For the Shockers, making baskets more easily starts with making more easy baskets. At his weekly media briefing, Wichita State head coach Isaac Brown talked shot selection, ramping up the transition game and the progress he's seeing out of Dexter Dennis heading into another CBS Saturday morning matchup at Houston (11 a.m. CT).
 

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HEAD COACH ISAAC BROWN ON…
 
... His message to the team during Memphis film review:
"We talked about the shot selection, we talked about making wide open shots and we also talked about rebounding. Right now, in the four losses, we're shooting 33% from the field 26% from the 3-point line, and we're getting out-rebounded by 2.0."
 
... Surrendering a season-high 82 points to the Tigers:
"Some of that was on us, (but) they (also) made some tough shots. The big guy (Jalen Duren) made some tough shots that I hadn't seen him make. (DeAndre) Williams stepped out and made some shots. I thought (Josh) Minott had his best game. We did a bad job on him basket-cutting for layups and dunks. We opened up and we didn't see him. But, again, we made them feel comfortable early on in the game. Giving them those layups early in the game hurt our defense tremendously."
 
... Ways to get Etienne going:
"We've got to do a better job of getting him open. We've got to try to get him baskets in transition and get him to the free throw line. Let him see the ball go through the basket. We've got to screen for him more. We've got to put him off the ball more, so he can get the shots coming off ball screens."
 
... How the team's core of veteran leaders has responded:
"(Etienne), Dexter Dennis, Morris Udeze and Joe Pleasant -- those guys have been great in the locker room. They haven't pointed fingers. They've take on the leadership role. They talked about what we've got to do to get better. Memphis took it to us. They played a great game. We didn't play our best game, and we paid for it. We took a loss at home. We've got to get better."
 
... The coaching staff's role in overcoming adversity:
"We've got to get these guys to talk about positive things I've talked about some teams we've had here in the past that had some bad losses, and how those guys were able to bounce back. At some point during the basketball season, you're going to hit some adversity. You've got to be able to bounce back and get ready to go. That was a tough loss (on Saturday). It stung those guys. It hurts me a lot to play in front of our home crowd like that. But I give Memphis a lot of credit."
 
... How players battle through adversity:
"You can't point fingers. You've got to get in the gym. You've got to be able to make shots. You've got to keep working. It's not going to get easier. It's only going to get tougher. We just played Memphis. Now you go play a team (Houston) that has dominated the league the last couple of years... so it's not going to get easier. You've got to keep fighting if you want to start making shots and start winning basketball games."
 
... The team's shooting performances in practice vs. game day:
"In practice we do make those shots. I think the game, we've got to realize what's a good shot and what's a great shot. And we can't take quick shots. I think a lot of times when you take quick shots, that gets the other team back on offense. Now we're down on defense having to guard for most of the game. So we're working more on moving the ball, trying to get a better shot and not taking those quick shots when you're not shooting a great percentage."
 
... Whether he's surprised by the early struggles from such a veteran group:
"Last year we didn't shoot it great either, but we defended at a high level. We were able to make some plays down the stretch. I think we've got to continue to defend in order to win games in this league... And we've just got to take good shots. If we take good shots, we play the right way, we don't turn it over, we'll have a good chance to win these games. But if you turn it over at a high rate, you take quick shots and you're not making them and you don't rebound, it'll be hard to win basketball games."
 
... Emphasizing effort and execution transition:
"I told the entire team that I want them running more in transition. We're not pushing the ball hard enough in transition. Guys are not sprinting enough in transition. We're not putting pressure on the defense. When you've got to go against a set defense all night, it's hard. That's the No.1 thing we're going to be looking at. If the ball comes off on a rebound and we get it, we're looking at guys who are running. If you're jogging, we're going to take you out. We've got to try to get easy baskets. When you're struggling to make shots from the three-point line, you've got to easy baskets to get your offense going."
 
... Whether last season's experience provides a blueprint for overcoming adversity or just a false sense of security:
"Eventually we've got to show it. These last couple of games at home, we haven't played great. We played great against Prairie View, but we didn't against North Texas, K-State and Memphis. We've got to do a better job of understanding that, in order to win basketball games, you've got to take good shots. We've got to step up and make wide open shots. We've got to defend at a high level. And we've got to stay together, no matter what. We have to battle through adversity. Like I said, it's not going to get any easier. We're playing (back-to-back against) the two teams that were picked to win the league, so it's going to be hard. You've got to go down to Houston and play well in order to win the basketball game. No. 1, you can't turn it over. You've got to be able to make wide open shots. You have to take care of the ball when you throw it in the post, because you're going to get double-teamed. And you've got to rebound."
 
... What's he's seen from Houston on tape:
"I watched their game vs. Temple. They still play hard. They still push the ball in transition. They can really score it inside with (Josh) Carleton, the transfer from UConn, and Fabian White, who was out some with an ACL injury (last year). They've got (Reggie) Chaney inside. They've another kid (J'Wan Roberts) who really rebounds it. We've got to do our work in the paint. We've got to do a good job in transition. They played eight guys the last game. They've got some new faces, but those guys play the right way. They play hard. They can make wide open shots. They've got a good point guard in (Jamal) Shead, who really runs their team. They're a good basketball team. The one thing I've noticed about Houston, the last couple of years, is that any time they lose guys, it seems like they get better and better. So we're going in there against a great coach, a great basketball team, a winning tradition, and we need our 'A' game in order to come out on top."
 
... Not letting one loss lead to two:
"It's one game on the schedule. It hurt to lose that game. If we lost by one point on a half-court shot, would that make you feel any better? It wouldn't make me feel better. So, I told those guys, sometimes that happens. 'A couple of years ago at Houston, I remember being down 38 points. That team battled back and finished the season well.' So we've just got to do a good job of handling adversity. Don't let that one game decide our season. It's the first game in conference. Now we're going down to play a Houston team that's really good. We've got enough guys in the locker room to compete in the AAC at the top of this league. We've just got to start playing well."
 
... Dexter Dennis' season-high 16 points against Memphis:
"The one positive I had (from the Memphis game) is that Dexter controlled the ball. A couple of times he made good moves and, instead of going in there and missing a layup or whatever, he shot-faked, drew the foul and got to the free throw line. That's the type of stuff that can get you going. So I told his teammates, 'when you drive the basketball and they've got a 7-footer, shot-fake, get him up in the air. Shot fake again, draw a foul and get to the free throw line.' When you see the ball going through the basketball making free throw and layups, you'll start to make threes."
 
... Getting Ricky Council back on track:
"He's got to stop settling for threes and get to the rim. Your strength is getting to the basketball and creating shots off the bounce. Don't dribble it over four or five times. Straight-line drives. Get out in transition for some easy ones and take stationary threes. It's the threes off the bounce, for our entire team, that we're not making at a high rate. We've got to start taking more stationary threes, play inside-out and start knocking down shots."