Muller, Redbirds utilize recent changes to summer practice policies to get acquainted

That was the case for all NCAA men’s basketball athletes until this year, but now there is a rule in place that allows the coaches to work with the players for two hours per week, for eight weeks during the summer session.

“I really like the rule,” ISU head coach Dan Muller said. “I think it’s important for the game for guys to develop. Without access to them in the summer, I think it stunted the growth of all players across the country. We’ve had two, one-hour sessions per week, and that hour goes really fast.”

The new rule is especially helpful for the Redbirds because the new coaching staff is able to get to know and work with their players and begin implementing their plans for the season.

“For me as a first-year head coach, it’s clearly more beneficial because it gives me the opportunity to get on the court with my entire team before August so we can start putting some of my stuff in and get a feel for each other,” Muller said. “It’s been awesome so far.”   

The week of May 28 was the first of eight weeks of summer workouts at ISU with a handful of players on campus. The remaining seven weeks of workouts began on June 18 with all the players returning to campus for classes except for freshman point guard Kaza Keane, who played with the under-18 Canadian national team this summer in Brazil. Summer workouts run through the week of July 30.

Workouts have consisted of playing 5-on-5, individual and full-team skill development, and defensive drills.

“We have had really high-energy, competitive practices,” Muller said. “The first couple weeks … we’ve been trying to set a tone, culture, competitiveness, and pace for our practices, [and] helping each other and just really playing and getting a feel for each other.”

Senior forward Jackie Carmichael is happy with the transition from the previous coaching staff to the new one and has enjoyed his time with Muller during summer workouts so far.

“The transition has been smooth,” he said. “My first impression of the coach is that he is energetic, caring, and he just wants to see his team succeed. That’s all you can really ask for in a coach and the fact that he pushes you everyday to try and make you a championship team.”

Muller did not get much of a chance to meet with the players before school let out at the end of the spring semester as he was hired May 8 during finals week and the players left Normal within days.

“I got hired at a weird time,” Muller said. “Usually these hirings happen with about a month left of school so it was unique.”

However, the players and their families got the chance to meet with Muller before summer workouts began, as he visited all of the player’s hometowns.

“That was huge for him to come out to visit my family and other people’s families … it just shows how family-oriented he is,” Carmichael said.

“I think that’ll transition into the team and on the court. I was really happy that he came out to meet my family … it shows a lot of initiative on his part because he wanted to know us as more than just players on the court and he wanted to know our backgrounds.”