Arizona State Men’s Basketball Head Coach
Opening Statement…
“Just after further reflection and looking back on the year, I feel super appreciative of the journey and season we had. You look at the blue blood, traditional NCAA Tournament teams that did not put together a season that enabled them to get into March Madness and play in the tournament. I really like the way the guys responded throughout the year with their backs against the wall. With the adversity we had, we had some special moments together as a team and that's what you always hope for as a coach, that you can bring a group of people together and they can play for each other and play the right way. It was a real honor to coach this group and team. I know how the NCAA works in terms of these games. The margins are razor thin between winning and losing and continuing to advance. That’s the goal, keep taking steps and put ourselves in position to have opportunities to go after a Pac-12 Championship and NCAA Tournament appearances and where it could take you. It’s been special for me to be able to track my brother, spend time with him and watch what he’s doing. It’s inspiring for me to see what he’s done with that team and how far he’s taken it. I’m so proud of him and enjoyed just seeing that. It makes me hungrier as a coach and try to do something special.”
On what it means to come back…
“Ray Anderson hired me here, brought me in and we’ve been attached at the hip. Ray showed additional commitment to me and showed he believes in what I’ve been able to do after two tough seasons in COVID. I said this after a game this season; two years ago was the first year of the portal and it was a turning point. My right hand man, Rashon Burno took a head coaching job at Northern Illinois and I lost another assistant coach, Anthony Coleman, and both of those guys are doing great and they’re super successful. The guys that stayed with me were Kimani Lawrence and Jalen Graham and it was a blank canvas. In two years, we’re back in the NCAA Tournament. I’m super proud of the work we put in to get the program back to where it needs to be. A big part of that is Ray Anderson and Dr. Crow’s commitment to the program and how they feel about the steps we’re taking and the direction of it. I’m very appreciative of their support and happy that I’m back here. Usually, in past seasons, you go through a long year and there’s a lot of tough games and pressure. The finality of it hurts so bad that you just want to escape and go away, let your mind relax a little bit. Not anymore in this world, the transfer portal, we’ve been very aggressive and exploring multiple ways that we're going to surround the core of this team with players that will put us in a position to take further steps than we did this year.”
On how playing big games helps with the transfer portal…
”I think the visibility of our program has increased due to what we did in Dayton. It was the only game people were watching that night. There are players that see our style of play, and how attractive that could be. They saw how hard we play, how we defended and scored 98 points in that game. I think then people watched our TCU game and it was a war. People recognized that the Big-12 was really good with really good teams and we went toe-to-toe with them. We controlled that game most of the way. When you’re involved in games like that, your program goes up a notch. Kids want to know ‘am I going to get better,’ but winning is apart of that too and they want the chance to play in the NCAA tournament. We’re hopeful that that will translate to what we’re doing for roster improvement.”
On the outlook of his ASU tenure so far…
“I think it’s not just winning one game or not. If you base it on that, it's probably not a great way to make a decision. You look at the totality of my tenure here. We’ve won some high profile non-conference games, we’ve been to multiple NCAA Tournaments. Potentially, our best chance to advance, I’ll never know, but I’ll always look back on the season that the tournament was canceled. COVID stopped the season as we were the three seed in the Pac-12 and like an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That team was playing very well at the end. We’ve had some roadblocks. I have confidence in my abilities, I know what I’m capable of doing, I’ve coached against the best coaches in our league and across the country. I feel like I’m in my prime. All the experiences you go through, the wins and losses, you go through them and get better. I’m trying to grow and continue to get better. I look at my brother as an example. He has done such an amazing job in building that team and that program there. He had trouble winning that first round game for a couple years and now he’s in the Final Four. Things like that I think are in play here. I think we have a core of players that are invested in this and want to see it work. Then, I’m going to get to work with ym staff and we’re going to improve the roster and give us a better chance to advance in the tournament next year.”
On what it will take to get the program to the next level…
“You have to have players, you have to have guys you can win with. You have to have winners and guys that value that. I have several guys like that, that I can build off of. I’m evaluating every way that we need to put ourselves in a position from a roster standpoint for us to be competitive during the year. Every coach, even coaches right now that are taking over new programs, can immediately change their program. That’s how the transfer portal is built and the ways you can instantly change a roster. Every year there’s going to be change, there’s going to be guys that are going to explore their options for a variety of reasons and there’s going to be guys that are knocking down the door to want to come here. We’ll do the best we can to retain everyone, and if that's not the case, we’re going to bring guys in that are going to do that.
On gaging personnel…
“I had individual meetings on Monday after our loss in Denver Friday. Literally in 48 hours, I had everyone come through my office and I knew where everyone was standing on that process. It’s important to know because we were already a week or so late on the portal because I’m locked in on winning NCAA Tournament games, not the portal. I was not shocked at some of the portal activity. We’ve been doing what we have to do, reaching out to players and we’re getting great responses. We’re going to continue to see where the guys are that have decided to go in the portal. The hardest thing is when you rip the bandaid off and press that button, you don’t think you’re going to see that guy again. We’re going to have conversations with these guys to see if this is the best fit for them. We’re actively still re-recruiting our own players as we explore other opportunities.
On his self-evaluation of this season…
“I have to continue to evolve in in-game situations and I think we've done a good job of winning close games. We have a lot of close wins by five points or less. So I think we were able to do that pretty well. We've got to do a better job at home. And I'm thinking about how to do that because we were not good enough here this year. And we were very good on the road, we did more than our fair share. We’ve got to figure out how to win here. And there are some things that aren't even on the basketball court that I've already thought about that I think could put us in a better position to be better here. It comes down to the roster construction. I watched my brother, he’s got guys, great interior players, and great shooting. And he's got a deep team. And so he's got a lot of good (talent); it's a puzzle you're putting together. So that’s the challenge: to build a team that will put us in a position.”
On what it means to be in Arizona and work for ASU…
“I built a life here. I have a family here. My daughter graduated here, she got a master's here, my son is on the team and loves it here. My wife and I love living here. I still believe that this place can be exceptional. I think COVID stunted our growth. And we took a couple of steps back and now we've taken a step forward. And I intend to keep taking steps forward here because I believe in this place and that it can be done here. And so when you believe in it, then you're gonna go after it 1,000% and that’s what I’m gonna do. And I know I have commitment. I know I have an administration that supports me and wants me to be here and believes in me, so I'm going to do my best to get the job done.”
On the rumors of potential facility upgrades…
“I would say that Dr. Crow was on target with his comments in terms of when that building is filled, and we're playing UCLA, and our players are on the court … they're not thinking about anything else except look at all these people in the stands and look at this environment. And I think we've created – outside of Arizona – the best Pac-12 environment in terms of support, crowd support … the school has been through a lot with COVID and the limitations of the finances and I'm not involved in that directly … but it impacted our university. So when that is addressed, I would certainly be in favor of it. When that timeline is in play, it’s in play, but it won’t stop me from doing what I need to do.”
On the impact and the state of NIL…
“I think there's a variety of factors that go into it and every person's situation and reasons are different, and their motivations are different. So I would say that it has an impact. There are guys all over the country that are in the portal, and they're trying to find out what they could do with NIL and stuff. So NIL plays a big role, believe me, we've lost guys to the NIL, and all the places that have had a serious commitment to that. Things that we couldn't compete with. But that doesn't mean that we're not trying. Arizona State is trying the Sun Devil Collective, Sun Angel Collective, and stuff. So we can't pretend that's not important but I don't think that's the sole reason why anybody would, you know, specifically go into the portal.”
On the importance of Devan Cambridge returning…
“He's a winning player. And that's the bottom line. He had a great experience here. His statistics went up considerably from the year prior at Auburn. So he developed in the program, (he) believes in it, we and shares my vision to take further steps like he, and I know that he's all in. There are others, and it will sort itself out. But we're gonna bring back a core of guys that understand the path to get to the NCAA Tournament this year and then we'll build around them and bring in the talent that we need to take another step.”
On the importance of players recruiting other players…
“These guys, they play AAU together; they’re all over the country. They build relationships with kids. And if there are guys in the portal, then they want love. They want guys to call and say, ‘Hey, man, you should come out to Arizona State, you know, I love (Bobby) Hurley, I love the way we play, look what we did in the NCAA Tournament.’ So that means a lot of things that Frankie wants – just like Devan – and the guys that are going to be returning to get back to doing what we're doing, they got a taste of it. We were right there with TCU. They know how close we were to advancing and doing more damage and they want to get that done. And so if they could help in a minor way, I'm all for it.”
On finding guys with the appropriate mindset…
“I think it's important. It's going through the process as a coach and having some guys that that may not have been all about that. And having coached some of those guys, you kind of learn what to look for and learn what to avoid. And so if you don't learn lessons as you go in, then you're not paying attention. So I think that I've been focused on character. I think that's part of the reason we could go on the road and win all the games we did because these guys played together and enjoyed playing together. It wasn't always perfect, but they liked each other. So that's part of the deal to put together a group of people that could co-exist and all those things. Yeah, it's more than just physical talent. It's identifying those traits that are important to winning.”
Opening Statement…
“Just after further reflection and looking back on the year, I feel super appreciative of the journey and season we had. You look at the blue blood, traditional NCAA Tournament teams that did not put together a season that enabled them to get into March Madness and play in the tournament. I really like the way the guys responded throughout the year with their backs against the wall. With the adversity we had, we had some special moments together as a team and that's what you always hope for as a coach, that you can bring a group of people together and they can play for each other and play the right way. It was a real honor to coach this group and team. I know how the NCAA works in terms of these games. The margins are razor thin between winning and losing and continuing to advance. That’s the goal, keep taking steps and put ourselves in position to have opportunities to go after a Pac-12 Championship and NCAA Tournament appearances and where it could take you. It’s been special for me to be able to track my brother, spend time with him and watch what he’s doing. It’s inspiring for me to see what he’s done with that team and how far he’s taken it. I’m so proud of him and enjoyed just seeing that. It makes me hungrier as a coach and try to do something special.”
On what it means to come back…
“Ray Anderson hired me here, brought me in and we’ve been attached at the hip. Ray showed additional commitment to me and showed he believes in what I’ve been able to do after two tough seasons in COVID. I said this after a game this season; two years ago was the first year of the portal and it was a turning point. My right hand man, Rashon Burno took a head coaching job at Northern Illinois and I lost another assistant coach, Anthony Coleman, and both of those guys are doing great and they’re super successful. The guys that stayed with me were Kimani Lawrence and Jalen Graham and it was a blank canvas. In two years, we’re back in the NCAA Tournament. I’m super proud of the work we put in to get the program back to where it needs to be. A big part of that is Ray Anderson and Dr. Crow’s commitment to the program and how they feel about the steps we’re taking and the direction of it. I’m very appreciative of their support and happy that I’m back here. Usually, in past seasons, you go through a long year and there’s a lot of tough games and pressure. The finality of it hurts so bad that you just want to escape and go away, let your mind relax a little bit. Not anymore in this world, the transfer portal, we’ve been very aggressive and exploring multiple ways that we're going to surround the core of this team with players that will put us in a position to take further steps than we did this year.”
On how playing big games helps with the transfer portal…
”I think the visibility of our program has increased due to what we did in Dayton. It was the only game people were watching that night. There are players that see our style of play, and how attractive that could be. They saw how hard we play, how we defended and scored 98 points in that game. I think then people watched our TCU game and it was a war. People recognized that the Big-12 was really good with really good teams and we went toe-to-toe with them. We controlled that game most of the way. When you’re involved in games like that, your program goes up a notch. Kids want to know ‘am I going to get better,’ but winning is apart of that too and they want the chance to play in the NCAA tournament. We’re hopeful that that will translate to what we’re doing for roster improvement.”
On the outlook of his ASU tenure so far…
“I think it’s not just winning one game or not. If you base it on that, it's probably not a great way to make a decision. You look at the totality of my tenure here. We’ve won some high profile non-conference games, we’ve been to multiple NCAA Tournaments. Potentially, our best chance to advance, I’ll never know, but I’ll always look back on the season that the tournament was canceled. COVID stopped the season as we were the three seed in the Pac-12 and like an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That team was playing very well at the end. We’ve had some roadblocks. I have confidence in my abilities, I know what I’m capable of doing, I’ve coached against the best coaches in our league and across the country. I feel like I’m in my prime. All the experiences you go through, the wins and losses, you go through them and get better. I’m trying to grow and continue to get better. I look at my brother as an example. He has done such an amazing job in building that team and that program there. He had trouble winning that first round game for a couple years and now he’s in the Final Four. Things like that I think are in play here. I think we have a core of players that are invested in this and want to see it work. Then, I’m going to get to work with ym staff and we’re going to improve the roster and give us a better chance to advance in the tournament next year.”
On what it will take to get the program to the next level…
“You have to have players, you have to have guys you can win with. You have to have winners and guys that value that. I have several guys like that, that I can build off of. I’m evaluating every way that we need to put ourselves in a position from a roster standpoint for us to be competitive during the year. Every coach, even coaches right now that are taking over new programs, can immediately change their program. That’s how the transfer portal is built and the ways you can instantly change a roster. Every year there’s going to be change, there’s going to be guys that are going to explore their options for a variety of reasons and there’s going to be guys that are knocking down the door to want to come here. We’ll do the best we can to retain everyone, and if that's not the case, we’re going to bring guys in that are going to do that.
On gaging personnel…
“I had individual meetings on Monday after our loss in Denver Friday. Literally in 48 hours, I had everyone come through my office and I knew where everyone was standing on that process. It’s important to know because we were already a week or so late on the portal because I’m locked in on winning NCAA Tournament games, not the portal. I was not shocked at some of the portal activity. We’ve been doing what we have to do, reaching out to players and we’re getting great responses. We’re going to continue to see where the guys are that have decided to go in the portal. The hardest thing is when you rip the bandaid off and press that button, you don’t think you’re going to see that guy again. We’re going to have conversations with these guys to see if this is the best fit for them. We’re actively still re-recruiting our own players as we explore other opportunities.
On his self-evaluation of this season…
“I have to continue to evolve in in-game situations and I think we've done a good job of winning close games. We have a lot of close wins by five points or less. So I think we were able to do that pretty well. We've got to do a better job at home. And I'm thinking about how to do that because we were not good enough here this year. And we were very good on the road, we did more than our fair share. We’ve got to figure out how to win here. And there are some things that aren't even on the basketball court that I've already thought about that I think could put us in a better position to be better here. It comes down to the roster construction. I watched my brother, he’s got guys, great interior players, and great shooting. And he's got a deep team. And so he's got a lot of good (talent); it's a puzzle you're putting together. So that’s the challenge: to build a team that will put us in a position.”
On what it means to be in Arizona and work for ASU…
“I built a life here. I have a family here. My daughter graduated here, she got a master's here, my son is on the team and loves it here. My wife and I love living here. I still believe that this place can be exceptional. I think COVID stunted our growth. And we took a couple of steps back and now we've taken a step forward. And I intend to keep taking steps forward here because I believe in this place and that it can be done here. And so when you believe in it, then you're gonna go after it 1,000% and that’s what I’m gonna do. And I know I have commitment. I know I have an administration that supports me and wants me to be here and believes in me, so I'm going to do my best to get the job done.”
On the rumors of potential facility upgrades…
“I would say that Dr. Crow was on target with his comments in terms of when that building is filled, and we're playing UCLA, and our players are on the court … they're not thinking about anything else except look at all these people in the stands and look at this environment. And I think we've created – outside of Arizona – the best Pac-12 environment in terms of support, crowd support … the school has been through a lot with COVID and the limitations of the finances and I'm not involved in that directly … but it impacted our university. So when that is addressed, I would certainly be in favor of it. When that timeline is in play, it’s in play, but it won’t stop me from doing what I need to do.”
On the impact and the state of NIL…
“I think there's a variety of factors that go into it and every person's situation and reasons are different, and their motivations are different. So I would say that it has an impact. There are guys all over the country that are in the portal, and they're trying to find out what they could do with NIL and stuff. So NIL plays a big role, believe me, we've lost guys to the NIL, and all the places that have had a serious commitment to that. Things that we couldn't compete with. But that doesn't mean that we're not trying. Arizona State is trying the Sun Devil Collective, Sun Angel Collective, and stuff. So we can't pretend that's not important but I don't think that's the sole reason why anybody would, you know, specifically go into the portal.”
On the importance of Devan Cambridge returning…
“He's a winning player. And that's the bottom line. He had a great experience here. His statistics went up considerably from the year prior at Auburn. So he developed in the program, (he) believes in it, we and shares my vision to take further steps like he, and I know that he's all in. There are others, and it will sort itself out. But we're gonna bring back a core of guys that understand the path to get to the NCAA Tournament this year and then we'll build around them and bring in the talent that we need to take another step.”
On the importance of players recruiting other players…
“These guys, they play AAU together; they’re all over the country. They build relationships with kids. And if there are guys in the portal, then they want love. They want guys to call and say, ‘Hey, man, you should come out to Arizona State, you know, I love (Bobby) Hurley, I love the way we play, look what we did in the NCAA Tournament.’ So that means a lot of things that Frankie wants – just like Devan – and the guys that are going to be returning to get back to doing what we're doing, they got a taste of it. We were right there with TCU. They know how close we were to advancing and doing more damage and they want to get that done. And so if they could help in a minor way, I'm all for it.”
On finding guys with the appropriate mindset…
“I think it's important. It's going through the process as a coach and having some guys that that may not have been all about that. And having coached some of those guys, you kind of learn what to look for and learn what to avoid. And so if you don't learn lessons as you go in, then you're not paying attention. So I think that I've been focused on character. I think that's part of the reason we could go on the road and win all the games we did because these guys played together and enjoyed playing together. It wasn't always perfect, but they liked each other. So that's part of the deal to put together a group of people that could co-exist and all those things. Yeah, it's more than just physical talent. It's identifying those traits that are important to winning.”