The 2010-11 Tiger basketball team — ranked 19th in the AP’s preseason poll — takes the floor Wednesday night for an exhibition tilt with Lemoyne-Owen. Aside from Memphis Madness, it will be the first chance for fans to see the likes of Will Barton, Joe Jackson, and Tarik Black in a Tiger uniform. I sat down last week with coach Josh Pastner to discuss the upcoming season. (Opening Night is November 12th, against Centenary.)
You’re a veteran coach now. What’s different in your preparation for this season compared with your first?
I still have a lot to learn, still growing daily. I am more comfortable. You’re just going to be better in year two than in year one. As you should be better in year three than in year two. I’ve learned a lot. I always appreciate advice, constructive criticism . . . it helps me grow.
The summer and preseason have been extra busy, because we signed eight new players. We have a whole new team. We may be ranked, but a lot of that is based on recruiting expectations, not productivity on the floor. Having them understand the structure and discipline . . . the only difference this year is that I was the head coach who recruited them.
This job is nowhere nearly as important as a surgeon or a doctor, but it’s the same in that you’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can go home at 5:00, but you’re still on.
- Joe Murphy
- Josh Pastner
Tell us something you or the team achieved last season that you’re especially proud of . . . and something you’d like to see changed in the season ahead.
We stabilized the program. We kept it relevant nationally. It could have taken a nosedive in the transition, but we stayed at a high level: 24 wins, played in the postseason. Obviously, the one thing I’d like to change is to get to the NCAA tournament. That’s what this city wants. It’s not easy to do, but we’re going to give it our best shot every year to do that.
You have a relentlessly positive vibe. Is there any development that would make you “go negative”?
No. Fundamentally, I’m a positive guy by nature. I’m always looking at the glass as over-flowing. I wear loose-fit clothing, I don’t micromanage things, I understand people. I appreciate the positives and negatives with the job. When things don’t go well, and people criticize you on the radio, I appreciate that, because people care. They should; they’re emotionally invested. This job is a gift, and at any split second it could be taken away. I’m making sure that when I’m 65, I’m not looking back wondering why I didn’t enjoy it more back then.
