Q. Playing in Summer League, what were your impressions of new guys coming into the mix?
BROOKS BARNHIZER: Summer League was super fun. I think the cool thing to see was who they were as people. It will be really cool to just get them acclimated and get them into the fire. That starts tomorrow, so it will be super fun to kind of, you know, strap it up for real with them.
Q. Putting in the work this past season. Where do you feel like you're going to be able to make the biggest strides in your game entering this year?
BROOKS BARNHIZER: I think for me, obviously keep my identity what it is but just take strides offensively. I think I really got to get acclimated, go up and down last year. And then the goal for this year is to make a super big stride up top. Super confident in that, but just kind of looking forward to get into the fight in year two.
Q. Last year from your rookie season to now, what are some areas that you have you seen the most growth in your game and just in your relationship with this team?
BROOKS BARNHIZER: Yeah, it's really cool. I think the best thing about first-year guys is they become year-two guys, if they are able to make it to year two.
So I think the biggest strides I've seen, working on my shot and doing everything like that to just kind of become a more fine-tuned offensive player. But really the coolest thing for me is getting more acclimated, like going to K-Rich's mini camp, being around the guys a lot more.
Not being a first-year guy anymore and being able to know what's going on and picking up on how we want to do things, plays, things like that, has been the coolest thing for me. Just really cool and just like really trying to get into some of these games and the battles that I got to see from the bench last year.
So I'm really excited to get into that.
Q. Did you have any advice for the rookies this year?
BROOKS BARNHIZER: Just being yourself. Like the coolest part of last year was I able to just come in and be me. When you do that, you're going to learn what you need to learn. If you're yourself, you can learn what you need to add or subtract or what to implement to put you in the best position.
Only thing I was telling them, you got here for a reason, so just be you, and you can branch out from there.
Q. This was a team known for having really good team chemistry, but it seems like Jared has somehow added to that?
BROOKS BARNHIZER: For sure.
Q. I know you were at the OU game with him earlier. What can you tell me about the type of personality it takes to not only be able to come in here and fit in but also add to the chemistry?
BROOKS BARNHIZER: I think Jared, in the best way, he's really like polarizing. Like he'll just bring life into a room. It's cool because we had a pre-draft workout my junior year, before I went back to school. We both worked out for the same team like during that.
So I kind of like got to know him there his first day back. It was like we could pick up a conversation from where it left off a year and a half ago. And he's just that kind of guy.
You kind of see it with everybody, how he's super implemented into everybody's lives. And he's awesome. He just kind of is a really cool figure to keep us all together, and he can lighten the mood a lot. If things can get stressful or whatever, he'll bring a smile to somebody's face. He's awesome for the squad.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports