Postgame Quotes: Indiana at Rutgers
2/5/2018 10:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Indiana at Rutgers
Feb. 5, 2018
Indiana Head Coach Archie Miller
Opening statement...
"It was a a really good performance by our guys. We talked a lot about coming in here tonight and trying to establish an effort level and a toughness level that wasn't there last week. We had a similar turnaround. I thought our guys did a nice job responding in that way. Got us off to a nice start and I thought defensively we were pretty good, especially early. That gave us a chance to get out in transition and do some things. That good start, I thought, gave us some confidence. We were able to finish it off. Rutgers, really, really impressive trying to prepare for them in terms of their effort level and their toughness. This wasn't their night tonight, but they have a terrific staff and their guys showed clearly when they played Purdue. A little bit like us, that's an emotional game. Sometimes that turns into a game that is harder to get up for. Credit to our guys, though, on being able to come in and get a road win."
On changing the lineup early...
"That lineup deserved to be the lineup to start the game from a productivity standpoint. Just coming through here the last three weeks, studying some things and looking at it. I definitely wanted to go with that lineup as we come on the road here. We got off to a pretty good start. The play-making ability I think was missing. That's the one thing Devonte (Green) has actually done a nice job in probably three of the last four games, being able to get some guys some easy ones. When you have a guard out there at times, it can make it easy at times to get some guys some good looks. That can get you off to a better start. All in all, it was a good start for us."
On defending Rutgers' guards...
"Our guards had our work cut out for us tonight. Watching these guys with (Geo) Baker and (Corey) Sanders in particular, they're terrific one-one-one players, they can shoot off the bounce, create their own. I think our guys were up to the challenge, but I also give our team approach credit. I thought our frontcourt did a really nice job of making one guy play against two. Freddie (McSwain Jr.) and Juwan (Morgan) and for the most part those two, and with Justin (Smith) and Collin (Hartman) when they came in as well, I thought our team approach of making those guys passers instead of one-on-one players was decent."
On playing on the road with a short turnaround...
"It is difficult going on the road, it just is, it's hard. Even when we played at Illinois, we were up, but we couldn't sustain it. You have to sustain things on the road. The one thing is, you can't make excuses. You can't use turnarounds and things like that as excuses, you have to be ready. When the ball is tipped, the most ready team usually has the best chance to get off to a good start. I thought tonight we were ready."
Devonte Green
On playing close to his home in New York City:
"It's always exciting coming close to home, east coast. I'm pumped up for every game, but of course it gives me a little more edge being home."
On getting off to a good start on the road:
"It was tough for us the last couple of times getting off to a good start on the road. We just have to be ready. I think if we come in ready with the right mindsets then we will have good starts."
On putting in the work to earn the start on Monday:
"I think just simplifying my game, and keep doing what ive been doing but much simpler."
On playing strong defense against aggressive guards for Rutgers, mainly Geo Baker:
"I mean he is a good player, he is fast and I just tried my best to stay in front. I had a lot of help on the ball screens, but I just tried really hard to play defense."
How great is it going to be to have some time to rest tonight now that you don't play again until Friday?
"It feels good. We have had a lot of back to back games and it's been tiring. It feels good to have a break."
On the struggles at the foul line:
"We shoot free throws every day. We work on it every day. We just got to stick with it and step up to the line and knock it down."
Freddie McSwain Jr.
On going 4-of-4 at the free throw line:
"Really I have been on myself for that. Really during warmups I wasn't shooting jumpers, I was just going straight to the free throw line because my percentage is low, but I know that I can shoot free throws. So I know that I got confident and knocked them down."
What's it like for coach to put you back in to start after your performance against Purdue?
"It's just me working hard. He said I earned it. I guess so, but I'm just going to keep going and try to get better each time out."
On holding Rutgers to 43 points:
"It was just keeping them to our principles of what we practice on every day. It was just great team defense, everyone was just being scrappy and getting pride off of our great game against Michigan State. Just coming back here, we knew we had to step up."
You played 7 games in 17 days, Is it going to be nice have a couple of days off before Minnesota?
"Oh yeah, I'm kind of tired right now actually. I'm ready to just lay down in my bed and just get a practices in before Minnesota on Friday."
