Jerod Haase
The NIT games will be played with "experimental rules", such as an extended three-point line by one-foot, eight inches; the free throw lane will be 16 feet instead of 12; there will be 10 minute quarters and the shot clock will reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound: "I think it's perfect and I think it's a great time to try these changes. I have good feelings about the intent of what we're trying to do, so this gives a practical forum to see what effect it has on the game. In general, spacing is a good thing. As you move the three point line back and widen the lane, you get better spacing on the floor, which is good for dribble penetration, for freedom of movement and all those kinds of things. I think it's a positive concept to try these rules out ... and see if it's a positive effect for the game."
Would the wider lane benefit the defensive layer?
"I think there will be arguments on both sides. The bottom line is getting guys away from the goal and it's not just a game of the strongest guy wins. Instead of starting in front of the basket you're starting from another foot or two out. You're going to have to play more skillfully to get to the basket instead of running the guy over. A lot of the times when you try something like this it's not just the obvious deal that we're going to move the three-point line back so the percentages go down. That's probably accurate. But what are the other consequences of trying these things? We may find it makes the game more physical. You don't know for sure."
Often in these types of tournament situations the conversation is about the benefit for younger players. Is there one for the seniors as well?
"I think there is. I was just in talking with Mike (Humphrey) and he's fired up and in a good mood, which he always is. He understands that his days are numbered and the opportunity to play with the guys and play the game he loves -- there are a lot of guys who aren't playing. You can choose your attitude and how you deal with things on a daily basis. With Mike his attitude is phenomenal and that's something that will serve him for the rest of his life. I think it's really cool to see how the guys are responding right now."
What do you know about BYU?
"They had a great run to reach their conference finals. They are a team -- they don't make a ton of threes. A couple years we played against them (at UAB) and I think they made about 50 threes against us. They do a nice job of getting the ball inside and they're good at dribble penetration. We have to guard the basketball, which has been a theme all year. It's an older team. It's a team that has been around and has some experience, so we're going to have to play a physical game and keep the ball out of the paint."
It seems there foul trouble has been more of an issue for the Cardinal of late: "For the second half of the season we have shortened the bench to a certain degree, especially if you talk about the number of minutes guys are playing. So, when those guys who are playing the majority of minutes get into foul trouble that puts us in an awkward spot. Going into this game I'd love to continue to use the guys in our rotation, give guys good opportunities, which will hopefully do a couple things: It will bring energy off the bench, give guys experiences, and hopefully keep us out of foul trouble. But yes, if Daejon (Davis) is in foul trouble that puts us in a tough spot in terms of guarding the basketball and playmaking. If KZ (Okpala) is in foul trouble it takes away some of our ability to guard with different people. That's certainly something we need to look at and the only thing I can tell them is don't foul. Hopefully they can execute that."
Of course you always focus on the game in front of you, but beat BYU and there is potential for 20 wins this season. Is there a momentum boost for a program to hit that mark?
"I think so. When you look at the program as a whole you're always trying to show progress and I think we've done that in a lot of ways. There's a variety of ways you can judge the performance of our program. The easy one is wins. Twenty has always been a mark that teams aspire to and it's a sign of a successful season. That number is certainly not going to define our season in any way. Just like playing in the postseason is a positive, the number of wins you get is always a positive."
Is reaching the NIT in your second season satisfying or does missing the NCAA tournament mean you're not where you want to be?
"I don't know if there is an appropriate answer to it. We want to be in the NCAA Tournament and that's going to be the standard while I'm here. What this team has done with the hand that we were dealt in the non-conference I'm really proud of getting into the NIT. I think the way that we've performed in 2018 has been pretty special. We have grown as a team and to put ourselves in position to play in the NIT is a positive for this year."
Finals are in a couple weeks and the benefit of playing at home: "I told the guys not only am I excited we're in the NIT, I'm excited we're at home. Not just because we're not traveling, but we've had a brutal quarter of travel. We played our first three games in the conference at home when school was not in session, which meant we were on the road the entire time. It was a real challenge for our guys to miss the class time."
Michael Humphrey
How do you guys feel about playing in the NIT?
"It's another chance to grow as a team. I'm sure coach said the same thing. But I also think that as a senior I want to leave these freshmen with a winning legacy and something they can build on going forward. The NCAA would have been a great way to do that but there is still a lot to play for and build on."
Did you have doubts during the non-conference that Stanford would reach any postseason and is there satisfaction in turning the season around this way?
"For sure, and we had a team meeting yesterday and that was one of the things we talked about. In the non-conference we got dealt a bad hand, and even at the start of conference we could have easily given in. We were able to come together and become a stronger unit and show that this season really means something to everybody."
How about getting another home game?
"It's special and this place will always be special. Hopefully we can get one more win at Maples and see what happens next.
KZ Okpala
How do you guys feel about playing in the NIT?
"I love playing basketball. It's more games so I'm excited."
What's your perspective on how this team has changed since the non-conference and now headed to the NIT?
"I think adding more players to the team ... gave more dimensions to the team. We can play different styles. Dorian (Pickens) is a big time player so getting him back was big. I think this team has a lot of heart and that's the main thing. We believe in what coach says and we're going to follow coach. We can weather any storm together."
The NIT games will be played with "experimental rules", such as an extended three-point line by one-foot, eight inches; the free throw lane will be 16 feet instead of 12; there will be 10 minute quarters and the shot clock will reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound: "I think it's perfect and I think it's a great time to try these changes. I have good feelings about the intent of what we're trying to do, so this gives a practical forum to see what effect it has on the game. In general, spacing is a good thing. As you move the three point line back and widen the lane, you get better spacing on the floor, which is good for dribble penetration, for freedom of movement and all those kinds of things. I think it's a positive concept to try these rules out ... and see if it's a positive effect for the game."
Would the wider lane benefit the defensive layer?
"I think there will be arguments on both sides. The bottom line is getting guys away from the goal and it's not just a game of the strongest guy wins. Instead of starting in front of the basket you're starting from another foot or two out. You're going to have to play more skillfully to get to the basket instead of running the guy over. A lot of the times when you try something like this it's not just the obvious deal that we're going to move the three-point line back so the percentages go down. That's probably accurate. But what are the other consequences of trying these things? We may find it makes the game more physical. You don't know for sure."
Often in these types of tournament situations the conversation is about the benefit for younger players. Is there one for the seniors as well?
"I think there is. I was just in talking with Mike (Humphrey) and he's fired up and in a good mood, which he always is. He understands that his days are numbered and the opportunity to play with the guys and play the game he loves -- there are a lot of guys who aren't playing. You can choose your attitude and how you deal with things on a daily basis. With Mike his attitude is phenomenal and that's something that will serve him for the rest of his life. I think it's really cool to see how the guys are responding right now."
What do you know about BYU?
"They had a great run to reach their conference finals. They are a team -- they don't make a ton of threes. A couple years we played against them (at UAB) and I think they made about 50 threes against us. They do a nice job of getting the ball inside and they're good at dribble penetration. We have to guard the basketball, which has been a theme all year. It's an older team. It's a team that has been around and has some experience, so we're going to have to play a physical game and keep the ball out of the paint."
It seems there foul trouble has been more of an issue for the Cardinal of late: "For the second half of the season we have shortened the bench to a certain degree, especially if you talk about the number of minutes guys are playing. So, when those guys who are playing the majority of minutes get into foul trouble that puts us in an awkward spot. Going into this game I'd love to continue to use the guys in our rotation, give guys good opportunities, which will hopefully do a couple things: It will bring energy off the bench, give guys experiences, and hopefully keep us out of foul trouble. But yes, if Daejon (Davis) is in foul trouble that puts us in a tough spot in terms of guarding the basketball and playmaking. If KZ (Okpala) is in foul trouble it takes away some of our ability to guard with different people. That's certainly something we need to look at and the only thing I can tell them is don't foul. Hopefully they can execute that."
Of course you always focus on the game in front of you, but beat BYU and there is potential for 20 wins this season. Is there a momentum boost for a program to hit that mark?
"I think so. When you look at the program as a whole you're always trying to show progress and I think we've done that in a lot of ways. There's a variety of ways you can judge the performance of our program. The easy one is wins. Twenty has always been a mark that teams aspire to and it's a sign of a successful season. That number is certainly not going to define our season in any way. Just like playing in the postseason is a positive, the number of wins you get is always a positive."
Is reaching the NIT in your second season satisfying or does missing the NCAA tournament mean you're not where you want to be?
"I don't know if there is an appropriate answer to it. We want to be in the NCAA Tournament and that's going to be the standard while I'm here. What this team has done with the hand that we were dealt in the non-conference I'm really proud of getting into the NIT. I think the way that we've performed in 2018 has been pretty special. We have grown as a team and to put ourselves in position to play in the NIT is a positive for this year."
Finals are in a couple weeks and the benefit of playing at home: "I told the guys not only am I excited we're in the NIT, I'm excited we're at home. Not just because we're not traveling, but we've had a brutal quarter of travel. We played our first three games in the conference at home when school was not in session, which meant we were on the road the entire time. It was a real challenge for our guys to miss the class time."
Michael Humphrey
How do you guys feel about playing in the NIT?
"It's another chance to grow as a team. I'm sure coach said the same thing. But I also think that as a senior I want to leave these freshmen with a winning legacy and something they can build on going forward. The NCAA would have been a great way to do that but there is still a lot to play for and build on."
Did you have doubts during the non-conference that Stanford would reach any postseason and is there satisfaction in turning the season around this way?
"For sure, and we had a team meeting yesterday and that was one of the things we talked about. In the non-conference we got dealt a bad hand, and even at the start of conference we could have easily given in. We were able to come together and become a stronger unit and show that this season really means something to everybody."
How about getting another home game?
"It's special and this place will always be special. Hopefully we can get one more win at Maples and see what happens next.
KZ Okpala
How do you guys feel about playing in the NIT?
"I love playing basketball. It's more games so I'm excited."
What's your perspective on how this team has changed since the non-conference and now headed to the NIT?
"I think adding more players to the team ... gave more dimensions to the team. We can play different styles. Dorian (Pickens) is a big time player so getting him back was big. I think this team has a lot of heart and that's the main thing. We believe in what coach says and we're going to follow coach. We can weather any storm together."
