Q. You ever coach twins very many times, Coach?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Yeah. I coached the Ross twins when I was at Notre Dame.
Q. Are they competitive usually a little bit more sometimes than the guys that --
COACH MCCAFFERY: They were a little different than Kris and Keegan. Kris and Keegan are very competitive with each other. Joe and Jon were not as. They were competitive, but it's interesting to watch Kris and Keegan go at each other.
Q. How has Kris' game evolved, and how do you see him helping the team this year?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Kris is going to be a major factor on this team and he needs to be. That was sort of the plan for him. And he's worked really hard. He's a versatile guy. He's long. He can guard different positions. He can rebound. He can shoot the ball. Can put it on the deck.
He just needs some time to gain his confidence by getting out there and performing the way he's capable in games. But that's going to happen for him.
Q. What's his position; where do you want to play him most minutes?
COACH MCCAFFERY: He'll be playing forward. He might end up guarding a 5 depending on what lineup is out there for our opponent. He spent a lot of time last year guarding guards in practice. So he's used to that.
Q. Keegan is obviously stepping up into a much larger role. From what you've seen, is he ready for that?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Yeah, he's ready. He's a confident kid. He stays within himself. Nothing seems to really rattle him at all. Very focused. He works hard in the offseason. He never tries to do the things that he can't do on the floor. I mean, he certainly has the talent to be a guy that could do that, just completely try to do everything in every possession.
But he really has a keen understanding of how to play. If there's space, he goes. If there's not, he moves it. He's equally effective with the ball, without the ball, in the post, on the perimeter. Probably best in transition. I think the more space he has, the better he'll always be.
But he's shooting the ball well, which he shot well last year. He didn't shoot as many jumpers, but he'll shoot a lot more jumpers this year.
Q. What intrigues you most about this team?
COACH MCCAFFERY: I think the depth. We've got a lot of guys who are good. The practices have been very competitive. I've been switching the lineups quite a bit. Everything we do in practice is competitive. So every segment is one team wins, one team loses. And they've been going at each other.
So it sort of gives you an indication of who have is ready to compete and then who's capable of playing multiple positions like we think they are. But we forced them to do that. And so we can go with a bigger lineup, a smaller lineup. We can go without a five-man, traditional five-man and three guards and two 6-9s. There's a lot of ways we can go. I think from that standpoint it's a different kind of team.
Q. Ulis and Perkins gave you valuable minutes for you last season especially later in the year. How will that experience help push them into more time this year in helping the team?
COACH MCCAFFERY: It definitely was helpful to get them minutes. And they got quality minutes. There were times when they didn't play as much. We wanted the veteran guys.
But it was one of the advantages, quite honestly, of last year because nobody had to redshirt. We might have redshirted one or two of those guys. Maybe one of the guys you mentioned and Kris or something like that. But at least we were able to maintain their eligibility and play them where we needed them.
Throughout the course of the season somebody gets hurt, somebody else gets hurt, somebody gets in foul trouble, and they formed not like young guys. And I think that's what stuck out about both of the guys you mentioned.
Doesn't mean they didn't make any mistakes, but they competed really hard and they knew what we wanted them to do. And they're both playing at a very high confidence level right now.
Q. When you lose guys like Wieskamp and Garza it's kind of natural for the outside world to think that you’re rebuilding. Have your guys taken it upon themselves and have you seen a confidence and swagger from them to say, hey, we can be an upper-tier Big Ten team even though we lost some guys?
COACH MCCAFFERY: I think what I've seen is a young group excited for opportunity. You knew those two guys were going to play a lot. They were going to be 35- to 40-minute guys. And they took a lot of shots. So somebody is going to step up and figure out how we're going to score without those two guys on the floor.
But they were all a part of a very successful team and they saw how those guys worked. They saw how they prepared. And I think they're just excited for the challenge to be a team that is cohesive.
We were a connected group last year. And this team saw that's absolutely critical. So for them I think their attitude has been terrific since June when we got back. Actually, since the season ended. We did a lot of stuff in the spring. And I think they're anxious for the chance to get out there and be in a different role.
I said this at Big Ten media day. I don't know if I've ever coached a team where everybody will have a different role than they had last year. It's fairly unique when you think about it.
Q. How will Connor's role change?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Well, Connor's role won't change that much. He may be coming off the bench. It would change a little bit there. But he's still going to play four positions. He's still going to be the guy that is constantly talking to guys on the floor or on the bench.
He understands what we're doing as well as anybody I've ever coached. So when you're in a crunch-time situation, and execution is absolutely paramount, you have to have your guys out there that know and understand what we're doing, what we're trying to do and what we need to do if the play breaks down, who lines up where, where we're going with this, a press offense, a side-out-of-bounds play, out-of-bounds play under the basket or late-game possession.
Or defensively. A lot of times you're not on offense, you're on defense, you need to stop. Are we switching, not switching, are we trapping? How are we playing ball screens, where are the screens coming from? All that kind of stuff that he just knows and understands what needs to be done and he is able to communicate that in a way that's effective because he has the respect of his teammates and he's always looking out for them.
There's never anything selfish-related. It's always what's best for the team and how can I help my teammate. When you're like that you command a lot of respect.
Q. Do you see him following in your footsteps and going into coaching?
COACH MCCAFFERY: I think he would be really good at it. I would certainly support him. He's in a little bit of a unique situation because he's a double major. He's finance, political science. He's got a 3.9, been a Distinguished Big Ten Scholar. So he'll have options.
You'll look and say, as your son, would he be better off going to Wall Street or working in Chicago or following what he loves; does he want to coach? Support him in any way that he chooses to go.
But I do think he would be really, really good in this business. Others have said the same thing. So I could see him doing that. And I've said this before, and not trying to be funny, but I don't think his mother would want that. But she would eventually support his choice.
Q. Patrick has gotten a lot of attention on social media for his commercial. What was your reaction when you saw it?
COACH MCCAFFERY: My first reaction was how much did they pay you. When I heard the number, I was, like, I'd probably do a dance, too. So good for him.
Q. Do you have an idea about the starting lineup or is it still pretty fluid right now?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Still pretty fluid. Still pretty fluid.
COACH MCCAFFERY: Yeah. I coached the Ross twins when I was at Notre Dame.
Q. Are they competitive usually a little bit more sometimes than the guys that --
COACH MCCAFFERY: They were a little different than Kris and Keegan. Kris and Keegan are very competitive with each other. Joe and Jon were not as. They were competitive, but it's interesting to watch Kris and Keegan go at each other.
Q. How has Kris' game evolved, and how do you see him helping the team this year?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Kris is going to be a major factor on this team and he needs to be. That was sort of the plan for him. And he's worked really hard. He's a versatile guy. He's long. He can guard different positions. He can rebound. He can shoot the ball. Can put it on the deck.
He just needs some time to gain his confidence by getting out there and performing the way he's capable in games. But that's going to happen for him.
Q. What's his position; where do you want to play him most minutes?
COACH MCCAFFERY: He'll be playing forward. He might end up guarding a 5 depending on what lineup is out there for our opponent. He spent a lot of time last year guarding guards in practice. So he's used to that.
Q. Keegan is obviously stepping up into a much larger role. From what you've seen, is he ready for that?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Yeah, he's ready. He's a confident kid. He stays within himself. Nothing seems to really rattle him at all. Very focused. He works hard in the offseason. He never tries to do the things that he can't do on the floor. I mean, he certainly has the talent to be a guy that could do that, just completely try to do everything in every possession.
But he really has a keen understanding of how to play. If there's space, he goes. If there's not, he moves it. He's equally effective with the ball, without the ball, in the post, on the perimeter. Probably best in transition. I think the more space he has, the better he'll always be.
But he's shooting the ball well, which he shot well last year. He didn't shoot as many jumpers, but he'll shoot a lot more jumpers this year.
Q. What intrigues you most about this team?
COACH MCCAFFERY: I think the depth. We've got a lot of guys who are good. The practices have been very competitive. I've been switching the lineups quite a bit. Everything we do in practice is competitive. So every segment is one team wins, one team loses. And they've been going at each other.
So it sort of gives you an indication of who have is ready to compete and then who's capable of playing multiple positions like we think they are. But we forced them to do that. And so we can go with a bigger lineup, a smaller lineup. We can go without a five-man, traditional five-man and three guards and two 6-9s. There's a lot of ways we can go. I think from that standpoint it's a different kind of team.
Q. Ulis and Perkins gave you valuable minutes for you last season especially later in the year. How will that experience help push them into more time this year in helping the team?
COACH MCCAFFERY: It definitely was helpful to get them minutes. And they got quality minutes. There were times when they didn't play as much. We wanted the veteran guys.
But it was one of the advantages, quite honestly, of last year because nobody had to redshirt. We might have redshirted one or two of those guys. Maybe one of the guys you mentioned and Kris or something like that. But at least we were able to maintain their eligibility and play them where we needed them.
Throughout the course of the season somebody gets hurt, somebody else gets hurt, somebody gets in foul trouble, and they formed not like young guys. And I think that's what stuck out about both of the guys you mentioned.
Doesn't mean they didn't make any mistakes, but they competed really hard and they knew what we wanted them to do. And they're both playing at a very high confidence level right now.
Q. When you lose guys like Wieskamp and Garza it's kind of natural for the outside world to think that you’re rebuilding. Have your guys taken it upon themselves and have you seen a confidence and swagger from them to say, hey, we can be an upper-tier Big Ten team even though we lost some guys?
COACH MCCAFFERY: I think what I've seen is a young group excited for opportunity. You knew those two guys were going to play a lot. They were going to be 35- to 40-minute guys. And they took a lot of shots. So somebody is going to step up and figure out how we're going to score without those two guys on the floor.
But they were all a part of a very successful team and they saw how those guys worked. They saw how they prepared. And I think they're just excited for the challenge to be a team that is cohesive.
We were a connected group last year. And this team saw that's absolutely critical. So for them I think their attitude has been terrific since June when we got back. Actually, since the season ended. We did a lot of stuff in the spring. And I think they're anxious for the chance to get out there and be in a different role.
I said this at Big Ten media day. I don't know if I've ever coached a team where everybody will have a different role than they had last year. It's fairly unique when you think about it.
Q. How will Connor's role change?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Well, Connor's role won't change that much. He may be coming off the bench. It would change a little bit there. But he's still going to play four positions. He's still going to be the guy that is constantly talking to guys on the floor or on the bench.
He understands what we're doing as well as anybody I've ever coached. So when you're in a crunch-time situation, and execution is absolutely paramount, you have to have your guys out there that know and understand what we're doing, what we're trying to do and what we need to do if the play breaks down, who lines up where, where we're going with this, a press offense, a side-out-of-bounds play, out-of-bounds play under the basket or late-game possession.
Or defensively. A lot of times you're not on offense, you're on defense, you need to stop. Are we switching, not switching, are we trapping? How are we playing ball screens, where are the screens coming from? All that kind of stuff that he just knows and understands what needs to be done and he is able to communicate that in a way that's effective because he has the respect of his teammates and he's always looking out for them.
There's never anything selfish-related. It's always what's best for the team and how can I help my teammate. When you're like that you command a lot of respect.
Q. Do you see him following in your footsteps and going into coaching?
COACH MCCAFFERY: I think he would be really good at it. I would certainly support him. He's in a little bit of a unique situation because he's a double major. He's finance, political science. He's got a 3.9, been a Distinguished Big Ten Scholar. So he'll have options.
You'll look and say, as your son, would he be better off going to Wall Street or working in Chicago or following what he loves; does he want to coach? Support him in any way that he chooses to go.
But I do think he would be really, really good in this business. Others have said the same thing. So I could see him doing that. And I've said this before, and not trying to be funny, but I don't think his mother would want that. But she would eventually support his choice.
Q. Patrick has gotten a lot of attention on social media for his commercial. What was your reaction when you saw it?
COACH MCCAFFERY: My first reaction was how much did they pay you. When I heard the number, I was, like, I'd probably do a dance, too. So good for him.
Q. Do you have an idea about the starting lineup or is it still pretty fluid right now?
COACH MCCAFFERY: Still pretty fluid. Still pretty fluid.
