Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall spoke to the media Tuesday as the NCAA rules allow basketball-related activities to increase to 12 hours per week on Wednesday. Coach Marshall spoke about the physical changes the returners have made, the newcomers, and the changes he will feel in the atmosphere of the arenas this year.
 
GREGG MARSHALL on…
 
Opening Statement:
"Well, obviously we've had a different fall. It's been a very productive fall since the guys got back. We've had one time where we had to slow down and shut down for a little bit, but other than that, I want to commend our players for socially distancing and being safe. That has allowed us to get on the floor as much as we have. We've been restricted to four hours per week basketball-wise. They've played some pickup games and they've done four hours of strength and conditioning. As of tomorrow, we go into eight hours per week of basketball plus the four hours of strength and conditioning. They moved the season back, and the NCAA allows practices to begin 42 days before that and you can practice 30 of those days, so we'll start practicing Oct. 14. I've enjoyed working with this group. A lot of new faces, but a lot of returners who have all improved. We feel good about the work these guys have put in during the pandemic. Their bodies have improved. Their games have improved. They've taken strides with their development. It's exciting. It's a lot of fun working with these young men. We're chomping at the bit ready to get going."
 
… the newcomers:
"We felt really happy and pleased with the young men we were able to secure in the spring. They haven't disappointed. We've got a senior and two juniors to man the point. Obviously, Craig Porter at 6' 3" can move over and play some off guard. These freshmen have two things in common: they are great young men and they are tremendous athletes. (The freshmen) need to learn to defend a little better, take care of the ball a little better, and understand that this is a different level of basketball."
 
… Alterique Gilbert:
"He's a grad transfer from UConn and a McDonald's All-American. He's a legit point guard who gets where he wants to go. He plays tenacious defense and is a tremendous young man to work with. He's strong and fast with the ability to score and distribute. He was the first commitment in the spring, and we knew we had to get some point guards. To get a guy of his caliber to start with was great."
 
… Craig Porter Jr.:
"He won the national championship his first year at Vincennes University. They were going back to defend their title, but the season was abruptly ended. He had a little strain of a calf muscle and was out about 10 days. He's a really good player and does a lot of stuff to help his team win."
 
… Trevin Wade: 
"He's basically a bookend with Alterique Gilbert. They both look like high-major running backs. He's very strong, quick, fast, stocky and athletic. He's done a great job in the fall as well."
 
… Clarence Jackson:
"He played one year at a junior college, so he's got three years to play. He's a 6' 6" multi-dimensional forward that's probably played as hard as anyone we've had. He really competes and is an energy-giver. Everyone feeds off his energy and his tenacity. That makes it fun to coach him and watch the impact he has on his teammates."
 
… Ricky Council IV:
"He was probably the best unsigned senior out of North Carolina. He's a super-duper athlete. Think Dexter Dennis, but a little bit bigger walking in the door. That's they type of athlete he is. He is going to be a tremendous player at some point in his career. He's going to determine that."
 
… Jaden Seymour:
"He's a 6' 9" forward who can the three and the four. Jaden can dribble it, he can run and he can finish at the rim. Jaden had some ACC offers until he blew out his knee at the end of his junior year. He missed the summer between his junior and senior years and most of his senior year. He came back at the end of his senior year. Every day he gets stronger and his knee becomes more stable."
 
… Chaunce Jenkins:
"His game is kind of like Ja Morant. He's obviously not Ja Morant, the Rookie of the Year in the NBA, but that's who he reminds you of. He has some characteristics like Ja Morant. He's long and extremely bouncy. He's a highlight reel waiting to happen."
 
… if he has more of an appreciation for the game based on the events of the past six months:
"It's been a strange time for all of us, not just  basketball players or basketball coaches, but our country and our world with the pandemic and the social injustice and the wildfires and the tropical storms. 2020 has been a rough time for many folks for many different reasons. We had our conference tournament and most likely our NCAA tournament taken away, but that pales in comparison to what other people are struggling with in losing their jobs, careers, loved ones and family members. I love how our guys have handled this. They are really conscious of what's going on around them and what's going on. They've made some really bold and strong statements about where they'd like to see where things go with the world. They've also been really diligent with the pandemic and their masks and social distancing and not being in crowds and such. We have been very fortunate, knock on wood. We test every other week, and we haven't had a positive in a long, long time."
 
… Trey Wade and Josaphat Bilau's progress over the summer:
"Trey Wade is one of the many returnees who has taken their game to the next level. He cut up his body. He just looks so strong. He's obviously a great leaper off two feet and great at rebounding. He's shooting the ball well. Physically, he has just taken his game to the next level. Going into his senior year, knowing he's going to play professional basketball. He's a pro. Whether it's $2,500 per month or $250,000 per month, he's going to play pro basketball after this season. He's improved his game and is putting the ball on the floor better. He looks great. You asked about Josaphat Bilau. Unfortunately for him, he was playing great in the spring and had to get a fatty tumor removed above his knee. Then he had to go home to France because of some passport issues. After his surgery, he was unable to recover like he would've with our training staff. We haven't seen him at full speed yet. He's still gimping around a little bit. That's unfortunate because we need him out here. He's the one guy that's banged up. He's making progress but, it's slow progress. He's been released by the doctors."
 
… others taking their game to the another level:
"Dexter Dennis is so confident and putting the ball on the floor. Tyson Etienne's body is incredible in terms of strength. He's bouncy. These guys are dunking it any way you want."
 
… other returning players:
"Morris Udeze is shooting the three ball now and putting the ball on the floor. He's in great physical conditioning. One of the guys that has improved the most physically is Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler. He is in great shape and shooting the ball well."
 
... this year's schedule:
"Since we lost UConn in the league, we now have 11 teams, so there's some decision-making happening at the conference level to determine whether we should play 18 conference games or play a true round robin and play 20 conference games. That's being decided right now. We know the season being pushed back and we can't play as many games. So we are going to have to cancel some non-conference games. Nothing has been decided at this point, I can tell you that."
 
… the importance of non-conference games:
"We're losing our exhibition game, our private scrimmage and a few non-conference games where our seven newcomers would be learning our system and playing a game. There will be no 'gimmees' on our schedule. Every game will be a Quad I or Quad II game on our schedule. We'll have to grow up very quickly."
 
… if the approach to newcomers changes from year-to-year:
"Every year you've got to teach new guys how to play in your system. Sometimes it's two or three guys, sometimes it's seven or eight guys. Every year, these guys are coming into a new system, a new terminology. Ours is not the most complicated in the world, but it isn't the easiest either. All of these practice times, we're using to the utmost. We're training them up and they're doing a great job of listening and coming by and talking to us. These are guys that want to be great players and they want to win. I'm looking forward to the expanded time we get as of tomorrow."
 
… the difference he will feel with a different atmosphere this upcoming season:
"I've watched some games and they haven't had fans. That's one of the luxuries we have is a great home-court advantage. Let's be honest, some teams with a 25 or 30 percent crowd will feel like a typical November or December home crowd. For us, it's going to be a big difference. I hate it for our fans. I hat e it for our players because there's nothing like playing in Koch Arena. I don't know how they're going to do that and that's something the athletic administration has to figure out. It can't be easy. It's not something we want to d, but we're going to do the right thing for the health of our fans and our supporters as well as the health of our team. Hopefully this will be short term. It looks like we're going to play regardless of how many people will be in the stands. It'll be a little different."
 
… the team's chemistry so far:
"It seems great to me, but it always seems great to me. That's what the guys say just about every year. Last year was the first year in my coaching career where the chemistry was bad. No one really knew how to fix it. It was a bad mixture. This year, I've had multiple players, newcomers and returners, tell me how different this is and how much better it is. I didn't see any problems at this time last year. They can talk the talk, but we've got to walk the walk. We've got to support each other and pull for each other. There are 16 young men on this team, and they've all got to be pulling in the same direction. Whether you start or come off the bench, whether you play 32 minutes or 12 minutes, it's about Wichita State being the best that they can be. I think the chemistry is great so far. When adversity hits, that's when you learn how the chemistry is. Everybody goes through some type of adversity and we certainly will have our fair share of adversity. I like the makeup of this team. We don't have 10 underclassmen. We've got it more well-balanced. We have some upperclassmen with leadership ability as compared to just Jaime (Echenique) last year."