KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Pat Knight, in his third year after succeeding his legendary father, Bob, as head coach at Texas Tech, is using the media as a teaching tool.
“The magazines that come out have talked about if we do defend, we have a chance to really move up in this league,” he said Thursday at Big 12 media day. “So that helped me because they get tired of me saying it. So for once, I can say—you probably never thought you’d hear this from a Knight—the media has actually helped me in my coaching.”
He’s right. The media never dreamed a Knight would say such a thing. What, for heavens sake, will dad think?
“He’s one of you guys now,” Pat said. “So he can’t say anything.”
Since retiring from coaching, Bob Knight has done TV commentary for Big 12 games.
“That’s what he’s become,” said Pat. “So it is in my family now. So he should be happy. I’m actually kind of giving him a compliment.”
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Justin Vanderbeken pronounced himself 100 percent healthy Thursday, something the Iowa State forward could not say last year.
Vanderbeken broke his left foot while trying out for the Great Britain National Team in the summer of 2009. He had back problems and sprained his ankle last fall.
“And it wasn’t healing,” Vanderbeken said. “It was taking forever to get back in shape. Things kept snowballing.”
After 10 games, Vanderbeken shut things down and received a medical redshirt, allowing him one more season with the Cyclones, who were picked to finish last in the conference coaches’ preseason poll.
“I can understand why, but I don’t believe it,” Vanderbeken said. “I know we’re better than a last-place team.”
If Vanderbeken can remain healthy all season, the Cyclones could escape the cellar.
“Jamie is shooting the heck out of the ball right now,” first-year coach Fred Hoiberg said. “I think that was a tough loss for Iowa State when he got hurt, when Lucca Staiger left. Everybody was able to double down on Craig Brackins. With Jamie back, it opens up the floor for you. Any time you have a 6-10 guy that can shoot the ball and space it like he can, it is a heckuva luxury to have.”
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Oklahoma State senior guard Nick Sidorakis fractured his left kneecap in practice last year, missed the first six games and played only sparingly in the next dozen games, no more than eight minutes in any game and not scoring a point.
“It was kind of a setback,” Sidorakis said.
After playing a mere 32 minutes in the first 18 games, he played a career-high 26 minutes on Jan. 23, helping the Cowboys to an upset at Kansas State, which was ranked in the top 10. Sidorakis averaged more than 18 minutes in the final 15 games and scored a career-high 12 points March 6 against Nebraska.
More is expected this season from a healthy Sidorakis, whom coach Travis Ford named as team captain. Oklahoma State was picked eighth in the preseason coach’s poll.
“I would rank us seventh or eight with what we lost,” Ford said.
The losses include James Anderson and Obi Muonelo, who combined to average 35.6 points last year.
“Making the NCAA tourney is a goal,” Ford said. “It’s not a given like for Kansas and Kansas State. We’re going to be fighting to get in the tourney.”
Oklahoma State lost 64-59 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament last season.
“I think we’ll be a threat,” Sidorakis said. “I think we have the potential and makeup to be pretty good.”
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Another player coming off an injury is Texas A&M junior Dash Harris, who tore a ligament in his wrist and had surgery in June.
“He was just cleared to play and start shooting about two weeks ago, so he has been out since this season ended,” Aggies coach Mark Turgeon said. “But he is a young man that is never out of shape. He is just a little bit rusty dribbling the ball and passing, but defensively he is at a high level. By the time we start playing games, he will be 100 percent.”
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Nebraska, which had the shortest roster in Division I two years ago, has added 6-11 Andre Almeida, a juco transfer from Arizona Western and a native of Brazil.
“I think foreign kids play so much more basketball than kids over here,” Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. “And the level of play they play against sometimes is against more experience. So you’re not talking about your typical junior college transfer. You’re talking about a guy that has had some experiences on world teams.”
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Oklahoma, which is coming off a disappointing 13-18 season and 4-12 in conference play after advancing to the Elite Eight in 2009, has nine newcomers.
“Chemistry is huge,” coach Jeff Capel said. “The main thing is guys have to understand how much they need each other. That’s the main thing. You can’t be one person or two people trying to do their own thing.”
Cameron Clark, a 6-6 guard/forward from Sherman, Tex., tops Capel’s six-man freshman class.
“I love his attitude and his approach to trying to become a really good player, understanding he’s not there yet,” Capel said. “He is a kid that has a really bright future.”
