Wichita State men's basketball head coach Isaac Brown and Shocker players spoke to media on Wednesday after to preview their First Four matchup with Drake. Brown and the Shockers talked about the scouting report for Drake, what it's been like to be in quarantine and the energy of the team.
 
The Shockers are set to battle Drake in the First Four at 5:27 p.m. on Thursday inside of Mackey Arena. The game will air live on TBS.
 
HEAD COACH ISAAC BROWN on … 
 
… the scouting report on Drake:
"A good basketball team that's used to winning. I can't say that enough. They won 24 games. I remember when we were in the Missouri Valley Conference, we would come out of the conference tournament with these 12 and 13 game win streaks and that team had a long win streak this year. So they're used to winning, but they remind me of a team in American (Athletic Conference) because they run a lot of dribble drive. They're not a motion team to try to beat you with motion. They try to beat you one-on-one off the dribble, off the bounce and we've got to do a good job of being in the gaps, containing the drive. When we got to do a good job of getting back in transition because they are a high scoring team."
 
… what he learned from March Madness as an assistant coach:
"The biggest thing I was telling the players yesterday, and we talked about the conference tournament about executing in the NCAA tournament. You're going up against teams that are not used to scouting you. So all your plays will work. You can steal baskets as we call it by getting layups and just operating your sets. So we've got to do a good job of executing in the half court to be able to get some easy baskets. We're going to get baskets in transition. We're going to get them on offensive rebounds, but when we would go against a set defense. We have to execute."
 
… what he means by Drake playing like an AAC team:
"When we played in the Missouri Valley Conference, there were teams that played slow down basketball. They wanted to execute. They wanted to make it a half-court game. They ran a lot of motion. This team, Drake, they play like teams do in the American. They try to beat you off the dribble with the dribble drive. They play a lot of one-on-one. They've got guards that can get into the paint and create for themselves, can create for others. So they're kind of like teams in American and they look to dribble drive, beat you off the bounce and try to score a lot of baskets. They are high-scoring basketball team."
 
… how playing close games helps his team heading into the tournament:
"Our team has been there, we've played some close games. We won about nine of them. The last game against Cincinnati we didn't execute down the stretch. We had some easy baskets. We missed a couple of layups. We missed a couple of free throws. We've just got to defend at a high level and when you play in those close basketball games, you've got to get stops. You've got to get two or three stops late in the game in order to win the game. Versus Cincinnati, we were unable to get two or three stops late. We didn't make free throws. So we got to do that stuff."
 
… how to keep players active during quarantine:
"It's pretty much all you can do. When we first got here, we had to quarantine for 18 hours. The guys were unable to lift weights, our first practice was yesterday, about 7:00. We got back from Purdue's arena, probably about 10:45 that night. We got something to eat, put the guys straight to bed. We woke up this morning. We had a breakfast, we did a COVID test. We hadn't lifted weights today. We're going to go out and lift at I think about 4:00, so that'd be the first time they're doing any type of activities."
 
… what he's saying to his team to send the message that there's never a time to let up:
"I told the guys, 'I know you're excited about being in the tournament, but now you've got to be excited about getting the win.' In our last two games, we didn't play well, we didn't break 70 versus South Florida. We didn't break 70 versus Cincinnati. We've just got to be ready to go. The guys are excited. We know the things we needed to work on after the conference tournament. And we're just ready to get started."
 
… how to guard the dribble drive:
"Number one, we've got to do a good job of getting back in transition and making sure our half-court defense is set once they get to half court. We've got to do a better job of staying square, not letting guys just drive and get layups. After that, we've got to do a good job of our principles being in the gaps, making guys drive to kick, making them have to make two or three passes. Our ball screen covers got to be excellent when they run any pick and roll stuff. We've got to do a good job of our five kind of soft trapping the point guard and everybody else rotating. If they roll down the lane and we've just got to do a good job of staying square, guarding without fouling, rebounding and playing with toughness."
 
… what Craig Porter needs to bring:
"We need him to just be solid. Like he's been all year long. Come off the bench, give us good minutes, run our basketball team, not turn it over, play good defense, make wide open shots when he gets the opportunity and just defend at a high level, the same thing we've expected all year and the same thing he's given us all year."
 
… how much it helps to get Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler back:
"It helps us tremendously because when we go to the bench and I have to put Trey Wade at the five spot, it kind of throws off our offense because Trey only knows the four spot and three spot. So having Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler out there at the five, we can execute more in the half court. And we also got another big that we can throw the ball to, that can score with his back to the basket and he's a great rebounder. So just having him back helps us offensively tremendously. And it gives Morris Udeze some rest time on the bench."
 
… Drake's three-point shooting:
"Yeah, they do a good job. Like I said of the dribble drive. They don't shoot a lot of threes, but when they shoot them, they got some guys that can make them, their guys do a great job, but when they drive, they spin and they throw jump hooks. I have a team hasn't seen that a lot where you got guys at the one, two and three, anytime they drive, they're like a post man. They will spin and they will turn on jump hooks. So we've just got to do a good job of number one, keeping them in front, being in the gaps and contesting shots at the rim without fouling."
 
GUARD TYSON ETIENNE on …
 
… how the team bought into Coach Brown:
"We knew that at the end of the day we were going to control what we could control. We weren't going to control when the administration made a decision, but we can control our effort, our attitude, and knowing that we had a season to play. When they said the IB was going to be the interim, we just knew that we had a coach and we're going to play a season. So it was just a matter of us continuing to do what we did all summer was improve and learn and just play. And we did that."
 
… what it's been like in the bubble:
"For me personally, it's not too bad because at home I have had to stay away from a lot of things due to the coronavirus. For me, it's just been a lot of studying, a lot of watching film, learning different topics that I like to study outside of basketball. I've been pretty comfortable. Now that they've lifted our quarantine of having to actually just stay in the room the whole time, it's probably been a little bit freeing mentally, but it's not too bad for me."
 
… how it helps to have played in close games all year:
"Oh yeah. I'm on the same page with coach. It's a blessing to be here. It's a blessing to have your name called, but at the end of the day, we didn't just come here to just show up. We came here to win games and win games, plural. I think (playing in close games) served us because it taught us how to fight, but that's been our whole season. We've had to fight through adversity. We've had to fight through hard times. So if we were given a tough game, any of these games, I'm not overlooking any game, but Drake's going to be a tough game, we're going to be ready because they are a great team and it's going to go down to the wire and we played down to the wire games all season already."
 
… if he's excited to prove to the world what Shocker Basketball is about:
"Yes. I think everybody, when you're playing basketball, especially at this level, you want to play against the best. It starts with Drake. We want to play against the best. They're one of the best teams in their league. We want to play great teams. Coronavirus has done a lot to everybody's season. Obviously we had games that we wanted to play that got canceled, but you make do with what you get and now we have the opportunity to play tomorrow evening. We're just excited for the opportunity and just ready to play and show them what Shocker Basketball is."
 
… what he sees from Drake on film:
"I see talent. I see a talented core. I see guys that know how to hoop. I know guys that can make shots. They have No. 3 Sturtz. He is a junkyard dog. He rebounds the ball, a big guy from Seton Hall that I'm familiar with. They're a great team, well coached. It's going to be a game for sure. It's going to be a tough game and it's going to come down to who wants to win more. That's what it comes down to in the tournament. Who wants it more? Because at the end of the day, when it comes down to crunch time, the X's and O's go out the window. So it's going to be a game. I know we both want to win."
 
…. how the energy of the team is:
"It's in alignment with intention of what we have our goals set. I think that just staying in the present moment for us, just not getting caught up in the outside noise and not getting caught up with people saying, 'Oh, how did they make the tournament?' or 'This team should've made it over them,' but that's cool. At the end of the day we made the tournament. Now we have the opportunity to, it's in our name, shock the world. So, everybody can say what they want to say, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the 16 guys wearing black and yellow tomorrow."
 
GUARD CRAIG PORTER JR. on … 
 
… how excited he is to play in the tournament in his home state:
"It's really exciting, especially being able to have my family, a lot of my family, come out and support us as we get to play in this tournament. It's a lot different now with COVID and everything, but it's definitely very exciting just to be able to have it here in Indiana."
 
…. what he would think as a high school junior if someone said he would be playing in the NCAA tournament:
"I probably would have looked at you with a face I've never made before and call you a liar. But, knowing me and knowing myself, I've been through a lot of stuff, so there's no telling what I can do in my life."
 
… his high school basketball journey:
"Going into my freshman year, I was, I think about 5-0, 5-1, if I'm being generous, and played on the freshman team, then sophomore year came still the same height, small guy, didn't play my sophomore year. That summer going into my junior year, I grew to about 6-1, maybe 6-2, and then I was like, 'Hmm, I can't just sit around doing nothing. I might as well go try play basketball again.' And then I went out, only got to try out for one day because I was late for my physical and (I got) on the team."
 
… how big of a deal it is to represent Terre Haute, Indiana:
"It's a big deal, especially to a lot of people who helped me along the way and believed me and especially younger people, cause Terre Haute is a small city. Not a lot of people get a lot of opportunities. So I feel like I can be a huge influence to a lot of people and just help them get out of the situation they're in, especially being from their small city."
 
… how much he knows about the Wichita State-Drake rivalry:
"I know a little bit about the Drake and Wichita state rivalry, but not really a lot because when I was watching a lot of games, it was when I was younger, but I definitely have seen a lot of games, but more or less against Indiana State and Wichita State, but I definitely know a lot about the Valley."
 
… how much he thinks about representing Terre Haute, Indiana:
"I think about it often, especially when I'm on social media in my off the time. A lot of younger people who go to my high school and just people from around the area, they reach out to me, ask me questions, how I got to where I'm at and just any type of advice I can give them. I'd give them advice. And I just help them out a lot, just doing whatever I can to help them."
 
… how much it helps to have won a JUCO national title:
"I can say I can give my team a little bit of experience from that and a lot of different areas from playing, but it'll be a lot different because right now we're in a situation where we have to win to get into the tournament. At my JUCO, we were like one of the top five teams. So it was a lot easier for us to get in the groove of things. This group of guys is special and we're going to shock a lot of people."
 
… blocking shots this season:
"I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but I would be doing it a lot more, but this year I've been battling a couple of injuries and got some old man knees and I can't really get the explosion I want, but just being an athlete, I just have a good feel for timing and knowing when to set up plays in order for me to block on. And I just have a feel for the game in a different way than a lot of people don't understand. And this is just something that I guess comes naturally to me."
 
GUARD ALTERIQUE GILBERT on …
 
… the first couple of days in the bubble:
"We were limited, a lot just being in the room, but being here alone was just great for us just getting to this moment with the guys, just seeing a bracket on a building. Then traveling to practice was great. Getting out the room a little bit, so we were really excited for this opportunity. I think a lot of the guys are looking forward to it."
 
… how the team stayed with the plan through pauses:
"I think honestly we got a great group of guys who are mature and who want to win. It was kind of just kind of magical in my opinion, how the group just developed over the months and got better on and off the court."
 
… the scouting report for Drake:
"I just think they can score the ball really well. They play together, they play at two speeds, they can slow it down and they can pick the speed up a little bit. I think our biggest thing is just getting clean rebounds, just making it tough on them on each end of the floor."
 
... what they learned from the AAC Tournament:
"I would say our energy and effort. I attitude changed a little bit, dipped a little bit going into the tournament, knowing we would have regular season champs and we kind of took our foot off the gas and the way that Cincinnati loss and even the South Florida game, I think the guys started to notice we've got to pick it up. Each team around this time is coming to win each game and each game is critical."
 
… the biggest key to guarding Drake:
"I think the biggest thing for us with this game would be communication. They do a lot of blurred screens. They set a lot of screens as well, so on that end of the court, we're going to definitely have to talk a lot and just be vocal too, just to help and get stops. We're going to need a lot of clean rebounds to get out and transition and play our game."
 
GUARD DEXTER DENNIS on …
 
… what it feels like to finally make the NCAA Tournament:
"I've been waiting on this moment for three years, so to finally get here, it's everything, but we're still trying to survive in advance."
 
… what it's been like to be quarantined:
"It's kind of normal now. We've been pretty much doing it this whole year. It's kind of like rules and protocols you have to follow. So we pretty much knew it once we landed, we went to quarantine for a little bit, test negative a few times and it's pretty much nothing new. We've been pretty much going through it the whole year. It's just a little bit different, a little bit bigger on the stage because it's the NCAA tournament."
 
… what the energy has been like transitioning to the NCAA Tournament:
"It feels like a new season almost. It's like another chance. It just makes you forget about everything that happened in the past, but now it's about trying to focus on just winning ball games right now, doing anything to just survive and keep playing."
 
… what this game means to the program:
"I think it means a lot. I think it'll cap off a great story. Speaking of everything that went on earlier in this year and during the year about the cancellation of games, just fighting adversity all year. I think it just would put the cap on a great story with a great group of people, a great group of coaches, players, staff, trainers, everybody. It'll mean that much more to us."
 
… if he enjoys having a chip on his shoulder:
"Most definitely. I'm really not too concerned about anything that's going on with the outside noise. I'm just excited to still be playing this First Four game. It doesn't really matter to me. I'm just excited. We're playing. I'm glad some of my teammates get to experience this since they're seniors. So, I'm just really excited to play. I'm not really worried about anything else."
 
… how playing in close games helps his team:
"I can say we've been in those situations a lot this year. Just having the last one, didn't go over our way, but we've been in a lot of games where it has been really, really tight and we have to make plays down the end. So, I think if that was to happen, I think we'd be more accustomed to it, it wouldn't really be a lot of panic or anything."
 
FORWARD MORRIS UDEZE on …
 
… how it feels to be in the tournament:
"Amazing. Like words can't explain just to be here with my guys and experience this moment. It's actually my first time in three years, I've been here, so I'm just trying to savor the moment."
 
… how it changes the way he plays with Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler back:
"I'm still going to play the same way, aggressive, hard, but I have somebody to come back me up anytime I'm tired or anytime stuff's not flowing as good. It's always good to have in mind. So very good addition."
 
… on being in the bubble:
"I mean it's nothing really new to us. To see people complain about the food and stuff, it's funny to me, but just same old quarantine. So we're kind of used to it already."
 
… how important it is to start out on the right foot:
"I feel like it's important as a team to start inside and go inside out. Once I started inside, then I get the shooters around me going like Tyson, Dex, Trey, Alterique, get them going after. So this is good. Start inside out. It doesn't matter, but I'm just going to try and get going, play my same game, play hard and to do whatever it takes to win."
 
… how deep of a run he thinks the Shockers can make:
"Deep, very deep. We're very slept on. We've got enough talent to beat anybody any day. And I feel like we're going to bust a lot of brackets. So we're going to keep going, keep playing hard, play for one another, and we're going to see where it takes us."
 
FORWARD TREY WADE on …
 
… how much it helps to get Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler:
"Bringing Isaiah back, it gives the defense a different look. Obviously having that spot at the five man that makes it easier on Morris Udeze, so we have more depth and it's going to help us in the end. It was good to have him back."
 
… what it's like being in the bubble:
"We're just trying to kind of go through the motions right now. Obviously we're ready to play with the opportunity to advance. I mean, that's all we're really looking for. We're not really worried about anything else. So, we're just focused in on the game."
 
… what it means for him individually to have made it to the Dance:
"It's a big opportunity for me individually. And as a team, we get to showcase what we've been working on all year, who we've been all year at the biggest stage. So, we're just looking to come win and advance."
 
… the scouting report for Drake:
"They've got some guys who can play off the dribble. They play at a good pace. They share the ball real well. So, next thing that we're looking into it and we're just trying to key in on them. I think it's about defense and aggressiveness and it's going to play a huge role in the emotions the game. But I think we have enough to get it done."
 
… what it's been like in practice:
"High energy man. Everybody's eager to get on the court. Everybody's eager to play. We went out to Purdue yesterday to practice. That was exciting. Everybody's high energy, everybody thinks positive vibes and we just get to get out there and play, get it going."