You will need a planner for Ty-Shon Alexander’s schedule. (Spomer / WBR)
After a break, the Creighton men’s basketball team was back on the court. Here is the latest Bluejay basketball practice report:
Notes:
- Jacob Epperson went through some non-contact quarter court sets on Monday morning. It was a half-speed, 5-on-0 session, but it’s another step in the right direction for the third-year big man in his recovery from offseason knee surgery.
- Ty-Shon Alexander has a loaded schedule starting this week. He’ll practice with the team on Tuesday morning, then head out to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for the Chris Paul’s Elite Guard Camp. He’ll be there Friday through Sunday, then head up to Providence to workout with the team of current and former Big East players that will be representing the United States in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. The team will leave Providence on the July 26 and be in Peru until August 6. After that, Alexander will meet up with his Creighton teammates for the final week of their overseas trip to Australia before heading home to North Carolina for a few days before school starts.
- Monday’s practice was, conservatively, a few levels below the three sessions last week — from uncharacteristic turnovers to mental mistakes on the defensive end. But by no means was that an alarming development considering the players had four days away from the coaching staff and a weekend of campers to oversee.
- There were, however, a couple of bright spots worth noting when the team starting getting into a rhythm. Senior guard Jordan Scurry pulled off a slick touch pass in mid-air during a transition that led directly to an open three for redshirt freshman Jett Canfield. Freshman guard Shereef Mitchell turned heads once again with his defensive chops. He picked Davion Mintz’s pocket for a clean steal near the sideline and had several impressive deflections in the passing lanes. These practices have been really valuable for him to get reps at the point guard spot with Marcus Zegarowski still on the mend.
Q&A with a Bluejay: Junior guard Ty-Shon Alexander
Ty-Shon Alexander looks and feels different this offseason. (Spomer / WBR)
Q: You have a lot on your plate this summer. How are you managing being locked in to what you have to do with your team here while also getting yourself ready for the CP3 camp and the U.S. Team?
A: I always worry about my team first. I’m still getting in the gym, getting shots up, and trying to keep my body right. It’s not really a lot of pressure. I feel good right now.
Q: How do you go about keeping your body right with all of the work you have ahead of you?
A: I just got rid of a few things. I don’t play a lot of video games, I stay off my phone. I spend more time in the gym, I make sure I’m hydrated, and I make sure I get at least 8-9 hours of sleep every night.
Q: Is that the new you? Are you too old for video games now?
A: It’s the new me. I’m not too old for video games — I’ll still play them, but it’s not how I was during my freshman year. It’s not that big of a deal anymore.
Q: Obviously today’s practice wasn’t anybody’s best. Given that you have 10 of these, how important is tomorrow so you don’t bunch up a couple clunkers in a row?
A: It’s very important. We only put in three or four plays, so we have to get everybody up to speed with the way we play. It’s to the point where we need to do things that are right for each other, make sure everybody is locked in, make sure everybody is getting better. Having the opportunity to come out here every single day, every single step counts no matter what it is. When we’re in the gym getting better is always going to be our first priority.
Q: It feels like a lot of development at this level happens in the first couple years. What was the objective for you going into this offseason in order to become a more complete basketball player?
A: The way I need to talk was really important. I need to be more of a leader now. Last year I knew I had to be a leader, but my freshman year I had to learn. I asked Marcus and Tazz a lot of questions, and the freshmen on this team now are asking a lot of questions. I look back and realize that I was in their shoes at one point, so it’s my job to make sure that they know what we need to do, know how we play, know how everything is around here so they can be prepared for the season. That will help me become more talkative with everyone else on the court.
Q: What changes have you noticed so far with the new strength and conditioning program?
A: I feel great. We’ve been doing a lot of body weight. Some things that we used to do in the weight room aren’t even the same anymore. We do more stretching, we get more soft tissue work in, and it’s helped me move a lot quicker and jump a lot higher. My legs might be a little rusty right now because we lift weights 2-3 times a week and we did other stuff prior to that, but I know for a fact that throughout the season all of that is going to help us perform better on the court. And also look good, too.
Q: Look good, feel good, play good?
A: Yep.
Q: You get to go play in the Pan Am Games, you get to go to Australia. What are you most excited for about this summer in terms of the experience itself?
A: It’ll be my first time wearing a USA jersey. Hopefully I get a chance to keep it. It’s a great opportunity to wear that on my chest and to know that I’m representing my country. For the Australia trip I’m just looking to see how we play together. It’ll tell us how we’re going to be this season and what we need to work on. I’m looking forward to both trips.
