Indiana University Athletics
IU Transitioning Back Into Game Week Preparation
12/14/2015 5:44:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kevin Wilson took a break from his New York media tour to walk around Yankee Stadium early last week with Pinstripe Bowl representative John Mosley. He wanted to take a look at the field's grass, check the wind and see where his sideline would be three weeks before his team's matchup with Duke.
Wilson was walking toward the warning track near the 15-yard line when Mosley told him to turn around. They were standing in center field together, looking back at home plate where the 27-time World Series Champion New York Yankees call home.
"Meantime, I start swaying. I thought I was Mickey Mantle," Wilson said, looking to the ceiling in Assembly Hall's basketball press room with wide-open eyes.
"Then I say, 'Hey, I'm Mitchell Paige catching a punt,'" Wilson said. "And I'm looking right back at home plate. It's pretty cool. Great environment."
Wilson will have to wait only a couple more weeks before returning to center field. The Hoosiers went back to work this week with the coaching staff in preparation for December 26th's game against the Duke Blue Devils after being mostly limited the previous two weeks of December.
Wilson cautioned overdoing things in practice while his players are in the middle of final exams. At the same time, it's valuable preparation time he didn't want to waste. The schedule becomes a bit more difficult to manage when the team arrives in New York and has all the outside noise surrounding the holiday bowl to deal with.
"We're kind of working in little pods," Wilson said. "Hopefully we can stay fresh, sharp, not over-practice. Get some young guys developed but then also get the game plan in."
Players got Monday off to focus exclusively on school before three days of practice that Wilson said will allow for "quality work without stressing out the academic side." Indiana will return to a more-conventional practice routine this weekend before heading out to New York next Monday.
IU hasn't gotten too far into game preparation, but Wilson was able to provide a basic breakdown of Duke from what he's seen so far when asked to compare the Blue Devils to teams Indiana has already seen.
Wilson spoke highly of Duke head coach David Cutcliffe's offense, comparing them to Michigan State. The Blue Devils received welcome news over the weekend that offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery, who accepted the head coaching job at East Carolina, will still be coaching the ACC's third-ranked total offense.
"I don't think they're quite as dynamic receiver-wise as Michigan State, but their system and style and the way their quarterback plays has got a little bit of that," Wilson said. "David is going to do a good job putting them in good plays so the quarterback can run around a little bit. We're very, very impressed offensively."
In studying Duke's defense, Wilson was reminded of another ACC team the Hoosiers have become familiar with facing.
"They're very comparable to Wake Forest, one of the better defensive teams in the league," Wilson said. "They're a 4-3 quarters team, making it hard to run. There are some young skill guys. They have played so well, and Duke can nationally attract a lot of academic, a lot of top-notch kids that they target."
Wilson said he's encouraged by the comments his players have made about feeling healthy, but he's not sold until he sees it. He cautioned that some guys will only say what they think coach wants to hear.
There won't be much room for doubt by the end of the week. After a few practices and a revamped focus on game week, Wilson will have a better idea of where his team stands.
"We need to practice hard, but we've got to practice smart because you don't want to get nicked up between now and two weeks," Wilson said. "We want to show up and be a good team."
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Indiana (6-6) will face Duke (7-5) in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 26. The game will be held at Yankee Stadium with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC. Student tickets for the Pinstripe Bowl are just $10 and can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets for the general public can be purchased by clicking here.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kevin Wilson took a break from his New York media tour to walk around Yankee Stadium early last week with Pinstripe Bowl representative John Mosley. He wanted to take a look at the field's grass, check the wind and see where his sideline would be three weeks before his team's matchup with Duke.
Wilson was walking toward the warning track near the 15-yard line when Mosley told him to turn around. They were standing in center field together, looking back at home plate where the 27-time World Series Champion New York Yankees call home.
"Meantime, I start swaying. I thought I was Mickey Mantle," Wilson said, looking to the ceiling in Assembly Hall's basketball press room with wide-open eyes.
"Then I say, 'Hey, I'm Mitchell Paige catching a punt,'" Wilson said. "And I'm looking right back at home plate. It's pretty cool. Great environment."
Wilson will have to wait only a couple more weeks before returning to center field. The Hoosiers went back to work this week with the coaching staff in preparation for December 26th's game against the Duke Blue Devils after being mostly limited the previous two weeks of December.
Wilson cautioned overdoing things in practice while his players are in the middle of final exams. At the same time, it's valuable preparation time he didn't want to waste. The schedule becomes a bit more difficult to manage when the team arrives in New York and has all the outside noise surrounding the holiday bowl to deal with.
"We're kind of working in little pods," Wilson said. "Hopefully we can stay fresh, sharp, not over-practice. Get some young guys developed but then also get the game plan in."
Players got Monday off to focus exclusively on school before three days of practice that Wilson said will allow for "quality work without stressing out the academic side." Indiana will return to a more-conventional practice routine this weekend before heading out to New York next Monday.
IU hasn't gotten too far into game preparation, but Wilson was able to provide a basic breakdown of Duke from what he's seen so far when asked to compare the Blue Devils to teams Indiana has already seen.
Wilson spoke highly of Duke head coach David Cutcliffe's offense, comparing them to Michigan State. The Blue Devils received welcome news over the weekend that offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery, who accepted the head coaching job at East Carolina, will still be coaching the ACC's third-ranked total offense.
"I don't think they're quite as dynamic receiver-wise as Michigan State, but their system and style and the way their quarterback plays has got a little bit of that," Wilson said. "David is going to do a good job putting them in good plays so the quarterback can run around a little bit. We're very, very impressed offensively."
In studying Duke's defense, Wilson was reminded of another ACC team the Hoosiers have become familiar with facing.
"They're very comparable to Wake Forest, one of the better defensive teams in the league," Wilson said. "They're a 4-3 quarters team, making it hard to run. There are some young skill guys. They have played so well, and Duke can nationally attract a lot of academic, a lot of top-notch kids that they target."
Wilson said he's encouraged by the comments his players have made about feeling healthy, but he's not sold until he sees it. He cautioned that some guys will only say what they think coach wants to hear.
There won't be much room for doubt by the end of the week. After a few practices and a revamped focus on game week, Wilson will have a better idea of where his team stands.
"We need to practice hard, but we've got to practice smart because you don't want to get nicked up between now and two weeks," Wilson said. "We want to show up and be a good team."
#####
Indiana (6-6) will face Duke (7-5) in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 26. The game will be held at Yankee Stadium with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC. Student tickets for the Pinstripe Bowl are just $10 and can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets for the general public can be purchased by clicking here.
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