Many of University of the Pacific’s men’s basketball players have spent the summer on the Stockton Campus, developing a sense of teamwork and preparing for a season loaded with potential.

While the season does not tip off until Nov. 6, the Tigers are working on elements of their game—including rebounding and defense—that could help propel them to an improved finish in the West Coast Conference.

Leonard Perry, who is entering his third season as head coach, shared his thoughts about the Tigers’ potential.

What has the team accomplished since returning to campus?

Perry: We have had a really good summer, and I am excited about our group. This team will be fun to watch. Plus, people may not be aware that Greg Outlaw, who graduated from Pacific, made the choice to come back and join us for this season. Cam Denson entered the portal and had a change of heart. He wanted to be back at Pacific, and we were able to have him rejoin our team. I think he will be good for us and make us better, without question.

Our team has been working hard on fitness. This team can play even faster than we played last year, and we were in the top 50 in the country in tempo last season. We were one of the fastest teams in the West Coast Conference and were the best 3-point shooting team in the league. This year’s team will be close in shooting and our pace will be even faster, so buckle your chin straps because we are going to run.

I think defensively, we’ll be better, and we have to rebound the ball better. If we can do those things, we can have a lot of fun this year.

What did you see in your first two years that may guide you this season?

Perry: I think it is the experience from those seasons and learning what works, not only at our program, but in the WCC. Plus, you learn how you can get your team through adversity and maintain success in the West Coast Conference. We respect the journey and know the way we are doing it is the right way—with integrity and pride. You can see the benefits with the kids graduating and seeing how hard the team competes.

Where do you stand regarding the recruiting class for the upcoming season?

Perry: For the first time in a long time, our recruiting class was not huge because we have so many returners. We added Burke Smith from Boise State who I think will be good for years to come. He’s a fantastic young man, on and off the floor, and a skilled 6-9 basketball player that’s going to really be able to help us.

Villiam Garcia Adsten has been playing in the Under 20 national tournament representing Sweden and has been finishing his responsibilities with his club team. He’s a 6-7 multi-positional player that can pass, dribble and shoot. We are close to finishing recruiting with our final two scholarship offers. I truly believe all our recruits will be really good Tigers.

You finished last season tied for fifth in the WCC with BYU and San Francisco. How has that carried into preparations for the new season?

Perry: It’s been exciting. The community is excited. When I’m out, all I get is compliments on how much fun our kids were to watch last year. People enjoy coming to the games, the way we played and the way we competed.

The excitement has carried over to recruiting. We stubbed our toes in the non-conference, and these kids stuck with it. I think our community and our fans were really proud of that. We became a force to be reckoned with in conference with seven road wins, which puts you in the upper echelon in what you are trying to accomplish. Our kids know what it takes to compete at the top of this league.

Who do you see as the top scorers on the team this coming year?

Perry: We have three returning starters (Mo Odum, Donovan Williams and Judson Martindale) that have been through the rigors. And Tyler Beard was often a double-figure scorer for us (14 times). He’s a returner that started a nice chunk of games (11).

Cam Denson will play a key role. We added Burke Smith in the middle, and I think Makai Richards is going to figure this thing out. I think he’s going to have a good year. Greg Outlaw has experience, and I think he’ll have a good year. That’s a pretty good core that you have returning. All those guys are going to contribute.

What is one of the main strengths of the team?

Perry: I think it’s depth. We always like to have a plethora of guys in each position in case someone is injured. We like depth because that’s how we get into our opposition’s bench. We can separate in games because the guys that we bring off our bench are good enough to start at most places.

Pacific is welcoming a new director of athletics in Adam Tschuor, who worked the last decade at Dayton. Since you had a chance to meet him when he came to campus, what are your initial thoughts?

Perry: I’m super excited to work with Adam. I think he will have innovative ways to do things, even small things, because he’s coming from such a basketball centric place. The tradition at Dayton is second to none. I’ve recruited against them for many, many years—won a couple and lost a couple who ended up being really good players. The Flyers have won at a high level for a long time so I think he will be able to bring some ideas and innovative ways to do things that will help not only basketball, but all the programs in the department.