Haith Live Chat
by MizzMatt via kansascity.com/coveritlive/ 5/19/11
Missouri head basketball coach Frank Haith held a live chat on www.kansascity.com/coveritlive today, answering questions from fans. I've selected a few of the better questions and coach Haith's answers and have them below. No doctoring, no editing. Just a straight copy/paste.
Q: What style of play will mu fans plan on seeing in the future?
Frank Haith (FH): We want to score in the first six or seven seconds of the shot clock. If we don't score that early, we will execute as far as our spacing and screening. We want to play inside out. Paint touches. Establish that early. Defensively, we want to continue with the pressure. We will have some extended court pressure, but we'll have some three quarter court pressure. Don't like giving up the paint on defense. Cut down driving lanes, have a good rotation.
Q: How are you and the team coming together? Do you feel like you are going to gel well?
FH: We've gotten off to a great start this spring. I'm a relationship guy, so I spend a lot of time with my players, so they get to know me as much as I get to know them. That will help with our ability to jell. It goes both ways. Early on, I was reaching out to them, now those guys are calling me a lot.
Q: Frank, what is your number 1 goal the first 5 years on the job at Mizzou?
FH: Beat Kansas. and play in the postseason and compete for a national championship. That's our goal every year.
Q: Besides the overall goals of a championship and building something special in columbia etc., what is the main thing that allows you to connect with a potential future tiger?
FH: Our job is total growth of student athletes to succeed on and off court. as head coach, that has to be first and foremost. Being there and supporting our student athletes. We want all our young men to leave with a degree.
Q: How does Missouri's facilities compare ti Miami and the other schools of the ACC
FH: Our facilities are as good as they are in the country. NBA type arena. No question our facility will attract quality student athletes. More importantly, we'll have people in the stands, which is important to have a great home court advantage.
Q: Coach, can you tell us what your thoughts are on the new big 12? and how that may alter the way the country veiws big 12 basketball? how it may impact your recruiting efforts?
FH: We'll have the only true champion of the BCS schools because of the round-robin scheduling. We have great coaches in this league. It's an outstanding basketball league. Since coaching in ACC, this league and Big 10, we have chance to have one of the premier basketball leagues in country. We can recruit nationally, which will also help our teams.
Q: What was your involvement in the Bowers and English's draft process?
FH: I helped in getting good feedback. Spent time talking about what's good feedback, what's not good feedback. Been very encouraging and positive with them. They're both intelligent young men. They did a good job of focusing on the right things.
Q: Hi Coach... Welcome to Mizzou!! The [MLB] I-70 series is coming up this week end, who are you pulling for?
FH: Looking forward to watching those games. Will go to both those ballparks for the first time and throw out the first pitch. Am now a Royals and Cardinals fan. June 25 in St. Louis against the Blue Jays, I'll throw out the first pitch. Royals TBA, but after Mizzou day on June 4.
Q: Coach, is Kadeem Green going to be ready for the season? How is his agility at this point?
FH: He had a major injury in high school and redshirted last year. Getting better and better. Needs to get stronger. His mobility and agility is fine. He needs to get more physical to get ready to take on the Big 12.
