Wichita State men's basketball head coach Isaac Brown and guards Tyson Etienne, Alterique Gilbert and Ricky Council IV spoke to the media Wednesday following the announcement of postseason conference accolades. 

They spoke about what the awards mean to them, reflected on the season and looked ahead to the postseason.
 
HEAD COACH ISAAC BROWN on … 
 
Opening Statement:
"Coaching honors are nice. It's a sign that you have good players and that you have good team success. I'm more into the team awards like championships. I'm honored. I'm excited about it, but it's just a sign that you have good players, that your team has success. I'm more into championships, and that's what we're trying to get this weekend."
 
… his thoughts when he looks back at where the team has come since November:
"We first got the job and just wanted to keep these guys together. We tried to make them play as a unit, play as one. Get them to believe in the coaching staff. That was the main thing right there. Getting those veteran guys to believe in us, and we started our first practice, I remember going at Dexter and Tyson and I thought if I could coach those guys, the young guys would see that and get in line. I give it up to those guys that took the coaching early on and it sent a message to the rest of the players."
 
… the message the awards send going into the postseason:
"That we're a successful program. Individual awards and championships (are huge in sending a message of success). I do think it helps a lot in recruiting anytime you can get individual awards. Kids in the recruiting process want to be All-Freshman or Player of the Year, so that stuff helps a lot in recruiting."
 
… how proud he is of Tyson Etienne:
"I think that was a key to our success. The veteran guys like him, Dexter, Morris Udeze and Trey Wade. When those guys decided to come back, that helped build our team. The fact our young guys had the veteran guys to lean on helped us win a championship. Those guys did a great job in the locker room, weight room and on the court. I can't say enough how I was able to coach those guys and it set an example for those other guys. They were able to buy in."
 
… how much it helped that Tyson Etienne came back:
"When Tyson decided to come back, that really helped us a lot. Dexter Dennis decided to stay. Morris Udeze put his name in the portal, but came back. We signed Alterique Gilbert, so we felt like we had a good nucleus with those guys and Trey Wade. We did a good job of recruiting young guys and got two JUCO transfers with Clarence Jackson and Craig Porter Jr. They did a great job."
 
… how practice feels going into the postseason:
"I feel like it's been the same. In practice, we're not going up and down as much because we have a couple of injuries. Practices have been shortened. We've done a lot of skill stuff, a lot of five on zero, getting up a lot of shots and reviewing our plays. It's a little different."
 
… what Tyson Etienne did to change his game to become Player of the Year:
"He got better off the bounce. He put in the work this summer to be able to create shots off the bounce. Last year, he was more of a catch-and-shoot guy. Now he's one of those guys that can come off ball screens and iso by himself one-on-one. The fact he had good teammates getting him wide-open shots. The fact he had Alterique Gilbert to break down the defense and get open shots. Those things help you. It's a team effort, and his teammates did a great job of getting him open."
 
… what he thinks it will take to get into the NCAA Tournament:
"I don't think we need to win the conference tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament. I feel like our body of work is really good. We won the American conference, that says a lot. We played a really good non-conference schedule this year. We haven't had a bad loss on our schedule. We lost to Oklahoma State and Missouri when we only had eight players. We lost on the road to Houston and Memphis, those are Quad I losses. We don't have any bad losses, so I feel really good about our chances. I think we need to play well. We don't have to make it to the championship game, but hopefully we can. We're going down there for one thing, and that's to win it."
 
GUARD ALTERIQUE GILBERT on … 
 
… what it means to be honored on the all-conference third team:
"For me, it's a team accolade. I want to say I appreciate my teammates and coaching staff for putting me in this position."
 
... becoming more of an offensive threat down the stretch:
"I'm definitely trying to be assertive in the offense. I'm just trying to play the game the right way. However I can help the team win is what I'm trying to do."
 
… if he feels more confident in his decision to come to Wichita:
"Yeah. It's just unfolding before my eyes. It's been a long process. I'm just happy to have made the right decision to come here and get to know the guys around me."
 
… the mood in the locker room:
"We're really focused. We've pretty much been the same the entire year. We've been consistent with our mood and our approach the entire year. We're just staying consistent with everything in the same environment we've been in for the last five or six months."
 
… how it feels to get recognized:
"I feel great. I really think it's a big accomplishment. It just gives me more confidence. It continues to build me up. It's really an honor, but I'm blessed to be in this position. It's all God-willing. This is just a part of my story."
 
… what he is telling the young guys as a leader:
"Just from watching the postseason over the years, it's just another level of intensity. A lot of teams are kind of rebirthed because it's another opportunity to win. One game and advance around this time. Our biggest thing is to be ourselves and our team identity."
 
… finally getting the chance to play in the postseason:
"I'm definitely excited for this opportunity. This will be my first postseason game, so that's big."
 
… what he means by sticking to themselves:
"I think it just means being ourselves each and every day. I think everybody understands their roles and accepts those roles. It's just time for everyone to start excelling in those roles."
 
… how it is different to play in the postseason than just watching:
"It's going to be a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life. A lot of people don't get that opportunity in their careers. We just have to take advantage of the opportunity."
 
GUARD TYSON ETIENNE on … 
 
… if it's special to win Player of the Year when he could have left the program like many of his former teammates:
"I believe so. It's almost been a year since everything went down. Just to look back on the last 365 days and see the turn that has been made I'm just grateful that I stuck it out and stayed where I was. That's just a part of my upbringing, staying loyal. It's always going to pay off. I'm just grateful to be in the moment."
 
… the changes in his game that led him to winning Player of the Year:
"I believe you have to improve on weaknesses, and I think I did that when it comes to making plays off of ball screens, making plays with the ball in my hands. To me, it's more of an internal thing and believing in myself and believing everything I am capable of is possible for me and not thinking it's so far off. I think the growth in my game came from an internal place and building the confidence and building belief in myself just knowing I am what I believe I am."
 
… what he thinks allowed him to win Player of the Year:
"What allowed me to win this award is my teammates and my coaching staff. I am always going to put the work in and be prepared, but at the end of the day, I'm only one player. There's still 15 other guys I go to war with every night. Having those guys is why I believe I won the award. A team finishes first in the American, not a player."
 
… if he knew Isaac Brown was going to coach him harder earlier in the season to set an example for the new players:
"Not directly. But that's just how I carry myself, always knowing I have got to set the example and not saying 'we have to do that and that and that' if I'm not living that myself, so I knew with a new coach having two leaders, I knew he was going to push us to set the example that nobody gets away with anything easy."
 
… how excited he is to finally play in the postseason:
"It's new. I'm going into uncharted waters. I'm excited. We got down there last year and they canceled the tournament and then into lockdown. To have the opportunity to play in the conference tournament and to possibly play in the NCAA Tournament is a beautiful thing. I'm just excited to share that with my teammates and Shocker Nation."
 
… his sweatshirt that read "Women Ball Too":
"Nobody really knows this about me, but I enjoy watching women's basketball. I know some pretty good women's basketball players. I like watching the game. I feel like they don't get enough credit. They put the same amount of time that we do and the same amount of grind. I feel like more people should take their hats off to them. They do a great job. There are a lot of women's basketball players who have kids and are still playing and performing and meeting the same demands as men. This just raises awareness that they have a talent too and I think we should pay attention to that."
 
… the biggest challenge in maintaining his success:
"I feel like even though you may receive success, you have to keep yourself grounded. You always have to keep yourself even. For me, it was about continuing to elevate my game, but it was also about staying even and taking it one game at a time. I knew they would key on me and that may mean I'm not scoring a lot, but it might mean my teammates score a lot. I just take it how it comes. I know I'm prepared for each game. I'm ready for whatever they throw at me."
 
GUARD RICKY COUNCIL IV on … 
 
… how fun this year has been:
"It's been really fun. I'm just happy that we're in the position we're in at this time in the season. I'm pretty happy with my performance this season and I'm glad to get the reward."
 
… how much the accolade means:
'It means a lot. I'm thinking about my whole career and how far I've come. I'm thinking about next year and I'll have even bigger goals."'
 
… how much he has enjoyed his role:
"I'm just happy that I've been given the opportunity to play. When I'm in, I've got to give it 100 percent or I'm coming out. They expect 100 percent out of me, so that's how I'm going to play. This postseason, I'm trying to go the farthest we can. I'm excited for both tournaments. I just can't wait."
 
… the keys for the Shockers to succeed in Fort Worth:
"We need to play team basketball. Just play together and that's how we've been playing all season. As of late, we've been sharing the ball really well and getting guys open shots."
 
… what he has learned from playing with veteran teammates:
"I have learned how to get open, how to talk. We have aggressive leaders that tell us what to do in the right way. You have no choice but to listen because they know what they're talking about."