Crean, Players Preview Game at Minnesota

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Read the comments below from head coach Tom Crean, Kevin Yogi Ferrell, Robert Johnson and Max Bielfeldt as they get ready for Saturday's game at Minnesota (12:30 p.m. ET tipoff on BTN):

Tom Crean, head coach

On Minnesota:
"We have a had a productive week of practice and our guys have been able to get adjusted to their spring class schedules but we are ready to continue to improve and get better each day.

"Minnesota is always a tough place to play at. It's a unique setting and their fans give them tremendous support. I wouldn't expect anything different on Saturday morning. You can't look at their record. This is a team that beat Clemson, and Clemson just beat Louisville and Duke. They're a good team. They lost so many key players from the last two years that it's been a lot like starting over."

"I think Richard is an excellent coach and I don't think there's any question about it, he's his own man. He has an excellent style, they're very athletic. We're looking at this team with great respect."

"I continue to believe that there is a lot of room for improvement with our team. I've really been pleased with the way different guys have stepped up in different situations. When you have that, you can allow players to work through tough stretches without the pressure that can come with the adversity. Our guys know that and they have developed a greater trust amongst each other and allowed the game to come back to them naturally.

"We have to do a good job of taking care of the basketball. Minnesota wants to pressure you and wants to get easy baskets off of turnovers. We can't allow that to happen if we expect to have success."

Kevin Yogi Ferrell

On playing on the road:
"Anytime you play on the road in the Big Ten it is a big game. We know that success for us starts on the defensive end. The more stops we can get, the more we can push our tempo in transition."

On the keys to success in the Big Ten:
"You have to be at your best every time you go out there in this league or you can become humbled very quickly. We know there are a lot of guys on our team that can step up at any time and that takes pressure off everyone. You can't let your offense have an effect on how you play defense."

Robert Johnson

On the statistics saying the defense has improved:
"We really don't look at statistics to judge if we are playing well. We know that our defense is better when we communicate and rebound. Making the extra pass and taking the best shot is when we are at our best on offense. Unselfishness and trust is key for us at both ends."

On trying to maintain the success early in the Big Ten season:
"Coach Crean does a great job of having us live in the moment. We don't get too high on our selves and we don't get too down. We know that regardless of how long a season is, there are always areas for us to improve in."

Max Bielfeldt

On playing earlier in the day (11:30 a.m. CT tipoff):
"I like the early games. You wake up, eat and go play. It's tough to sit around all day at the hotel and wait. Then you get back at 2 or 3 in the morning and your next day is almost shot.

On staying focused on the next game on the schedule:
"Good teams understand that you have to look at the season one game at a time. Others may not and try to play the prediction game, but you have to let the full 18-game schedule play out. How a team plays in the first or second week of January, may not be the way a team plays come March. It only takes one play to turn a season one way or another so we definitely try and live in the now."

On the defensive improvement recently:
"The best thing about success defensively is that the whole team gets the credit. It's easy to point to someone on offense who has a great game, but team defense involves everyone."

Indiana University Athletics

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Max Bielfeldt

Kevin Yogi Ferrell

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