Appalachian men's basketball returned to the floor Tuesday evening after an off day Monday with another solid and intense two-hour practice at the Holmes Center that finished with 15 minutes of controlled scrimmage action.

The squad continued its adjustment to a speedier, more up-tempo pace on both ends of the floor with extensive time being dedicated to installing a full-court press as a regular weapon in the Mountaineers' defensive repertoire.

"We're really working on teaching the dynamics of our pressure defense," head coach Houston Fancher said. "With so many new guys, we have to be careful not to teach too much too quick, but rather spend a lot of time on the foundation and that press will be part of our foundation this year."

Having five newcomers to work into the fold will result in longer, more intensive practices, but Fancher notes that the team's physical conditioning has allowed him to maintain the same intensity throughout practice with the newcomers showing increased ability to pick up on the Mountaineers' offensive and defensive systems.

However, a few players have had the opportunity to see additional reps in practice Tuesday as Donald Sims, Quinche Dowdell, Jeremi Booth and Donterious Hughes sat out the practice with various minor injuries. Fancher doesn't believe any of the injuries will be serious and is playing things safe in allowing them to fully heal so that the minor tweaks don't become major setbacks and nagging injuries as the season progresses.

In addition to the defensive work, the Apps also dedicated time to continuing to learn their new dribble-drive offense while working to develop the patience to kick the ball out and penetrate until a suitable shot develops.

In scrimmage action, the gold team prevailed 21-8 with Ike Butts scoring six points and pulling down five rebounds while A.J. Highsmith drained a pair of three-pointers.

"The good thing is everyone is playing hard to work in our offense" said Butts. "Everyone is together as a team and we're going to continue working at getting better with our faster offense and defense."

Fans are reminded to check GoASU.com daily for continued coverage of both the men's and women's basketball teams. Written reports from women's practice will be posted on Monday and Wednesday with men's reports following on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Additionally, video practice reports are available daily from GoASU TV and can be access by clicking the link at the top of each practice report or launching the GoASU TV media player.