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Updates from Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Day

The best and brightest from the 10 Men's Basketball programs in the Big 12 Conference meet the media today in Kansas City. Stay tuned for live updates from Media Day.

By andrewfelts
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Update (1:20 pm):

That will do it for our coverage of today's Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Day. Check out the timeline below for interviews, tweets, and information from this morning's event. The Horned Frogs open the 2015-2016 season in just 24 days!

Update (1:15 pm):

Here's Trent Johnson's full Media Day press conference:

TJ Press

And here's the full transcript.

Update (12:00 pm):

Trent Johnson discusses the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena:

Update (11:40 am):

Trent Johnson is scheduled to speak to the media at 11:45 am.

Update (11:30 am):

Full transcript from Chris Washburn's interview on the Big 12 Digital Network:

On his first Big 12 Media Day:

"It's fun. It has been a fun process; bring able to play around with some of the teams, the social media aspect of it. I feel like everything has been fun so far."

On who will replace Kyan Anderson's leadership and production:

"I feel right now Chauncey Collins has been doing a great job being a vocal leader, just always with that intensity that you need from a point guard. Just being very aggressive. I feel like right now he has been great."

On what he wants to improve in his game:

"This summer I worked a lot on my jump shot. I just worked on everything really. Guarding on the perimeter because my first year, I had to guard those players that were out there dribbling, so we're doing that a lot. Just working on play-making abilities and everything that will make us a much better team."

On what he sees in Karviar Shepherd's development"

"We are practicing right now but he looks confident when he plays. He is shooting it with confidence. He is playing at the post with confidence. His turnaround jumpers, just everything. He is becoming the leader that we need, letting the younger kids know that it may be tough right now but there is a bigger goal.

On the media's perception of the TCU Basketball entering the season:

"When you lose players like Kyan Anderson, Trey Zeigler, and Amric Fields, of course there's going to be doubt because that was 50-60 percent of our scoring, so of course they're going to have doubt. We'll see the players that we have brought in and their ability to shoot and score the ball and play defense. If they want to sleep, I'll let them sleep."

On who has impressed so far at practice:

"I like Malique Trent, the JuCo transfer. He went to the same JuCo as Kenrich Williams. He just adds another dimension to our team. He plays so fast, so physical. When I set a screen, he is always trying to get through, trying to fighting through everything. He plays the passing lane well, he shoots it unbelievably. He just adds another dimension to our team from where we were last year. We have Vladimir Brodziansky, another JuCo transfer, from Kansas. He is kind of like an Amric. He is from Slovakia, so he has that foreign game to him were his touch is just unbelievable. He is a sneaky athlete. We have a point guard, Lyrik Shreiner, from Arizona. He is working right now but one thing I love about him is ability to handle the ball with both hands, pass with both hands. He has become a much better shooter."

On having to sit out after transferring to TCU from UTEP:

"It was a tough experience mainly because I came back home for family reasons and I felt like [the NCAA] might give me the chance to play, so it was tough. But at the same time, I felt like I could have done something. We had to win a couple more games. That was the biggest thing that hurt. But at the same time, I'm looking forward to now. I can't look back on that."

On the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena:

"It's going to be a great experience. Ed Schollmaier has done a great job with all of his renovations to our school. He is a great donor. For him to do something that big was something I can't speak to. That's just a great thing he has done. For us to play in there first is going to be a fun experience. Everybody is worried about who is going to get the first basket. There's just so many things we can do in there."

Update (11:05 am):

Chris Washburn is preparing for a sit-down interview with the Big 12 Digital Network's Wendell Barnhouse.

Update (10:45 am):

Curtis Shaw emphasized that the upcoming rule changes will be geared toward allowing players to get better shots off. In a year with "the most rules changes I've ever seen," Shaw admits that the reduction of the shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds likely won't have much of an impact. However, fouls and rules will be interpreted to allow players the opportunity to create more scoring opportunities. Shaw also touched on the significance of the sweeping changes across college basketball. "This will hurt early. This will look ugly at times. But for the first time ever, we're going to stomach it," Shaw said.

A greater emphasis will be placed on legal and illegal rebounding techniques, as well as ball screens. Shaw described the current state of rebounding in college basketball as "a mosh pit" and "disgusting." He said that players have "lost the art of boxing out." With ball screens, Shaw said that the rules are designed to eliminate illegal contact. In review of plays from last season, Shaw found that "50 to 60 percent of screens were illegal." He stated that anytime the screener is moving, the screen is illegal by rule.

Shaw ended by reiterating that the rule changes will be difficult to adjust to at first. At one intrasquad scrimmage earlier this month, Shaw said he saw 62 total fouls called in the contest. He finished by pleading for consistency from officials, players, and coaches.

Update (10:15 am):

Big 12 Coordinator of Officials Curtis Shaw just took the floor. As he speaks, here are the significant upcoming rules changes for the 2015-2016 men's basketball season:

  • The shot clock will be reduced to 30 seconds
  • Only three team timeouts will carryover from the first to the second half
  • A delay-of-game warning will be issued to teams who do not resume play quickly after a timeout, further violations result in a one-shot technical foul
  • The restricted arc underneath the basket will be expanded from three feet to four feet in order to reduce the number of collisions
  • Video review for flagrant fouls can also be used to issue a foul for a player believed to be embellishing a previous foul
  • Video review can be used to confirm a shot clock violation
  • Class B technical fouls (not unsportsmanlike and/or those that do not involve contact with an opponent) will now be one-shot technical fouls, instead of two
  • The 5-second closely guarded rule has been eliminated
  • Players may now dunk during pregame warmups

Update (9:55 am):

New Texas Coach Shaka Smart takes the podium and discusses the challenges of implementing his philosophy and getting on the same page with his players and staff. He is also focusing on getting accustomed to the Big 12 Conference. Smart wants to "instill a winning attitude and winning mentality" at Texas. Says that adversity will help build his program.

Update (9:50 am):

Shepherd and Washburn just became best friends and are about to go do karate in the garage:

Update (9:35 am):

With football a main focus at Baylor, much like at TCU, Baylor Coach Scott Drew is an advocate for moving the start of basketball season further into the year in order to compete less with football season. "There are a lot of quality games in November that get overlooked because of football - that's all across the country," Drew said.

Update (9:15 am):

West Virginia Coach Bob Huggins is the early clubhouse leader for "best dressed" at Media Day. No word on whether or not Trent Johnson is wearing his purple blazer.

Update (9:00 am):

Bob Bowlsby just wrapped up his opening statements. He spent most of his time discussing the Big 12's Champions for Life program, before briefly touching on the strength of the men's basketball programs in the Conference. He also touched on the importance of developing players both on and off the court. Bill Self takes the podium next.

Update (8:40 am):

TCU's representatives Karviar Shepherd and Chris Washburn are ready to go, already meeting with ESPN's Holly Rowe, while Trent Johnson sits in on a coaches roundtable.

Original Post:

Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Day kicks off this morning from the Sprint Center in Kansas City. TCU will be represented at the event by head coach Trent Johnson, as well as Karviar Shepherd and Chris Washburn. Coaches and players from the other nine programs, as well as Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Big 12 Coordinator of Officials Curtis Shaw will address the media this morning.

Here is a full schedule of speakers:

8:45 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby
9:00 Kansas Coach Bill Self
9:10 Baylor's Rico Gathers
9:15 Oklahoma Coach Lon Kruger
9:25 Iowa State's Monte Morris
9:30 Baylor Coach Scott Drew
9:40 Kansas' Frank Mason
9:45 Texas Coach Shaka Smart
9:55 Kansas State's Justin Edwards
10:00 West Virginia Coach Bob Huggins
10:15 Big 12 Coordinator of Officials Curtis Shaw
10:45 Texas Tech Coach Tubby Smith
10:55 Oklahoma State's Phil Forte
11:00 Kansas State Coach Bruce Weber
11:10 TCU's Chris Washburn
11:15 Oklahoma State Coach Travis Ford
11:25 Texas' Isaiah Taylor
11:30 Iowa State Coach Steve Prohm
11:40 Texas Tech's' Toddrick Gotcher
11:45 TCU Coach Trent Johnson
11:55 West Virginia's Devin Williams
12:00 Closing Segments

Earlier this week, the Conference announced its preseason accolades:

Preseason Player of the Year: Budy Hield, Oklahoma
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Deonte Burton, Iowa State
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Chieck Diallo, Kansas

2015-2016 Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Rico Gathers, Baylor
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Perry Ellis, Kansas
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Isaiah Taylor, Texas

2015-2016 Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Kansas (9) - 81
2. Oklahoma - 70
3. Iowa State (1) - 68
4. Texas - 51
5. Baylor - 49
6. West Virginia - 47
7. Oklahoma State - 33
8. Kansas State - 18
8. TCU - 18
10. Texas Tech - 15

Stay tuned right here for updates from Kansas City!

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