Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Indiana at Wisconsin
1/26/2016 10:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Indiana vs. Wisconsin
January 26, 2016
Postgame Quotes
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
COACH CREAN: All things considered, I'm proud of the way our team battled, and we knew it would be a battle coming in here. At the end of the first half, the way we got back in it and closed it in again at the end of regulation, and kept fighting. And we certainly made mistakes—we turned the ball over too many times—but we continued to be in the game. All things considered, I'm proud of them.
But at the same time, there were too many mistakes made for us to win the game. When you're on the road, you've got to really be able to put it away. Certainly the 19-free throw differential is a head-scratcher for me, and we've got to continue to look at how we create more contact. That's what I was told that Yogi [Ferrell] was doing—he was creating the contact, that's why he wasn't getting to the line. But I have to watch the film to see what we can learn to do better with getting fouled more.
We did some very good things, we did some things that were beneficial, but we also did some costly things. But it was a great game in the sense that they have an excellent team. Greg [Gard] is doing a fantastic job with that staff. Bo [Ryan]'s teams always got better, and I don't think there's any difference with Greg—they just get better. But our team is getting better too. I think they can get a lot better, and I think they will. We'll learn from this and get ready to play Minnesota on Saturday.
You talked about health being an issue before the game. Is it more with injuries or illness at this point, and how much did that hurt your depth tonight?
COACH CREAN: I think we were under the weather, but you just play. I'm proud of the guys for the way that they battled, and we haven't had great health in a long time. We had some under the weather situations, but we're not using that for anything other than it is what it is. Certainly, I'm proud of the way that guys came in and continued to play. In the foul situations, we had to do a lot of managing. We didn't get a chance to manage the minutes as much, especially with Yogi, Troy, Rob, and things of that nature. The guys that came in continued to contribute and try to make an impact. Sometimes we did, sometimes we didn't, but it's just part of it.
On Thomas Bryant defending Ethan Happ:
COACH CREAN: I think it's all about doing your work early. I have to watch the film because he's hard to guard, especially when he hooks. It's really hard to guard when he gets that other arm in there and works around you. We have to do a better job of getting position earlier and doing our work earlier. He's very skilled, there's no question. He's one of the best players underneath the board. But there were too many times where we gave him too much post depth, and he took advantage of it. But they're a hard team to go double.
[Nigel] Hayes is one of the most incredibly gifted passers in college basketball. He didn't need to do a lot of passing tonight with the time he was spending at the foul line, but the bottom line is he can really pass. If you come off too many areas, and the one guy he's got great synergy with right now is Happ. They do a really good job of finding him, and he does such a good job when he's in that block-wing area of finding the cutters. But he was getting a chance to be on the foul line tonight, so the passing game wasn't as important for them with him. Happ is a beneficiary of some good passing, and tonight he was the beneficiary of deep post-ups.
They've been to the line an average of 36 times over the last three games. Have they changed some of the things with the way they're playing from the first time you saw them?
COACH CREAN: They're really committed to going inside, there's no question about that. I have to watch the film, but we knew that. When they were winning, they were shooting 29; when they were losing, they were shooting 13 or 14. I think they really are making a concerted effort to go inside a lot. The thing that has made them—and this was the same way in the first game, but he's gotten even better—is that Hayes is such a good passer. He can really pass out of that block, and that's why you have to stay connected to that bottom. There were a couple of times in the first half that we didn't do a good job of that, and Happ got loose. They know that's going to be a pass or a shot there, so they're active, and they're really active on the offensive glass. They're definitely committed to the post-up, and they're definitely committed to the isolation in order to win the game at the foul line.
January 26, 2016
Postgame Quotes
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
COACH CREAN: All things considered, I'm proud of the way our team battled, and we knew it would be a battle coming in here. At the end of the first half, the way we got back in it and closed it in again at the end of regulation, and kept fighting. And we certainly made mistakes—we turned the ball over too many times—but we continued to be in the game. All things considered, I'm proud of them.
But at the same time, there were too many mistakes made for us to win the game. When you're on the road, you've got to really be able to put it away. Certainly the 19-free throw differential is a head-scratcher for me, and we've got to continue to look at how we create more contact. That's what I was told that Yogi [Ferrell] was doing—he was creating the contact, that's why he wasn't getting to the line. But I have to watch the film to see what we can learn to do better with getting fouled more.
We did some very good things, we did some things that were beneficial, but we also did some costly things. But it was a great game in the sense that they have an excellent team. Greg [Gard] is doing a fantastic job with that staff. Bo [Ryan]'s teams always got better, and I don't think there's any difference with Greg—they just get better. But our team is getting better too. I think they can get a lot better, and I think they will. We'll learn from this and get ready to play Minnesota on Saturday.
You talked about health being an issue before the game. Is it more with injuries or illness at this point, and how much did that hurt your depth tonight?
COACH CREAN: I think we were under the weather, but you just play. I'm proud of the guys for the way that they battled, and we haven't had great health in a long time. We had some under the weather situations, but we're not using that for anything other than it is what it is. Certainly, I'm proud of the way that guys came in and continued to play. In the foul situations, we had to do a lot of managing. We didn't get a chance to manage the minutes as much, especially with Yogi, Troy, Rob, and things of that nature. The guys that came in continued to contribute and try to make an impact. Sometimes we did, sometimes we didn't, but it's just part of it.
On Thomas Bryant defending Ethan Happ:
COACH CREAN: I think it's all about doing your work early. I have to watch the film because he's hard to guard, especially when he hooks. It's really hard to guard when he gets that other arm in there and works around you. We have to do a better job of getting position earlier and doing our work earlier. He's very skilled, there's no question. He's one of the best players underneath the board. But there were too many times where we gave him too much post depth, and he took advantage of it. But they're a hard team to go double.
[Nigel] Hayes is one of the most incredibly gifted passers in college basketball. He didn't need to do a lot of passing tonight with the time he was spending at the foul line, but the bottom line is he can really pass. If you come off too many areas, and the one guy he's got great synergy with right now is Happ. They do a really good job of finding him, and he does such a good job when he's in that block-wing area of finding the cutters. But he was getting a chance to be on the foul line tonight, so the passing game wasn't as important for them with him. Happ is a beneficiary of some good passing, and tonight he was the beneficiary of deep post-ups.
They've been to the line an average of 36 times over the last three games. Have they changed some of the things with the way they're playing from the first time you saw them?
COACH CREAN: They're really committed to going inside, there's no question about that. I have to watch the film, but we knew that. When they were winning, they were shooting 29; when they were losing, they were shooting 13 or 14. I think they really are making a concerted effort to go inside a lot. The thing that has made them—and this was the same way in the first game, but he's gotten even better—is that Hayes is such a good passer. He can really pass out of that block, and that's why you have to stay connected to that bottom. There were a couple of times in the first half that we didn't do a good job of that, and Happ got loose. They know that's going to be a pass or a shot there, so they're active, and they're really active on the offensive glass. They're definitely committed to the post-up, and they're definitely committed to the isolation in order to win the game at the foul line.
Players Mentioned
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