Postgame Quotes – Indiana vs. Michigan
2/12/2017 3:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Michigan
Feb. 12, 2017
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
COACH CREAN: End of the day our ball screen coverages were not nearly what they needed to be and we didn't put enough pressure on the shooters. And maybe my shooters are feeling too much pressure. I'm not sure it was the Michigan defense. Maybe it was. I'm sure they'll credit themselves for it.
Maybe it is. I have to watch the film. But bottom line is we're not making enough shots to win. We're not making enough jump shots. We didn't make enough jump shots the other night. And right now we're not turning that around and getting enough to stops -- we did it for a while in the second half -- but we're not getting enough stops to overcome the misses that we're having.
And again we've got some guys that aren't close to healthy, but that doesn't have anything to do with the setups, setting your man up and being ready to knock down shots.
So not a great performance by any stretch. Though, I always felt like we were in it to the very end, because you felt like the lid was going to come off the basket for us at some point. We made too many mistakes, and it starts with the overhelping defensively. It starts with we didn't control the ball well enough and our rotations weren't as good. And we're still making some of the same mistakes with guys overhelping off corners, because they overreact to the ball.
And our maturity has got to raise, and I'm in here as far as I need to get to work and continue to figure out more ways that this team can compete on the defensive end and find easier ways to get them baskets.
Q. The four of five on the road now how do you turn around --
COACH CREAN: You know what, Terry, you've been around me for nine years. I'm not going to think much past today. I appreciate the question but I'm kind of locked in what we have to do now. I can't jump ahead, unfortunately.
Q. Since OG Anunoby went down -- I don't know the record off the top of my head -- but obviously it's been a struggle. Why do you think this team has had such a hard time filling his shoes?
COACH CREAN: Immaturity in the back court. We don't play both ends of the floor with the same purpose that we have to play when our shots aren't going.
And we've had injuries in there, too. But that's got to change.
Q. On the turnovers, the problems, I know you work on them. Is this defense --
COACH CREAN: You're asking me a hypothetical. I hope so. In all honesty. I hope so. But we've got to find ways to get easy baskets. The problem becomes we were working so hard to get the ball inside in the first half and they were backing off of our guys, right?
And so all of a sudden we get it in and we stand like we've never played basketball before rather than cut, space, fill, go cut, fill in behind it, get a crown on the backside, the things that we do, and we just can't -- Thomas Bryant is playing his tail off to become a leader of the team. And he needs a little more help.
And so that's not an answer to your question, but it is part of what our issue is with the turnovers. And he's committing some turnovers and things like that as well.
But I really don't want it to be to a place, especially when you're not shooting the ball as well, then you're going to get more collapsed defenses like we had today where we just say, okay, we've got to go in on every possession.
And because this team is not going to good enough to do that if we don't get easy baskets. If we don't get out on the break and run and if we don't space them. But we've got to figure something because I don't want to -- I'm not trying to take the confidence, we shoot every day. We constantly shoot. We haven't done anything different in our time here.
You know, we've led the -- we've led the country, we've led the BCS in the last five years in 3-point field goal percentage. It doesn't look like that right now. So I don't want to be in a panic, but we've got to continue to figure out, okay, those shots -- some of it is ridiculous setups and cuts. It's just absolute remedial nonsense. And that I'm just trying to bite my tongue here, all right, and so I can get to work.
But some of that doesn't make a bit of sense. But we have been a very, very good shooting team and we still have some very good shooters out there.
And again our ball screen coverages and things like that weren't nearly as good. But at some point in time the window's gotta crack and we're going to have a little bit real leadership during the game. And at some point in time we're going to communicate.
I know a lot of you have fun with those signs, and that's fine. I can wear a lot -- I took the (Moritz) Wagner hit. Guy jumped right up. I hope I get some credit for that. Didn't even bat an eye.
But I'm trying to be proactive, and I'm not shirking responsibility one iota. It falls on me. One thing I've learned in nine years, it all falls on me. But the bottom line is that we've got to do something to get communication up.
And when the shots aren't going is when the communication has got to be even higher. Because it's very easy to have communication. It's very easy to be locked in and connected to one another when the shots are going, but when they aren't going is when real leadership's got to emerge. And we're not having as much of that right now.
Q. What else do you need to see from James Blackmon?
COACH CREAN: You know, I don't even -- we all gotta play better. Every one of us. I can't single it out right now. It's not been a great week for him. Obviously he's coming back off the injury. But he can play better. And he's going to have to.
Q. What did you like about what you got from De'Ron Davis?
COACH CREAN: He played very well considering the shot that he took, couldn't return in the game the other night. He took a real hit, and he didn't do anything with us really on Friday, but he was better yesterday.
And we've got to continue to play him more. And he's not as great in the ball screen coverages. So that sometimes limits some of that. But he's very, very hard to guard, and he's got great feet, great hands, great eyes. He can pass the ball. We want him to do a lot of passing now and we're not doing enough cuts to get those passes.
So I loved the way he played. I know it wasn't Thomas's night, but I feel for him a little bit because he's really, really -- really since -- who asked the question on OG Anunoby? When that happened and we knew he was out, he stepped it up. Blackmon went out after Michigan. He took it to another whole other level with his leadership. It's obviously played out on the court for the most part. Not as much today. But it's a 19-year-old guy trying to find his own game and trying to lead a group of guys that really he should be getting a little more help and I've got to give him more help, obviously.
And so this is one of those nights. It's back to the drawing board a little bit on how we're going to continue to score points and how we're going to make -- we defended very well for the most part the other day, defended pretty well against Wisconsin other than some of the post action, and our rotations weren't as good today defensively, which gave them some open shots. But as I said at the beginning, we're coming off -- we just, it makes no sense to be coming off the corners the way that we are with what we have out there. That's not what we do. We guard the ball. We don't over-help because it's teams like Michigan that can shoot the ball so well.
Indiana Player – Robert Johnson and De'Ron Davis
Q. Robert, why do you think you guys are struggling shooting right now. You've been such a good shooting team?
ROBERT JOHNSON: I just think a lot of it is not being prepared to shoot before you get the ball. A lot of it is not hitting guys on time and on target with passes. And I think it just comes from confidence as well within the game.
Q. Why would you lose your confidence?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Just because the confidence comes from defense and talking and communication. The confidence doesn't come from just you believing you're a good shooter. With basketball, it all is connected. I think a lot of times, especially the upperclassmen, when we don't hit shots, I think we allow it to affect other areas of the game. And we can't do that.
Q. You took one shot in the first half. I think it was in the final minute. Why was it so hard to get into any kind of shooting rhythm today?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Well, I was just trying to let the game come to me a little bit. We talked about getting good shots and really good possessions every time down, and I think that was the reason for that.
Q. Whenever the team struggles, you guys get together, the players have a meeting. Have you guys done that or thought about that; do you think that would help you guys?
ROBERT JOHNSON: I mean, I don't know, to be honest. I just think at the end of the day we just have to all come together in whatever it takes. If that's what it takes, maybe that's something we should think about, but at the end of the day we just all have to come together and decide that we're going to get better once and for all.
Q. Coach said you seemed frustrated in the back court, why has it been so hard?
ROBERT JOHNSON: I just think a lack of consistency. Like I said earlier, it all falls on the upperclassmen, me, James (Blackmon, Jr.), guys that have been here. We have to come with a consistent level of effort, communication. Those are things that we always have to have within the game. And I think we'll be good if we do those.
Q. What would you like to get out of this season still?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Everything we started off wanting. We still have a season left to play. We still have a lot of opportunities.
So we're definitely not even thinking about quitting. We always look forward to the next game. Now we're just looking forward to getting better and moving on to the next game. And that's another opportunity.
Q. De'Ron, what do you feel about the game itself? What do you feel like you -- in what areas do you feel like you've grown this season?
DE'RON DAVIS: First, starting off, just being a better teammate. Not just looking for my shots but getting everybody else open through the post or screening. Second is probably my conditioning, you know, getting in better shape. Just running the floor and getting out in transition.
Q. How are you doing after taking the elbow?
DE'RON DAVIS: I'm good. I was a little dizzy after I got up, but I slept it off and I was good the next day.
Q. What's the locker room like? What's everybody going through in there right now?
DE'RON DAVIS: We're all positive. We're just trying to keep our heads up as a team, to come together as a unit and just gotta -- Coach says we've got a lot of stuff to work on. I'm looking to get better each and every day, starting tomorrow.
Q. What was Coach Crean's message to you guys after the game?
DE'RON DAVIS: To get better and keep learning from our mistakes and just gotta come together as a unit and stay strong. Even though when people on the outside are not with us, we've got to stay strong as a team.
Q. Robert Johnson said you guys aren't even thinking about quitting or anything like that, but how do you get things going?
DE'RON DAVIS: Just preparing each and every day. It starts tomorrow. Gotta come into practice with a good mindset. We gotta come into practice willing to work, and Coach will have a game plan for us, and we gotta follow the game plan and continue to work and get better.
Q. Particularly your success inside today, what did you have going in terms of your post game, did you feel?
DE'RON DAVIS: I was just being aggressive. My teammates were feeding me the ball, making good passes. I was just being aggressive and just trying to make the right play. That's really it.
Q. You were having success down low, obviously, but do you feel like the offensive guys, go down low first and then work it inside and out?
DE'RON DAVIS: Coach stresses that a lot. We try to take inside-out 3s and whether it's feeding the post and getting it kicked out because we have a bunch of bigs that like to pass the ball, or if you drive and kick, guard shots in the lane and kick out.
Q. How tough is it for Thomas Bryant getting double teamed down low all the time? And what adjustments do you try to make?
DE'RON DAVIS: We've got to be able to post the escape out of the double, just look for open cutters and open shooters.
Michigan Head Coach John Beilein
Opening Statement:
"This was a really good win for our guys today. I can't say enough about how they came in here and played with such enthusiasm and so much conviction to win this game. This is a hard place for every team that has ever played in the Big Ten to win in and it's so good for our team come out here, get a lead, and keep a lead. We didn't have too many charges other than Blackmon hitting two threes in the second half, but Robinson answered right back. Derek Walton is doing a good job of reading the game and recognizing what is going on, and Xavier Simpson gave us a good lift so that Mohamed could get his rest and then go in to try and lock down Blackmon. We are enthused about the win, but we get a day's rest and then we go into a cluster of four games in 10 days that we have to play just as well as we did today."
On how this the first road win of the season:
"It's not that difficult really, because you play at UCLA and at South Carolina, nobody wins there. We've played at Wisconsin and Michigan State, nobody wins there either, so there is four of those six. Illinois has beat some people too. So that's how you explain it really good teams and it's hard to beat teams that are better than you on the road. Four of those teams have been better than us this season."
When asked about key wins over Indiana and Michigan State:
"In reality we aren't talking about it if we throw one in against Iowa. We are talking about one play here or there. It was big for us to be able to get these wins against Indiana and Michigan State. Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Indiana are the blue bloods that have been up in the standings, so we have that challenge, and now we go back with six games left it might be as difficult if not more difficult to win. So we have to go game to game, not worrying about road wins, just seize the day and make each day better than you were the day before."
On what the differences were today:
"We were able to guard them at the three-point line, which I think they are really good at if you let them go at the three point line. We did a good job of trying to contain them, trying to minimize Bryant's ability. He's a really excellent player, and Davis is going to be really good, so trying to minimize the both of them and containing them from the three-point line is really hard when they have both inside and outside game."
On defensive changes:
"I think the guys have understood that there is another level of effort and some technique we continue to work on. When are playing teams with four of five shooters, some of our guys are a little slow to react. We have got to understand that Thomas Bryant can shoot so don't give him an open shot. In our place we stood and looked at him and said he's 6-10 he can't shoot, well yes he can."
Indiana vs. Michigan
Feb. 12, 2017
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
COACH CREAN: End of the day our ball screen coverages were not nearly what they needed to be and we didn't put enough pressure on the shooters. And maybe my shooters are feeling too much pressure. I'm not sure it was the Michigan defense. Maybe it was. I'm sure they'll credit themselves for it.
Maybe it is. I have to watch the film. But bottom line is we're not making enough shots to win. We're not making enough jump shots. We didn't make enough jump shots the other night. And right now we're not turning that around and getting enough to stops -- we did it for a while in the second half -- but we're not getting enough stops to overcome the misses that we're having.
And again we've got some guys that aren't close to healthy, but that doesn't have anything to do with the setups, setting your man up and being ready to knock down shots.
So not a great performance by any stretch. Though, I always felt like we were in it to the very end, because you felt like the lid was going to come off the basket for us at some point. We made too many mistakes, and it starts with the overhelping defensively. It starts with we didn't control the ball well enough and our rotations weren't as good. And we're still making some of the same mistakes with guys overhelping off corners, because they overreact to the ball.
And our maturity has got to raise, and I'm in here as far as I need to get to work and continue to figure out more ways that this team can compete on the defensive end and find easier ways to get them baskets.
Q. The four of five on the road now how do you turn around --
COACH CREAN: You know what, Terry, you've been around me for nine years. I'm not going to think much past today. I appreciate the question but I'm kind of locked in what we have to do now. I can't jump ahead, unfortunately.
Q. Since OG Anunoby went down -- I don't know the record off the top of my head -- but obviously it's been a struggle. Why do you think this team has had such a hard time filling his shoes?
COACH CREAN: Immaturity in the back court. We don't play both ends of the floor with the same purpose that we have to play when our shots aren't going.
And we've had injuries in there, too. But that's got to change.
Q. On the turnovers, the problems, I know you work on them. Is this defense --
COACH CREAN: You're asking me a hypothetical. I hope so. In all honesty. I hope so. But we've got to find ways to get easy baskets. The problem becomes we were working so hard to get the ball inside in the first half and they were backing off of our guys, right?
And so all of a sudden we get it in and we stand like we've never played basketball before rather than cut, space, fill, go cut, fill in behind it, get a crown on the backside, the things that we do, and we just can't -- Thomas Bryant is playing his tail off to become a leader of the team. And he needs a little more help.
And so that's not an answer to your question, but it is part of what our issue is with the turnovers. And he's committing some turnovers and things like that as well.
But I really don't want it to be to a place, especially when you're not shooting the ball as well, then you're going to get more collapsed defenses like we had today where we just say, okay, we've got to go in on every possession.
And because this team is not going to good enough to do that if we don't get easy baskets. If we don't get out on the break and run and if we don't space them. But we've got to figure something because I don't want to -- I'm not trying to take the confidence, we shoot every day. We constantly shoot. We haven't done anything different in our time here.
You know, we've led the -- we've led the country, we've led the BCS in the last five years in 3-point field goal percentage. It doesn't look like that right now. So I don't want to be in a panic, but we've got to continue to figure out, okay, those shots -- some of it is ridiculous setups and cuts. It's just absolute remedial nonsense. And that I'm just trying to bite my tongue here, all right, and so I can get to work.
But some of that doesn't make a bit of sense. But we have been a very, very good shooting team and we still have some very good shooters out there.
And again our ball screen coverages and things like that weren't nearly as good. But at some point in time the window's gotta crack and we're going to have a little bit real leadership during the game. And at some point in time we're going to communicate.
I know a lot of you have fun with those signs, and that's fine. I can wear a lot -- I took the (Moritz) Wagner hit. Guy jumped right up. I hope I get some credit for that. Didn't even bat an eye.
But I'm trying to be proactive, and I'm not shirking responsibility one iota. It falls on me. One thing I've learned in nine years, it all falls on me. But the bottom line is that we've got to do something to get communication up.
And when the shots aren't going is when the communication has got to be even higher. Because it's very easy to have communication. It's very easy to be locked in and connected to one another when the shots are going, but when they aren't going is when real leadership's got to emerge. And we're not having as much of that right now.
Q. What else do you need to see from James Blackmon?
COACH CREAN: You know, I don't even -- we all gotta play better. Every one of us. I can't single it out right now. It's not been a great week for him. Obviously he's coming back off the injury. But he can play better. And he's going to have to.
Q. What did you like about what you got from De'Ron Davis?
COACH CREAN: He played very well considering the shot that he took, couldn't return in the game the other night. He took a real hit, and he didn't do anything with us really on Friday, but he was better yesterday.
And we've got to continue to play him more. And he's not as great in the ball screen coverages. So that sometimes limits some of that. But he's very, very hard to guard, and he's got great feet, great hands, great eyes. He can pass the ball. We want him to do a lot of passing now and we're not doing enough cuts to get those passes.
So I loved the way he played. I know it wasn't Thomas's night, but I feel for him a little bit because he's really, really -- really since -- who asked the question on OG Anunoby? When that happened and we knew he was out, he stepped it up. Blackmon went out after Michigan. He took it to another whole other level with his leadership. It's obviously played out on the court for the most part. Not as much today. But it's a 19-year-old guy trying to find his own game and trying to lead a group of guys that really he should be getting a little more help and I've got to give him more help, obviously.
And so this is one of those nights. It's back to the drawing board a little bit on how we're going to continue to score points and how we're going to make -- we defended very well for the most part the other day, defended pretty well against Wisconsin other than some of the post action, and our rotations weren't as good today defensively, which gave them some open shots. But as I said at the beginning, we're coming off -- we just, it makes no sense to be coming off the corners the way that we are with what we have out there. That's not what we do. We guard the ball. We don't over-help because it's teams like Michigan that can shoot the ball so well.
Indiana Player – Robert Johnson and De'Ron Davis
Q. Robert, why do you think you guys are struggling shooting right now. You've been such a good shooting team?
ROBERT JOHNSON: I just think a lot of it is not being prepared to shoot before you get the ball. A lot of it is not hitting guys on time and on target with passes. And I think it just comes from confidence as well within the game.
Q. Why would you lose your confidence?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Just because the confidence comes from defense and talking and communication. The confidence doesn't come from just you believing you're a good shooter. With basketball, it all is connected. I think a lot of times, especially the upperclassmen, when we don't hit shots, I think we allow it to affect other areas of the game. And we can't do that.
Q. You took one shot in the first half. I think it was in the final minute. Why was it so hard to get into any kind of shooting rhythm today?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Well, I was just trying to let the game come to me a little bit. We talked about getting good shots and really good possessions every time down, and I think that was the reason for that.
Q. Whenever the team struggles, you guys get together, the players have a meeting. Have you guys done that or thought about that; do you think that would help you guys?
ROBERT JOHNSON: I mean, I don't know, to be honest. I just think at the end of the day we just have to all come together in whatever it takes. If that's what it takes, maybe that's something we should think about, but at the end of the day we just all have to come together and decide that we're going to get better once and for all.
Q. Coach said you seemed frustrated in the back court, why has it been so hard?
ROBERT JOHNSON: I just think a lack of consistency. Like I said earlier, it all falls on the upperclassmen, me, James (Blackmon, Jr.), guys that have been here. We have to come with a consistent level of effort, communication. Those are things that we always have to have within the game. And I think we'll be good if we do those.
Q. What would you like to get out of this season still?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Everything we started off wanting. We still have a season left to play. We still have a lot of opportunities.
So we're definitely not even thinking about quitting. We always look forward to the next game. Now we're just looking forward to getting better and moving on to the next game. And that's another opportunity.
Q. De'Ron, what do you feel about the game itself? What do you feel like you -- in what areas do you feel like you've grown this season?
DE'RON DAVIS: First, starting off, just being a better teammate. Not just looking for my shots but getting everybody else open through the post or screening. Second is probably my conditioning, you know, getting in better shape. Just running the floor and getting out in transition.
Q. How are you doing after taking the elbow?
DE'RON DAVIS: I'm good. I was a little dizzy after I got up, but I slept it off and I was good the next day.
Q. What's the locker room like? What's everybody going through in there right now?
DE'RON DAVIS: We're all positive. We're just trying to keep our heads up as a team, to come together as a unit and just gotta -- Coach says we've got a lot of stuff to work on. I'm looking to get better each and every day, starting tomorrow.
Q. What was Coach Crean's message to you guys after the game?
DE'RON DAVIS: To get better and keep learning from our mistakes and just gotta come together as a unit and stay strong. Even though when people on the outside are not with us, we've got to stay strong as a team.
Q. Robert Johnson said you guys aren't even thinking about quitting or anything like that, but how do you get things going?
DE'RON DAVIS: Just preparing each and every day. It starts tomorrow. Gotta come into practice with a good mindset. We gotta come into practice willing to work, and Coach will have a game plan for us, and we gotta follow the game plan and continue to work and get better.
Q. Particularly your success inside today, what did you have going in terms of your post game, did you feel?
DE'RON DAVIS: I was just being aggressive. My teammates were feeding me the ball, making good passes. I was just being aggressive and just trying to make the right play. That's really it.
Q. You were having success down low, obviously, but do you feel like the offensive guys, go down low first and then work it inside and out?
DE'RON DAVIS: Coach stresses that a lot. We try to take inside-out 3s and whether it's feeding the post and getting it kicked out because we have a bunch of bigs that like to pass the ball, or if you drive and kick, guard shots in the lane and kick out.
Q. How tough is it for Thomas Bryant getting double teamed down low all the time? And what adjustments do you try to make?
DE'RON DAVIS: We've got to be able to post the escape out of the double, just look for open cutters and open shooters.
Michigan Head Coach John Beilein
Opening Statement:
"This was a really good win for our guys today. I can't say enough about how they came in here and played with such enthusiasm and so much conviction to win this game. This is a hard place for every team that has ever played in the Big Ten to win in and it's so good for our team come out here, get a lead, and keep a lead. We didn't have too many charges other than Blackmon hitting two threes in the second half, but Robinson answered right back. Derek Walton is doing a good job of reading the game and recognizing what is going on, and Xavier Simpson gave us a good lift so that Mohamed could get his rest and then go in to try and lock down Blackmon. We are enthused about the win, but we get a day's rest and then we go into a cluster of four games in 10 days that we have to play just as well as we did today."
On how this the first road win of the season:
"It's not that difficult really, because you play at UCLA and at South Carolina, nobody wins there. We've played at Wisconsin and Michigan State, nobody wins there either, so there is four of those six. Illinois has beat some people too. So that's how you explain it really good teams and it's hard to beat teams that are better than you on the road. Four of those teams have been better than us this season."
When asked about key wins over Indiana and Michigan State:
"In reality we aren't talking about it if we throw one in against Iowa. We are talking about one play here or there. It was big for us to be able to get these wins against Indiana and Michigan State. Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Indiana are the blue bloods that have been up in the standings, so we have that challenge, and now we go back with six games left it might be as difficult if not more difficult to win. So we have to go game to game, not worrying about road wins, just seize the day and make each day better than you were the day before."
On what the differences were today:
"We were able to guard them at the three-point line, which I think they are really good at if you let them go at the three point line. We did a good job of trying to contain them, trying to minimize Bryant's ability. He's a really excellent player, and Davis is going to be really good, so trying to minimize the both of them and containing them from the three-point line is really hard when they have both inside and outside game."
On defensive changes:
"I think the guys have understood that there is another level of effort and some technique we continue to work on. When are playing teams with four of five shooters, some of our guys are a little slow to react. We have got to understand that Thomas Bryant can shoot so don't give him an open shot. In our place we stood and looked at him and said he's 6-10 he can't shoot, well yes he can."
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