Wichita State interim head coach Isaac Brown met with the media for the first time since he was named to his position on Tuesday. Brown discussed the differences between being a head coach and an assistant coach, the makeup of Utah State's team and what he is looking for out of his team this year. The Shockers open their season at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday against Utah State as a part of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Fans can watch the game on ESPN2.
 
ISAAC BROWN on…
 
Opening Statement:
"The Shockers are playing hard. We had a day off yesterday, so today will be our first full day getting back at practice. We'll practice again tomorrow and then we're off Sunday. We'll practice Monday and Tuesday and then we'll be ready to tip it off on Wednesday. The guys have been playing hard, with a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm. Practice has been really good."
 
... how the locker room has felt recently:
"It's just all been about staying together as a team, as a unit and bringing energy to practice. Just focusing on practice, the game, film, togetherness and doing the right things on and off the court."
 
… what an Isaac Brown coached basketball team looks like:
"I want these guys to have a lot of fun. I want them to ply together and share the basketball. On offense, we want to push the ball in transition and get easy baskets. We don't want to go against a set defense a whole lot. When we get in a half court situation, we want to try to run a set to get our best players in a position to score. On defense, we want to make teams uncomfortable. We may press sometimes. In the half court, we want to make it hard for those guys to make penetrating passes. We want to defend. We want to rebound. We want to play with toughness on defense."
 
… biggest difference between being an assistant coach and being the head coach:
"I think being an assistant coach, I was always being positive with guys when they came out of the game. Now it comes down to winning the game. I just want to make sure these guys know it's about winning. I want to love on them after the game, but in the heat of the moment, we've got to try to win and we've all got to stick together and be positive throughout the year."
 
…  if it is bittersweet to come into a head coaching job considering the circumstances:
"It really hasn't hit me. I have just been trying to focus on practice and making sure we're going hard, making sure we're organized, making sure we're prepared. We've been breaking down film on Utah State and meeting with players, making sure everybody's good on the court and in the classroom. It really hasn't hit me yet because I've been so tied up with the entire staff to make sure these guys are good on and off the court."
 
… bringing in a new assistant coach:
"We're supposed to be talking about that stuff later in the week, but we've just been focusing on practice and Utah State and making sure these guys are prepared. I'm sure that's something we'll look at here real soon, but we're just focused on practice right now."
 
… the biggest difference in the style of play:
"I don't think it'll be much different. I like our blueprint. We want to get easy baskets in transition. When we can't get easy baskets in transition, we'll run a set for a player to be in position to score. Defensively, it'll be the same thing. We're going to get after teams and make them uncomfortable. We're going to defend and rebound and play with toughness."
 
… the COVID situation and the roster situation:
"Right now, we will have our full roster at the first game, but I mean that could change tomorrow because we take tests three times a week. We don't have anybody not scheduled to be there right now, but it's still a day-to-day thing. It's up and down because any time something happens in your program, you may have to miss a couple of days or a couple of weeks, but as of lately, we've been fine in terms of COVID."
 
… how the situation affects recruiting:
"We're still calling kids because you've got to build those relationships. But we've been focused on practice and the guys we have here on our team. We've got to focus on those guys. I want to recruit those guys every day because we need all of those guys in that locker room in order to be successful. We're stilling calling guys because we've got to build those relationships because late in the year, anything could change."
 
… the starting five:
"We're still working on it. A lot of guys are playing hard and we've got a few practices until we make that decision, but it should be coming soon."
 
... what he's looking for out of Dexter Dennis:
"Mainly a leadership role. I told Dexter the other day when I met with him: 'Look, man, I just want you to be like an extended coach on the floor. I want you to be a leader. I want you to try to score a lot more in transition and get to the free throw line. Just have fun playing basketball.' He's our best defender and he's usually going to guard a guy that's the other team's best player. I've just been telling him I need more leadership, and he's been doing a great job. He's a great leader."
 
… the potentially expanded role of Tyson Etienne:
"He went out this summer and worked every day on ball handling. He's now a guy that can create a shot off the bounce, so we're anticipating him doing a lot more of that. He was always one of the best shooters in the conference, but now he can make plays and create off the bounce to get an easy shot for another guy. I feel like he's going to be one of our top players when it comes to creating for others and making wide open shots."
 
... the JUCO players that came in:
"Craig Porter Jr. is a winner. He plays with a lot of toughness. He's a guard that can play all three positions: the 1, 2 and the 3. We have another guy named Clarence Jackson, another junior college kid. He plays with a lot of energy. He rebounds. He plays hard. He plays with toughness. We've got another kid Trevin Wade. He's a hard guard. He's tough and can play both positions. He can pick you up 94 feet. He's a guy that can run the team really well and get easy shots for other guys."
 
… the three freshmen:
"I really like our three freshmen. Chaunce Jenkins is an athletic combo guard who can make shots. He is a big time athlete when he gets to the rim. Jaden Seymour is a guy who plays the 4 and the 5. In time, I think he can play the 3. He's really athletic, can shoot the 3 ball. Ricky Council IV is another guy that plays the 3 spot and is really athletic. I'm really happy with those three guys. I think those three guys are going to be great players in time. Right now, they're good, but they're going to get even better every day."
 
… improving shot percentages:
"This summer we just worked on that. We're doing a lot more shooting. Three times a week, we try to get 200 shots up. We've been doing some transition drills where we sprint the court and we've got to make 3s or we run the court and have to make 2-pointers. Guys are spending time in the gym. I think the only way to become a better shooter is to spend time in the gym. We've been doing a great job this summer and the last couple of weeks at shooting the ball better."
 
… guards finishing around the rim:
"We do a lot of drills in practice where we put a big guy inside and the guards drive the ball and they have to try to finish over the top of them. We call it 'Tough Finishes.' We do a lot of drills like that so they can put themselves in a game situation where they can finish over a 7-footer."
 
… if he thinks him and the team have something to prove:
"I think those guys are just bringing it every day in practice with their energy. I think they're ready to get started. I think the fact we had some COVID this summer, they're just so fired up about getting back in the gym. Our practices have been electric. They're just ready to play right now."
 
… if there was anyone along the way who impacted his basketball style:
"I think I've taken a lot from pretty much everybody I've worked with. You work with guys who have a defensive mindset and then there are other guys with an offensive mindset. I have taken a lot from a lot of different coaches. I like our style here at Wichita State. I think it works. I think we have a good blueprint. Offensively, we're going to do a lot of the same stuff we did in the past. Defensively, we're going to do a lot of the same stuff we did in the past. These guys are familiar with that system and that's how we want to play. We want to play hard. We want to play together and we want to play smart."
 
… the scouting report for Utah State:
"Utah State is a well-coached team. Those guys are in the Mountain West conference. They did a good job last year. They have a big kid inside who is a 7-footer who is an NBA prospect. He's really talented and we've got to try to slow him down. They have another kid at the 4 spot who is a double-double machine. He averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds, I think. They lost their starting 1, 2 and 3. They have a couple of guys who played minutes on their bench last year. They got a transfer from Virginia. I'd say they're going to be a big basketball team across the front line. Their guards are going to be 6-5, 6-5, and 6-5. They're a well-coached team and it'll be a big challenge for us going up there."
 
… big men avoiding foul trouble:
"That's something we've been talking with them about just last year and the fouls they picked up. We showed them a lot of film to show them the things and technique and positions they need to be in. That's the biggest thing. We've got referees in practice. So every time they pick up a cheap foul, we're blowing the whistle. We haven't been able to have a scrimmage with referees, so we're blowing the whistle in practice a lot more to let them know you can't pick up silly fouls and that they have to wall up and not let guys score over them. They've been doing a better job of that and learning the proper techniques to guard in the low post."
 
… what the opportunity means to him:
"I'm honored and flattered, but I've mostly just been so focused on those guys and making sure they're good off the court. Our staff has been working a lot on practice and watching a lot of film. We've just been preparing for Utah State and making sure we're prepared for it. I haven't had much time to reflect on it. I'm honored and flattered, but I'm trying to make sure these guys are prepared."
 
… how dealing with off-the-court life has changed because of COVID:
"I don't think we're doing a lot of things different. We always spend a lot of time with them and meeting with them two or three times per week. With COVID, kids might be in their room 14 days by themselves. I just want to make sure we're on top of that and spending time with them and making sure we know what's going on in their life. We're just trying to spend a lot of time with them and making sure we know everything that's going on."
 
… the difference in preparing for arenas without fans:
"I actually like it going on the road without fans because now they can hear our voices a little more and we echo more. Now they're going to know exactly what we're in on defense and exactly what we're in on offense. I think for the guys, it'll be like a normal game. When you're a player and you're in front of 11,000 fans, a lot of the time you don't realize that they're there."