Nate Roberts Says Huskies Have A New Mindset

On getting started... It's been a long time. It's been a long year.On the Montlake Madness event... It was a lot of fun. It was a great experience. It was good to get to see the Dawg Pack out, expose them to some of the new guys, it was real lit.On the new players being embraced by the Dawg Pack... It's been great. They've shown a lot of love. Everyone's excited. I think a lot of people are excited to get back into games and cheer for us this year.On the new pieces of the team and how they fit in... I think we've always lived and died by the zone, but this team is different. We have a lot of size and length. We can shut things down with that and we can space things out more with our shooters. A lot of athleticism that we can use off the dribble and make plays.On being better conditioned... Our plan is to run a lot this year, so we want to be the best conditioned team in the country. It had to do with a lot of running. There's a hill over in Woodinville that we've run three times so far this year. I think, before this year, we've run it maybe three times total, so we've been doing that and we've been working on getting out fast in transition and running and going up-tempo.On how Wyking Jones has helped him... Being dominant in everything. 'No Mercy', that's what he says to be every day he sees me. He wants me using my feet and not my hands. He's been a great help to me.On the upcoming season... This is my fourth year here and we've worked hard. We're bringing stuff together. Last season was tough, but we have a new season and energy. I'm excited for people to get the chance to see us play and the attitude we're going to have. We've been beating on each other for the past three months, so it's exciting we get to get started and play against someone else and start to come together.On Bill Walton... That's my guy. People were telling me when he covers our games, that he was always talking about me, even when I wasn't playing, so then last year, he talked about me more because I was playing more. I got to really meet him at Pac 12 media day and he's a ball of energy. To get advice for an "OG" like him is something you always have to take in.On finding their identity... Being a tougher and more together team. Handling adversity better and not folding when something bad happens. We're striving to be more mentally tough.On the new guys... I would just start with Samuel Ariyibi, he's a quick learner. It was surprising to me how quickly he adjusted to the system. He's long and athletic and can shoot off the catch. He's going to be a great rebounder. With Jackson Grant, it's obvious why he was so highly touted. As a freshman, everything comes at you so quick, so he is going to mess up, but we make sure he just keeps his head and keeps getting better. On PJ Fuller, he's a great teammate to have. His instincts are great and his energy is always there, he's athletic, he can penetrate. With Emmitt Matthews Jr., he's from West Virginia, he's been on a top 15 team every year and knows what it takes. He's got a great defensive mindset, he's tough, he can shoot and he's a leader. Then our 'super seniors', Terrell Brown Jr. and Daejon Davis, they know what it takes to win this conference, they've both done it. Th ...