BamaOnLine.com - Grant talks hoops

June 29, 2009

Chase Goodbread
BamaOnLine.com Senior Writer

New Alabama basketball coach Anthony Grant touched on a few topics Monday morning on the Southeastern Conference's summer teleconference for basketball coaches. Here are a few of Grant's remarks:

On his team entering play this season: "I've been here just a couple of months. I don't really know, from a basketball playing standpoint, our whole team yet ? but I have been very pleased with the character and work ethic of the guys that I have had a chance to be around. ... I'm looking forward to working with them."

On the non-conference schedule for 2009-10: "Our schedule is still a work in progress. We've still got a couple of games to get. Once we finalize the schedule, we'll release it."

On the academic status of signee Shawn Kemp: "I don't have any updates as of yet. As far as I know everything is progressing favorably. We'll find out here hopefully in the next couple of weeks."

On the proliferation of NCAA secondary violations and whether they are being committed with intent: "I think secondary violations depending on the nature of the violations, I think every program goes through that. It's a positive when you have an institution that's willing to say, 'I made a mistake here.' If you're doing something intentional, you're saying I know this is wrong, and I'm going to do it anyway to gain an advantage, then you're dealing with a different circumstance. ... I don't think any coach out there is intentionally going out, at least I would hope not, to violate an NCAA rule to gain a competitive advantage."

On the approval of a basketball practice facility in Coleman Coliseum: "We're excited about any opportunity to improve our program and the quality of the experience for our student-atheletes. I think everything right now is at the beginning stages. We're excited the board saw fit to approve [it]. ... Once we have a chance to sit down and look at the options that we have in front of us, then we'll go from there."

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