Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Q & A: Michael Curry
3/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FAU Head Basketball Coach Michael Curry recently sat down to discuss his first year at the helm and share his thoughts on the state of the program.
How do you feel about your first season?
"It was a great learning experience. (The coaching staff) knew coming in that we had a lot of things to change in order to build the culture we wanted. We wanted to make sure that we, as a coaching staff, relayed to the players that we weren't going to take any short cuts in doing it, either on or off the court. We wanted to present ourselves in a more professional manner and for the program to be a good representation of the school. We wanted to train like champions. So many people think that you become champions at the end (of the season), once you're a very good team, but it's the things that you do prior to that that really help. We feel like we did things the right way, but we still have quite a way to go."
What was the biggest thing you learned about the team this year?
"The guys want to win, they just don't understand what it takes to win. Most people that participate (in sports) want to win, but do they understand what has to be done to win and are they willing to do those things? Winning has to come before everything else. Sometimes, when you are losing, it becomes a culture of `me'. `I have to make sure that I look good, so that I'm not to blame for the loss.' Everyone needs to be fully devoted to the team to have a chance to win. That's what we're trying to build with the guys. That's how we want to build our culture. "
What do you think is the biggest thing the players learned from you?
"I think they learned that (the coaches) are all going to be on the same page and that we're going to be the same way every day. We're going to be demanding. We're not going to let up, on or off the court. (They also know) that we're going to teach them and that we care about them. We're going to give them an opportunity to perform at their best. We'll make sure that they get everything they can out of their college experience. We're going to create a tough schedule against teams that they will be eager to play against. We're going to establish a home court so the guys enjoy playing at home as well as going out on the road to get some wins. All of those things are important."
How do you feel about the development of C.J. Turman?
"We went through the numbers with C.J. and when C.J. started and played 20 plus minutes, he averaged about nine points and five and a half rebounds a game, which are pretty good numbers in our league. The problem was, in the games he averaged 14 minutes, he scored about three points. So with C.J., it's about getting him on the court and playing 20 plus minutes. When he does that, it's because he stayed out of foul trouble. He probably played better as a starter, but with two seniors (in the starting lineup), we felt that if a freshman was going to start, he had to go get the starting spot. (The coaching staff) didn't think C.J. grabbed it. We could have easily given it (a starting role) to him, but when you give players something, it can be taken away, when they earn it, they keep it."
What do you lose with the graduation of this year's senior class?
"We lost some really good size and we really didn't get Justin Raffington at full strength because of injuries. You really feel for him, because he never got to play the way that he's capable of playing. With him, Kelvin Penn and Brian Hornstein, we lost not just size, but size that had experience. So as we add younger big guys to the mix, we have to make sure they are athletic and active to make up for (the lack of experience) and adding Ronald Delph to the roster helps. It's important that we get four big guys playing very good basketball so that we can rotate them throughout the course of the game and make us a better - deeper team."
How do you feel next year's roster will be different from this year's?
"Between the transfers we had sitting out, the guys who will be returning and the freshman class that we're bringing in, we think we have increased our talent level, our toughness and our athletic ability. We hope to continue to get better this offseason and prepare for next year."
What are your goals for the offseason?
"The important thing for the returners is to establish a culture in the locker room so that everything is set when the newcomers arrive. When the newcomers get here, they will have an understanding of what is expected of them. (The returners) have to hold each other accountable and develop a bond so that when the new guys come in, they fall in line with the natural way of doing things. That's when you start having a very good locker room culture. We want to get the returners to where they can win games, then the newcomers can come in and enhance that opportunity. We want to get stronger and more athletic so that we can play at a faster pace. Those things help you win 50-50 balls, help you finish at the rim and get by guys. Everything we do this offseason will enhance that. We will devise our strength and conditioning plan to make sure that everybody is getting better in those areas. Our goal is to better and stronger so that once we get into the fall, we can hit the ground running to develop a style of play that will allow us to play nine or 10 guys in a lot of different ways. That's the goal and the challenge I've given my coaching staff."
