We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi G Simeon Fryer, who talked about making the 1st 4 last March and his expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Pennsylvania: what made you choose the Islanders? My decision came down to a couple of schools but I liked the palm trees/ocean. It was basically a chance to experience a different environment than back home.
You play for Coach Steve Lutz: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He has brought in a winning culture and taught us to go hard every day. He wants us to leave nothing on the table whether we are playing 40 minutes/game or 2 minutes/game. He teaches us how to be men both on and off the court and to be a good person.
In February of 2021 you scored a career-high 29 PTS/8-11 FG/10-10 FT in a loss to Abilene Christian: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Yes: I just caught fire and my confidence was very high so I put up a ton of shots.
You shot 22.4 3P% as a junior and 37.1 3P% as a senior: how were you able to improve so much in just 1 year? Just staying in the gym and working out with the coaches/staff. When you get comfortable you can knock them down.
Last year you were team captain: what is the key to being a good leader? Making sure that everyone is on board and going hard no matter the drill. I watch film and bring energy: if you focus on the little things then the big things will come together.
In the 2022 1st 4 you scored 12 PTS/5-9 FG in a 9-PT loss to Texas Southern: what did you learn from that loss that you think will help you this year? You never know which game will be your last game so you have to just try hard even if the ball is not dropping or the calls are not going your way. You must fight through the adversity.
You are part of a very mature roster that includes 3 grad students and 5 seniors: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success? I think it is very crucial. Last year we only had 3 returners but now we do not have to start over again from scratch, but rather just pick up where we left off. It also allows us to help the young guys along.
Your non-conference schedule includes road games at Mississippi State/Arizona/Oklahoma State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I feel that every game is our biggest test. We just focus on the task at hand because in D-1 anyone can beat anyone.
Your conference schedule will include games against 1 of the new D-1 teams in the nation this year (Texas A&M-Commerce): what will it be like to have another part of the Texas A&M University system not just in D-1 but in the Southland Conference? It is kind of exciting. There are a lot of A&M schools: they are probably very good but I have not faced them before. I am excited to play them.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My goal is to win as many games as possible and get back to the NCAA tourney. However, we do not just want to make the play-in game: we want to make a run and go as far as possible.