“I see a cohesive group, I see a team that overall is deeper than we've had in a while and is a better passing team and a better scoring team. Those things are cause for excitement.”

“We've got a tough schedule in the non-conference and I think the Valley is going to be as good as it's been since I've been here. So the challenges are many, but I like the group of guys we've put together and I like where we are as a team right now.”

“We're a more skilled team this year than I've had in all five years here. I really believe that. We have guys in our program that can score. Ben Simons is going to be one of the better scorers in our league and you re-introduce a better, stronger Seth VanDeest – a guy we didn't have the luxury of throwing the ball into last year.”

“Chris Hines, a fifth-year senior transfer from the Pac 12, was a guy who scored 10 points a game last year in the Pac 12, that's one of the easier transitions you can make. Gary Ricks and Richard Carter, are both guys that have played in college at the two-year college level. You can count on Chris Hines to be at least as good as he was last year. We're excited  for him to score. Gary Ricks Jr. is a guy who can really shoot it. We have two freshman who are wired to score in Kori Babineaux and Micah Mason. From a productivity stand point on the offensive side I'm encouraged.”

“We need to stay healthy to reach our potential, there's no doubt about that. We haven't had great success in recent years. We're doing everything we can. We're analyzing everything from A-to-Z on how we're doing things on a daily basis. You can't go into a season anxious about that. You have to be smart and go play. We're hoping for the best in terms of that, but the health of our team is definitely a big deal. I know his [VanDeest's] shoulders are better than they've ever been. He ended up having repair on both shoulders and they're better than they've ever been. He's bigger, he's stronger, we're encouraged by what we see right now.”

“I think the expectations are to reach our potential. Given the talent, given the character and given the togetherness of our team, I think our potential is great. That's just something that we're going to have to work on a daily basis on. I am excited though. When you allow yourself to day dream about what might be, you get excited. At the same time we've got to get it done every day. Just the moment when you think you've arrived anywhere is when things start heading in the other direction. If we reach our potential and we stay relatively healthy I think this is going to be a very exciting team. It's going to be a team that continues to grow and develop as the year goes on.”

“We want to be a team that plays in attack mode. We want to continue to play with a great pace on the offensive end. We want to continue to be aggressive and in attack mode on the defensive end. We want to extend more on the defensive end then we have in the past, and use our depth.  If indeed we do have to deal with some injuries, then the added depth helps you in that regard too. 

“I think this team has the potential to be a tough team. I know you can't win in this league unless you have a collective toughness. We're certainly not where we're going to be but we have the willingness and the eagerness to become a tough team. It's a huge part as to whether we are successful or not.”

“That would be nice, but unfortunately we have a whole lot of tough games before Christmas. We've got to be in a mindset of “this is whether we're going,” and if things need to change we can do that. Having the time in the summer together, and having the fall together I think we have a pretty good feel of who our front line guys are going to be, certainly that is not decided yet. We need to continue to mesh our chemistry with a really good pace. We've been good at it so far, but there are some things that can only happen in game competition.”

“Both of those guys were starters last year and I think that they're helping us with maintaining and growing our culture as a basketball program. That's really important. It may be the most important thing that we focus on and those guys are big in that regard, not to mention that they're both talented. But now they're going to be pushed by some newcomers and they're going to push some newcomers. I think that's a healthy relationship.”

“You try to put your team in a situation where they're going to have to respond. A very simple definition of toughness is doing the right thing instead of the thing you feel like doing. We talk about it, we praise it when it happens and we focus on it whether it be in drills or off the court activities. There's lots of different ways but you definitely praise it when it happens and call it out when it doesn't. You also have guys who have been in the program that have sacrificed for the program and they demonstrate toughness.”

“I think it's going to be exciting. Basketball fans in the state of Iowa do not get the credit they deserve being knowledgeable and passionate. I think they really know the game and really follow it. From the standpoint of it being one-stop shopping for them, I think it's going to be awesome at Wells Fargo Arena. It's going to be an event. We're certainly looking forward to playing Iowa State.”

“I think the new rule benefitted teams like us significantly. We're coming into the fall with guys understanding what we're all about and how we do business. They have an understanding when they hit campus in the fall of the culture of Drake basketball and Drake University. That's a big head start. To be able to work with those guys in the summer was huge for us.”