Postgame Quotes - Indiana at Maryland (Jan. 10, 2017)
1/10/2017 11:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana at Maryland
Jan. 10, 2017
Indiana head coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement:
It came down to one or two plays more by them…really one. We wouldn't do anything about the change at the end of the game. We got a great look at the end. It was a hard-fought game from start to finish. Both teams playing extremely competitive. Mistakes on both sides. Great plays on both sides. But a bunch of guys battling.
I'm proud without question of the way we're improving. I was proud of the way some of the younger guys went into the game and did some really good things. Guys like Curtis Jones, who didn't get cleared to play until this morning because he was injured the other day, and Devonte Green, who has missed some time.
We didn't have a great game by any stretch, but we had a great battle, and our guys were really, really strong in that area. We'll evaluate the film, and there are certainly areas we've got to get better at, which I'm sure Mark (Turgeon) will say the same thing about his team.
But to come out and compete like that, play through mistakes, and have the difference at the foul line and still have a shot to be able to win it at the end. We've just got to learn from it, get better, and get ready to play our next game.
Q – How critical was that stretch where (Kevin) Huerter gets the three and then gets the rebound and kind of lobs that one up?
TOM CREAN: Oh yeah, when the game is tight like that and it's coming down to the wire, obviously those are big plays. Huerter is 1B, Huerter is…they've got an excellent team, and obviously because of Trimble's experience and driving ability and shooting and things like that you've got to start with him, but we weren't wrong at looking at Kevin Huerter as 1B on that scouting report.
And that doesn't take anything away from the rest of those guys. They've got a great team, I mean they really do. They've got a lot of talent, and (Damonte) Dodd is so much better. Dodd is the best screen and roll player in the league, and he's getting better and better all the time. Screen and roll player I should say. Where he screens and gets that roll and creates so much space. He is in such better shape. They've done such a great job building him up and he totally plays his role.
But Huerter is a guy that does a lot of the…he does the non-obvious stuff. He is a great help defender, he moves extremely well without the ball, he can pass, he's athletic, and he really understands…he made us pay a couple times. He was an absolute key. We did a good job at times for the most part. He hit a couple three's in the second half. The one that was part of the ebb and flow of the game, but that one three at the end was tough…absolutely.
Q – Tom, what was the one play? The three or the pass that led to the breakaway? You said that one play was the difference.
TOM CREAN: Oh, that was two plays…I wouldn't…maybe I misspoke. The three and then when they got the kick and the ball coming back out. In a tight game like that that's tough. But we still had our chances. Thomas Bryant made a move after we come out of the time out and we didn't get anything out of it unfortunately. I thought we would have a chance to go to the foul line off of that but we didn't.
But we still at the end of the game…Rob Johnson gets hurt and comes back in to the game and plays well. Those guys ran a play that I drew up in that situation because of the match-ups in the game and what we thought could happen. They ran a play to perfection but the one minus is it just didn't go in. But it was a very good play for them. They executed it and we didn't get it and we didn't go to overtime.
Q – James (Blackmon) hits that three with about three-and-a-half minutes to go to put you up 68-66 but he didn't get a shot the rest of the way. I'm guessing you would like to see him…
TOM CREAN: Oh, he touched the ball. I don't think there is…there's not a lot of…I'll go back and watch the film and I might have a different answer after I watch the film. But James did a great job. He set some actions up for other guys tonight too. He did a very good job. He was potentially open on the other side, and that was part of the plan, for him to be open on the other side off of a flair (screen). I have to go back and look at that, but Rob got a great look.
There is a lot of things we can look at offensively. OG makes two field goals, Thomas makes two field goals, and yet we're having a chance to tie the game at the end of the game. So I've got to go back and review the film and look at where we could've done things differently. You can win by 20 and lose by 20 and there are going to be things that you do differently no matter what. And in a close game like that, there is always going to be things, but a lot of things have to be going right to have a game like…for both teams.
Q – What happened with Rob?
TOM CREAN: He just hurt his knee. I didn't get a great look at it, but he needed to come out at that point. Just banged knees. I think it was just more of a banging knee type situation, but they cleared him.
Q – You mentioned only getting two baskets from OG and two baskets from Thomas. Was there anything going on in particular that you didn't get more production from those guys?
TOM CREAN: Well, we went to them…right…at times. I just have to go back and watch the film. They did a good job. I mean, they did a fine job. You've got to overcome a lot of things on the road to win in this league and in any league. We'll just look at how we can do better.
Q – Tom, you had kind of a long embrace with Rob after the game. What did you say to him?
TOM CREAN: That's he and I…that's he and I. The bottom-line, I would just tell you this, we would take that shot again no matter what. I wanted him taking that shot right there. I'm proud of the way he battled back. I'm proud of him. Those kids are kids too…right…on the Maryland side. They've got young guys. They are kids. And they put a lot into this. Young men I guess, but they're kids to their parents.
Our team is getting better, and they're improving individually, and I don't want them to lose sight of that. It's all about what we seen inside of there. And Mark (Turgeon) is going through that at times. He's got some young guys that are improving rapidly. Completely different looking team from the beginning of the year, and they've only lost two games all year. So he's going to continue to get better, and we are too. I thought we had a lot of guys put a lot of good stretches together. And one of our weaknesses has been putting good segments together, and when we've been inconsistent. Obviously there are mistakes and things we want to do better, but I thought tonight we had a lot more of that.
Indiana at Maryland
Jan. 10, 2017
Indiana head coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement:
It came down to one or two plays more by them…really one. We wouldn't do anything about the change at the end of the game. We got a great look at the end. It was a hard-fought game from start to finish. Both teams playing extremely competitive. Mistakes on both sides. Great plays on both sides. But a bunch of guys battling.
I'm proud without question of the way we're improving. I was proud of the way some of the younger guys went into the game and did some really good things. Guys like Curtis Jones, who didn't get cleared to play until this morning because he was injured the other day, and Devonte Green, who has missed some time.
We didn't have a great game by any stretch, but we had a great battle, and our guys were really, really strong in that area. We'll evaluate the film, and there are certainly areas we've got to get better at, which I'm sure Mark (Turgeon) will say the same thing about his team.
But to come out and compete like that, play through mistakes, and have the difference at the foul line and still have a shot to be able to win it at the end. We've just got to learn from it, get better, and get ready to play our next game.
Q – How critical was that stretch where (Kevin) Huerter gets the three and then gets the rebound and kind of lobs that one up?
TOM CREAN: Oh yeah, when the game is tight like that and it's coming down to the wire, obviously those are big plays. Huerter is 1B, Huerter is…they've got an excellent team, and obviously because of Trimble's experience and driving ability and shooting and things like that you've got to start with him, but we weren't wrong at looking at Kevin Huerter as 1B on that scouting report.
And that doesn't take anything away from the rest of those guys. They've got a great team, I mean they really do. They've got a lot of talent, and (Damonte) Dodd is so much better. Dodd is the best screen and roll player in the league, and he's getting better and better all the time. Screen and roll player I should say. Where he screens and gets that roll and creates so much space. He is in such better shape. They've done such a great job building him up and he totally plays his role.
But Huerter is a guy that does a lot of the…he does the non-obvious stuff. He is a great help defender, he moves extremely well without the ball, he can pass, he's athletic, and he really understands…he made us pay a couple times. He was an absolute key. We did a good job at times for the most part. He hit a couple three's in the second half. The one that was part of the ebb and flow of the game, but that one three at the end was tough…absolutely.
Q – Tom, what was the one play? The three or the pass that led to the breakaway? You said that one play was the difference.
TOM CREAN: Oh, that was two plays…I wouldn't…maybe I misspoke. The three and then when they got the kick and the ball coming back out. In a tight game like that that's tough. But we still had our chances. Thomas Bryant made a move after we come out of the time out and we didn't get anything out of it unfortunately. I thought we would have a chance to go to the foul line off of that but we didn't.
But we still at the end of the game…Rob Johnson gets hurt and comes back in to the game and plays well. Those guys ran a play that I drew up in that situation because of the match-ups in the game and what we thought could happen. They ran a play to perfection but the one minus is it just didn't go in. But it was a very good play for them. They executed it and we didn't get it and we didn't go to overtime.
Q – James (Blackmon) hits that three with about three-and-a-half minutes to go to put you up 68-66 but he didn't get a shot the rest of the way. I'm guessing you would like to see him…
TOM CREAN: Oh, he touched the ball. I don't think there is…there's not a lot of…I'll go back and watch the film and I might have a different answer after I watch the film. But James did a great job. He set some actions up for other guys tonight too. He did a very good job. He was potentially open on the other side, and that was part of the plan, for him to be open on the other side off of a flair (screen). I have to go back and look at that, but Rob got a great look.
There is a lot of things we can look at offensively. OG makes two field goals, Thomas makes two field goals, and yet we're having a chance to tie the game at the end of the game. So I've got to go back and review the film and look at where we could've done things differently. You can win by 20 and lose by 20 and there are going to be things that you do differently no matter what. And in a close game like that, there is always going to be things, but a lot of things have to be going right to have a game like…for both teams.
Q – What happened with Rob?
TOM CREAN: He just hurt his knee. I didn't get a great look at it, but he needed to come out at that point. Just banged knees. I think it was just more of a banging knee type situation, but they cleared him.
Q – You mentioned only getting two baskets from OG and two baskets from Thomas. Was there anything going on in particular that you didn't get more production from those guys?
TOM CREAN: Well, we went to them…right…at times. I just have to go back and watch the film. They did a good job. I mean, they did a fine job. You've got to overcome a lot of things on the road to win in this league and in any league. We'll just look at how we can do better.
Q – Tom, you had kind of a long embrace with Rob after the game. What did you say to him?
TOM CREAN: That's he and I…that's he and I. The bottom-line, I would just tell you this, we would take that shot again no matter what. I wanted him taking that shot right there. I'm proud of the way he battled back. I'm proud of him. Those kids are kids too…right…on the Maryland side. They've got young guys. They are kids. And they put a lot into this. Young men I guess, but they're kids to their parents.
Our team is getting better, and they're improving individually, and I don't want them to lose sight of that. It's all about what we seen inside of there. And Mark (Turgeon) is going through that at times. He's got some young guys that are improving rapidly. Completely different looking team from the beginning of the year, and they've only lost two games all year. So he's going to continue to get better, and we are too. I thought we had a lot of guys put a lot of good stretches together. And one of our weaknesses has been putting good segments together, and when we've been inconsistent. Obviously there are mistakes and things we want to do better, but I thought tonight we had a lot more of that.
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