Player Practice Quotes

February 13, 2003

Bloomington, Ind. -

Kyle Hornsby

Regarding new roles
"I don't know if my role has been redefined, I am just playing at different times. Coverdale's role may have changed a little bit. He has been playing more two and will be looking for a shot a lot more. Strickland will be doing what he has been doing and I am going to continue what I have been doing, I am just going to be doing it at different times. As long as we keep winning the roles are not going to change anymore."

Has your mentality changed at all coming from off the bench?
"Well, I am not as nervous warming up because I know that I am not starting! Otherwise your mentality doesn't change a lot, you are watching from the bench and seeing what is going on and you try and pick up what they are doing out there, what they are successful at and what they are not successful at. You pick that stuff up so you don't come in and make those same mistakes."

Did you see the change coming?
"I saw it coming when Coverdale was playing more two and practicing my plays. That's when I saw it coming. But I talked with Coverdale after practice and he explained what was going to happen and I was fine with it. Something had to change, we lost five straight, something had to give."

How does a team start out 8-0 and end up in the situation that they are in? How do you explain it?
"You really can't explain it. I guess different things are going through different people's heads, we were having a hard time getting on the same page. It seems like when somebody else gets caught up to this guy, well this guy is thinking something else and by the time you get caught up with him it gets all jumbled up. The common ground is defense, and I think that that is where it all starts."

Is it a chemistry problem as far as you guys on the court?
"I don't think that there are any personality problems. I think that there might be problems as far as some guys are used to playing one way and others guys are used to playing another way. The new guys are good players, we are just haven't played with them as many years. We are getting through that though."

Last year the team figured out how to win on the road in the Big Ten last year, how do you get over that hump now?
"I have no idea. We just have to go out and play hard. I think that the main thing is confidence. Just thinking that you are going to win this game and that we are going to steal this home game from them."

Did you notice a difference with Marshall (Strickland) at the point last night?
"I thought that our defensive intensity was really good. I thought that we were able to put a lot more pressure on the perimeter guys. Coverdale I thought was a little bit more well rested and he didn't have to guard the point guard the whole time."

Marshall Strickland
Talk about the intensity that you had on defense last night, and how that might have got your teammates going a little bit too.
"We had to try and slow their guards down. I think just going out there and being intense on defense can get the other players going."

How do you think Coverdale handled last night?
"I think it played to him really well. He missed a couple of shots last night but he was really in his rhythm. With him in his rhythm he is going to score a lot of baskets for us."

Regarding playing the point guard position
"I am a point guard and I love to play the point that is what I am here to do. I think that last night I played pretty well at the point."

Mike Roberts
Communication has not been area where you have really struggled. Do you agree with that?
"Yeah, I have never been bashful on the court ever since I was little. If I am going to play, that is what I have to be focused on because I am not as athletic as the other guys. Making sure that I am communicating and being in the right spots is what I have to do to help out."

What are some things you have to do looking ahead to Wisconsin?
"We are going to have to get stops when we need them. I think that that is one thing that we didn't do on the road early this year. We have to make sure that we take care of the ball and control the momentum of the game."

At this point is it a psychological thing at all?
"I definitely think that at this point in the season since I have been playing basketball at a pretty high level when you get to this point in the year everyone is on pretty equal footing and it is just who is executing the best and who can overcome the little things that is nagging them and bothering them."

How big was getting that win last night for this team?
"I can not remember losing five games in anything, even when I was younger, so it was just something that was hard to deal with and kind of embarrassing. It was always on my mind, 24-7, until we finally got that win, so it is a weight off our backs. We have to try and build momentum from there."

Indiana University Athletics

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