offense comes and goes. You can off night this night and have a great night the next night. It’s how basketball is. Not every shot is going to fall. When we’re clicking on all cylinders on defense, that’s when you’ll know we’re playing well.”
On team shooting…
“I feel like we have a team that definitely can make shots. I give Tareq [Coburn] praise all the time. I think he’s probably our best shooter. He is our best shooter, honestly. It’s cool to have those guys around and spread the wealth. Everybody can shoot the basketball. It makes it a lot easier to play the way Coach Mike [Anderson] wants to play. We can spread the floor now. Teams have to play one-on-one defense now.”
On the team’s mindset heading into Tuesday…
“They’re anxious to play. A lot of guys have been up here throughout the summer months, and they [have] put a lot of time in the gym. For the guys that are coming back, obviously it gives them an opportunity to play in front of our fans, our students. I’m looking for a charged up atmosphere. I think with the way we play, it only adds more excitement.”
On team chemistry…
“I think we’re still in that learning phase with one another. We have guys that are just coming back. Julian [Champagnie] has only been back for a couple of weeks now, so we’re still understanding roles. I think, more importantly, now that we’ve played somebody other than ourselves, we can see if we can get those guys [the new guys] to come and give us some quality minutes whenever they do get in the game. I think for the most part, the guys are getting a grasp of what we want to do. There’s another level I want to get to. We want to come out playing really good basketball. Mississippi Valley [State] gives us an opportunity to start the season, so tomorrow is going to be a big day for us.”
On what he expects to learn about the team on Tuesday…
“I guess my gauge is going to be who can pick up on things that we’re doing the quickest. Those are the guys that are going to play. [For] the guys that aren’t playing as much, how do they handle that. How do they handle that adversity. You think about Posh [Alexander] last year, he came out of the gates kicking, and then he found that extra gear. It really accelerated our play because of what he brings to the table.”
On a message to the fans…
“Show up and show out. I want to see them in here energized. I always think our fans are worth eight to 10 points for our basketball team, especially with the way we play. It takes the guys to a different level. We had to manufacture that last year, and I think we did okay, but can you imagine having fans in here just pushing our guys to another level. I’m looking forward to our students and our fans coming in. My vision is sellout, that’s it. How do you do that? You have to put a product out there that people enjoy. I know [in] New York, they want to see a show, so we want to go out and perform at a high level.”
On Rafael Pinzon…
“He’s got another gear. He’s got a little moxie about him. There are some guys that have that ‘it,’ and you can see it. When he’s pressed upon, when guys get after him, he raises his game another level. I didn’t know he can do that, and he’s been doing that. He’s been impressive throughout camp. I’m excited about him, I really am. He’s got size. The pressure doesn’t bother him. He really sees the floor well. [He’s] a capable scorer [and] a really, really good passer. He just has to get seasoned. How do you do that? Through playing games.”
Junior forward Julian Champagnie
On the team’s preparation for Tuesday...
“I feel like we’re ready. We have been practicing extremely hard, tightening up some loose ends. I think we’re ready for tomorrow.”
On the upcoming season…
“I’m super excited for this year as I am with every year, honestly. All three of my years here, I have been super excited for every season. Obviously, we have some expectations around us, which is fine. I feel like every team does, some better than others. We hear what fans and other people expect, but at the same time, it’s a day-by-day process. We’re going day by day. Our first game is tomorrow, and we’re going to plan to win that game and then on to the next [game]. That’s our mindset right now. Getting better every day.”
On the higher expectations for this season…
“There’s definitely a little difference in expectations. We know it’s there. At the same time, we don’t think about it too often. It’s not something that we necessarily feel. We know it because it’s kind of hard to get away from it, but it’s not something that we necessarily feel.”
On what he needs to improve…
“I feel like I could do better in one-on-one defense. That’s my biggest one right now that I’m focused on, but I’m not focused on these kinds of things for my well-being. I feel like if I play better and defend better, I can help my team better. I can help my team in other ways besides just scoring the basketball.”
On what will indicate the team is playing well…
“Coach [Anderson] always says it’s not an offensive game. We’re not worried about the offensive end of the floor. Our main focus is on defense because if they don’t score and we don’t score, the game is tied. When we’re playing defense, when we’re getting steals and deflections, that’s how you know we’re getting better. That’s how we’re going to feel better: playing defense. I feel like we have a lot of weapons on offense, but I think everybody knows offense comes and goes. You can off night this night and have a great night the next night. It’s how basketball is. Not every shot is going to fall. When we’re clicking on all cylinders on defense, that’s when you’ll know we’re playing well.”
On team shooting…
“I feel like we have a team that definitely can make shots. I give Tareq [Coburn] praise all the time. I think he’s probably our best shooter. He is our best shooter, honestly. It’s cool to have those guys around and spread the wealth. Everybody can shoot the basketball. It makes it a lot easier to play the way Coach Mike [Anderson] wants to play. We can spread the floor now. Teams have to play one-on-one defense now.”