Everything From Georgia Tech Forward Kowacie Reeves in Thursday's Media Availability

Reeves spoke to the media after Thursday's media availability

Feb 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Kowacie Reeves Jr. (14) grabs a rebound against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech Basketball finished up summer practice today and while the season is still a few months away, the team is hard at work and hopes to have a big year in 2024-2025. After practice, forward Kowacie Reeves spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

1. On building chemistry with the new guys...

"I think it's good, man. I think it's good that all of us live together in the same apartment, so to get the, you know, do the stuff off of the court, like, watch the Olympics, and Luke just got me in the hockey, so I'm going to see how that turn out. It's pretty exciting, too. We watch the Stanley Cup together, and I like it. So I think we're doing good. Chemistry -wise is just trying to make the extra effort to, you know, like, do little stuff. Like, with me, I know, when I go back, I watch, like, the live film from practice every day, and I'm finding, like one or two clips and just sending it to guys. So just trying to build like that. Just trying to build like that."

2. On what his summer has been like...

"Yeah, I think my first season was kind of like, kind of like a redemption kind of season, me just trying to get, uh, my time. Yeah, but it's kind of like a redemption season, man, me just trying to get back to myself. And I think the coaches, the staff did a very good job of allowing us to be free, but also instilling like some type of moral comfort that I hadn't seen consistently, consistently up until this point. Each and every man on his staff is like just incredible with their more and their ethics regarding college basketball because it's some real like unethical behavior in this in this game. So I think them doing that helped me become who I were it was last season. I think this season I can just focus way more on the court stuff because they help me so much mentally."

3. On if he feels like a coach out there when he helps some of these younger guys...

"Yeah, I was just talking about, like I'm listening to Mustaf and DOD, man, I remember when I was 18 coming down. Now I'm out the door, so it's kind of funny, man. It's kind of funny. But yeah, you know, doing the same with those guys, just building, teaching them the road they have and the questions on, I'm free, man. Because that's what that's what it's about, man. It's about helping somebody else get better, man. Their journey might be a lot different from mine. So, you know, trying to help them make an impact."

4. On the emphasis on defense...

"Yeah, I think we're going to be really good offensively because we just got talent, man. Nait George, Baye. Then we got like a will -type guy in Javian. And then we got, man, we just got really good pieces. Luke's shooting the cover off, Lance back, looking really good. So I think that part is taking care of. It's just going to be a matter of time. Chemistry -wise, I think defense is where we can make a huge jump.

Because right now, we have really good defenders like Lance, but I think guys like myself can get a lot better. And just overall, as a team, it's going to help us to have, like, that type of physicality back in practice. So we can, you know, go display that on the court."

5. On what it is like having Nait George and Javian McCollum...

"Yeah, I think me personally, just in my condition. I think right now I'm, I told Justin yesterday. I think I'm approaching, like, the best shape I ever been in as far as me taking that aspect of my game seriously. I wouldn't say I didn't take it seriously, but I always struggled with it, you know, and now I'm just taking the leaps, squeezing in, is three, four miles on a treadmill each week, and I think that's going to just help me make a jump that far."