Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Indiana at Michigan
2/3/2016 1:27:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Indiana vs. Michigan
February 2, 2016
Postgame Quotes
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement...
HEAD COACH CREAN: I'm extremely proud of our players after and throughout the entire evening. Even when we got down at the beginning, there was no sense of panic. I didn't have any panic. We were getting great shots and they just weren't going. The only thing that was concerning is that we were coming off of the shooters. The number-one premise when guarding Michigan that you cannot over-help, and we did that a little bit. So we got our ball screen coverage fixed, and I give the players great credit for the way they responded in that whether we were hedging, or switching. Whatever we did, they handled it very, very well. We got tremendous play from our bench. I think in the first half Max Bielfeldt had a +25, which is excellent. O.G. Anunoby came in and did an excellent job, as did Nick Zeisloft. We got really good play from a lot of people.
I had no idea until halftime that we had the run that we had; I just knew that we were getting stops and the ball was really moving for us offensively. On our offensive adjustments, Yogi did a good job of understanding how the game was being played. Early on, when we were trying to come back, the ball was in his hands a little too long, and the quicker he gives it up the quicker he gets it back. That's when we're running good offense, when we can get the ball swung, reversed, and right to the paint.
I loved our spirit, I loved our preparation, and they practiced really well. They take every day for what it is, which is the most important day. To get young people to do that like they do is hard, but they do it so it's really quite easy. They are the ones that are locked in to getting better. They are the ones that push each other and prepare really hard, and we get excellent leadership from our seniors—Yogi, Max, Nick Zeisloft, and Ryan Burton. It carries over to how they prepare. We have unbelievable respect for Michigan, and they can hurt you in so many ways. They make you prepare for a myriad of things, especially their zone and the 1-3-1 that they run. We were really locked in to guarding the dribble and not coming off the shooters, and it worked out for us tonight. But they have an outstanding team and not many teams in the country can score like that. Fortunately tonight, we were able to play very good on the defensive end, and get really good looks on the offensive end because of it.
On his reaction to Indiana's scoring run in the first half...
COACH CREAN: I wasn't going to tell the team, that was my reaction. I just knew we were playing well and that we were getting stops, which was the most important thing. At half time, the theme was we were just getting started, and that's what their mentality had to be. There could be no thought of coming in and playing the score. They're too lethal and they're too good. They're explosive. They shoot the three too quick and too well. Because of that respect for Michigan, our guys really locked in. I know they got a bit more scoring near the very end, but our guys came with a great mindset, and they carried into a 40-minute game, so I'm proud of them.
On OG's impact during the scoring run:
COACH CREAN: He was absolutely huge. I think the length was crucial and with Juwan, the same thing. Our guys responded to their match ups and they also knew we had to switch. Their ball screen game is so good because you have to spend so much time paying attention to their shooters. John does a great job of finding isolations. We had to make some adjustments over the last couple days on how we were going to guard the dribble. Because they do a great job of driving it baseline, if you come off the corner, they're going to kick it for a three and if you don't and you're late, it's going to be a foul or a basket. We had to make some adjustments there. I was proud that in a short week and short preparation time that our guys did that. But OG could guard the dribble and Zach is a really hard guy to defend because he can get to the rim, he can shoot the ball but he can make a three. He did a really good job of playing long. We wanted to be really good with our forward defensively. We also really wanted to be good weak side with these guys. John's teams are always good passing teams but this team is good because they can skip the ball, they can play the pick and roll and they can be driving the ball on the right side and get it swung all the way to the left corner. Zach Irvine is becoming incredibly efficient at that. Derrick Walton is proficient at that. Lavert, when he was playing was proficient at that. You have to be good at the weak side because they pick people apart with their passing if you over-help on ball side and weak side. A young guy like that being cognizant of that, we could steal early. Those are the types of things they are preparing well and bringing their preparation to the game.
On reacting after opponent runs:
COACH CREAN: Their coach isn't freaking out either. Those are really good shots. I have to remind them that those are really good shots. Because we don't want to lose confidence on the road with our offense but you're not going to win the game with your offense, you win the game with multiple stops. That's when we're really good is when we get our break going. Once we settled in and got the score in a good place and were able to get on that run, they kept guarding. This was asked after the game: what does Yogi mean? Yogi constantly gets better inside of the game. That's why he is such a great player and leader. He figures out the game, he figures our what's there, he makes adjustments, he listens and he brings his teammates with him, That's exactly what happened in the first half because we guarded pretty well and then we guarded really well and then the ball moved even better and he's a big part of that. I'd say our team is maturing in a lot of ways and it starts with our seniors.
How did it feel to be back?
BIELFELDT: Came out and I was the first one out and I heard a couple boos and I was like oh boy and then the cheers kind of overwhelmed that so it was nice. You know getting win was so awesome for me and the guys. We played incredible team game together everyone brought something different and it was just so fun to be out there and the energy was great.
A lot of people have asked questions because of the schedule you played, do care about that, looking at tonight as a statement win, is that something that registers or is that something you block out as much as you can?
BIELFELDT: I think that especially since we are on the road this is a good win for us to kind of get things going. The great thing is that we have gotten better you know with the games we have coming up against guys that are ranked at the top of the conference right now this is a great one to get our confidence up to go in there are rake these wins up.
That 25-0 run in the first half, have you ever been involved in a run that big?
BIELFELDT: I had no idea what was going on at the time I knew we were making a run
With Michigan being so good offensively how big is that?
BIELFELDT: That's definitely the first one I have been a part of. I can look it up but I'd say the closest would 10 or 15. 25 is unbelievable
What was it like being back here?
BIELFELDT: You know walking down here and going to the visitors' locker room was weird. I got out there and all the guys got my adrenaline pumping it definitely a unique experience. I tried to calm a little before the game to go back to myself because I'm not the crazy energetic guy all the time I tried to find myself a little bit but it was awesome, a great experience all the guys, I love all the guys we were playing against and glad that we got the win
Looking at the 25-0 run, you 9 different guys score during that run what does it say about the balance this team can bring offensively?
JOHNSON: I think it speaks on how much the defense generates the offense. So when everyone was in there playing with energy defensively it translated on the offensive and everyone got to be part of the run
Was there a point that you looked up at the score board and realized that it was snowballing?
JOHNSON: You can kind of feel more than looking up and seeing it. You definitely felt the energy as we made that run.
What changes were made on defense?
JOHNSON: Talked about how we wanted to take away. We were coming off shooters early in the first half, so we gave up some early three's and that one of the things we fixed when made that run and coming out in the second half we were able to take the three's away.
You guys are now 4 and 1 in the Big Ten, what's been the key going into these venues and getting wins?
JOHNSON: Just focusing on each other and getting better every day trying to go from one game to the next
You spent a lot of time on Irvin tonight, and it seemed like you took his legs out from under him, how big was that?
ANUNOBY: He came up on his screens so we tried to get into him and stay attached and just chase him
How much did it help having Max , Thomas, and everybody else down low?
ANUNOBY: That was big. They stayed attached to their men so we could do our job.
Is that a narrative growth for this team?
Yes I would say so.
You don't seem phased by playing in a road venue like this, Is it not thinking about it or is it confidence? What allows you to be able to do that?
ANUNOBY: My teammates and coaches give me a lot of confidence
Were you aware of the 25-0 run the team was on?
ANUNOBY: I didn't notice until Nick hit a three. I was like alright y'all Nick hit a deep three and that's when I noticed it before that I didn't really notice it
February 2, 2016
Postgame Quotes
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement...
HEAD COACH CREAN: I'm extremely proud of our players after and throughout the entire evening. Even when we got down at the beginning, there was no sense of panic. I didn't have any panic. We were getting great shots and they just weren't going. The only thing that was concerning is that we were coming off of the shooters. The number-one premise when guarding Michigan that you cannot over-help, and we did that a little bit. So we got our ball screen coverage fixed, and I give the players great credit for the way they responded in that whether we were hedging, or switching. Whatever we did, they handled it very, very well. We got tremendous play from our bench. I think in the first half Max Bielfeldt had a +25, which is excellent. O.G. Anunoby came in and did an excellent job, as did Nick Zeisloft. We got really good play from a lot of people.
I had no idea until halftime that we had the run that we had; I just knew that we were getting stops and the ball was really moving for us offensively. On our offensive adjustments, Yogi did a good job of understanding how the game was being played. Early on, when we were trying to come back, the ball was in his hands a little too long, and the quicker he gives it up the quicker he gets it back. That's when we're running good offense, when we can get the ball swung, reversed, and right to the paint.
I loved our spirit, I loved our preparation, and they practiced really well. They take every day for what it is, which is the most important day. To get young people to do that like they do is hard, but they do it so it's really quite easy. They are the ones that are locked in to getting better. They are the ones that push each other and prepare really hard, and we get excellent leadership from our seniors—Yogi, Max, Nick Zeisloft, and Ryan Burton. It carries over to how they prepare. We have unbelievable respect for Michigan, and they can hurt you in so many ways. They make you prepare for a myriad of things, especially their zone and the 1-3-1 that they run. We were really locked in to guarding the dribble and not coming off the shooters, and it worked out for us tonight. But they have an outstanding team and not many teams in the country can score like that. Fortunately tonight, we were able to play very good on the defensive end, and get really good looks on the offensive end because of it.
On his reaction to Indiana's scoring run in the first half...
COACH CREAN: I wasn't going to tell the team, that was my reaction. I just knew we were playing well and that we were getting stops, which was the most important thing. At half time, the theme was we were just getting started, and that's what their mentality had to be. There could be no thought of coming in and playing the score. They're too lethal and they're too good. They're explosive. They shoot the three too quick and too well. Because of that respect for Michigan, our guys really locked in. I know they got a bit more scoring near the very end, but our guys came with a great mindset, and they carried into a 40-minute game, so I'm proud of them.
On OG's impact during the scoring run:
COACH CREAN: He was absolutely huge. I think the length was crucial and with Juwan, the same thing. Our guys responded to their match ups and they also knew we had to switch. Their ball screen game is so good because you have to spend so much time paying attention to their shooters. John does a great job of finding isolations. We had to make some adjustments over the last couple days on how we were going to guard the dribble. Because they do a great job of driving it baseline, if you come off the corner, they're going to kick it for a three and if you don't and you're late, it's going to be a foul or a basket. We had to make some adjustments there. I was proud that in a short week and short preparation time that our guys did that. But OG could guard the dribble and Zach is a really hard guy to defend because he can get to the rim, he can shoot the ball but he can make a three. He did a really good job of playing long. We wanted to be really good with our forward defensively. We also really wanted to be good weak side with these guys. John's teams are always good passing teams but this team is good because they can skip the ball, they can play the pick and roll and they can be driving the ball on the right side and get it swung all the way to the left corner. Zach Irvine is becoming incredibly efficient at that. Derrick Walton is proficient at that. Lavert, when he was playing was proficient at that. You have to be good at the weak side because they pick people apart with their passing if you over-help on ball side and weak side. A young guy like that being cognizant of that, we could steal early. Those are the types of things they are preparing well and bringing their preparation to the game.
On reacting after opponent runs:
COACH CREAN: Their coach isn't freaking out either. Those are really good shots. I have to remind them that those are really good shots. Because we don't want to lose confidence on the road with our offense but you're not going to win the game with your offense, you win the game with multiple stops. That's when we're really good is when we get our break going. Once we settled in and got the score in a good place and were able to get on that run, they kept guarding. This was asked after the game: what does Yogi mean? Yogi constantly gets better inside of the game. That's why he is such a great player and leader. He figures out the game, he figures our what's there, he makes adjustments, he listens and he brings his teammates with him, That's exactly what happened in the first half because we guarded pretty well and then we guarded really well and then the ball moved even better and he's a big part of that. I'd say our team is maturing in a lot of ways and it starts with our seniors.
How did it feel to be back?
BIELFELDT: Came out and I was the first one out and I heard a couple boos and I was like oh boy and then the cheers kind of overwhelmed that so it was nice. You know getting win was so awesome for me and the guys. We played incredible team game together everyone brought something different and it was just so fun to be out there and the energy was great.
A lot of people have asked questions because of the schedule you played, do care about that, looking at tonight as a statement win, is that something that registers or is that something you block out as much as you can?
BIELFELDT: I think that especially since we are on the road this is a good win for us to kind of get things going. The great thing is that we have gotten better you know with the games we have coming up against guys that are ranked at the top of the conference right now this is a great one to get our confidence up to go in there are rake these wins up.
That 25-0 run in the first half, have you ever been involved in a run that big?
BIELFELDT: I had no idea what was going on at the time I knew we were making a run
With Michigan being so good offensively how big is that?
BIELFELDT: That's definitely the first one I have been a part of. I can look it up but I'd say the closest would 10 or 15. 25 is unbelievable
What was it like being back here?
BIELFELDT: You know walking down here and going to the visitors' locker room was weird. I got out there and all the guys got my adrenaline pumping it definitely a unique experience. I tried to calm a little before the game to go back to myself because I'm not the crazy energetic guy all the time I tried to find myself a little bit but it was awesome, a great experience all the guys, I love all the guys we were playing against and glad that we got the win
Looking at the 25-0 run, you 9 different guys score during that run what does it say about the balance this team can bring offensively?
JOHNSON: I think it speaks on how much the defense generates the offense. So when everyone was in there playing with energy defensively it translated on the offensive and everyone got to be part of the run
Was there a point that you looked up at the score board and realized that it was snowballing?
JOHNSON: You can kind of feel more than looking up and seeing it. You definitely felt the energy as we made that run.
What changes were made on defense?
JOHNSON: Talked about how we wanted to take away. We were coming off shooters early in the first half, so we gave up some early three's and that one of the things we fixed when made that run and coming out in the second half we were able to take the three's away.
You guys are now 4 and 1 in the Big Ten, what's been the key going into these venues and getting wins?
JOHNSON: Just focusing on each other and getting better every day trying to go from one game to the next
You spent a lot of time on Irvin tonight, and it seemed like you took his legs out from under him, how big was that?
ANUNOBY: He came up on his screens so we tried to get into him and stay attached and just chase him
How much did it help having Max , Thomas, and everybody else down low?
ANUNOBY: That was big. They stayed attached to their men so we could do our job.
Is that a narrative growth for this team?
Yes I would say so.
You don't seem phased by playing in a road venue like this, Is it not thinking about it or is it confidence? What allows you to be able to do that?
ANUNOBY: My teammates and coaches give me a lot of confidence
Were you aware of the 25-0 run the team was on?
ANUNOBY: I didn't notice until Nick hit a three. I was like alright y'all Nick hit a deep three and that's when I noticed it before that I didn't really notice it
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