Louisville HC Jeff Walz at 2023 Media Day
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00:00 Wonderful, absolutely wonderful.
00:05 All right, we set?
00:06 We ready to go?
00:07 All right, first off again, just want to thank everyone.
00:11 Appreciate you all coming out today.
00:13 It's hard to believe it's here.
00:17 We're less than a week away from our first game.
00:20 As you obviously all know, we start at Cincinnati on the 6th.
00:26 And then it's here.
00:28 And we're right in the middle of practice.
00:33 Now we're starting to put more game situation things in.
00:38 And still trying to get to know everybody's name.
00:40 But it's been a wonderful, wonderful few months.
00:45 And exciting to see what this ball club can do as we start playing games.
00:51 Our practices have been very spirited.
00:55 Everybody's got a great attitude.
00:56 Our chemistry is fantastic.
00:59 But as I always say, playing time has not been distributed yet.
01:07 And I think as that goes on, we're going to find out, okay, how does everyone accept
01:11 their role?
01:12 And then they're going to be able to tell me, show me what their roles need to be.
01:18 We were fortunate to be able to play a few games in Canada this summer.
01:21 So I had a chance to see a little bit.
01:23 But it's all new when you start up your season.
01:27 So, excited about it and ready for some questions.
01:32 Jeff, it's obviously not every offseason that you get to take part in an event
01:35 like Global Jam.
01:36 So how has the chemistry for this team kind of evolved versus maybe teams in the
01:41 past where you didn't have the opportunities like Global Jam to really see
01:44 what you have?
01:45 Well, I think what it allows you to do, you can learn a lot from practice.
01:49 But when you actually get a chance to play and you've got officials out there,
01:53 you can scrimmage all you want against your scout team, against each other.
01:57 But having the opportunity to go up there and play official games, I think it
02:01 really helped and it helped our kids because it also allowed them to see, okay,
02:06 who wants the ball at the end of a game?
02:08 Who's not afraid to take the big shot?
02:10 Who can come up with the rebound when we need it?
02:14 So that was a huge help.
02:16 And then the opportunity to spend time with each other outside of your dorm room.
02:22 You're in a city, you're in a hotel, it's more intimate.
02:26 And I think they really learned a lot about each other, which in turn has really
02:31 helped our chemistry.
02:33 Coach, kind of bouncing off that, when you welcome in seven new players, it's
02:37 probably easier said than done to build said chemistry.
02:40 What do you as a coach do to maybe kind of extradite that process when you have
02:43 so many new people?
02:44 Well, the great thing about it is, you know, we're adding a lot of fifth-year
02:49 kids also.
02:50 It's not like we're adding seven freshmen.
02:53 You know, we have kids who have been through the rigors of college basketball,
02:59 have had a lot of success as well.
03:01 So it makes it easier when you're trying to get them all together.
03:06 You know, they've enjoyed their college experience, they've had a great time at
03:10 the college they were at.
03:11 Now they're just like, "Hey, I'm here to play some basketball."
03:14 Sure, they want to learn more about our city, more about the university,
03:17 everything, but they're focused really on basketball.
03:21 So we've done a few team building things, but we really haven't had to do much
03:25 because they spend a lot of time with each other.
03:27 You know, they enjoy to cook, they enjoy spending time down in the dorm.
03:34 So yeah, it's been a great group.
03:35 And I think it's shown with our recruiting, when we have recruits on official
03:39 visits, our players are fantastic.
03:41 I mean, they really let the recruits see who they are, why they came here, and
03:47 how much they're also enjoying it.
03:49 Jeff, to go off that a little bit, as far as leadership, you've done this now, I
03:53 guess what, this is three years in a row with the transfers.
03:56 This is obviously the most and probably the hardest to pronounce some of their
03:59 names as well.
04:00 But leadership-wise, do you have to do anything different or did you learn
04:05 anything from the other two teams?
04:07 Well, no, I think it's going to take care of itself.
04:10 I think O, obviously from her experience, having started for three straight years,
04:15 someone who's going to be able to step up and lead from how she performs, her
04:22 experiences that she's had in the past.
04:24 You know, every year there's things from the previous year you liked, things you
04:28 don't like.
04:29 So it's like, okay, are you willing to try to fix the things you don't like so
04:33 then those don't happen again?
04:35 So you've got O, you've got Rhys, who has been here, seen all of it.
04:41 That's what I keep especially challenging those two with, is just the fact you've
04:46 got three years' experience.
04:48 You've got an Elite Eight, a Final Four, and an Elite Eight.
04:51 So what did you like about that?
04:53 What didn't you like?
04:55 And then whatever you didn't like, let's make sure it doesn't happen again.
04:58 You know, nobody likes to lose.
04:59 Sometimes, you know, you can't control that all the time.
05:02 But if there was chemistry issues, if there was, you know, tough times in the
05:08 dorm at different times because you want to communicate with a teammate, those are
05:13 things you can make sure don't happen again.
05:16 So I think a lot of the leadership also from our new players, you've got Sydney
05:21 Taylor, you've got Kiki and Jada, you've got kids that have played at a high
05:25 level.
05:27 Now I think you'll see a lot of that come through as we start playing games.
05:31 You know, what can you do on the practice court and during a game for me to want to
05:36 follow you?
05:37 I mean, a lot of these players, I mean, I think everybody brought in as far as
05:40 transfer rises, averaging double digits at their last school.
05:43 But defensively, how have they just kind of adjusted and where do you want to see
05:45 them just get better acclimated in what you do defensively?
05:50 Yeah, I mean, we are working on both ends of the floor.
05:53 I think we've gotten better at the defensive end.
05:59 But I will say, it's going to take ball games.
06:00 It's going to take an opportunity to see kids because they're, you know, you come
06:04 here, you're taught to force the ball to the middle.
06:08 We like to try to force it to the sideline.
06:11 You know, so there's different philosophies that they're trying to learn now.
06:15 Okay, this is how I've done it for four years.
06:16 Now I'm trying to learn a new way to do it.
06:19 So, we're talking about that.
06:22 I've seen improvements.
06:24 And I think it's just going to be a process.
06:26 I mean, I said it last year.
06:28 You know, we're going to be a much better basketball team come mid-January and
06:32 February than we are in November.
06:36 But I like the group.
06:37 I think we have a chance to be really, really good.
06:40 Jeff, when you're going through this team, when you said it's not a finished
06:43 product, you're still learning this group.
06:45 I guess, how do you approach and what's your philosophy with rotations and lineups
06:49 and just trying to find the team that you want, especially when it is so many new
06:53 pieces?
06:54 Well, early in the year here, everybody is going to get the opportunity to play.
06:58 Everyone in practice, for the most part, I'd say 95% has shown me with their
07:04 effort in practice that they deserve an opportunity during a game.
07:07 And then like I tell them all the time, once you get in the game, now it's up to
07:11 you what you do with that opportunity.
07:13 You know, you can't – I can't put you in and you turn up all over three straight
07:16 times and expect me to keep you in the game.
07:19 I'm not expecting you to make your first three shots.
07:22 If you take shots that are within the offense and shots you take in practice,
07:26 I'm not the type of coach who's going to pull you out for missing a shot.
07:30 Now, I want you to have common sense.
07:32 You know, if I've missed three in a row, maybe I'll look to get a teammate
07:36 involved.
07:37 Maybe I'll look to take a different shot.
07:38 You know, so we do talk about those things.
07:43 I don't want my players going into a game with the pressure of, oh my God, I've
07:46 got to do something right now.
07:48 You know, some of the best players we've had, you might not see a whole bunch on
07:53 the stat sheet, but when you look at a plus/minus outside their name and you're
07:59 like, God, they're plus 10 but you only scored two points.
08:02 Well, that's because she's making everybody else on the floor better and
08:05 maybe she's a defensive stopper for us.
08:08 So, you know, I always like to tell all of our fans, you know, be cautious when
08:12 you look at a stat sheet.
08:14 You know, somebody might drop 20 and you're like, God, that kid should play
08:16 more.
08:17 And I'm like, yeah, she scored 20 and gave up 30.
08:20 So I think it's important to watch and see what type of impact the player's
08:26 having on the game itself, not just necessarily a stat line.
08:31 You always are very meticulous in how you schedule.
08:34 Like a couple years ago when you had that veteran team, it was right out of the
08:37 gate tough.
08:38 This one seems to be you've got a bunch of really tough games kind of throughout.
08:43 I mean, did you do anything different or what kind of was your philosophy looking
08:47 for games?
08:48 I think we had a lot of return games.
08:50 You know, Cincinnati came here to play last year, so we return up there.
08:56 DePaul, same thing as a return.
09:00 Always trying to when it's possible to keep a Bellarmine on our schedule.
09:05 You know, I think it's great when we can play each other being in town here.
09:11 Our Bucknell game was a game that we were able to add kind of late.
09:16 And we're going down to Houston to play in a tournament that we've got Alabama
09:20 and Liberty-Gonzaga, all three very good basketball teams at Ole Miss after that.
09:26 So no, it's going to be a challenging schedule for sure.
09:32 But I think what it's going to do is also help prepare us for ACC.
09:37 And that's – you don't want to be going into your conference schedule without
09:40 having played opponents who will resemble a little bit of people you're going
09:46 to play within your league.
09:47 And that's what I try to do.
09:48 I try to look at, okay, how do these teams play and how will that possibly
09:53 relate to someone we might play in the ACC?
09:57 Not to be too married to the stat sheet like you were talking about before,
10:00 but we saw it at the Global Jam with Sid, how lethal she can be from beyond the arc.
10:04 What makes her so great from back there?
10:06 Well, she makes them.
10:10 You know?
10:11 You know, it's kind of simple.
10:13 You know, with Sid, the one thing that we've talked to her about is just her
10:19 shot selection.
10:21 You know, she doesn't have to force a tough three.
10:24 When she's got her feet set and she's – and she shoots it, it's going in.
10:29 Even when she shoots her step back, she has a great side step three,
10:33 great step back, you know, but she doesn't have to rush it.
10:36 And those are the things I've challenged her with.
10:38 I think she shoots the ball well enough that she can be a 40% three-point
10:41 shooter.
10:43 And if you're doing that, you're making a statement.
10:48 Where she can get herself in trouble and get down into the low 30s is when you're
10:52 taking tough threes.
10:53 And I don't think she has to do that because of the kids she's going to have
10:57 around her.
10:59 You know, up there in Canada, I thought Kiki did a great job too of just being a
11:03 stat stuffer.
11:05 I think she let us an assist, she rebounds the ball, you know, and that's what
11:09 we're going to need from all of them.
11:12 You know, I've challenged Sid a little bit.
11:14 She averaged five boards a game last year at UMass.
11:17 She hasn't rebounded it well in practice.
11:19 She's not really going after them.
11:20 And I've got to have her do that because we're going to have to rebound the
11:24 basketball this season.
11:27 Coach Olivia was one of the shining stars on this team last year.
11:31 How's she looking so far in the early?
11:32 Who?
11:33 Olivia.
11:35 Olivia, she looks great.
11:36 O looks great.
11:37 She's in the best shape that she's been in the four years she's here.
11:42 She's spending time in the gym.
11:45 I'm really excited for her.
11:46 I'm really looking forward to seeing how she progresses throughout the season.
11:50 But I'm expecting some really good things.
11:53 It's like anything else.
11:54 It's not like you're going to roll out there and drop 25 your first game and
11:58 25 every game after that.
12:01 But I'm really excited for the work that she has put in.
12:06 And it's going to be fun to see how she progresses throughout the season.
12:11 I don't think Kassa has any more eligibility left.
12:13 Kass does not.
12:14 You know, she is – I tell people all the time,
12:18 everybody always will be like, man, God, you must be – he's hard to play for.
12:22 He's tough.
12:23 You know, he gets on you.
12:24 He's demanding.
12:25 Either I'm not as bad as people say I am at times, or Kassa's just stupid.
12:31 Because it's her sixth year.
12:33 I mean, she's been with me for six years.
12:35 She's starting 17, so she spent a third of her –
12:37 of my career with us here at Louisville.
12:40 You lose a defensive stopper there obviously.
12:42 Is there someone that can perhaps fill in that role?
12:46 Or is it more of a team thing this year?
12:48 It's going to be a team thing.
12:49 But I think if Lili Love can really embrace it,
12:54 she's got the ability to be a defensive stopper for us.
12:58 And she's 6'1", so she's got good size to her.
13:01 She can – she guarded the point at times up there in the Global Jams.
13:05 She can guard the point to a four.
13:08 Just really working on trying to continue to build her confidence.
13:13 You know, when one thing goes bad, she kind of struggles.
13:17 She'll let one thing turn into three.
13:19 And that's where I'm challenging her.
13:20 It's like, I'm not expecting perfection.
13:23 Nobody's expecting perfection.
13:24 And it's not going to happen.
13:26 But what you don't want to let happen is where one mistake all of a sudden,
13:28 it's okay, it happens.
13:30 Don't worry about it.
13:32 Make it up on the other end.
13:34 And making it up on the other end doesn't mean I have to get a steal.
13:39 It's playing good solid basketball.
13:41 I might make it up on the other end by being a good help side
13:44 so they can't throw a lob for an easy layup.
13:47 You know, the average fan might not see it, but I see it.
13:50 And that's going to keep you in the game.
13:52 So, that's been my talks with her because she's really shown some promise
13:57 and done some great things during our practice.
14:01 And then she'll have a five or ten minute stretch where she'll relapse
14:05 and I've got to get her back to where she knows
14:08 she can make a positive impact for us.
14:11 Kind of going off of that, how important was it to have her here last semester
14:14 so she's not quite as new as some of the other ones?
14:16 But, you know, just learning the system
14:18 and being able to maybe be that leader for you guys this season?
14:20 No, it's always nice when they get the opportunity
14:23 for at least a semester if they can.
14:25 You know, they don't redshirt anymore when they transfer in normally.
14:30 But to just see how things are done here.
14:32 See what the expectations are.
14:33 You know, for her I think it was really neat because, you know,
14:37 we start off the year, you know, whatever we were
14:40 and everybody's like the world's coming to an end.
14:44 And then she saw like, hey man, they're expected to win here.
14:48 This is kind of the way this works.
14:50 And then, like I said, at the beginning of the year
14:53 we started playing better basketball,
14:55 we started to move the ball better.
14:56 And then we go on our run there the last month of the season
15:00 and all of a sudden you're playing in a lead eight game to go to the final four.
15:05 So she had the opportunity to see that, which I think is great.
15:09 And the Global Jam, us being able to have ten days of practice in the summer
15:13 helped with the other ones as well.
15:15 Because they were able to see, okay, this is how they practice,
15:18 this is the expectations that are here.
15:21 So it's been great.
15:23 Nala had such a great season as a freshman for being newcomer.
15:27 Where did you try to get her to work on in the offseason?
15:31 And has she done that?
15:32 She has.
15:33 She has really worked on her 15-foot jump shot.
15:36 It looks good.
15:38 I told her last year when she would take a free throw line jumper,
15:43 I'd normally try and say a prayer.
15:47 And now when she's shooting it, before it leaves her hand,
15:50 I'm like, it's going in, she's making it.
15:53 And that's because of the time she spent in the gym.
15:56 She's worked at it, she's got a great work ethic, she's a great kid.
16:01 She's a joy to be around.
16:03 I just told her the other day, I just want to see her smile more.
16:08 You know, just to make sure you're enjoying the whole process.
16:13 I want them to not only love the basketball part of it,
16:15 but I want them to love the entire college experience.
16:18 Because it goes by so fast.
16:19 You know, Olivia Cochran is a senior, Marissa Russell is a senior.
16:23 Sure, you can look back and be like, man I love basketball,
16:25 God we had some great times together.
16:28 But I want them to love the whole college experience.
16:31 Our city has so much to offer, I want them to get out and enjoy it.
16:37 Because before you know it, it's the real world.
16:40 Just enjoy this while you can and make the most of it.
16:43 And I think a lot of them are.
16:47 Coach, who has stood out to you the most?
16:49 And how important to you is it to have players
16:52 be able to make in-game adjustments themselves?
16:55 Well, I've been really impressed with all of them at times.
16:59 I think Nina Rickards has really, really played well.
17:04 She had a great tournament up there in the Global Jam, she's practiced well.
17:11 So excited to see how that translates into our games.
17:16 You know, she averaged 12 points a game at Florida,
17:18 so she's played in the SEC, she's played against some really good teams.
17:24 It's all – O, Nyla, Sid, they've all had good weeks.
17:30 Jada Curry's one that the past week and a half
17:33 I've been really pleased with how she's started to attack
17:36 and starting to play with some more confidence.
17:40 You know, it's the one thing, I tell her to shoot the ball,
17:42 I'm like, Jada shoot it.
17:43 No coach ever had to tell me to shoot.
17:45 They told me once, they weren't telling me twice.
17:48 You know, and she's such a good shooter, I need her to look to be more of a scorer.
17:52 So, and I've talked to her about it, I'm like it's on you now
17:55 because I've given you the green light, attack.
17:58 Attack, attack, if someone picks you up, they run too at you,
18:02 then get off the ball, get somebody involved.
18:04 But really impressed with all of them, it's going to be a fun year.
18:11 Isosa, red shirt?
18:13 She is a red shirt for sure, yes.
18:14 What have you seen with her?
18:16 And then can you give us an update on Elif?
18:18 Is she, do you know, is she eligible?
18:21 We are waiting still for the NCAA to come back
18:26 to give her final clearance to play.
18:29 She's able to practice.
18:31 We've sent all the documentation into them.
18:36 So yeah, I mean, Elif, as I've learned, I used to call her Elif, now it's Ayliff.
18:42 She's a sweetheart, she's a really talented basketball player.
18:47 You know, I told her in the recruiting process,
18:49 I said I won't even attempt to pronounce your last name.
18:54 Then everybody said, well that's kind of rude.
18:55 I'm like, well being a stutterer, there's no way in the world
18:58 I would be able to get that out.
19:00 So I just say, Ayliff, it's what we're going with.
19:04 And she's great, her family was great in the entire recruiting process.
19:09 So it was something she never even thought about coming to the States.
19:12 We were the only school to talk to her.
19:16 It was kind of like, I didn't even think it was an opportunity for her.
19:19 Now her sister played at Siena, but her sister came over here for high school.
19:24 So, Ayliff never even thought about it.
19:28 And then all of a sudden I had the opportunity to see her play
19:31 in the under 20 European Championships and was just so impressed.
19:35 I was like, hey it's worth a phone call.
19:38 So yeah, so we are waiting on the final clearance for her.
19:43 Outside of Ayliff, you don't have a true freshman on the roster?
19:46 Did it just kind of just shake out like that?
19:48 Was it by design? How did that happen?
19:50 No, it's just how it happens.
19:51 I mean, you're sitting here, it's like everybody's like,
19:54 oh you just recruit the portal.
19:55 No I don't.
19:56 What's happened is, when you're recruiting high school now,
20:00 instead of having player one, you know, you got player A, B, C, D in the past.
20:07 You might go four deep.
20:08 I'm looking for player A.
20:10 OK, and if you're trying to fill five spots, so if you've got a one through five,
20:15 if I get player, if my A player is my point guard, then you know what?
20:19 I might take B or C as my two guard, because I got A as my point.
20:24 And then my three is B, four is A.
20:29 Well, five I might take as my fourth option, if that was the fourth one.
20:34 It doesn't mean they're bad.
20:36 They just might need a little more work.
20:38 Well, now with the portal, you're really only going two or three deep normally.
20:43 Because kids want to play now also.
20:46 They want to come in as freshmen and play.
20:48 Well, player D, my fourth choice was a kid that was going
20:52 to need maybe a year developing.
20:55 Well, a lot of them are like, if I'm not going to play,
20:57 this isn't what I want to do.
21:00 And I don't like it, it's just reality.
21:01 But they'll go play someplace in a mid-major, someplace else.
21:06 All of a sudden, they're first team all conference, freshman of the year.
21:10 And then they're in the portal.
21:11 I've got friends who recruit going, listen, you come here,
21:21 you'll be first team all league by your sophomore year,
21:24 and then go in the portal if you want.
21:28 Which in some ways, it's a brilliant idea.
21:31 But it's hard, because then every two years, you're looking for somebody else.
21:35 So it just happened that way.
21:36 Because for this year's freshman class, the 24 class, so next year's,
21:43 I'm hoping to sign four or five kids.
21:46 Well, I sign those four or five, that's great.
21:50 I don't know who's transferring until April, May.
21:53 So it's impossible to say, well, I'm not going
21:55 to sign any high school kids this year, because I'm
21:57 going to get four out of the portal.
21:59 Well, what happens if nobody good goes in the portal?
22:03 So it just happened.
22:07 And for us, to be honest with you, I've said it all along,
22:10 and I'll keep saying, I'm going to be shocked.
22:12 I think the portal's got one more year of being very active.
22:16 That's because Olivia Cocker and Marissa Russell,
22:19 that class is the last COVID class that gets a free year.
22:24 If you go through all of our transfers, I
22:27 think we've had maybe 12 in the past three years.
22:30 I think either eight or nine of them would have never
22:32 been able to transfer if it wasn't for COVID,
22:35 because they used all four years of their eligibility up.
22:39 You're looking at Sydney Taylor here, Nina Ricketts, Kiki,
22:43 are three right there that would have never
22:46 been able to transfer if it wasn't for COVID.
22:48 They played four years.
22:49 Look, there's always somebody who's late.
22:53 I mean, someone-- they're both late.
22:56 It's shocking.
22:59 Is that because you guys had Jude's bones outfit
23:02 on this morning?
23:04 Were you practicing on the green screen as well?
23:08 Which is a huge hit for--
23:09 I mean, Halloween day in the Walls house,
23:12 my kids fly out of their bed to come with mom and dad
23:15 so they can see what kind of outfit
23:17 Jude's going to have on for when he does his weather.
23:21 Oh, yeah.
23:21 It's big time.
23:23 Just keep talking.
23:24 You're working on all the problems.
23:26 There you go.
23:27 All right, perfect.
23:29 You were just talking about recruiting.
23:32 And I know you can't mention any names,
23:34 but you've got a couple of weeks to go.
23:35 Are you excited about where things are?
23:38 Because you guys have been pretty busy.
23:40 Yeah.
23:40 Oh, no, we've been extremely busy.
23:42 Yes, I'm thrilled with the commitments
23:45 that we currently have.
23:46 And I'm looking forward to hopefully getting two more,
23:50 possibly three.
23:52 We'll just see how it all shakes out here.
23:55 I mean, the last week here, week and a half,
23:59 and there's a few--
23:59 one that I think will sign late.
24:02 So we're just going to go through that recruiting process
24:05 and wait on that.
24:07 But I'm pretty sure everybody else that we're recruiting
24:09 is planning on signing early.
24:11 So we should know more here in the next week.
24:14 Women's basketball is coming off a season that didn't just
24:16 have the most watched national championship game,
24:18 but the most watched Elite Eight, Sweet 16,
24:21 so on, so forth.
24:22 I guess, how special is it to be a player in such a big boom
24:25 for the sport at the moment?
24:26 I think it's great.
24:27 I think what's special about us here at Louisville
24:32 is it's been going on here for 10 years.
24:37 We've always been the top two or three
24:39 in the country in attendance.
24:41 So our players know what it's like.
24:43 But for women's basketball in general, I think it's great.
24:48 And again, I don't always say what everybody likes,
24:52 but there was a little controversy
24:55 with the NCAA tournament, with the hand in the face,
24:59 point--
25:00 that's what people love.
25:02 They show a little personality.
25:04 It's OK.
25:06 But unfortunately, there are some that are like, oh, no, no.
25:08 We need to--
25:10 if I knock you down, I'm going to stop, pick you up,
25:12 say I'm so sorry.
25:13 I didn't mean it.
25:13 Would you like the ball back?
25:16 But no, we need a little controversy.
25:19 We need these players to be able to show their personalities
25:22 on the court.
25:23 Because I promise you, off the court,
25:24 they're wonderful young ladies.
25:27 On the court, let them show a little bit.
25:29 They block a shot, let them tell them to get that out of here.
25:33 I mean, it's OK.
25:35 Now, I don't want them to get up right up in their face,
25:37 stand over top of them, straddle them.
25:39 No, you've crossed the line.
25:41 But let them have a little bit of personality.
25:43 The casual viewer is going to stop and watch.
25:46 Like, man, this game, look at this game.
25:48 It's getting good.
25:50 There's nothing wrong.
25:52 And you saw more of that, which I can say,
25:57 I think it was right there with why more interest.
26:02 You start seeing more people watch.
26:03 Like, OK, what could happen in this game?
26:06 Not like it's WWE, but it made it exciting.
26:11 So I'm hoping for another exciting season.
26:16 I want players again.
26:17 I always tell our kids, there's a fine line
26:20 between being confident and arrogant.
26:24 I don't want our kids to be arrogant,
26:25 but I want to be confident.
26:27 I want them-- you knock down three.
26:29 If you want to put your three fingers up, whatever you do,
26:32 that's great.
26:33 But now, don't miss your next six.
26:37 Before I start doing stuff, I'd make sure I can back it up.
26:41 [LAUGHTER]
26:41 But yeah, I mean, the viewership was great.
26:46 Jeff, you mentioned giving Jada the green light
26:48 to shoot, saying that Sydney has a potential
26:50 to be 40% from three.
26:52 I guess when you have so many different options,
26:54 what's that process like right now of trying to figure out
26:57 who gets the ball in what situations,
26:58 and knowing how they can contribute in other areas
27:01 as well?
27:02 Well, there's not really a who gets the ball when and where.
27:07 I think the games and the situations,
27:10 the flow of the game will take care of itself.
27:13 What's going to happen, and what we've always talked about here,
27:17 when we had Emily, you've got Kiana, just a list of kids
27:24 that we've had that have played together.
27:26 I mean, Emily was the fourth pick in the draft,
27:28 and I think she averaged 14 points a game.
27:30 Kiana was, for early second round draft pick, averaged 12.
27:34 You don't have to score 20 a night.
27:36 But if you can show that you can play with other good players,
27:39 that's what they want to see after college,
27:43 because everybody is good.
27:44 And I think that's what our players are realizing.
27:47 Like, hey, I can probably average close to what
27:49 I scored at my last school.
27:51 I'm just not going to have to take 22 shots.
27:55 Now, all of a sudden, I might be able to go 7 for 12,
27:59 because I'm getting easier shots.
28:01 And I think that's what they're all starting to see,
28:03 they're starting to realize.
28:05 And then we always talk a lot here about--
28:08 it's trying to make sure your friends and everybody
28:10 in their circle knows--
28:12 stop worrying about the number of points you score.
28:14 How many do you account for?
28:17 How many points do you account for?
28:18 If I get an offensive rebound, and then we
28:21 get an extra possession, I throw it out,
28:24 and then my point guard throws it to somebody else,
28:26 and they score, OK, I don't get an assist for it.
28:29 I get an offensive board.
28:30 But the reason we got that 3 is because I
28:33 got the offensive board.
28:34 So I like to go through the stats,
28:35 go, OK, you accounted for 3 right there.
28:37 You've got 6 assists.
28:40 Well, now you've accounted for 15 points,
28:42 even though you were 1 for 4.
28:45 You still had a huge impact on the game.
28:47 And that's what I try to make sure our kids understand.
28:50 Even if I set a great screen, we'll go through the film.
28:54 I might get my teammate open by setting a great screen.
28:56 Nobody-- listen, nobody's screaming and hollering,
28:59 you know, great screen, OK?
29:02 But if that's what allowed us to score,
29:04 then you've accounted for that.
29:06 You've helped account for that 3.
29:08 So I put those into a stat so our kids understand
29:13 there's value, a lot of value, in other things
29:18 than just scoring a basketball.
29:20 So I think a lot of these players
29:21 are starting to see that they can have such a huge impact,
29:25 and it doesn't just have to be putting the ball in the basket.
29:28 Coach, with the conference expansion
29:29 right around the corner, some of your thoughts
29:31 about the teams coming in?
29:32 Yeah, I mean, you're adding three really good schools.
29:37 You've got Stanford, Cal, SMU.
29:41 You know, obviously, we've played Stanford before.
29:45 I couldn't tell you much about either of them
29:48 right now in terms of what their basketball teams are.
29:52 Just because I'm-- you know, if we play them,
29:54 we're going to play them in the NCAA tournament.
29:58 So I don't start worrying about following a team.
30:02 But it's just, I mean, we're going
30:04 to get the chance to go out west probably once every other year.
30:07 I think-- I don't know for sure, but I
30:10 would think that we would do that trip
30:12 and play both of them in the same trip.
30:15 So it's not a huge impact for us.
30:20 Getting down to SMU is simple, direct flights.
30:24 So yeah, I mean, it's going to be fun,
30:27 because we'll see how scheduling all shakes out for years
30:31 to come.
30:32 You said about points, you're replacing a prolific scorer
30:35 in Haley.
30:36 Is it by committee?
30:37 Or is-- and also, how do you replace that go-to scorer
30:40 down the stretch like she was?
30:42 Well, I think you've got Jada.
30:43 You've got Sid.
30:45 Scoring the basketball is not going
30:47 to be something I think we're going
30:49 to have a bunch of trouble with.
30:52 Coming up with some stops, rebounding the ball
30:56 are the two areas that I really want to see us get better in.
31:00 Now, I'm not saying we're going to drop 100 points a night.
31:05 And there might be a game or two where the ball doesn't
31:08 go in the basket.
31:09 But I think we're going to be able to get good looks.
31:13 But yeah, it's the next one up.
31:17 Every player-- and I've said it since I've been here-- every
31:19 player wants more responsibility every year.
31:22 If you only played eight minutes, I want to play 20.
31:25 And then when you get to play that 20,
31:28 sometimes you're like, oh, shit.
31:29 Really, I'll take 12.
31:32 Because it's more than you want.
31:35 It looks easy until you get out there to do it.
31:39 So I'm excited because some players are going
31:42 to have more responsibility now.
31:44 And now we're going to find out how do they handle it.
31:46 But I'm excited because we do have some that have played
31:50 and had that at the schools that they've come from.
31:53 You mentioned at the tip off, this is year 17.
31:57 When you look at it and think about that
32:00 and where you come from the day you were interviewed until now,
32:06 what are the thoughts that come through your mind?
32:08 And then as a little follow up, to have Steph here with you
32:10 that whole time, the continuity has had to help, hasn't it?
32:13 No, I'll talk about Steph first.
32:14 Steph's amazing.
32:17 There's not a better person that I can say I've been around.
32:23 Just as a friend, as someone who you can count on.
32:29 What I appreciate about Steph is Steph and her husband Jeff
32:34 and her family, they have their own life too.
32:37 And I can honestly say in 17 years,
32:39 we've probably gone out maybe twice for dinner.
32:43 Because I'm running around with my wife and my kids.
32:46 She's got hers.
32:48 And it's like, we don't need to see each other after work.
32:50 We have such a great bond and relationship at work.
32:54 Now at night, if I need to call her about recruiting, great.
32:57 And we've done staff stuff.
32:58 But I'm just saying individually.
33:02 But she's brought a ton of knowledge
33:06 from the recruiting side of things.
33:08 When I first hired her, she's really good at communicating
33:12 with the players.
33:14 Yeah, it's been great.
33:16 Steph's been amazing.
33:18 And I hope she'll continue to stay here for as long
33:21 as they'll have us here.
33:23 And then 17 years, it really is something
33:29 I never thought would happen.
33:31 I mean, this really is a profession
33:33 that you try to get out before they get you out.
33:36 It's everybody wants instant.
33:40 It's you got to win now.
33:43 And we were fortunate when we took over this program
33:47 that Tom Collin-- and I've said it all the time--
33:49 Tom had a nice ball club in here.
33:50 They had Angel McCautry.
33:52 It's not like I wasn't replacing someone
33:55 who got fired because they lost a bunch of ballgames.
33:59 Tom Collin took the head coaching job at Arkansas.
34:03 That allowed me to come in.
34:04 Now, did we have to change some things?
34:06 Did we do some different things?
34:08 Yes.
34:09 I'll never forget after our first Final Four in '09,
34:12 I mean, I called Tom and congratulated him, Tom Collin.
34:15 I was like, hey, you had as much to do with this
34:18 as anybody out here.
34:20 Because Angel McCautry was here.
34:22 Candice Bingham was here.
34:23 Des Bird, they had recruited.
34:25 And Tom was great, though.
34:26 And he really appreciated it.
34:27 But he was funny.
34:28 He's like, yeah, but I hadn't planned on Des Bird
34:31 being my point guard.
34:33 And I didn't count on Candice to be a four.
34:37 So he may have had different ideas of where
34:39 he may have played people, but he
34:41 had a huge part of getting some of these kids here.
34:44 And then year three was our year where I think we were 14 and 18.
34:50 We played in the--
34:51 God, I think it was a WBI lost in the first round.
34:55 I laughed because we had--
34:57 Monique Reed was inducted into our Hall of Fame here.
35:01 She's a first player from our first official recruiting
35:05 class.
35:05 Obviously, we coached Angel, who's been inducted.
35:08 But Mo was our first recruit.
35:10 And I said, Mo, you realize the highlights
35:12 they're showing up there.
35:13 One of them is against Bradley, which we lost in the WBI.
35:16 So I'm not sure who picked that highlight out for you.
35:22 But no, and then we've just been able to continue
35:25 to build things.
35:26 And what I take so much pride in is when Tom Juric, when
35:31 we sat down at the Marriott, he told me,
35:33 he goes, I don't want a good basketball team
35:36 once every four years.
35:38 He goes, I want to have a program
35:40 that people can be proud of.
35:42 And I think we've done a pretty good job of having a program
35:47 here that people can be proud of.
35:49 Do we want to win a national championship?
35:51 Yes.
35:53 That is our goal.
35:55 But you know what?
35:56 That's not a goal at probably more than 15 to 20 programs.
36:02 Reality.
36:04 Because you just don't roll out there and be like, hey,
36:07 I think we'll go to the Final Four this year.
36:10 I mean, it takes a little luck.
36:12 You got to get a good draw.
36:14 There's a lot that's involved in it.
36:17 And then what makes this sport so much fun is--
36:22 and football, for the fact that it's not a best of seven
36:26 series.
36:28 The best team does not always win the national championship.
36:32 It's a team that played the best that night.
36:35 Your best team can get beat in the Sweet 16
36:38 in the whole tournament.
36:39 But then they're out.
36:40 But that's what makes March Madness March Madness.
36:43 That's why it's so much fun.
36:44 That's why people turn on that damn TV
36:46 and sit in front of it and scream when all of a sudden
36:51 a 16 seed upsets a one.
36:54 And it's like, I mean, golly, how did that happen?
36:57 But that's what I love about this job.
37:02 I've said it.
37:02 I'm going to stay here until they either fire me
37:06 or I retire.
37:09 Because this is home.
37:11 This is home.
37:12 This is where I'm going to stay.
37:14 And we're just going to keep grinding
37:17 to hopefully one season be that last team standing.
37:21 Anybody else, guys?
37:26 I mean, for those that came in late, you got anything?
37:28 [LAUGHTER]
37:31 I got one.
37:33 After a year or so, however long it's been,
37:36 what's the current state of NIL when you're out there?
37:40 How important is it?
37:41 How quickly does it come up?
37:43 NIL probably comes up within the first 10 minutes
37:47 of a conversation.
37:50 After you've established that relationship.
37:52 When I make a first phone call to a kid, it's not, all right,
37:55 what's NIL?
37:56 But when you get them on an official visit,
37:58 they're sitting down.
37:59 Yeah, it's ass.
38:02 And they should.
38:03 They're foolishing away if they don't.
38:05 They're allowed to.
38:08 I tell people all the time, the misconception with NIL
38:12 is I think a lot of people think, man,
38:14 these kids are spoiled.
38:15 They're just getting money.
38:17 It's not the way it is here.
38:19 If our young ladies receive NIL, they're doing something for it.
38:24 We do not give out handouts.
38:27 They have to get out in the community.
38:29 They've got to perform something.
38:31 It's just the way it is.
38:34 I mean, I saw online--
38:35 there are things that go on that I don't know.
38:38 I think it's Olivia and Kiki are going down to the Lucky Cat
38:43 Cafe on Saturday from 4 to 6 to take some pictures.
38:48 And I guess pet cats.
38:49 But it's like that was part of an NIL thing for them
38:55 to go and to help bring publicity to the Lucky Cat
38:58 Cafe.
39:00 They're not just getting money to do nothing.
39:04 And we've worked really hard on educating our student athletes
39:09 on making sure they understand, first off, taxes.
39:12 Because you're not getting taxes taken out up front.
39:15 It's a 1099, boom, you're getting paid.
39:19 And then investing, how to save money.
39:24 You've got players all over the country.
39:27 We were just happy to graduate and not owe anything
39:30 for college.
39:31 Now you've got players who are going
39:32 to have thousands of dollars with the possibility
39:34 to put away to possibly set themselves up.
39:39 And that's what I think a lot of people don't understand.
39:42 I promise you, we're not just throwing money at them.
39:45 And they're like, let's go.
39:46 I'm putting my pockets.
39:48 I'm going to the mall.
39:49 They work for everything they are earning.
39:53 And it's actually fun to watch, to see some smiles on the face
39:58 when they're able to go out and they can buy a birthday
40:01 present for a sibling.
40:04 We think about when you're a college, normally before NIL,
40:08 you were able to receive money to help you for food,
40:11 your clothing, not even really clothing.
40:13 You had food.
40:14 There wasn't much incidental money.
40:17 Well, now they're able to earn some of that from NIL.
40:20 And they can do things for their family.
40:23 And that, to me, are the things that people don't see.
40:27 They just see, oh my god, they're getting more money.
40:32 But it is important.
40:33 It is really important.
40:35 I appreciate our 502 Circle for the work
40:40 that our collective has done, because you are competing.
40:47 You've mentioned a couple of times
40:48 here and at the kickoff luncheon about having a stutter.
40:51 How hard was that for you to overcome in life
40:53 and overcoming that adversity?
40:55 How do you implicate or put that towards your coaching?
40:59 It's been something I've lived with my entire life.
41:02 I went to speech class from probably first grade
41:04 to eighth grade at least two or three times a week.
41:09 I'd applied for several head coaching jobs.
41:12 And I could never get past a phone interview.
41:15 My stutter's gotten a ton better.
41:16 I think the ones that have been here the whole time
41:18 can tell you.
41:20 My press conference when I got hired,
41:22 I had some good friends that are now
41:25 elsewhere within our profession.
41:27 They work with us.
41:28 I won't say their names, because they'll get upset with me.
41:31 But after getting to know them, becoming good friends,
41:34 they're like, man, Walsh, I thought we hired Bozo the Clown.
41:37 It's like, what the hell?
41:39 I mean, because if you went back, if you pulled up
41:41 my press conference, if you went back on YouTube
41:44 and pulled up my press conference when I got hired here,
41:46 it was awful, absolutely awful.
41:48 We were at Cardinal Arena in the lobby.
41:52 And it was like 110 degrees, at least how it felt to me.
41:55 I was sweating through my suit, stuttering up a storm.
41:58 It was terrible.
41:59 I couldn't get finished fast enough.
42:02 But I could never get past a phone interview.
42:04 I truly couldn't.
42:06 And I was just really, really fortunate
42:08 that Tom gave me an opportunity and Julie Herman, where
42:13 they were just like, come for a visit.
42:15 Much better when I get to see a face.
42:17 Talking on the phone, I don't know if you're paying attention.
42:21 I don't know what you're doing.
42:23 But when I can see you, I at least
42:25 get some body language, eye contact, and it's easier for me.
42:29 And then I've gotten to a point I just don't care,
42:34 which has made it easier for me.
42:36 Because when you're sitting here worrying about,
42:40 am I going to get this next word out?
42:41 Forget sentence, because I know what I'm going to stutter.
42:45 Because I know when I'm coming to a word,
42:47 I know when I'm going to stutter.
42:48 I've gone down to our speech pathology lab.
42:51 And the first few times I've been down there,
42:53 that I've gone, they're like, you're
42:55 one of the best word changers that we've talked to.
43:00 My first few years, what I used to laugh at,
43:02 and I used to have to get our GAs within our sports
43:07 information department, when they would dictate your press
43:11 conference and put down everything, I'm like, guys,
43:13 you don't have to put me stuttering.
43:16 I'm like, can you give me a break?
43:18 Like, just-- I know I did, but can you
43:21 take the one basketball out?
43:23 And I only need to say it once.
43:27 But see, what I've done for myself, and some people--
43:30 I've gotten some good emails from people
43:32 and some interesting ones.
43:33 I'm all about laughing.
43:36 I am a huge believer.
43:37 If you can't make fun of yourself,
43:38 who can you make fun of?
43:41 And I will tell you, because when I knew 17 years ago
43:49 that I had these kids, and when I mean I had these kids,
43:51 that I knew they trusted me and they believed me as a coach,
43:54 was on my birthday.
43:55 And I've still got the card upstairs.
43:58 They-- Patrika Barlow brought down a manila envelope
44:04 because they were too cheap to buy me a card.
44:07 They cut it off, 1F, and they wrote on it.
44:10 And it said, happy 36th birthday.
44:12 And they all signed it.
44:13 But they said-- they handed it to me,
44:15 and Patrika took two steps back and said,
44:17 now you have to read it out loud.
44:19 I said, OK.
44:20 Well, I looked at that card, and it-- happy 36.
44:23 And it was spelled H-A-P-P-P-P-P-Y,
44:27 like I was stuttering.
44:28 And I sat there, and I laughed, and they laughed,
44:31 but I knew right then.
44:32 I was like, I got him.
44:34 Because they knew I'm vulnerable, too.
44:36 It's OK.
44:37 Because I am the one-- when you miss a shot,
44:39 when you airball a shot, I'm the first one
44:41 to yell across that court, just hit the rim for us, babe.
44:45 We get a half a point.
44:46 Hit the rim.
44:48 But that, to me, is what it's all about.
44:50 You have to be comfortable in your own skin.
44:52 And has it been a challenge?
44:54 Yes.
44:56 I never thought I'd do things like this,
44:59 get in front of a camera.
45:01 It's much easier now for me.
45:03 Halftimes used to be terrible.
45:06 You know, NCA won't like it, but I got fined.
45:11 But I won my case when we played in the Sweet 16,
45:15 because I also cuss a little bit.
45:18 If you've ever seen King--
45:19 I think it's King George III, the movie.
45:21 If you've never learned anything or seen anything
45:24 about stuttering, I'm telling you, watch it.
45:26 It is exactly what stuttering is.
45:29 If I put a headphone on where I can't hear myself,
45:31 I do not stutter.
45:32 If I sing, I do not stutter.
45:34 But you don't want to hear that.
45:35 That's bad.
45:37 I was asked to quit the church youth choir.
45:40 Was told to join the Bells, my own brothers.
45:43 That's how bad that was, because I'm bad.
45:46 And then if you cuss, you don't stutter.
45:48 You don't.
45:50 Never.
45:51 I promise you, ever.
45:52 So like in the middle of the game,
45:53 when I'm trying to get something out, I might use a word.
45:57 Well, all of a sudden, after the NCAA tournament,
46:00 I get a letter saying I've been fined.
46:04 Because my language in the timeout--
46:08 and then for another thing I won't even get into,
46:10 because it was so hideously ridiculous.
46:13 But so I just told him, I said, listen, I've got a stutter.
46:16 Americans with a disability.
46:19 I'm a stutterer.
46:20 Now you're trying to tell me that I can't use word--
46:24 I've only got 30 seconds.
46:25 So I said, why don't you give me 45?
46:28 The other coach gets 30.
46:31 And then we're fair.
46:32 So my fine went from like $3,000 to zero.
46:36 Because they're like, yeah, we're OK.
46:38 But it is what it is.
46:40 So like in timeout sometimes, it is funny,
46:43 because my players will not get excited.
46:45 They'll be like, coach, relax.
46:46 You're good.
46:47 You're good.
46:48 So I can get out what I want to say.
46:51 But I've enjoyed it, because I've not hidden behind it.
46:55 I want people to know.
46:56 Because there are a lot of people out there that stutter,
46:59 who have reached out.
47:01 And I've had the opportunity to share my story.
47:04 Because it's not very often you get someone sitting in a seat
47:08 that I'm in who does have a stutter, who's
47:10 overcome what I've come-- because I promise you,
47:12 it used to be really bad.
47:15 I mean, they used to dread having
47:17 to call me to be on the radio.
47:20 It was like, oh, crap, it's Walls again.
47:22 Here we go.
47:23 Ask Drew Deener.
47:24 He'll tell you all of them.
47:26 And now it's better.
47:27 Now I just don't worry about it.
47:29 But it's part of life.
47:31 And when you can sit there and I can share my story,
47:35 then there's kids out there that are like, OK, if he can do it,
47:39 why can't I?
47:41 Yeah, it's been fun.
47:43 Anybody else?
47:46 You guys are always awesome, I'm telling you.
47:47 What do you want to follow in?
47:51 Well, every year we get dressed up.
47:56 And this year, it's the Peter Pan theme.
48:00 Concerned with the 39 degrees and the green tights.
48:03 [LAUGHTER]
48:06 Could be a little bit of an interesting evening.
48:08 And we've-- like, are you kidding me?
48:10 Because the Walls family goes all out.
48:12 Like, it's themed every year.
48:15 And I'm like, at 39 with a little wind chill,
48:19 are you kidding me?
48:20 Could we not at least get 55?
48:22 So yes, we will put out some pictures.
48:25 It's one of the things I'm not--
48:27 social media I do OK with, not great.
48:29 But we will put out our Halloween themed outfits.
48:34 Yes.
48:34 Thank you, everybody.
48:35 You guys are awesome.
48:36 I appreciate you, as always.
48:40 Make sure we turn things off.