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VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 33 someone like P.J. or Spike at the point, you can really stretch the defense. Those guys can really hit threes, sometimes even at 25 feet. It allows a lot of room for ev- erything and for those big guys to navigate. And when those guys are in, it makes people hesitant to zone us. We have guys who can hit the rhythm threes and then we have the big guys on the interior. I like our look with those two guys on the court. Now you move Vince to the 4 with those two guys and put Biggie at the 5, and you're one of the most skilled perimeter shooting teams in the country." Gold and Black: This is your best top-to-bottom shooting roster. Painter: "What I've tried to do is get a good shooter in every class. We felt like we've been able to do that with Kendall (Stephens), Dakota, Cline, and now Cars- en. Throw on top of it that Vince and P.J. shot about 40 percent from three, even though they were low-volume three-point shooters. That's pretty impressive. "Now that our skill players are making shots and free throws, it really complements those other guys. We're going to have put a lot of good players on the floors, players who've logged a lot of minutes. That's what excites us, not just having a good team, but hav- ing an experienced team." Gold and Black: Can you play a little faster now? Painter: "We've always pushed the basketball. We've always tried to push to get to the rim, to get a quick three. I think it's going to be important for us that those guys aren't hunting shots. We want that quick rhythm three because it's a high-percentage shot, then it allows us to get those rebounds. It makes a whole lot of sense for us to do that. "We need to get as many uncontested threes at the beginning of the clock as we can. That makes a lot of sense. If not, we need to get the ball inside. If we get guys that are hot, good, unless they're shooting con- tested threes. That doesn't make a lot of sense with what we have on the interior. We don't want to be all one or all the other, but it's an important part of our offense that we push the ball and play at a fast pace. But the ball has to go inside on the drive or on a post- up (if the quick shot isn't there)." Gold and Black: How can this team be effective defensively in a different way? Painter: "We have to allow it to evolve. We need to put in a lot of time, and some people need to develop in that area. I mean no one thought that Rapheal Davis, going from his sophomore to junior year, was going to be the Big Ten Defensive Player-of-the-Year, not even people related to him. But he kept watching film and working. And we need returning guys to do that now. "I'm not saying anyone is going to be Defensive Player-of-the-Year like we had back-to-back years. But we have to make some improvements in that area. Like Vince Edwards, that's going to be very important for him. That's not only going to help our team, but also his development going forward. "I always tell guys that have a chance to play pro- fessionally, 'You don't just need to be a pro offensive player but a pro defensive player, too.' For Vince, that's something that we have worked at lot with him on where he's really going to need to make that step as a defensive player because he's going to be getting some big-time assignments from a position standpoint. It is going to a challenge for him and he is excited for it." Gold and Black: How can Isaac Haas' size be used to offset the loss of Hammons' shot-blocking gifts? Painter: "I think the concentration is where it starts (with Haas), because he will be playing more minutes. Staying in a stance and being compact helps him make the next play. If you rise out of your stance and get off your feet it makes it very hard to make the next play. He's got too much cargo to do that." "I think it is just concentration. Paying attention, knowing what is going on, and communicating. In ball-screen defense, (Haas) is really good." Gold and Black: Who is your go-to guy on of- fense? Painter: "You try to get the ball to your most effi- cient players and look at some guys who shoot a very high percentage, but then you look at guys who shoot a high three-point percentage and between the 2 and the 3 we have a lot of guys who can be very efficient players. "Swanigan is a great option because of his ability to pass and I've always been drawn to that because now you have a guy who can score the ball, but also give it to other players. Isaac is a great option down low