Player Q&A: CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks discuss summer workouts

BANKS: I think I'm coming long pretty well. Just getting adjusted to everything. Battling with those guys is definitely making me a better player and I'll just continue to learn.

Q. On his shooting ability…

BANKS: A little bit of both. I could shoot a little bit but I'm developing more and more. I'm becoming more consistent with my three-point shot and it's helping me along. I understand, the new age forward, that's something that has to do with it, too, being able to shoot pretty good.

Q. On where he fits positionally…

BANKS: He still views me as a three. During the scrimmage, I still play at the 3-spot. Pretty much I'm still viewed as a three.

Q. On the talent in the state of Georgia…

BANKS: It prepared me pretty well, playing guys like Jabari Smith, Scooter Henderson. It's playing tough guys like that and having touch matchups that prepare me pretty well. And myself, I'm representing Georgia as myself to Indiana.

Q. On what his game can bring to Indiana…

BANKS: Definitely my shooting, being able to spread the floor, my versatility, being able to take the ball up, being able to rebound, going coast to coast. Making plays and getting my teammates over and getting my teammates involved and doing the things the coaches want me to, whatever I can bring to the table.

Q. On adjustments to his game…

BANKS: So far, I've had to adjust my defense, just being more locked in on defense. I understand the defensive principles that Coach wanted me to learn and staying ready, locked in on defense, really, on the defensive side.

Q. On the expectations of the team…

BANKS: Coming in, I expected us to have a pretty good team. I knew this it was going to be competitive during practices, fighting for the starter spot, the three spot is really competitive. So far, everything was as I expected. I expected Trayce to be a beast and Race to be able to be a beast as well. So far, I expected everything.

Q. On his relationship with Clif Marshall and the other freshmen…

BANKS: My relationship with Coach Marshall, it's grown. We spent a lot of time together with the weight room but also a lot of time off the court. We'll go fishing. He took me to the fair one time and other stuff like that. With the other freshmen, I spend the majority of my day with them. We always hang out before practice, after practice, in the locker room playing a game together, things like that. So, we've grown -- we've just grown as a group, all four just grown as a group. It's good.

Q. On defensive adjustments…

BANKS: First question, basically the physicality and the speed of the game, I had to really adjust from that going from high school to Indiana.

Q. On realizing his potential…

BANKS: I mean, I'm still learning how good I am. I still think I've got a lot of potential for me to reach. My coach did a have a good point, a lot of the game plan is scouting around me. I just try to do the best I can do with it. I feel like the more I work out with these guys and the more I play with these guys, I'm liking my full potential more and more every day, so I think it's helping me with that.

Q. On college life…

BANKS: I mean, it's been a big adjustment. I went to a regular high school. Longest I've been not being at home. I think I'm adjusting pretty well. I wake up every day, work out, be in the gym majority of the day, go back home, go to sleep and just come back the next day, get ready to work out.

Q. On playing against Jabari Smith…

BANKS: I mean, our schools were rivalries, so going against his school is good memories. I worked out with him a couple of times. That was pretty good memories, too.

Q. On being the new guy on campus…

BANKS: I mean, it's pretty difficult, but I can say my older teammate have helped me out, given me little pointers, every time I make a mistake or tell me beforehand what to do and how to do it. They help me out with that but it is pretty difficult coming in, not knowing what to expect.

Q. On weight room improvements…

BANKS: So far, I've seen pretty good improvements. I went from 200 to 215 so far. Feel like I'm getting stronger in the weight room. So, I think I am progressing well.

Q. On impressions of the rest of the freshman class…

BANKS: CJ Gunn, he's a good player. He's like a really good shooter. So, I know I can count on him to knock a shot down. Jalen Hood-Schifino, he's a good point guard, good facilitator and good leader. He's already shown good leadership skills. Malik Reneau, he's a beast overall. He's really good at attacking the basket and getting his teammates involved and stuff like that. We all four get in together -- we all four are really tight.

CJ Gunn

Q. On shooting against bigger defenders…

GUNN: It's been good. It's been an amazing experience. Shooting my size, it's really no difference. I've just been working on just keeping the same form and just keeping consistent. It's all about knocking it down on the next level, and it's translated.

Q. On his defensive mindset…

GUNN: I grew up always having that dog in me on both ends of the floor, and I feel like it's really important to me to be a two-way player and not only be the best player on the offensive end but to also guard the best player on the other team. So, I really pride myself on defense and keeping my defender in front of me and also playing the right spot off the ball.

Q. On the adjustment to the college game…

GUNN: I wouldn't say there was anything I didn't expect. It's just an adjustment to the speed of the game and how important it is to be in shape and to be conditioned. I think the every day work, multiple hours a day, more than once a day, I think that's the biggest thing and getting used to it. It's more like a job, a job now than high school.

Q. On honoring his commitment…

GUNN: The only time I really had questioned was the time period when the coaching job was vacant, before we knew who the head coach was going to be. That was my only question on what I was really questionable about what my decision was going to be. But once we heard the decision that it was going to be Mike Woodson, it was kind of solidified from that point. We already knew -- we know some of Coach Woodson's family through friendships and relationships. Once we heard Coach Woodson was going to be the coach, no doubt in my mind that I wanted to play for him, as he's just a legend at IU, legendary NBA player, NBA coach. I believe he can turn me into the best player for myself.

Q. On impressions of the rest of the freshman class…

GUNN: Kaleb, I think he's more like a big guard. He can get his shot off and create his shot whenever he wants to. Schifino, he's a great facilitator. He knows how to use his body really well to just affect the defense in so many ways. And Malik, he's just a straight killer when it comes to post work and mid-range, and he also has a clip from the three-point line. So, I think we all just are a versatile group and we can definitely make an impact right away. So, I'm excited to see what happens.

Q. On any surprises so far in the process…

GUNN: I would just say how easy it is to get along with everybody. The coaches, even Timmy G, the athletic trainer, my teammates, just everybody is real fun. Everybody is easy to talk to, easy to get along with. I wouldn't say I didn't expect it but it just helps. Makes the process a lot easier.

Q. On having the 'dog' in him…

GUNN: It really came from my pops. My pops, he's a really aggressive guy. So when it comes to sports, he taught my sister, me and my sister growing up to always be competitive. And I feel like that competitive drive, even going against my sister when I was little, that competitive drive that I always had growing up that he's implemented in me has definitely stayed with me to this day.

Q. On his play style fitting in…

GUNN: We've been working really good on offense and defense. On offense, we are all offensive players, so the offense takes care of itself. We really try to focus on the defensive end. All the freshmen coming in are learning the spots on defense and learning the rotations and stuff like that. I feel like that's the biggest part we need to improve in, but offense, we all know the positions and we all know how to move the ball and we all play well off each other.

Q. On memories growing up and learning the game…

GUNN: I actually do. I remember we -- in Fishers, where me and my sister grew up, we used to bike down to this elementary playground, and our dad used to take us out there. And me and my sister used to go one-on-one, probably for about two, three hours out there. We used to scratch each other, make each other bleed, cry, fuss over, stuff like that. Just doing that with my sister and having that competitive spirit since a young age, I can have that against anybody if I did it with my sister. So, I can do it with anybody.

Q. On who won the games…

GUNN: My sister was older than me. She was bigger than me when we were little, but it got to a certain age probably around like 12 where it didn't happen anymore.

Q. On Coach Woodson as a motivator…

GUNN: Coach Woodson, he really just -- different guys are motivated in different ways. Some guy, you have to talk trash to them to get them motivated. Some guys you have to uplift to get motivated. Coach Woodson, he really takes the time to know us and know what we prefer. He knows how to motivate us all in different ways. With me specifically, he gets on -- I'm a hard-nose. I learn through hard nose, like my dad is really aggressive. Coach Woodson, he just knows how to make me focus and dial in more.

Q. On his physical development…

GUNN: It's really important to me. Me and Coach Clif, we really been focusing on getting me to 200 pounds where we go back home in August. But yeah, getting to 200 pounds, and nutrition is really important. Nutrition, sleep, it's really all a part of the process, so you have that take in all of those factors and really lock in on staying disciplined to those. So that's what I really learned over this summer.

Q. On his summer work before arriving to campus…

GUNN: [Former Indiana WR] Courtney Roby down at Sparx, he definitely did a good job preparing me to get down here. We actually had a meeting with Coach Clif before I came down to IU and he told us the keys that they were going to focus on during the weightlifting program. The weightlifting with Coach Clif from what I was doing during the summer is definitely more intense, more energy in the weight room. But Courtney did a good job preparing me for that. I'm getting used to it, but I love it.

Q. On coming in as a great shooter…

GUNN: I think I've set myself up to be that shooter. Obviously, we are still getting that work in. It's a day-by-day -- not all days are good days and not all days are bad days. It's just all about listing each other up and keeping a positive mindset and looking at the end goal and just treating every day to get better. I believe I set myself up for that, and I'm going to continue to put in the work so you guys can see it translate on the floor later this year.

----

• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals

• Like us on Facebook.

FUTURECAST

2025Top Targets

No top targets for Indiana available at this time.