The Texas Tech basketball team met with local media members last week to discuss and preview the 2016-17 season, as the squad will get things underway in just two weeks. I sat down with JUCO guard transfer Shadell Millinghaus to discuss how he's adjusted to Lubbock so far and why he thinks this team's mental makeup could take them places...

Well, you guys have had practice in full swing for a few weeks now. How do you think things are going for Tech basketball so far?

"Everything is going great. We've been working hard every single day, taking steps in the right direction," he said. "I think we're going hard, learning everything that Coach Beard is throwing at us. I feel like we're working hard, and that's really the main thing we've been focused on. We give it our all every day. We win the day, and that's how we look at it."

You've been here for a few months now. With being in school, going through practice, and just getting in rhythm with it all, how do you feel like you've adjusted?

"I feel blessed every single day when I wake up. To go to work outs, go to class, I just feel so blessed to be on this team. It's just a great opportunity, and I feel so thankful for that."

All of you guys on the team, whether a returner or newcomer like yourself, seem to have clicked and built great chemistry right away. Why do you think that is?

"Because everybody likes each other. it's not forced. Everybody gets along. It's just the environment we have here with the coaches and the players. It's just like a family-oriented team. It's something that's really special that I've never had before, and I really appreciate my teammates and my coaches, cause it's the best feeling in the entire world when you can just be yourself when you're with your teammates. It's just such a great feeling."

Do you think any of that has to do with the fact that everybody is a little bit older as a junior or senior on the team?

"Yeah, that could be a part of it, too. But, I really do just think that Coach Beard just loves -- I think it's just a lot to do with the coaches. They basically let us be who we are. They don't tell us to act like this or do things like that. They basically just want us to be ourselves. Coach, he recruits high character players. I feel like he got a great group of guys together here, and that's what we have goin on for us."

For you, where do you feel like you're at with your game as a guard right now? Where do you feel like you've grown the most since you've been at Tech in the last few months?

"I feel like I've grown the most in just competing every day. I try to do whatever it takes for us to win, no matter what that is. I try to have a strong, strong mentality when it comes to my mental toughness. I just try to focus on my teammates, and we can win like that. Instead of focusing on myself, I focus on my teammates, and that's gonna take us far."

You're now just a few weeks away from getting the season started. How excited are you for that, and where do you feel like things are at with this team right now?

"I'm pretty excited. I know my teammates are really excited to get started. I feel like we're in a good spot. We all know we have a lot more work to do, and that's with all teams right now. But, for us, we've just got to keep pushing every day, just got to keep working hard."