Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
Wichita State Media Day | Head Coach Paul Mills Quotables
On the team's intrasquad scrimmage Sunday…
"We're getting better. We've made a lot of strides. Intrasquads are kind of hard because 'was that good offense or was that bad defense?' When we show film, it's going to be correcting on defense, but was that just a good offensive play? I've mentioned this before, I do think we'll be a good rebounding team. We'll continue to make strides there. I think we've gotten better in defensive rebounding over the course of the past two weeks. I will tell you in what we're trying to do, we've made some strides."
On if there are any similarities between his first season at Wichita State and when he took over the Oral Roberts job…
"The Oral Roberts team only won six Division I games the year before I got there, and so that was different. You walked into a situation where it was not a very good basketball team. Wichita State isn't that. They won 17 a year ago. Even walking in at Baylor the first year we were there, Wichita State is a much different situation than other situations I've been a part of. Similarities in the context of you're always trying to be really clear about the standard. Guys need to understand what it is they need to level up to. As I shared with the guys, the standard isn't compromising. The standard is the standard. Here are the things we need to do in order to get there. Here's film which is showing that we're not there yet and here's film showing we need to reinforce it. We were really clear about the expectations about what we're supposed to do. In my mind, winning is a byproduct. That standard of doing certain things is what we're asking you to do, and we'll win on account of doing those certain things. It's a work in progress every day."
On what he thinks it will take to be successful in the AAC this season…
"It's a great question because three of the six teams coming in were the final six teams playing (last season). Obviously, Florida Atlantic in the Final Four, and then UAB and North Texas the final two in the NIT. Those are three really quality teams coming in. I don't get caught up so much in…I've been extremely upset after a win because I realized that the guys did not do things that eventually will pay off, and I've been happy after a loss because I realize 'you know what we did everything we possibly could. The guys really fought and gave their effort and did it the right way.' I'm more concerned with are we doing things in a manner, in such a way, that will allow us to win. If we're casual about the approach, we're not relentless, if we're not fighting and not caring about teammates, those are the things I pay attention to more. Again in my mind, winning is a byproduct of those things."
On if Kenny Pohto has stepped into a leadership role…
"He's very receptive. He's extremely coachable. He's a joy to be around. His care factor's through the roof. Eventually you've got to hand the reigns over to your players. Your job is to teach them what the standard is, lead them in a way that these are the expectations and then eventually hand them the reigns. I'm not willing to hand him the reigns right now, but I will tell you that they're trying to figure out what's the next right thing to do."
On how they hold players accountable to the standard they want…
"We place a care factor sheet at the end of every practice. It has nothing to do with your ability to make shots. It's simply your response after a turnover. Let's say you do turn it over, is your first indication or inclination just to drop your head and mope? Is it to throw your shoulders up or is it 'Man, what's the next right thing I need to do?' We gauge all of that. Can you get across half court within three seconds after a miss? Can you do it five seconds after a make? Are you finding the corners within four (seconds)? Did you win a loose ball? Did you take a charge? We ask our players to do 80 percent of their job from an offensive rebounding standpoint or a get-back standpoint. Did you pursue the ball? Did I get back? Everybody's job is to defensive rebound. Did I do that? They get gauged on all those, they get a number at the end of the day. If they don't do their job, you run a 17, which is a pretty difficult thing to do… sideline to sideline you have to get 17 touches within a minute. It's not easy. They know every day who's doing rebounding running and care factor running. We've seen the numbers increase day by day."
On adding Dalen Ridgnal right before leaving for Greece and his impact…
"That was one of the weirder recruiting stories that I'll be able to tell in my 28 years right now of coaching. I had a Zoom with him Sunday at 6 and he committed Sunday at 9 p.m. after talking it over with his family. I asked him if he wanted to go to Greece, we were leaving Tuesday morning at 9. We spent all day Monday getting him eligible, getting transcripts and finishing up things at his previous institution. I told him, 'Dalen, thank you for coming on the trip, but you're not going to play much, I need you to know that because other guys have practiced. You haven't practiced a second.' He played 10 minutes in the first game and I think he had eight rebounds and I said 'never mind you'll play a lot more in game two.' He finished with 34 rebounds and 33 points. You've seen guys get more rebounds than points, but it's usually 11 rebounds and eight points over a course (of a game), so to be in the 30's on both of those through three games is pretty impressive. He has a motor, extremely coachable. The Orlando Magic called me the other day and was asking me about some of the guys on the team. Standard question with NBA teams is who's the last one to leave the gym? I told them there hasn't been a day that's gone by and Dalen Ridgnal is not the last person out of here. He works. He has a motor. He is a phenomenal young man. We lucked into that one. Tom Crean is a good friend and he was at Georgia and Tom Crean told me, 'Paul you have to take him. He will find a way.' I can't wait for Shocker fans to see him."
On what he thinks a successful season will look like…
"I don't know that answer. As a I tell the players, we're just trying to go 1-0. Let's go 1-0 today. Let's figure out how to get better today. My message to the players right now is let's leave it better than you found it. When we leave here today, let's be better than when we walked in. If we're not, let's be better in our recovery, so we can be better tomorrow. I'm really only concerned right now about how do we go 1-0 today. Whatever game we play, we'll try to go 1-0 that game. We need to go 1-0 in our film session. We need to go 1-0 in our practice and 1-0 in training table and in recovery. I'm really just concerned right now with how do focus on today and get the most out of it."