Men's Basketball Conducts First Official Preseason Practice
Sep 26, 2019 | Men's Basketball
PHOTO GALLERY
NEW ORLEANS - The next phase of the Ron Hunter era began Thursday afternoon inside the Hertz Center, as the Tulane men's basketball team conducted its first official team practice ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Hunter, who was named the program's new head coach in late March, has led his teams to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last five seasons while his 445 career wins make him the winningest coach to ever lead the Green Wave.
The Green Wave's roster features the return of letterwinners Ray Ona Embo, Buay Koka and Kevin Zhang who lead a crop of 10 newcomers including Ibrahim Ali (Arkansas), Teshaun Hightower (Georgia), K.J. Lawson (Kansas), Nic Thomas (Norfolk State), Christion Thompson (Rhode Island) and Jordan Walker (Seton Hall). Tulane's freshman core comprises Nobal Days, R.J. McGee, Tylan Pope and Charlie Russell Jr.
HUNTER QUOTES
Opening Statement…
Well, we all have been waiting for this day for a long time. It seems like I've been here five years already, we put a lot of work in, I love the team that we've got and we are ready to get started. We talked about a slogan about something to prove and this today becomes the day that we back that up, right now.
On the low expectations outside the program…
Well, there are many expectations inside the program. Again, as I've said in my press conference and as I've said every day that I've been here: I did not come here to win five games, I did not come here to, you know, better the program and let's say this year let's just see what happens. Again, we will be disappointed if we are not playing in the NCAA tournament. That's always going to be our goal here. These guys have worked really hard, again this is a brand new basketball team. I'm excited because I've been coaching a long time and I've ever done anything like this. What I mean by that is, basically have a brand new team with guys who have never played with each other, so this is fun for me. But there are high expectations inside this basketball program and will always be as long as I'm the head coach here.
On his conversations with Ray and Zhang about coming back…
Well, it's funny. With both of those guys, one is from France and one is from China. They didn't understand anything I said anyway, so it really didn't matter. But one of the things that internationally everyone can understand is winning and both of those young men want to win. So it starts with that, they are really the only holdovers from that team. They're both talented young men that will really fit in well with a lot of the new guys. So, the new guys that we wanted to bring in, we wanted to bring in guys who have been to the NCAA tournament, not the coaches but the players, who have won conference championships. We want to bring players like that in. We were able to accomplish that and it's not just something that the coaches are talking about, these are also guys that have come here, whether it's for one year or two years that have also been at a program where they won.
On the trend of graduate transfers being important…
It is and it has to be. If you look at what's going on, even Carolina and Duke and some of the other programs, everybody is taking transfers now. It's just the way it goes now and if you don't adapt to it then you are going to be one of those programs that struggles. I built a program at Georgia State based on transfers and we were able to win immediately based on that. We take that same program and we are going to do the same thing here. Not that we won't recruit high school people, but we've got to take transfers at Tulane. If you look at our conference, Houston got their thing rolling because of their transfers, so that will be part of what we do. I wanted to start with this because I wanted to infuse a winning attitude, I wanted to change the culture immediately. I didn't want to wait 24 months to say, "you know what we are finally here". I think we have been able to do that right away.
On the University academically jiving with the transfers…
The University is great, and that's not going to change. A Tulane education is in my opinion the best in the country so I get a little bit upset when they say we can't do that with basketball. They are enough kids that are like me, that are in this city, in this country that can come to Tulane. Graduate, be a productive part of what we are doing here and still be great students. I think that's a cop out when they use the academics at Tulane. I think it's a huge cop out and that's not something we are going to worry about or talk about.
On figuring out how tough this current group is…
They are going to find out in five minutes. When we practice, I get into it now! So that is going to happen in the first five minutes. These guys, we've talked about it. Basketball is about winning, football is about winning and I know what our football program is doing, but we are not trying to change anything, all we want to do is do what people have been doing and that is winning. I don't know what happened here before, I still have not seen one tape of Tulane last year. I have no idea what happened here, I told the GA's and our video people to get rid of it. I don't know what happened, I couldn't care less. People keep bringing it up, but that is not my issue anymore. My issue is what happens today, and today this is about a winning program, that is the only thing that matters.
On if Tulane has scheduled winnable games to start the season…
Man, I will schedule us against the Sisters of the Poor, I will schedule the homeless. I've talked to five homeless guys and tried to put uniforms on them to come in here and play. I couldn't care less who we play, we need to win and we are going to win. So if you walk in and see these homeless people coming in with jerseys on and Nike shoes, that's because I want to play them. If they want to play, we'll play. That doesn't mean we won't play a school in Baton Rouge. If you want to play, we'll play. We'll come down there and play, you come here, we don't care. At the end of the day we will play anybody, anytime, anywhere. If it happens to be the Sisters of the Poor, you might just have to get beat up that day! We will pray for you, we will bless you but then after that we are going to beat you up. That just how it's going to roll here at Tulane.
On if he has talked to Will Wade about playing…
No man, I'm more worried about Tulane. But Will, you're my guy man, I love you, but let's play. Let's get this over with Will, let's play a game. I'll come, as a matter of fact let's do this: I will meet you at Lake Pontchartrain. We will put a court on Lake Pontchartrain, let's play right now! No media, just your guys against my guys. Five on five, let's hoop it up and let's just find out. That's what we'll do, so that's my invitation to Will. I love you Will. Let's go play! And let's do it right now, I'm okay with that.
On if he has spoken to anyone at U of H after his proclamation back in the spring…
I have talked to my good old buddy, and I don't want to call him old because we are not far from the same age. In seriousness, I have talked to what Kelvin Sampson has done because I think what he did at Houston is what we want to do here. He took over a program that was at the bottom, he fixed it up and now look where they are at. So that is what we want to do. I'm not trying to do just do what other people have done, but there is a school, I've always said, I want to go in, we are the new kid on the block so you don't pick on the ones that are down here, you pick on the ones at the top. And Houston happens to be at the top, so I can't wait for that day. The last time I coached a game was against the University of Houston, so I'm really looking forward to it. Not to say that the football program the other day didn't make me want to have a little fun with that, I actually had to send my friend a nice little message with that, having football beat Houston made it an enjoyable weekend for me.
On if schools are going to target Tulane now…
I have no problem with that. If you want to come and shoot at Tulane, we are here. We ain't running from anybody, we don't care. Our kids are going to work hard, it's a new day at Tulane. Whatever you want to use, you can use whatever. We are going to come here, we are ready to play and those days of whatever happened before, I couldn't care less. I don't care, if that gets you excited and you want to do it, so be it. If it's the homeless that we talked about that are going to play, and they've got a reason to come here and beat us then come and do it. But my kids, and I know the coaches, are never going to back down from anything.
On competition among the team, and if everyone will play…
No. I don't decide on playing time, they decide on that. That's one thing, if you come into our program, I don't decide playing time, they are going to fight that out right here between these lines. Every kid understands, that's what great about having a new program. I have no idea who is going to start. They are going to determine that. Coach doesn't determine that. It's how hard they work and how hard they play and if they do the right thing. We've done a lot of things over the last five months, now they've got to put it to the test. I don't care if you are K.J or if you are a walk on. If you can play and you've now proven it then you are going to play. That's up to them. We are going to play eight guys, that's my rotation I've had for the last 20 plus years and so that's not going to change.
On if there are 10 really good players…
Two of them aren't going to play. I'm just being honest with you. Listen, at Tulane I'm not the smartest guy, I would have never got into Tulane, everybody knows that. I wouldn't have gotten into Tulane, I'm not the smartest guy. But I do know this: The difference between eight and 10 is two, so two guys won't play. We are going to play eight guys.
On constant competition within the program being critical…
We compete on everything. We compete on grades. My staff we compete to be the first one to get here, because if you don't get here first in the morning, you've got to go buy donuts. So no, we compete at everything we do, every situation that matters. Everything in practice is a competition, there is always going to be a winner and a loser. Every single day. I'm just not going to lose. I took my staff out, we always do this the day before practice, and we went to play golf last night. And I said, "If I lose there is going to be a problem", and I end up beating all of them by one stroke. Isn't that amazing? That means I beat five guys by one stroke yesterday. So my chances are pretty good about winning.
On reprimanding players…
I've got a real low key personality. If a guy is not doing what he is supposed to do I just walk up to him and say, "could you please do better?" No, you're getting your butt out! They are going to do what they are supposed to do or you won't play. There's a loose ball and you don't dive for it? You're not going to play! I don't care who you are, and so it's about doing the right thing at all times the great part about it is these guys understand. Our young people, they understand that. That's just how I played, that's how I coach and again I didn't come here to change anything, we are going to do exactly what we've done in the past.
On preseason predictions…
I couldn't care less about the predictions, I'm glad they are picking us last. Every single prediction, including some people here in the state of Louisiana, including some people here at Tulane, every time somebody tweets me or says something about where we are going to be, I've got every single thing posted. I wake up every single day to hear somebody regarding what we are going to do. Watch what happens. Love you guys, love New Orleans. Let's get it on!
NEW ORLEANS - The next phase of the Ron Hunter era began Thursday afternoon inside the Hertz Center, as the Tulane men's basketball team conducted its first official team practice ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Hunter, who was named the program's new head coach in late March, has led his teams to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last five seasons while his 445 career wins make him the winningest coach to ever lead the Green Wave.
The Green Wave's roster features the return of letterwinners Ray Ona Embo, Buay Koka and Kevin Zhang who lead a crop of 10 newcomers including Ibrahim Ali (Arkansas), Teshaun Hightower (Georgia), K.J. Lawson (Kansas), Nic Thomas (Norfolk State), Christion Thompson (Rhode Island) and Jordan Walker (Seton Hall). Tulane's freshman core comprises Nobal Days, R.J. McGee, Tylan Pope and Charlie Russell Jr.
HUNTER QUOTES
Opening Statement…
Well, we all have been waiting for this day for a long time. It seems like I've been here five years already, we put a lot of work in, I love the team that we've got and we are ready to get started. We talked about a slogan about something to prove and this today becomes the day that we back that up, right now.
On the low expectations outside the program…
Well, there are many expectations inside the program. Again, as I've said in my press conference and as I've said every day that I've been here: I did not come here to win five games, I did not come here to, you know, better the program and let's say this year let's just see what happens. Again, we will be disappointed if we are not playing in the NCAA tournament. That's always going to be our goal here. These guys have worked really hard, again this is a brand new basketball team. I'm excited because I've been coaching a long time and I've ever done anything like this. What I mean by that is, basically have a brand new team with guys who have never played with each other, so this is fun for me. But there are high expectations inside this basketball program and will always be as long as I'm the head coach here.
On his conversations with Ray and Zhang about coming back…
Well, it's funny. With both of those guys, one is from France and one is from China. They didn't understand anything I said anyway, so it really didn't matter. But one of the things that internationally everyone can understand is winning and both of those young men want to win. So it starts with that, they are really the only holdovers from that team. They're both talented young men that will really fit in well with a lot of the new guys. So, the new guys that we wanted to bring in, we wanted to bring in guys who have been to the NCAA tournament, not the coaches but the players, who have won conference championships. We want to bring players like that in. We were able to accomplish that and it's not just something that the coaches are talking about, these are also guys that have come here, whether it's for one year or two years that have also been at a program where they won.
On the trend of graduate transfers being important…
It is and it has to be. If you look at what's going on, even Carolina and Duke and some of the other programs, everybody is taking transfers now. It's just the way it goes now and if you don't adapt to it then you are going to be one of those programs that struggles. I built a program at Georgia State based on transfers and we were able to win immediately based on that. We take that same program and we are going to do the same thing here. Not that we won't recruit high school people, but we've got to take transfers at Tulane. If you look at our conference, Houston got their thing rolling because of their transfers, so that will be part of what we do. I wanted to start with this because I wanted to infuse a winning attitude, I wanted to change the culture immediately. I didn't want to wait 24 months to say, "you know what we are finally here". I think we have been able to do that right away.
On the University academically jiving with the transfers…
The University is great, and that's not going to change. A Tulane education is in my opinion the best in the country so I get a little bit upset when they say we can't do that with basketball. They are enough kids that are like me, that are in this city, in this country that can come to Tulane. Graduate, be a productive part of what we are doing here and still be great students. I think that's a cop out when they use the academics at Tulane. I think it's a huge cop out and that's not something we are going to worry about or talk about.
On figuring out how tough this current group is…
They are going to find out in five minutes. When we practice, I get into it now! So that is going to happen in the first five minutes. These guys, we've talked about it. Basketball is about winning, football is about winning and I know what our football program is doing, but we are not trying to change anything, all we want to do is do what people have been doing and that is winning. I don't know what happened here before, I still have not seen one tape of Tulane last year. I have no idea what happened here, I told the GA's and our video people to get rid of it. I don't know what happened, I couldn't care less. People keep bringing it up, but that is not my issue anymore. My issue is what happens today, and today this is about a winning program, that is the only thing that matters.
On if Tulane has scheduled winnable games to start the season…
Man, I will schedule us against the Sisters of the Poor, I will schedule the homeless. I've talked to five homeless guys and tried to put uniforms on them to come in here and play. I couldn't care less who we play, we need to win and we are going to win. So if you walk in and see these homeless people coming in with jerseys on and Nike shoes, that's because I want to play them. If they want to play, we'll play. That doesn't mean we won't play a school in Baton Rouge. If you want to play, we'll play. We'll come down there and play, you come here, we don't care. At the end of the day we will play anybody, anytime, anywhere. If it happens to be the Sisters of the Poor, you might just have to get beat up that day! We will pray for you, we will bless you but then after that we are going to beat you up. That just how it's going to roll here at Tulane.
On if he has talked to Will Wade about playing…
No man, I'm more worried about Tulane. But Will, you're my guy man, I love you, but let's play. Let's get this over with Will, let's play a game. I'll come, as a matter of fact let's do this: I will meet you at Lake Pontchartrain. We will put a court on Lake Pontchartrain, let's play right now! No media, just your guys against my guys. Five on five, let's hoop it up and let's just find out. That's what we'll do, so that's my invitation to Will. I love you Will. Let's go play! And let's do it right now, I'm okay with that.
On if he has spoken to anyone at U of H after his proclamation back in the spring…
I have talked to my good old buddy, and I don't want to call him old because we are not far from the same age. In seriousness, I have talked to what Kelvin Sampson has done because I think what he did at Houston is what we want to do here. He took over a program that was at the bottom, he fixed it up and now look where they are at. So that is what we want to do. I'm not trying to do just do what other people have done, but there is a school, I've always said, I want to go in, we are the new kid on the block so you don't pick on the ones that are down here, you pick on the ones at the top. And Houston happens to be at the top, so I can't wait for that day. The last time I coached a game was against the University of Houston, so I'm really looking forward to it. Not to say that the football program the other day didn't make me want to have a little fun with that, I actually had to send my friend a nice little message with that, having football beat Houston made it an enjoyable weekend for me.
On if schools are going to target Tulane now…
I have no problem with that. If you want to come and shoot at Tulane, we are here. We ain't running from anybody, we don't care. Our kids are going to work hard, it's a new day at Tulane. Whatever you want to use, you can use whatever. We are going to come here, we are ready to play and those days of whatever happened before, I couldn't care less. I don't care, if that gets you excited and you want to do it, so be it. If it's the homeless that we talked about that are going to play, and they've got a reason to come here and beat us then come and do it. But my kids, and I know the coaches, are never going to back down from anything.
On competition among the team, and if everyone will play…
No. I don't decide on playing time, they decide on that. That's one thing, if you come into our program, I don't decide playing time, they are going to fight that out right here between these lines. Every kid understands, that's what great about having a new program. I have no idea who is going to start. They are going to determine that. Coach doesn't determine that. It's how hard they work and how hard they play and if they do the right thing. We've done a lot of things over the last five months, now they've got to put it to the test. I don't care if you are K.J or if you are a walk on. If you can play and you've now proven it then you are going to play. That's up to them. We are going to play eight guys, that's my rotation I've had for the last 20 plus years and so that's not going to change.
On if there are 10 really good players…
Two of them aren't going to play. I'm just being honest with you. Listen, at Tulane I'm not the smartest guy, I would have never got into Tulane, everybody knows that. I wouldn't have gotten into Tulane, I'm not the smartest guy. But I do know this: The difference between eight and 10 is two, so two guys won't play. We are going to play eight guys.
On constant competition within the program being critical…
We compete on everything. We compete on grades. My staff we compete to be the first one to get here, because if you don't get here first in the morning, you've got to go buy donuts. So no, we compete at everything we do, every situation that matters. Everything in practice is a competition, there is always going to be a winner and a loser. Every single day. I'm just not going to lose. I took my staff out, we always do this the day before practice, and we went to play golf last night. And I said, "If I lose there is going to be a problem", and I end up beating all of them by one stroke. Isn't that amazing? That means I beat five guys by one stroke yesterday. So my chances are pretty good about winning.
On reprimanding players…
I've got a real low key personality. If a guy is not doing what he is supposed to do I just walk up to him and say, "could you please do better?" No, you're getting your butt out! They are going to do what they are supposed to do or you won't play. There's a loose ball and you don't dive for it? You're not going to play! I don't care who you are, and so it's about doing the right thing at all times the great part about it is these guys understand. Our young people, they understand that. That's just how I played, that's how I coach and again I didn't come here to change anything, we are going to do exactly what we've done in the past.
On preseason predictions…
I couldn't care less about the predictions, I'm glad they are picking us last. Every single prediction, including some people here in the state of Louisiana, including some people here at Tulane, every time somebody tweets me or says something about where we are going to be, I've got every single thing posted. I wake up every single day to hear somebody regarding what we are going to do. Watch what happens. Love you guys, love New Orleans. Let's get it on!
SEASON TICKETS
Fans can get their hands on season tickets starting at just $75 – a $50 reduction from last year. That means fans can lock up a seat for every home contest for as little as $5 each.
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WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
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