Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. Notre Dame
12/19/2015 5:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Indiana head coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement:
"I'm proud of the win, and I'm really proud of the way they bonded together numerous times in the second half. It was a tough locker room at halftime, not really for me, but for them. I felt really good that if we got a couple things figured out and did a little bit better getting back to the gameplan on defense and played more aggressive. At the same time, we ran our offense with a little more pop, a little more downhill and more of an attacking way, we would get back into it. And then we obviously got down 16 points, but our guys continued to respond to each other.
"I'm very proud of the contributions of almost everyone in the second half and the comeback. That is how you get better. You learn how to get better inside of the game and it usually comes the old fashioned way, on the defensive end and rebounding. In our case, pushing the ball and continuing to reverse the ball and throw it inside was important. And then I was really proud of the rebounding – 20 offensive rebounds against that team, especially at crucial times, was really important.
"Switiching defenses and those kinds of things, those are only as good as the players making them. And our players did a fantastic job of responding to their strengths and playing through it. We were the victor and I'm really proud of the win because I know we beat a really, really good team. No doubt about that."
On the zone defense:
"It was a 2-3 zone, but you have to be so concerned about their shooters. We don't spend a lot of time on the zone right now, and we had to make an adjustment in the first half because we were zoning their high pick-and-roll and they found shooters.
"When you are playing Notre Dame, it's so much more personnel based, but we weren't getting down quick enough. They had the same issue with us – although I'm not sure what Mike (Brey's) gameplan was – it is very hard to bring double coverage into the post when you have a team of shooters like they have and basically like we have. Again, I'm not sure what his gameplan was with that, but we were able to get it inside, and they were too, but we weren't getting down with the help quick enough. Zach (Auguste) and Bonzie (Colson) were doing a fantastic job. You don't go into the game thinking you are going to be zoning Notre Dame, but you do have to have it ready, and we had another defense ready. Bonzie played really well today. If they play like that, they are going to be really, really good."
On the importance of winning the game like this heading into conference play:
"Well, we have another (non-conference) game this week. That is really important that we respond right the next two day and get better as we get ready for Kennesaw State. But I think it is (important). I think it is the way we won the game and the way we responded to what we weren't doing in the first half.
"As I said to them, you can bottle it up and it becomes part of who you are, or you can forget about it and it becomes a one game experience and it was a great win. In our case, we let our lack of offense dictate our mindset too much in the first half. That can't be. It made us a little slower defensively and not as locked in on a couple of rotations and we can't have that. And then you get a couple of turnovers, so that's the stuff that we have to negate and get rid of.
"But the way they won it in the second half, I hope they continue to build off that and that becomes a person responsibility for each person to remember how they did it when they came together to help their teammates."
On what prompted IU to stay in zone longer than in the past:
"I think guys got confidence from playing it and we were scoring on the other end. We held them to just 1-of-11 at the end, so you are getting confidence there and we were rebounding out of it.
"You aren't going to go against Notre Dame and say 'we are going to guard them this way'. Mike is too good and they are too good. They have too many ways to figure it out. So you have to have different things there. It was a risk-reward a little bit. We were struggling guarding the post because we couldn't get help down there quick enough and they were getting the ball out. They pass it too well. They space it too well. They were too commited to their spacing, in my mind, to run a true double-team at them. Because they picked that apart. But the defense was aggressive, they were communicating, the bumps were strong and we were able to rebound out of it."
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey
Opening Statement:
"Disappointing one for us. I was so proud of how we played, and we got off to a good start. We were in a good offensive rhythm. But the second shots by them, they were great on the offensive boards. You've got to give them credit; they made big time offensive rebounding putbacks that got them confident, got their crowd back in it. So it's a tough one for us to swallow, but there are things we did well and there are some things we've got to do better. But I thought Indiana earned it tonight, especially in the last seven minutes."
What made their zone so difficult?
"I don't know, maybe the game situation sometimes. Playing against zone, you're up a couple, it's a one-possession game. Now, when you're shooting that jump shot or making that play, there's some game pressure on you and the crowd is in it. I thought Bonzie [Colson] did a great job getting touches at the foul line. We wanted him to get it there, and I thought he made some really good plays. What you've got to do, though, is probably make a jump shot or two over that zone to escape today. Momentum was swinging, the building was swinging their way, and we never could really knock down another big jump shot to give us enough breathing room to escape."
What do you tell your team after this?
"We're moving on, man. We've got two days. We've got a day of practice, we'll want some things we did well and some things we didn't do well, and we've got one more game before Christmas. We're disappointed, but we need two good days before we break for Christmas, and we certainly understand it's a long haul."
Was there any thought of going to your zone more?
"At times, yes. At times."
On guard Demetrius Jackson:
"I think he wanted it so bad. Demetrius Jackson wanted it so bad here, an in-state kid playing down here. He probably played too hard, at times, and that's why he didn't shoot it as well. I think you have to give credit to Yogi [Ferrell]; the two of them went after each other really well defensively. I just think that he wanted it so much for his team that he was almost a little over-wired today. I almost expected that a little bit."
On possible fatigue issues:
"I don't know. We played two guys; we played [Austin] Torres a little bit. I think Steve [Vasturia] has played those extended minutes and made big shots before. It's hard guarding their stuff in man defense, because they come at you so hard. They're barreling downhill, and they do a great job of driving you. That probably wears on you more than playing against a different kind of offense."
Opening Statement:
"I'm proud of the win, and I'm really proud of the way they bonded together numerous times in the second half. It was a tough locker room at halftime, not really for me, but for them. I felt really good that if we got a couple things figured out and did a little bit better getting back to the gameplan on defense and played more aggressive. At the same time, we ran our offense with a little more pop, a little more downhill and more of an attacking way, we would get back into it. And then we obviously got down 16 points, but our guys continued to respond to each other.
"I'm very proud of the contributions of almost everyone in the second half and the comeback. That is how you get better. You learn how to get better inside of the game and it usually comes the old fashioned way, on the defensive end and rebounding. In our case, pushing the ball and continuing to reverse the ball and throw it inside was important. And then I was really proud of the rebounding – 20 offensive rebounds against that team, especially at crucial times, was really important.
"Switiching defenses and those kinds of things, those are only as good as the players making them. And our players did a fantastic job of responding to their strengths and playing through it. We were the victor and I'm really proud of the win because I know we beat a really, really good team. No doubt about that."
On the zone defense:
"It was a 2-3 zone, but you have to be so concerned about their shooters. We don't spend a lot of time on the zone right now, and we had to make an adjustment in the first half because we were zoning their high pick-and-roll and they found shooters.
"When you are playing Notre Dame, it's so much more personnel based, but we weren't getting down quick enough. They had the same issue with us – although I'm not sure what Mike (Brey's) gameplan was – it is very hard to bring double coverage into the post when you have a team of shooters like they have and basically like we have. Again, I'm not sure what his gameplan was with that, but we were able to get it inside, and they were too, but we weren't getting down with the help quick enough. Zach (Auguste) and Bonzie (Colson) were doing a fantastic job. You don't go into the game thinking you are going to be zoning Notre Dame, but you do have to have it ready, and we had another defense ready. Bonzie played really well today. If they play like that, they are going to be really, really good."
On the importance of winning the game like this heading into conference play:
"Well, we have another (non-conference) game this week. That is really important that we respond right the next two day and get better as we get ready for Kennesaw State. But I think it is (important). I think it is the way we won the game and the way we responded to what we weren't doing in the first half.
"As I said to them, you can bottle it up and it becomes part of who you are, or you can forget about it and it becomes a one game experience and it was a great win. In our case, we let our lack of offense dictate our mindset too much in the first half. That can't be. It made us a little slower defensively and not as locked in on a couple of rotations and we can't have that. And then you get a couple of turnovers, so that's the stuff that we have to negate and get rid of.
"But the way they won it in the second half, I hope they continue to build off that and that becomes a person responsibility for each person to remember how they did it when they came together to help their teammates."
On what prompted IU to stay in zone longer than in the past:
"I think guys got confidence from playing it and we were scoring on the other end. We held them to just 1-of-11 at the end, so you are getting confidence there and we were rebounding out of it.
"You aren't going to go against Notre Dame and say 'we are going to guard them this way'. Mike is too good and they are too good. They have too many ways to figure it out. So you have to have different things there. It was a risk-reward a little bit. We were struggling guarding the post because we couldn't get help down there quick enough and they were getting the ball out. They pass it too well. They space it too well. They were too commited to their spacing, in my mind, to run a true double-team at them. Because they picked that apart. But the defense was aggressive, they were communicating, the bumps were strong and we were able to rebound out of it."
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey
Opening Statement:
"Disappointing one for us. I was so proud of how we played, and we got off to a good start. We were in a good offensive rhythm. But the second shots by them, they were great on the offensive boards. You've got to give them credit; they made big time offensive rebounding putbacks that got them confident, got their crowd back in it. So it's a tough one for us to swallow, but there are things we did well and there are some things we've got to do better. But I thought Indiana earned it tonight, especially in the last seven minutes."
What made their zone so difficult?
"I don't know, maybe the game situation sometimes. Playing against zone, you're up a couple, it's a one-possession game. Now, when you're shooting that jump shot or making that play, there's some game pressure on you and the crowd is in it. I thought Bonzie [Colson] did a great job getting touches at the foul line. We wanted him to get it there, and I thought he made some really good plays. What you've got to do, though, is probably make a jump shot or two over that zone to escape today. Momentum was swinging, the building was swinging their way, and we never could really knock down another big jump shot to give us enough breathing room to escape."
What do you tell your team after this?
"We're moving on, man. We've got two days. We've got a day of practice, we'll want some things we did well and some things we didn't do well, and we've got one more game before Christmas. We're disappointed, but we need two good days before we break for Christmas, and we certainly understand it's a long haul."
Was there any thought of going to your zone more?
"At times, yes. At times."
On guard Demetrius Jackson:
"I think he wanted it so bad. Demetrius Jackson wanted it so bad here, an in-state kid playing down here. He probably played too hard, at times, and that's why he didn't shoot it as well. I think you have to give credit to Yogi [Ferrell]; the two of them went after each other really well defensively. I just think that he wanted it so much for his team that he was almost a little over-wired today. I almost expected that a little bit."
On possible fatigue issues:
"I don't know. We played two guys; we played [Austin] Torres a little bit. I think Steve [Vasturia] has played those extended minutes and made big shots before. It's hard guarding their stuff in man defense, because they come at you so hard. They're barreling downhill, and they do a great job of driving you. That probably wears on you more than playing against a different kind of offense."
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