Indiana University Athletics
Teri Moren Meets with the Media
9/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana head women's basketball coach Teri Moren met with the media on Tuesday for the first time since arriving in Bloomington. She answered questions about her new role and looked ahead to the 2014-15 season. Transcipt is available below.
| Head Women's Basketball Coach Teri Moren |
On how the transition has been so far:
"We decided that when we took this job, one of the things we weren't going to do was try to reinvent the wheel, I said that from day one. This is a team that has been very comfortable in the old system offensively and we feel like we can have that still, but also bring in some of the things that we've done at some of our other stops and add to it. One of the things we will tell you though is that our focus is not only going to be on the offensive end, our focus is going to be on the defensive end as well and that's going to be an emphasis in practice and in games - that we are able to defend and rebound the ball on the nights that our shots aren't falling.
"The challenge had been - and it's over now - but getting my staff together. The timing of all this turnover happens, coaches are looking for jobs at the end of our season and that's when all that happens. Because of the timing of it, when we got here in August, people pretty much had jobs, that took me a little longer than it would have at the end of the basketball season to really find the pieces that I needed to surround myself with in order to have a sound staff. So that took a little bit longer and that was a little nerve-wracking for me. The other piece of it with the players was not that difficult. With texting, being on the phone and communicating with them and then spending time with them once they got on campus. This is really a great group of girls. They want to put the past behind and move forward and they made that very, very clear. They're just excited about what the future holds for us."
On the familiarity with the players:
"We played them the last two years at State, so we are very familiar with them and obviously with the freshmen, these are kids that we saw on the recruiting circuit so we're familiar with them. We have two hours a week right now. On Sept. 15, that all changes and we'll be out on the floor as a team, so I'm not worried about that piece of it. I think they like what they've seen so far in me and the staff in terms of how we've communicated, how we've managed them on the floor. I've been really happy with the way they've shown up every day ready to go to work."
On the team's youth:
"I think it's really positive, especially when you're coming off the season they're coming off of - they were able to accomplish that with young players. You can't wait for freshmen to become sophomores and your sophomores to become juniors. I think if anything, it's very positive and then you add the four pieces with the four freshmen that were unbelievable high school players. It just gets more exciting because you're able to lump them into the big group too and see what the potential is with this team."
On what Coach Moren looks for while recruiting a player:
"Character to me is number one. We want them to have high character and we want them to be really good in the classroom. Make no bones about it, they're here to get their degree from one of the greatest institutions in the country. So that's obviously a selling point right there, what we'll be able to provide them from an educational standpoint. Certainly skillset is important and it depends on from year-to-year what you need and what our needs are. Looking at our personnel, we're very guard heavy and so moving forward we're really going to have to try and find some post players, some 4's and 5's that can come in and play in the Big Ten. That to me is just grind it out, big post players. We look a little bit different than all of those Big Ten teams from a post standpoint, so we're really going to have to focus in on improving that area."
On being a former Purdue player:
"As I've always said - and I said this in the interview process - it doesn't matter where I played and where I've coached, it only matters why I do this. I do this for the impact we have on all the young lives of these kids, and the competition. What inspires me and us everyday is the fact that we have the chance to do something special, to build a championship program and that's been everywhere I've ever been and ever coached. That is what excites me and inspires me. I'm happy, I'm thrilled and this is a dream. I don't want to sound cliché, but for a southern Indiana kid who grew up watching Bobby Knight, Ted Kitchel and Steve Alford, this is a dream come true for me. Quite frankly, the goal is to make this successful and this be Coach Moren's last stop. I would like to retire here and at some point down the road, leave this place in really good shape."
On what team is working on during the current two-hour limit:
"Right now, we're talking about pace and tempo, setting pace and tempo. I'm a firm believer in whatever we do in practice, that's what we're going to play in the game. Everything's really been trying to push pace and tempo with our players, moving from thing-to-thing, whether it's an offensive drill to a defensive drill so they understand we have to get from one place to the next as quickly as we can and do it as well as we can. We've also been talking about some footwork that we teach, but also really encourage to get the ball up the floor as quickly as possible. Every team will tell you they like to run, but you have to practice it and you have to do it every day. We've really been trying to get them up and down the floor as much as we can. There's a difference between going out and running a mile and being in basketball shape and we're not quite yet in basketball shape."
On how the team has worked with the coaching staff thus far:
"When they're getting drinks, we encourage them to listen with their eyes and they've shown great eye contact with us. They've asked questions, when there's been confusion they've stopped and asked. Their energy level has been tremendous day in and day out. Everything they've done, from strength and conditioning to our skill development sessions, they've really, really been zeroed in on our task at hand."
