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36 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED "We're going to have to be able to attack the zone and be good on the offensive end going against the zone. We also need to do well in rebounding when people do zone us, put a lot of size in the game, be able to defend being bigger when the game is small- er. "One of the big reasons we play Dayton (in an exhibition scrimmage) is because we know we'll be challenged. We know Archie (Miller) has done a great job there. They play hard and get after it, but they're a smaller, quicker, more athletic team. They've had a lot of success playing that way and I thought, in the- ory, that would be the type of team that would give us trouble with our size. So let's get issues out there on the table before it really matters, see how we really play against that and how we prepare for that and either keep doing the same things or make some ad- justments after we play them. "But that's about it in terms of concerns. We led the league in turnovers last year. And I don't think we're going to lead the league in fewest turnovers this year, because when you're big, your big people have the ball more than your small people and they're not as good as decision-makers, for obvious reasons. So we have to do a better job of feeding the post and getting the ball in positions where they can be more successful. Our bigs have to do a better job of taking care of the basketball." Gold and Black: Are you a 100-percent man-to- man defensive team or will zone remain part of what you do? Painter: "I wouldn't say 100 percent, but I would say we are a man-to-man defensive team. I think hav- ing different things to offset things is good to have at times, but we'll see. We have some unique guys out there so it'll be interesting to see how they handle different situations." Gold and Black: This collection of quality of size you have right now isn't going to be here forever, obviously. Because of it, is there a short- term window of opportunity here? Painter: "I think any time you have great size, that's really hard to get and we have a lot of it. It's not going to stay forever. That's what we're selling to the guys we're recruiting now. You don't just sit there and say you have great size, because that great size can be out the window real quick. Now, we have to keep getting guys and turning it over so that win- dow keeps getting bigger and bigger. "I've said this since the first year I've been here: The time is now. Don't be sitting there as a coach thinking, 'Oh, we'll be good in a couple of years.' Don't think that way. You can think like there's noth- ing wrong building for a couple of years, but you have to think about how you're going to do this right now. And that's the message you try to send your guys. For your seniors, that's the way it is. They're done after this year." j