Indiana University Athletics
Thursday, November 19
Bloomington, IN
7:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Creighton
Preview: Hoosiers Take On Creighton As Part of Gavitt Tipoff Games
11/18/2015 1:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OPENING TIP
• Indiana University is in its 116th season of men's basketball and will host Creighton in the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games contest for both teams. The Hoosiers, 2-0, return four starters from a team which made the program's 38th NCAA Tournament appearance a season again and defeated Austin Peay, 102-76, in the opening round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Monday night. Creighton is 2-0 after defeating Texas-San Antonio, 103-78, Tuesday night.
UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers will travel to Hawaii for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational beginning Monday, November 23. IU will take on Wake Forest at 5 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday.
HEAD COACH TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean begins his eighth year of leading the Hoosiers. Over the last four+ years, IU is 95-45 and leads the Big Ten with 19 regular season wins over ranked opponents during that time. During that same span, the Hoosiers have appeared nationally ranked in at least one major poll during the season. He has also seen a Big Ten best three players selected in the NBA lottery over the last three years and has recruited a McDonald's All-American in each of the last five years. In addition, he has seen seven of his players score 1,000 points or more in an IU uniform. Since 2011, the Hoosiers have averaged 23 wins per season compared to 20 averaged at IU from 1995-2008. Seven players have scored 1,000 points in their career under Tom Crean at Indiana. Christian Watford (1,730), Yogi Ferrell (1,414), Verdell Jones III (1,347), Jordan Hulls (1,318), Cody Zeller (1,157), Will Sheehey (1,120) and Victor Oladipo (1,117).
WOODEN AWARD
The John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's announced its Preseason Top 50 today on ESPN's SportsCenter and on ESPN.com. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious individual honor. IU has three players on the Preseason Top 50 list that was announced on Tuesday. The Hoosiers are represented by senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, junior forward Troy Williams and sophomore guard James Blackmon, Jr. IU is tied with Kentucky with three players among those listed.
EXPERIENCE STARTING
Ferrell has started all 104 games he has played in, Williams has started 62 of 66 games that he has played in and Blackmon, Jr., has started all 35 games of his career.
HOT SHOOTING
The Hoosiers posted their best half of shooting under Tom Crean making 80.8% of its field goal attempts in the second half against Austin Peay. IU made 15 shots in a row at one point and made seven straight three-point attempts as well.
DEFENSIVE CREDIT
Against Austin Peay, the Hoosiers forced 23 turnovers, the most by an IU opponent since December, 2011 against Stetson. In addition, IU had 14 steals, the most for the Hoosiers since November, 2011 against Butler. Against Eastern Illinois, the Hoosiers matched their 14-15 season lows of first half points allowed (17) and points allowed in a game (49).
FERRELL PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
• Senior All-Big Ten guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell has been named second team Preseason All-American by The Sporting News and USA Today, in addition to garnering third team honors from Athlon Sports and fourth team mention in Blue Ribbon Magazine. A first-team NABC and USBWA All-District selection last season, Ferrell was sixth in the Big Ten averaging 16.3 points and was fourth in assists at 4.9. He also has made a three-pointer in 67 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation. Ferrell, now has 1,414 points in his IU career, which ranks 20th in school history. He trails Ray Tolbert by 13 points for 19th. He now has 453 career assists in his IU career, which ranks sixth in school history. He trails Jamal Meeks and Damon Bailey, who are tied for fourth with 474. He has made 198 threes in his IU career, which ranks fourth in school history. Against Austin Peay, he had 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds. He made eight of 10 field goal attempts and four of five three-point field goals. For the season, he has 15 assists and just 5 turnovers in two games.
For the season, he is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
STRANGLEHOLD
• The Hoosiers have used a debilitating run in to put away each of its games this season. Against Ottawa, IU went on a 23-0 run midway through the second half and in the first half against Bellarmine, the Hoosiers broke the game open with an 18-0 spurt. Against EIU, the Hoosiers closed out the final 8:22 of the first half with a 27-3 outburst. IU also went on a 35-17 second-half run for a 10-minute period against Austin Peay.
WATCH LISTS
• The Indiana Hoosiers were well represented on the preseason watch lists released by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this month. The watch lists recognize the top 20 players in the country at each of the five positions on the court. Here's who was recognized from Indiana:
Bob Cousy Award (Top PG): Kevin Yogi Ferrell
Jerry West Award (Top SG): James Blackmon Jr.
Julius Erving Award (Top SF): Troy Williams
K. Abdul-Jabbar Award (Top C): Thomas Bryant
2-0
• The Hoosiers have been 2-0 in each of the last eight seasons. IU will be looking to be 3-0 for the sixth straight year.
AUSTIN PEAY WRAP
• Indiana shot 40-of-60 (66.7 percent) from the field, the second straight game shooting over 50 percent. Last season the Hoosiers shot 50 percent or better in 11 games.
• The 66.7% FG effort is the highest for the Hoosiers since they connected at a 70.6 percent clip against Mt. Saint Mary's on 12/19/12.
• It is the 11th time in the Tom Crean era (since 2008-09 season) the Hoosiers have shot 60 percent or better for a game.
• Indiana shot 8-of-10 (80 percent) from three-point range in the second half and 16-of-27 (59.3 percent) for the game. In 2014-15 the Hoosiers finished sixth in the country in three-point field goal percentage (40.6 percent).
• The 16 made three-pointers is tied for the fourth most in school history for a single game and the most since the Hoosiers made 18 against Minnesota on 2/15/15. The Hoosiers made 10 or more three-point field goals in 16 games last year.
• The Hoosiers have combined for 25 three-point field goals in their two games this season and have shot 25-of-54 (46.3 percent).
• Six different Hoosiers made at least one three-point field goal in the game.
IU'S MAJOR CONFERENCE RANKINGS (2011-PRESENT)
• 3-point percentage, 39.9 (1st)
• Field goal percentage, 47.4 (1st)
• Free throw percentage, 73.9 (2nd)
• Points per game, 76.8 (4th)
• Home wins, 66 (5th)
AGAINST THE BIG EAST
• The Hoosiers have a 79-35 record against teams that are currently in the Big East. IU defeated nationally ranked Butler last year, 82-73, in Indianapolis and fell in overtime to Georgetown, 91-87, at Madison Square Garden a season ago.
Indiana head coach Tom Crean Previews Game vs. Creighton
Opening Statement
"First off, it is an honor to play in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. I hold Dave (Gavitt) in incredibly high regard, especially as a young coach, with the way he always treated me. His son, Dan, has been a friend of mine for a long time. When you look at what Dave Gavitt did over a period of time in basketball, if there was a Mount Rushmore for people that have increased the rise of the value of the college basketball game, he would be on it. It is debatable as to who else would be on it, but there should be no debate that he should be on it. He had so much foresight and vision. Obviously, so much of it is in history now with what he did with the BIG EAST and the game. The vision that he had is being lived out constantly. When you look at the business of college basketball and how much of a valuable commodity it is all the way across the board and with how much of a worldwide kind of thing it is, he had a lot to do with it. So it is an honor to play in something like this that has his name on it.
"As far as Creighton, there is no doubt that we are playing an extremely fast, very energetic, very tough opponent. It is going to take all of us going all out to have a shot to squeak out a win. They move with or without the ball, they play with tremendous purpose, and their spacing is as good as I have seen. If we were not playing them we would be using them as a template for what spacing looks like. Obviously we are showing some of that when we watch the film preparing for them. Their commitment to the corners and to getting the ball thrown ahead is tremendous. They look in midseason form with that. They are physical. They have great presence inside at the rim. They play very well together. Greg McDermott is an outstanding coach. They get a lot of attention for their offense, just like us, but they also play outstanding defense. Whether they play in their 1-2-2 press and fall back to the zone or their man-to-man, they are physical and aggressive. It is going to be a tremendous challenge for us tomorrow night. They do a lot offensively with the three. They shoot almost 50 percent of their shots from the three. Right now they are shooting at a pretty good rate. But it is the speed, quickness, penetration, the veteran play, and the addition of their transfers, who are a little bit older now and know their system, that make the difference. Guys like [Maurice] Watson, [Cole] Huff, and Isaiah Zierden are going to make for a great battle."
On the value of the next 2 weeks…
"No matter who we are playing, we are going to deal with a lot of physical basketball, aggressive basketball, and teams that know how to play basketball. If this team (Creighton) is the same team I am watching on the film, and they finish where they are projected in the BIG EAST (seventh), then the BIG EAST is the best conference in basketball by far. They are way better than that. We could probably end up saying the same thing with our opponents next week. To me, it is a real balancing act between making sure that we are getting better every day and staying committed to what we have to be good at but at the same time preparing for games.
"Right now this is a very hard preparation. Frankly, they are better at what we really want to be good at than we are right now. We have got to be better at it tomorrow night, and eventually be better at it consistently. But, tomorrow night, our transition defense will be extremely valuable, our ability to rebound and defend the corners, get the ball stopped, make the next pass with accuracy, all of the things that we are going to need down the road are going to be extremely important and that starts tomorrow."
On the transition/time change of Maui…
"We will get to that on Friday when we leave. Right now, the most important thing is that they stay absolutely centered on what we are doing tomorrow night because that team is good. We will take all of those measuring sticks that we have to take as a team. But right now the most important thing by far is that we understand how good Creighton is."
On Creighton's athleticism testing the perimeter defense…
"They are going to be a test for the entire team. They have multiple position players, Huff can swing, Thomas is extremely good, and the front line can roll. They do a great job of passing. They are one of the best pocket passing, or screen-and-roll passing, teams that these guys will have played. Because of their shooting and spacing, they do such a good job of selling a screen that is not a screen. It forces a quick double team so they can get is swung to a shooter. It is going to be a great test all across the board.
"They do three things extremely well outside of shooting, they all shoot the ball from what I can see: they run the court extremely hard, when they drive it and they pound it, which makes it hard to take away from them, and they do a great job of offensive rebounding. The way Watson passes the ball - 12 assists and 4 turnovers in two games this season - he is outstanding. The way they move the ball, we all have a hard job tomorrow night because you have got to be alert and aware. You cannot watch the ball or someone will be cutting behind you or standing wide open for a three in the corner."
On defensive improvements and the importance of rebounding to those improvements…
"Extremely important because it is not just to block out, we have got to go get the ball. We have got to be a team-rebounding team. We have got to be really good at rebounding from the guard position, there is no way around it, especially defensively. It showed the other night with Yogi getting four offensive rebounds and the capability with the guards with how the ball is moving, it is a matter of where you are on the court when the shot goes up. We are still learning that. Tomorrow if there is any doubt we have got to be back. We cannot go to the board and go halfway and all of the sudden they are down the court and they have a three-on-two or three-on-one going on the other end. Defensive block outs, defensive ball pursuit, and the ability to block out those guys out of the corner will be key.
"It is one thing to run to the corner, they do not run to the corner and stand. When the shot goes up, they fly to the glass. In the case of a couple of them, we will get run over if we just stand there. We are going to have an extreme physical test. One of the great plays to show your quickness, toughness, and physicality is in the block out game. We need everybody to be involved in that.
On the advantages of having guys rebound out of position last season…
"No, we are not there yet. Our rebounding is not in early-season from yet. I know we have had some good rebound games but forget midseason form, we are not even in early-season form yet. We have got to be absolutely committed to getting to the glass. The guys that are at the basket need to create some rim protection, some rim presence, when the shot goes up, and it is more about the perimeter rebounding. Especially when the two teams are average 68 threes in the two games, which leads to long rebounds, which should mean a lot of guard rebounds. 50-50 balls are going to be very huge. They are always huge, but they are going to be huge in a game like this.
"There is physicality to it, there is awareness to it, and there is quickness to it. But, it is really about the consistency of going [to the glass] all the time and making sure you are keeping your man from it. That is where we are going to have to grow up in a hurry. That goes back to the question about the next couple of weeks, there is not a game coming up that we cannot be exposed if we are not good at it."
On what he likes from the film, and what he does not like from the film…
"I am not really sure. We are just trying to get better at different things. I think we are aggressive. But we have got to not be reckless. Before we can become a really good pressure defensive team, getting up and guarding full-court, we have got to be able to get the foundation of our half-court right. Because our frontline guys are so young and new, we put too much pressure on them if we gamble for a ball and do not get it. Now you are creating all these two-on-ones and three-on-twos in your half-court defense. You do not want that because you gambled for a steal.
"We want to create deflections, and we had a ton of them the other night. We want to be aggressive without fouling and reckless and taking chances. Teams are too good and will take advantage of that. When we are solid and aggressive… some of our scoring was misleading because we got turnovers the other night, and we gave the ball right back to them. There were a few times that we did that, we gave it right back, so we did not capitalize on those. I would like to see us do a better job of that. But if I really had to sum it up, it would be: not taking chances, capitalize on turnovers, make sure we are blocking out better, and do our work early in post defense."
• Indiana University is in its 116th season of men's basketball and will host Creighton in the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games contest for both teams. The Hoosiers, 2-0, return four starters from a team which made the program's 38th NCAA Tournament appearance a season again and defeated Austin Peay, 102-76, in the opening round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Monday night. Creighton is 2-0 after defeating Texas-San Antonio, 103-78, Tuesday night.
| Creighton (2-0) at #14 Indiana (2-0) Thursday, Nov. 19 • 7:00 p.m. Gavitt Tipoff Games Assembly Hall (17,472) Live Stats: IUHoosiers.com TV: BTN / BTN2Go (Kevin Kugler, Jon Crispin) Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, Joe Smith) Sirius/XMRadio: Channel 84 Mandarin Radio: Listen for Free Series History: Creighton leads, 2-1 Last Meeting: IU 71, CREI 53 (12/20/74 in Bloomington) |
UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers will travel to Hawaii for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational beginning Monday, November 23. IU will take on Wake Forest at 5 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday.
HEAD COACH TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean begins his eighth year of leading the Hoosiers. Over the last four+ years, IU is 95-45 and leads the Big Ten with 19 regular season wins over ranked opponents during that time. During that same span, the Hoosiers have appeared nationally ranked in at least one major poll during the season. He has also seen a Big Ten best three players selected in the NBA lottery over the last three years and has recruited a McDonald's All-American in each of the last five years. In addition, he has seen seven of his players score 1,000 points or more in an IU uniform. Since 2011, the Hoosiers have averaged 23 wins per season compared to 20 averaged at IU from 1995-2008. Seven players have scored 1,000 points in their career under Tom Crean at Indiana. Christian Watford (1,730), Yogi Ferrell (1,414), Verdell Jones III (1,347), Jordan Hulls (1,318), Cody Zeller (1,157), Will Sheehey (1,120) and Victor Oladipo (1,117).
WOODEN AWARD
The John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's announced its Preseason Top 50 today on ESPN's SportsCenter and on ESPN.com. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious individual honor. IU has three players on the Preseason Top 50 list that was announced on Tuesday. The Hoosiers are represented by senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, junior forward Troy Williams and sophomore guard James Blackmon, Jr. IU is tied with Kentucky with three players among those listed.
EXPERIENCE STARTING
Ferrell has started all 104 games he has played in, Williams has started 62 of 66 games that he has played in and Blackmon, Jr., has started all 35 games of his career.
HOT SHOOTING
The Hoosiers posted their best half of shooting under Tom Crean making 80.8% of its field goal attempts in the second half against Austin Peay. IU made 15 shots in a row at one point and made seven straight three-point attempts as well.
DEFENSIVE CREDIT
Against Austin Peay, the Hoosiers forced 23 turnovers, the most by an IU opponent since December, 2011 against Stetson. In addition, IU had 14 steals, the most for the Hoosiers since November, 2011 against Butler. Against Eastern Illinois, the Hoosiers matched their 14-15 season lows of first half points allowed (17) and points allowed in a game (49).
FERRELL PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
• Senior All-Big Ten guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell has been named second team Preseason All-American by The Sporting News and USA Today, in addition to garnering third team honors from Athlon Sports and fourth team mention in Blue Ribbon Magazine. A first-team NABC and USBWA All-District selection last season, Ferrell was sixth in the Big Ten averaging 16.3 points and was fourth in assists at 4.9. He also has made a three-pointer in 67 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation. Ferrell, now has 1,414 points in his IU career, which ranks 20th in school history. He trails Ray Tolbert by 13 points for 19th. He now has 453 career assists in his IU career, which ranks sixth in school history. He trails Jamal Meeks and Damon Bailey, who are tied for fourth with 474. He has made 198 threes in his IU career, which ranks fourth in school history. Against Austin Peay, he had 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds. He made eight of 10 field goal attempts and four of five three-point field goals. For the season, he has 15 assists and just 5 turnovers in two games.
For the season, he is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
STRANGLEHOLD
• The Hoosiers have used a debilitating run in to put away each of its games this season. Against Ottawa, IU went on a 23-0 run midway through the second half and in the first half against Bellarmine, the Hoosiers broke the game open with an 18-0 spurt. Against EIU, the Hoosiers closed out the final 8:22 of the first half with a 27-3 outburst. IU also went on a 35-17 second-half run for a 10-minute period against Austin Peay.
WATCH LISTS
• The Indiana Hoosiers were well represented on the preseason watch lists released by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this month. The watch lists recognize the top 20 players in the country at each of the five positions on the court. Here's who was recognized from Indiana:
Bob Cousy Award (Top PG): Kevin Yogi Ferrell
Jerry West Award (Top SG): James Blackmon Jr.
Julius Erving Award (Top SF): Troy Williams
K. Abdul-Jabbar Award (Top C): Thomas Bryant
2-0
• The Hoosiers have been 2-0 in each of the last eight seasons. IU will be looking to be 3-0 for the sixth straight year.
AUSTIN PEAY WRAP
• Indiana shot 40-of-60 (66.7 percent) from the field, the second straight game shooting over 50 percent. Last season the Hoosiers shot 50 percent or better in 11 games.
• The 66.7% FG effort is the highest for the Hoosiers since they connected at a 70.6 percent clip against Mt. Saint Mary's on 12/19/12.
• It is the 11th time in the Tom Crean era (since 2008-09 season) the Hoosiers have shot 60 percent or better for a game.
• Indiana shot 8-of-10 (80 percent) from three-point range in the second half and 16-of-27 (59.3 percent) for the game. In 2014-15 the Hoosiers finished sixth in the country in three-point field goal percentage (40.6 percent).
• The 16 made three-pointers is tied for the fourth most in school history for a single game and the most since the Hoosiers made 18 against Minnesota on 2/15/15. The Hoosiers made 10 or more three-point field goals in 16 games last year.
• The Hoosiers have combined for 25 three-point field goals in their two games this season and have shot 25-of-54 (46.3 percent).
• Six different Hoosiers made at least one three-point field goal in the game.
IU'S MAJOR CONFERENCE RANKINGS (2011-PRESENT)
• 3-point percentage, 39.9 (1st)
• Field goal percentage, 47.4 (1st)
• Free throw percentage, 73.9 (2nd)
• Points per game, 76.8 (4th)
• Home wins, 66 (5th)
AGAINST THE BIG EAST
• The Hoosiers have a 79-35 record against teams that are currently in the Big East. IU defeated nationally ranked Butler last year, 82-73, in Indianapolis and fell in overtime to Georgetown, 91-87, at Madison Square Garden a season ago.
Indiana head coach Tom Crean Previews Game vs. Creighton
Opening Statement
"First off, it is an honor to play in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. I hold Dave (Gavitt) in incredibly high regard, especially as a young coach, with the way he always treated me. His son, Dan, has been a friend of mine for a long time. When you look at what Dave Gavitt did over a period of time in basketball, if there was a Mount Rushmore for people that have increased the rise of the value of the college basketball game, he would be on it. It is debatable as to who else would be on it, but there should be no debate that he should be on it. He had so much foresight and vision. Obviously, so much of it is in history now with what he did with the BIG EAST and the game. The vision that he had is being lived out constantly. When you look at the business of college basketball and how much of a valuable commodity it is all the way across the board and with how much of a worldwide kind of thing it is, he had a lot to do with it. So it is an honor to play in something like this that has his name on it.
"As far as Creighton, there is no doubt that we are playing an extremely fast, very energetic, very tough opponent. It is going to take all of us going all out to have a shot to squeak out a win. They move with or without the ball, they play with tremendous purpose, and their spacing is as good as I have seen. If we were not playing them we would be using them as a template for what spacing looks like. Obviously we are showing some of that when we watch the film preparing for them. Their commitment to the corners and to getting the ball thrown ahead is tremendous. They look in midseason form with that. They are physical. They have great presence inside at the rim. They play very well together. Greg McDermott is an outstanding coach. They get a lot of attention for their offense, just like us, but they also play outstanding defense. Whether they play in their 1-2-2 press and fall back to the zone or their man-to-man, they are physical and aggressive. It is going to be a tremendous challenge for us tomorrow night. They do a lot offensively with the three. They shoot almost 50 percent of their shots from the three. Right now they are shooting at a pretty good rate. But it is the speed, quickness, penetration, the veteran play, and the addition of their transfers, who are a little bit older now and know their system, that make the difference. Guys like [Maurice] Watson, [Cole] Huff, and Isaiah Zierden are going to make for a great battle."
On the value of the next 2 weeks…
"No matter who we are playing, we are going to deal with a lot of physical basketball, aggressive basketball, and teams that know how to play basketball. If this team (Creighton) is the same team I am watching on the film, and they finish where they are projected in the BIG EAST (seventh), then the BIG EAST is the best conference in basketball by far. They are way better than that. We could probably end up saying the same thing with our opponents next week. To me, it is a real balancing act between making sure that we are getting better every day and staying committed to what we have to be good at but at the same time preparing for games.
"Right now this is a very hard preparation. Frankly, they are better at what we really want to be good at than we are right now. We have got to be better at it tomorrow night, and eventually be better at it consistently. But, tomorrow night, our transition defense will be extremely valuable, our ability to rebound and defend the corners, get the ball stopped, make the next pass with accuracy, all of the things that we are going to need down the road are going to be extremely important and that starts tomorrow."
On the transition/time change of Maui…
"We will get to that on Friday when we leave. Right now, the most important thing is that they stay absolutely centered on what we are doing tomorrow night because that team is good. We will take all of those measuring sticks that we have to take as a team. But right now the most important thing by far is that we understand how good Creighton is."
On Creighton's athleticism testing the perimeter defense…
"They are going to be a test for the entire team. They have multiple position players, Huff can swing, Thomas is extremely good, and the front line can roll. They do a great job of passing. They are one of the best pocket passing, or screen-and-roll passing, teams that these guys will have played. Because of their shooting and spacing, they do such a good job of selling a screen that is not a screen. It forces a quick double team so they can get is swung to a shooter. It is going to be a great test all across the board.
"They do three things extremely well outside of shooting, they all shoot the ball from what I can see: they run the court extremely hard, when they drive it and they pound it, which makes it hard to take away from them, and they do a great job of offensive rebounding. The way Watson passes the ball - 12 assists and 4 turnovers in two games this season - he is outstanding. The way they move the ball, we all have a hard job tomorrow night because you have got to be alert and aware. You cannot watch the ball or someone will be cutting behind you or standing wide open for a three in the corner."
On defensive improvements and the importance of rebounding to those improvements…
"Extremely important because it is not just to block out, we have got to go get the ball. We have got to be a team-rebounding team. We have got to be really good at rebounding from the guard position, there is no way around it, especially defensively. It showed the other night with Yogi getting four offensive rebounds and the capability with the guards with how the ball is moving, it is a matter of where you are on the court when the shot goes up. We are still learning that. Tomorrow if there is any doubt we have got to be back. We cannot go to the board and go halfway and all of the sudden they are down the court and they have a three-on-two or three-on-one going on the other end. Defensive block outs, defensive ball pursuit, and the ability to block out those guys out of the corner will be key.
"It is one thing to run to the corner, they do not run to the corner and stand. When the shot goes up, they fly to the glass. In the case of a couple of them, we will get run over if we just stand there. We are going to have an extreme physical test. One of the great plays to show your quickness, toughness, and physicality is in the block out game. We need everybody to be involved in that.
On the advantages of having guys rebound out of position last season…
"No, we are not there yet. Our rebounding is not in early-season from yet. I know we have had some good rebound games but forget midseason form, we are not even in early-season form yet. We have got to be absolutely committed to getting to the glass. The guys that are at the basket need to create some rim protection, some rim presence, when the shot goes up, and it is more about the perimeter rebounding. Especially when the two teams are average 68 threes in the two games, which leads to long rebounds, which should mean a lot of guard rebounds. 50-50 balls are going to be very huge. They are always huge, but they are going to be huge in a game like this.
"There is physicality to it, there is awareness to it, and there is quickness to it. But, it is really about the consistency of going [to the glass] all the time and making sure you are keeping your man from it. That is where we are going to have to grow up in a hurry. That goes back to the question about the next couple of weeks, there is not a game coming up that we cannot be exposed if we are not good at it."
On what he likes from the film, and what he does not like from the film…
"I am not really sure. We are just trying to get better at different things. I think we are aggressive. But we have got to not be reckless. Before we can become a really good pressure defensive team, getting up and guarding full-court, we have got to be able to get the foundation of our half-court right. Because our frontline guys are so young and new, we put too much pressure on them if we gamble for a ball and do not get it. Now you are creating all these two-on-ones and three-on-twos in your half-court defense. You do not want that because you gambled for a steal.
"We want to create deflections, and we had a ton of them the other night. We want to be aggressive without fouling and reckless and taking chances. Teams are too good and will take advantage of that. When we are solid and aggressive… some of our scoring was misleading because we got turnovers the other night, and we gave the ball right back to them. There were a few times that we did that, we gave it right back, so we did not capitalize on those. I would like to see us do a better job of that. But if I really had to sum it up, it would be: not taking chances, capitalize on turnovers, make sure we are blocking out better, and do our work early in post defense."
Players Mentioned
Guard
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Center
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Guard
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Forward
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