As the 2011-12 men's basketball season draws near, head coach Mike Gillian, senior center Antwan Carter and redshirt-senior guard Durann Neil took some time to give their outlook for the season. Rotunda Contributor Eric Hobeck conducted the interviews:
Gillian (on team's progression):"This is a group of experienced players. They really have a clear understanding of how we want to play and what we want to do. We're quickly moving forward offensively. Offensively, I think we are ahead of where a lot of college teams are. Defensively, we need to work on some stuff. The guys have worked hard. The physical commitment has been there. You have to work through stages to build that. Now we're in the mental part, remembering we are going to play this kind of defense. Everyone has to be on the same page. We're a ways away still, but we're certainly making progress. We have high-character guys who are familiar with each other and how we play. I think our schedule is favorable. We'll see what happens."
Neil (on big games this season and improving road play): "Everyone on the team is used to that type of (high energy) atmosphere. We're pretty much prepared for whatever comes our way. Every game is a tough game. Everyone's experienced and everyone's been through it before. We've got five or six of us who are juniors and seniors, and we're ready to go. Last season we had a mix of players, including younger guys who didn't understand how playing on the road can affect you. This season, we should be better."
Carter (on team qualities): "I don't see any areas where we are extremely lacking. What we're missing we try to make up for with experience and speed. Those are some of our best assets."
