Indiana University Athletics
Indiana vs. Northwestern Player Quotes
2/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2006
Recap
Box Score
Indiana Head Coach Quotes
Indiana vs. Northwestern
February 1, 2006
Indiana Player Quotes
Junior guard Roderick Wilmont
On tonight's game:
RW: "We needed this one to get our confidence back. They played a [tight] press which led to a lot of open shots. We shoot very well at home, and the shots were falling for us tonight."
Senior guard Marshall Strickland
On the importance of tonight's game:
MS: "It was very important. After losing like we did on Sunday, it was good to come in and get a win at home. It's good to get back into the win column, get things back on the right track, and make sure everybody is focused. It is very important [to stay on pace]. Every game counts now. We lost a couple of games that we should have won. We look at the games ahead and we feel like we are still in the race."
On the opportunity to play two No. 1 teams in one season:
MS: "It is a great opportunity for us to show that we can play at that level. It's a good challenge for us too. They are playing great right now. They are playing like the best team in the country. I think it is going to take a big effort to beat them."
Junior guard Errek Suhr
On playing against Northwestern's zone defense:
ES: "You just have to pay attention to it. That is what I tried to do tonight. I tried to look to see what would be open and when it would be open. At the beginning of the game, I noticed that the elbows were open when the ball was caught in the corner, I would look to that first. If it was not there, I looked to try and penetrate the gaps."
On his personal performance against Northwestern:
ES: "I give a lot of credit to Marshall Strickland tonight. Against their zone, the point guard has a lot more pressure on him than a player on the wing would. That's why I was playing the wing tonight. I had the luxury of looking to see what was open and didn't have to face as much pressure. Marshall did a great job tonight because they trapped him every time he got the ball. He handled the ball very well, which made things easier for me."
Sophomore guard/forward Robert Vaden:
On the play of Errek Suhr:
RV: "He gave us a lot of energy. He works very hard when he is on the court. That gives the team a big spark when you see a small guy like Suhr giving it his all and giving all of his heart. He makes the team want to play hard."
On what this win does for Saturday's game against Connecticut:
RV: "It gives us confidence after losing two games and then coming back with a win. We know that [Connecticut is] going to bring it, and we just have to bring it to them. [The atmosphere] should be the same as the Duke game with the No. 1 team in the country coming in. They have a lot of talent."
Freshman forward Ben Allen:
On what Indiana needs to accomplish against Connecticut:
BA: "The hustle and effort plays are the keys for us. On defense, we need to make a big stand and shut them down. They are a very athletic team. We will need to box out, keep them off of the boards and then go to our running game."
