University of Massachusets Athletics
Weekly Teleconference With Steve Lappas (Jan. 24)
January 25, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2005
Before traveling to St. Bonaventure on Wednesday night, head coach Steve Lappas took part in his weekly Atlantic 10 teleconference on Monday. This week, he discusses the team's consistency issues and the play of Anthony Anderson and Chris Chadwick in their new roles.
Question: How do you try and get consistency from your players? Is it more of a mental approach than a physical approach?
Lappas: You're right. It's another step in the process. We're young. We've had some great wins this year and we haven't been able to put anything together for a long period of time. It's usually in the second half of the year that you start to do those things when you have a young group. I'm looking forward to us becoming more consistent. In trying to do that, I think it's a combination of physical and mental. There are still some deficiencies that we have to work on basketball wise, and at the same time to go out there and have the right mental mind set, even in a time of prosperity, to play well.
Question: Do you see that coming?
Lappas: It's hard to see. We've had great practices all year. We've had great practices and not played well the next day. Then, we've had half-decent practices and played great the next day. It's really a hard thing to see.
Question: You're on the road against St. Bonaventure and then you come home to play Richmond, we'll talk about St. Bonaventure because that's the next game. What are your thoughts about going there?
Lappas: I'm not looking forward to it. That's always a very difficult place to play. They have three players who are capable of having a big night on you anytime, and that always makes it difficult on you especially when you go on the road. We are obviously very concerned and want to prepare as best as we can for the next two days and be ready to go.
Question: I was wondering if I could get an update on Rashaun Freeman and how he is doing in his second year?
Lappas: He's had some unbelievable games and some not-so-unbelievable games this year. He has struggled a little bit with consistency, and that's where the team is too. In games that he has struggled, we have struggled. There's no doubt about that. I think it goes hand-in-hand. When we say we haven't been consistent, its our sophomore class, which is our lead class right now. They have struggled with consistency.
Question: Anthony Anderson has been solid since he came back from his three-game absence, scoring wise. But, he seems to be on the glass a lot more and playing more physically.
Lappas: He's always been a great defensive rebounder, and that's a great thing for us because we are playing three guards. That's why we are waiting for Jeff Viggiano to come back, because playing three guards all the time hurts us on the glass. He's a great defensive rebounder. He goes in there and fights for balls and that's something that has always been a big part of his game.
Question: When Anderson was out, you played Chris Chadwick a lot. Now, you're playing them together on and off. How has that worked?
Lappas: I think it's worked out well. We're still trying to find that consistency. I think that Chris has done a good job of coming in and doing that. It's allowed Anthony to go out there and have a little more freedom to try and score a little more, which he has done. He had a very good week.
Question: Has Anthony become more comfortable with the idea of playing off the ball, or did it come naturally?
Lappas: I think it's been a little more of an adjustment. This week he had a good week playing as a 2-guard, which means scoring more. He was much more aggressive against both Fordham and St. Joseph's and I think that made a difference. There's an adjustment there for him, too. He has basically played four years of point guard and now he is playing off the ball. I think he has made the adjustment of being more aggressive offensively.
Question: Is there a leadership issue there? The point guard is generally seen as the leader of the team. Is that something that he or the team has had to adjust to?
Lappas: We have to adjust to that and Chris Chadwick has to be a little more vocal on the floor because he has been playing the point so much.
Question: I know it's early, but are you a better team with Anthony Anderson as a point guard or as a 2-guard?
Lappas: If I didn't think that we were better with him at 2-guard, I wouldn't be doing it right now. I think we are a better team the way we are playing right now. We have Jeff Viggiano out for some period of time, so I think right now that this is the best way to go.
