Q & A with Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery

The following is a transcript of an interview with Fran McCaffery at Big Ten Basketball Media Day on Oct. 28 in Chicago:

On the team's versatility:

We've got some ways we can go. The reality is it's going to be inexperience versus experience but at least it gives those guys an opportunity to get those guys some valuable experience.

On freshman Zach McCabe:

He's competing for a starting position. I kind of look at him as a guy who will be my sixth man … for a couple of reasons. One, he's versatile in terms of the positions he can play and skill set. But also he can score. I think it's great to have some offensive firepower coming off the bench.

Any surprises so far?

I think the one guy who's been the biggest surprises has been Darius Stokes. We just kind of wanted him to be a front-court walk-on but he's performed well. He's an athlete. He understands how to play; he comes from a great program (at Linn-Mar). So he's been taught. My hope was to red-shirt him, but we may have to play him.

On adding walk-ons?

I always have some walk-ons, I usually don't have five. But we just needed bodies. I really like my walk-ons. They're smart, they're great kids, we've got two bigs, we've got one in between, we've got one that can run the offense. We've got one, I think … he's not as much of a surprise, but Jordan Stoermer is a pretty good player. He really is. He's not a freshman walk-on. He's been around. He can make shots. He just really knows how to play. He's a really tough kid. He's a guy who figures into the mix with Matt being out as well. (Stoermer's) got an incredibly high basketball IQ.

Any chance for any of the walk-ons to earn a scholarship?

Yeah, I think at some level they all do. But we'll see how it goes.

Have you broke down any tape on the Big Ten or just concentrated on your team?

I've just worked on my team. I've watched some tape. I've got some pretty good knowledge of the Big Ten for two reasons. The last two years we've played Purdue and Ohio State in the NCAA Tournaments so I've watched a lot of Big Ten film in preparation for those games. I've got a decent feel for the league. But I think it's more important right now to really know and understand my own team and focus on what we're doing, before we start worrying about what everybody else is doing.

On Andrew Brommer:

I think he's settled down, and he's more comfortable with how we're playing. He's having some success so I think his confidence level has improved so he's feeling better about himself. He sees if you work hard and you understand your role, things will be positive for him. He's a good player. I've been impressed with him since the minute I got here.

His minutes were inconsistent. His role, I don't know, wasn't clearly defined. I'm not sure he knew exactly what he was supposed to be doing other than coming into the game and don't make any mistakes. If that's your thought process, then you're not going to make any plays. You've got to get plays. You've got to rebound, you've got to block a shot you've got to close down on penetration, you've got to get to the free-throw line. You've got to do all that stuff. He knows how to play, and he's got a big frame, and we desperately need that. He's 6-9, 240, 245. He's a big kid. He's a big kid with a skill set. He's not a hammerhead; he can do some things. He just has to believe; we believe in him. So now he's got to believe in himself.

Does the team have a confidence issue right now?

The team has to have a collective success, but if you break it down individually, we've got a lot of guys with (little) success. We're telling Andrew personally, and that's the first step and collectively the team has to have success.

On sophomore point guard Cully Payne:

I don't think he's changed his approach. He's one of our captains. He's our leader. He's aggressive. If he makes a mistake, it's usually an aggressive one, which I prefer. I don't want any mistakes, but if you're going to make them, make one when you're trying to make a play, when you're trying to attack. I think that's been good for him.

For him he's got to understand, yeah we're playing faster and pushing the ball, sometimes there's nothing there. So don't try to make something if there's nothing there. Wait for your next opportunity, your next opening to make a play. He's really gotten better at that in the last week.

What do you look for in a point guard?

I've always trusted my point guard to make decisions. I'm not a control freak where he's got to do everything I tell him every play. He's got to think for himself. He's got to be able to read situations. That's what I expect from him. It's hard to expect it from a freshman; he's better able to do it now that he's been through it for 36 minutes a game last year. I think you'll see a different Cully Payne. You've seen a good one last year, you'll see a better one this year.

Do you ask Cully to score more this year?

I want him to score. I want him to take it, finish, shoot the 3, shoot the mid-range jumper. He's really doing that well. He wasn't doing that at first. He was trying to create. He was trying to engineer victory, which is fine. But for us to win, he's got to score.

How does sophomore forward Eric May fit in?

He's shooting the ball well. He looks good. The style of play for him is ideal. He's in great physical condition. He can score. He can defend. He's got character. He wants to win. He wants to contribute and play any role we ask him to play. You couldn't ask for a better situation as a coach.

I wouldn't be afraid to play him at the two-spot. We could break the press with him, another small forward and two-guard. There are a number of things we can do with him.

What are some of junior guard Bryce Cartwright's attributes?

Bryce has a great feel for how to play. He can make plays for his teammates, he made plays for himself. He'll primarily make plays for other people but he can score. We need him to score. He doesn't play like a freshman, either. He's not. He shouldn't. He's been around. He brings another experienced guy out there that hasn't been in Iowa, but that's been around.

On having video coordinator Ryan Bowen around the program:

The thing about Ryan is he impacts our program in so many different ways. His job description doesn't allow him to do as much on the floor as he would like or we would want, but just his overall presence … he's a former Hawkeye great, he's played in the league, he's got just a completely different level of credibility than most everybody else.

How are you going to treat the upcoming exhibition?

I think I have a rotation in my head, but that could change.

How deep do you want to go this year?

At least nine, maybe 10. That's always a function of injuries.

On Devyn Marble's skill set:

He's got basketball IQ. He's got instincts. He's got length. He can score. He can score in a variety of different ways. You see the 28 points he made in high school, you think he's a shooter. He's a pretty good shooter, but he's more of a guy that can score mid-range, attack the basket, finish with his range, with his length. He can make 3s. He can make plays for other people. Everything we're teaching him in terms of break and motion offense is new for him. He's picking it up quickly. He's really gotten better in a short period of time. I had high hopes for him. I really think he's going to be really good.