Q: What you've seen from [senior guard] Josh Carter in terms of stepping up his leadership ability, because knowing the void that was left with Dominique Kirk, Joseph Jones and Beau [Muhlbach] leaving?
A: If you know anything about Josh, he's a quiet person. To get him to say anything sometimes is difficult. But he's a smart kid. He's tried really hard. We've only had one practice so far that wasn't good.
And he really tried to get after the guys, encouraged him to practice harder. I think he's done a nice job in the locker room.
The thing Josh has done a tremendous job is with his work habits, work ethic. He's been really driven since the season ended last year.
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Q: Can you talk about the strength of the conference in general this season and then the depth of the Big 12 South in particular?
A: I just thought that league was so good last year. Two teams in the Elite Eight. Some other teams that could have advanced further in the tournament. We had teams that got better as the season went on.
I think this year's league, which will be exciting for the fans, will be more wide open. ... the depth of the South, it's kind of scary. So if you win the league out of the South this year, you've had one heck of a year.
And Oklahoma obviously is going to be really good. Texas, I think, is going to be great again. Baylor's got everybody back but one guy, and they've tasted it now. So they're going to have a great season.
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Q: What was difficult last season and how much more comfortable do you feel at A&M this season?
A: Well, I'm used to being the most well-liked guy in town everywhere I've been. And it wasn't always the case last year. I followed a guy that did a heck of a job at Texas A&M [Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie]. So that was different for me. And so I had to adjust to that.
I didn't know the players that well. They didn't know me that well. Now I feel like they know my personality and I know their personality. We know what to expect.
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Q: Can you tell me how much better life can be with a seven-footer on your roster [freshman James Blasczyk] than without one, and this one in particular?
A: James is a guy we took late. He's a local guy we took late when DeAndre [Jordan] decided to go pro.
I watched him in the spring and felt like he could help us. James' best days are still ahead of him. He's got a lot to learn about the game. He came in at 255 [pounds]. Got him down to 225. His body weight was all water.
The thing I like about James is he fights through fatigue. A lot of big guys will stop. He fights through it, which will give him a chance to be a player some day.
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Q: Could you talk about the other two freshmen, Dash Harris and David Loubeau?
A: I think Dash is much further along than David right now. Dash is a pass-first point guard, really fast, very good defender, going to help us tremendously. Yesterday in practice alone he had 11 assists and one turnover.
We're trying to change the way we play. We're trying to play faster. We weren't able to do that last year, and Dash is going to help us do it.
David Loubeau is 6-8, long wing span. Probably the thing he does best is he really rebounds the ball well. Offensively he's [got 15- to 17-foot shooting range] and he has a good back-to-the-basket game.
Right now his head's spinning. It's going way too fast for him. And we need him to be part of our rotation this year but he's got a long ways to go right now as of today to do that.
-- Special to The Eagle