Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes vs. Maryland
3/6/2016 8:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Indiana vs. Maryland
Postgame Quotes
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement…
COACH CREAN: I think people who have been here know how special a night it is on senior night, especially with everything that's gone on this year with this team and the way they've responded. And it worked out in a big way. We knew it was going to have to. And I'm really proud of the way these guys had tremendous focus, because senior night can go so many directions.
And the emotions can overtake it and can make you do things that you shouldn't do. And it can make you think thoughts that get in the way of winning and competing. And our guys didn't let that happen. We had a couple of moments where we had a couple of turnovers and going so fast. And we could see it yesterday in practice. They've been ready for this game since Friday. We haven't been ready probably medically and dealing with some virus issues with guys that we handled. But they were really edgy the last couple of days.
They were anxious to play. And I knew that was a very good thing because I never worried about anything complacency-wise coming into this group because it hasn't all year. But you also worry about getting out of character. And they didn't do that. And they didn't do that. And we knew we were going to have to be everything that has made us successful and then some because of the talent of Maryland, because the way Mark coaches them, because of their ability to score inside and outside. And our guys did that.
They did. And Maryland is a dynamic team. When you have people that can score at the block, score at the 3 like that, it's an issue. But our crowd was great. Our guys were very focused. I haven't even looked at, studied the stat sheet at all, so I can't tell you a lot about that. We met again here -- we met right after the game and we met here just a few minutes ago.
And other than that, I haven't really looked at anything other than what we've been doing outside. So I'll try to answer your questions best I can. But this team responded today the way that they have responded throughout much of this season. And they play with tremendous resiliency. And their mental toughness is gaining. They're getting better. I think there's room for them to continue to improve. As I said to Yogi Ferrell, when you can look at a guy like Yogi and honestly tell him that he's getting better every week and you can see differences in his game -- maybe I'm the only one that can see him, because I see him so much -- but when you're seeing that in him and you know that everybody else is doing the same thing.
And they are improving. And senior night can really -- it can turn it into a closure situation, but it's really not. And these guys are excited. They're focused. They know they've got a lot left in them. And we've got a lot of improvement we can make over the next few days before we get to Indianapolis. So go ahead.
Q. Bigger picture on Yogi (Ferrell). A lot said about him tonight and throughout the season. Any group of moments where you felt like you just saw, and maybe you could talk about it, was there a different player in him as a senior and why?
COACH CREAN: It probably is hard to pinpoint that. I would say the Notre Dame game, because he wanted to win the game so bad. And he wasn't having a very good first half. And he wanted to play well. So guys want to win, they want to play well. And he was forcing it. And it was just very clear to me that he just needed to let it come to him and make his teammates better.
I think he saw the results of that. And he did some really good things inside the game, defended, passed -- made a couple of shots at the end. But I think it's those kind of moments. And then they kind of compound. And I think what Yogi has learned to do is not let his offense, or if it was really good or if it wasn't so good, affect how he led, affect how he defended. I don't know if it's ever affected how he's defended here.
I mean, I think he's one of the best -- he's definitely one of the best defensive players I've ever had the privilege of coaching. But he's also one of the best defensive players I've watched as a college coach, because he can guard one through four, or guard the five, if you want him to, guard the five player. He's so good at it. But to me he knew that -- he really bought into the fact that he could do a lot to impact winning. And some of it would be seen. Some of it wouldn't be seen. But at the end of the day the results were going to take care of themselves. And I think that's what he's done. And he's always set a tone with work ethic here. He set a tone with how hard he practices. He set a tone with his competitiveness. He set a tone with his seriousness. And I think this year he absolutely set a tone with sharing his knowledge with his teammates and holding them more accountable even today in huddles.
And he's not afraid to -- he's very comfortable getting after someone because he knows what they're capable of. Not just because they made a mistake, but because he knows and he's invested in what they're capable of. When you have a senior that's like that with his freshmen and sophomores, let alone the guys in his own class, it's a pretty strong deal. And he's made himself not only a tremendous player but a tremendous leader.
Q. How impressive is it that the team has shown how much they can grow?
COACH CREAN: Well, again to me, it's not a closure time. I mean, so you can't -- I don't even want to think in those terms. But they've been gradually getting better. It's not like we made a lot of changes at 5 and 3. If anything, our offense was as poor as what was going on defensively.
Defensively, we weren't as aggressive. Defensively, we had to change a couple of pick-and-roll coverages. Defensively, we weren't playing -- you always want to get a guy that will play on the ball like he is not going to have any help. There were too many times early in the season where we were waiting for the help to be there, rather than really trying to guard their player, especially in Maui.
We'd get hit on a screen and we'd wait for somebody to pick it up. Thomas wasn't ready to do all that yet. And we grew out of that because we just kept getting better. Kept getting tougher with that. But our defense and the defensive field goal percentage was so poor because we were turning it over so much. And because we were giving up baskets, we weren't getting a chance to run the break. And the break, these guys are outstanding in the break. So, really, the bottom line was we needed to play faster. We needed to move the ball even better offensively. And if we defended better and got more stops, it was going to make our break that much better, which was going to break open games. And along the way they got a lot of confidence doing it. The drills didn't change. The drills have been the same since the summer. I mean, really, they haven't changed. Now we've added a couple things, but we've also -- these guys have really gotten better athletically. They've gotten better detail-wise, skill-wise. And they've really, really built a connection. And I think that's what's helped our defense as much as anything.
Q. Is there anything extraordinary that O.G. and Juwan have done to maintain their level of play?
COACH CREAN: I think it's confidence. I think their teammates have confidence in them. There's a lot of conversation that goes on in practice, a lot of conversation that goes on in the film room. I'm sure there's a lot of conversation that goes on when they're not around us, right?
Everybody was different. O.G. had to learn sustained intensity, and Jawan had to get healthy. And Thomas had to get healthy. I should have done a much better job -- I said this before, I wish we would've played more zone in Maui, looking back. But Thomas wasn't healthy enough to do what we were trying to do yet. He had injuries to both feet. Look back at it now, you see the difference. He's so much more improved because he's healthier and he's gotten better.
But I think all three of them have a great work ethic. And, I mean, it's not like they're having bad practices. They might have moments in practice. But they don't have bad practices. That's rare for freshmen. They spend a lot of time in the gym. They're close. And because the seniors have accepted them in a good way over a period of time, they feel connected to it.
So there's probably a lot of things that go on. They spend a lot of extra time at it. But they're not tired. I mean, they're a product of what we're trying to do with practices and what we're trying to do with conditioning and those type of things. They feel good with their energy there. But, again, they got success. O.G.'s was a little earlier in the Big Ten season. And Jawan's came after the injury. Those guys had success. And that makes your confidence skyrocket. When your teammates believe in you and you actually believe in yourself because you're getting it done, fatigue doesn't kick in as much.
Q. Talk about Troy Williams.
COACH CREAN: I thought that was fantastic. I said don't try to get the next 1,000 tonight. But he didn't listen. He went after it.
He played so fast and then matched up with Carter with him, which Carter was going to have to match up with somebody on the perimeter and they chose Troy. We obviously were going to have a hard matchup with Carter, too, on his offensive end. But Troy played like he was shot out of a cannon. He really did. And he did it under control. A couple mistakes here and there, but he plays fast. He was aggressive. The way he started the second half was tremendous going to the basket. Made great reads. The ball was put out front. He's getting better. He works really hard at it. He's constantly getting better. Really proud of the way that he has responded since the Michigan State game. And now we just gotta keep it up. Gotta keep it up. He's done a fantastic job. Not like he's practicing any harder. And he's always practiced hard. But he's playing with real efficiency right now. So I hope we can keep sustaining that.
Q. Talk about Juwan (Morgan) handling the ball in in the second half.
COACH CREAN: We did have a guard. Juwan, we play at the point in practice about five to eight, maybe ten minutes a day. We've been preparing.
That's when Yogi needed a blow. Did we get him two blows in the second half? They're quick. Always better when we get him two blows. Jawan wasn't handling the ball by accident. That's what we do in practice. Harrison can, Troy can easily do that. Collin can do that. But we've been planning, the last couple of weeks, especially with Rob's injury, we'd have to have more ball handling and do those the lineups.
The other night I didn't realize we had four freshmen on the floor. I don't think that way anymore. Couple of weeks ago I did. Couple of weeks ago I'd be very, very conscious about having three freshmen out there. And we're playing Iowa, four freshmen out there. We're past that. But Jawan, we have a package where Jawan will handle the 1 spot for us in that type of situation.
Q. How is Juwan's shoulder?
COACH CREAN: He's in good spirts, but he's sore. We've been down this road, like I said, before. We'll get an update here in a little bit. But his dad's here. And I know he's excited about that.
And he was in a lot of pain. And it's tough. But he's been enduring this. And it gets back together, and they wouldn't put him out there if he wasn't cleared, obviously. And it just shows not only his physical toughness, but his mental toughness. And it shows that we've got really good trainers that help him get back. We didn't have Jawan much this week. Didn't have him full until yesterday. In that sense, it's good we don't play for a while. But, again, we've been dealing with this. So I'm sure he'll be fine.
On the journey the team has been on this season…
Yogi Ferrell: What it says about not only this program, but this team, is that we've overcome adversity. Early in December we were very disconnected defensively, you know, not getting stops. I feel like we've come together and, you know, we've just found a way. No matter what way or how, we've found a way to win games. I think our coaching staff did a tremendous job of preparing us for each game and, you know, all we did was just take it onto the court. They definitely have the more mentally strenuous part, watching the film and extended hours being in here. We [the team] kind of have the easy part. We're young kids. We can go out there and run around all day. So I say we got it done from the coaching staff just preparing us, and then us going out there and getting the job done.
On the turn-around after the second half of the Notre Dame game…
Yogi Ferrell: I just feel like we were communicating as well, even though we found a way to win that game. I would definitely say that after that we buckled down and came together and had a feeling that we could make a run in this regular season in the Big Ten, and I felt like we did that. Halftime if that game, Coach Crean came up to me and said "go out there and let it come to you. Play free and not reckless, and at the end of the day, I'm still going to go with you as my point guard." I felt like I really took that to heart, even more so this being my last year. He was still rocking with me when I didn't have a great half that game, so I think that's really transitioned me to this run in the Big Ten. Just not trying to force things so much and just letting the game come to me.
On what Assembly Hall means to him…
Yogi Ferrell: Assembly Hall means a lot. I'm going to miss playing in this place. I used to play AAU tournaments here, and I can still remember those days. To not be able to come in here and put on a #11 jersey again is definitely a sad feeling. I feel like I've had many memories in here, many games won in here, and I feel like I gave my all to Assembly Hall.
On the assets of the team going into the Big Ten tournament…
Yogi Ferrell: Well I think the main thing is our effort and technique. Coach Brock always says our effort is there but it's all in our technique. I feel like when we go out there and do something wrong in practice, guys are correcting each other on the spot and when you can do it like that in practice, with guys correcting each other, you can do that in the games. I feel like when we go out there and play together, we don't make the same mistakes twice, especially defensively, because I feel like we're all one mind out there defensively. We're always talking and communication, so I feel like that's our biggest asset.
On the connectivity and communication stemming from him…
Yogi Ferrell: I say we're connected because I like to share my knowledge with my teammates. I like to show them what I can see on the court, and they do a great job of listening to me and what I see on the court. I think that I've seen the way guys prepare for each game. Vic, Will, the way they used to watch film was unbelievable, and I feel like I've taken part of that and it's been trickling down to the younger guys. So that's the biggest thing. We're connected because we prepare very well, and when we get onto the court, we take away teams' tendencies and flow together.
On if Maui was the turning point of the season…
Max Bielfeldt: "I don't know if it was the one moment but it was something that struck a cord. That whole experience of Maui was a learning experience having such a young team with new pieces. That and going to Duke with that environment we really grew from that. We learned the hard way and sometimes that's what we have to do to be successful. The same thing with Penn State, we learned the hard way and just try to keep getting better."
On the adapting to new lineups following Maui
Max Bielfeldt: "It was a big help, we were trying to do a lot and at the end of the day just playing good unit team defense is really what we needed to do. It really has paid off for our defense which has grown exponentially as far as how we are playing, how much tougher we are.
On how cool the experience was tonight…
Troy Williams: "Just reminiscing from the journey at the beginning of the season to now, it's crazy just going over with the team and looking how far we have come. It's a great experience.
On what it says about team the way they handled bumps in the road…
Troy Williams: "There's been nothing individually, as a team though it's crazy. We surcome so much, just being together and staying with each other, still having the same mindset now and back then as well. It's crazy how everything came together.
On the recipe for success…
Troy Williams: "Just focusing on ourselves, listening to our coaches. Not really paying attention to the distractions and coming closer together."
On getting prepared for big games and advice from upper classman…
Thomas Bryant: "I always talk to them. Coming from Max (Bielfeldt) and Yogi (Ferrell), trying to stay mentality tough out there. You just have to take it step by step."
On the pass made to Juwan Morgan in the second half…
Nick Zeisloft: "Just throw it long, save the ball right near the hoop and Juwan happened to be in the very perfect spot. No chance did I see him. I want to say that I saw him but I didn't see him."
Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon
Opening statement…
COACH TURGEON: "We played a great team today, played a team with a lot of confidence, great environment. Tom's done a terrific job with his team. They have a great point guard, who's a great all around basketball player in Yogi (Ferrell). He's had an unbelievable career and we lost to a good team. We started out well and then we couldn't score the last 10 minutes of the first half and we let our offense affect our defense to finish the half. Defensively when we got our defense set we were good enough but our transition defense wasn't good enough. Second chance points weren't good enough even though we rebounded better. They were good, we kept battling by cutting it to nine there, we just didn't finish the first half right and we didn't finish the second half right. They are a heck of a team, very fast and their speed gave us problems."
On the fatigue of his players…
COACH TURGEON: "They are able to sub a little more than I am able to, they have great speed. We have to be a little tougher in those situations."
On the offensive struggles down the stretch…
COACH TURGEON: "It was very physical, we couldn't even cut, it was a physical game and we shot eight free-throws, to their 25. It was physical and that's what happens in games on the road. They've got much better defensively, they got above us. We were executing at a high level, we missed some open looks, missed layups, missed some open shots. When you're not getting to the foul line, you feel like you are trying to get there, it hurts you if you are not making jump shots. They had a stretch there for three or four minutes in the first half they were terrific on defense."
On where the offense went wrong…
COACH TURGEON: "It was a combination of a few things, we got a little fatigued, we weren't tough enough mentality I think. We were missing layups and we couldn't get to the foul line but we kept guarding. Then the last few minutes of the half we stopped guarding, it could have been a four-point game at half but it was different. They made some shots down the stretch. The start of the second half, I thought we were focused but we just couldn't get back on defense after makes. Playing a team like Indiana is really good for us because it prepares us for a lot of things."
On how the crazy plays and atmosphere played into the game…
COACH TURGEON: "This building is pretty terrific mind our place. I watched a lot of film and that's who they are, they make great plays. Yogi Ferrell is terrific, he makes guys around him better and they have two starters out, think about that. They play with toughness, make great plays, hustle, play hard. Troy Williams, the plays he makes. The last layup we gave them on the baseline, they had nothing going and we just let them drive around and shoot a layup. They just make dynamic plays."
Postgame Quotes
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement…
COACH CREAN: I think people who have been here know how special a night it is on senior night, especially with everything that's gone on this year with this team and the way they've responded. And it worked out in a big way. We knew it was going to have to. And I'm really proud of the way these guys had tremendous focus, because senior night can go so many directions.
And the emotions can overtake it and can make you do things that you shouldn't do. And it can make you think thoughts that get in the way of winning and competing. And our guys didn't let that happen. We had a couple of moments where we had a couple of turnovers and going so fast. And we could see it yesterday in practice. They've been ready for this game since Friday. We haven't been ready probably medically and dealing with some virus issues with guys that we handled. But they were really edgy the last couple of days.
They were anxious to play. And I knew that was a very good thing because I never worried about anything complacency-wise coming into this group because it hasn't all year. But you also worry about getting out of character. And they didn't do that. And they didn't do that. And we knew we were going to have to be everything that has made us successful and then some because of the talent of Maryland, because the way Mark coaches them, because of their ability to score inside and outside. And our guys did that.
They did. And Maryland is a dynamic team. When you have people that can score at the block, score at the 3 like that, it's an issue. But our crowd was great. Our guys were very focused. I haven't even looked at, studied the stat sheet at all, so I can't tell you a lot about that. We met again here -- we met right after the game and we met here just a few minutes ago.
And other than that, I haven't really looked at anything other than what we've been doing outside. So I'll try to answer your questions best I can. But this team responded today the way that they have responded throughout much of this season. And they play with tremendous resiliency. And their mental toughness is gaining. They're getting better. I think there's room for them to continue to improve. As I said to Yogi Ferrell, when you can look at a guy like Yogi and honestly tell him that he's getting better every week and you can see differences in his game -- maybe I'm the only one that can see him, because I see him so much -- but when you're seeing that in him and you know that everybody else is doing the same thing.
And they are improving. And senior night can really -- it can turn it into a closure situation, but it's really not. And these guys are excited. They're focused. They know they've got a lot left in them. And we've got a lot of improvement we can make over the next few days before we get to Indianapolis. So go ahead.
Q. Bigger picture on Yogi (Ferrell). A lot said about him tonight and throughout the season. Any group of moments where you felt like you just saw, and maybe you could talk about it, was there a different player in him as a senior and why?
COACH CREAN: It probably is hard to pinpoint that. I would say the Notre Dame game, because he wanted to win the game so bad. And he wasn't having a very good first half. And he wanted to play well. So guys want to win, they want to play well. And he was forcing it. And it was just very clear to me that he just needed to let it come to him and make his teammates better.
I think he saw the results of that. And he did some really good things inside the game, defended, passed -- made a couple of shots at the end. But I think it's those kind of moments. And then they kind of compound. And I think what Yogi has learned to do is not let his offense, or if it was really good or if it wasn't so good, affect how he led, affect how he defended. I don't know if it's ever affected how he's defended here.
I mean, I think he's one of the best -- he's definitely one of the best defensive players I've ever had the privilege of coaching. But he's also one of the best defensive players I've watched as a college coach, because he can guard one through four, or guard the five, if you want him to, guard the five player. He's so good at it. But to me he knew that -- he really bought into the fact that he could do a lot to impact winning. And some of it would be seen. Some of it wouldn't be seen. But at the end of the day the results were going to take care of themselves. And I think that's what he's done. And he's always set a tone with work ethic here. He set a tone with how hard he practices. He set a tone with his competitiveness. He set a tone with his seriousness. And I think this year he absolutely set a tone with sharing his knowledge with his teammates and holding them more accountable even today in huddles.
And he's not afraid to -- he's very comfortable getting after someone because he knows what they're capable of. Not just because they made a mistake, but because he knows and he's invested in what they're capable of. When you have a senior that's like that with his freshmen and sophomores, let alone the guys in his own class, it's a pretty strong deal. And he's made himself not only a tremendous player but a tremendous leader.
Q. How impressive is it that the team has shown how much they can grow?
COACH CREAN: Well, again to me, it's not a closure time. I mean, so you can't -- I don't even want to think in those terms. But they've been gradually getting better. It's not like we made a lot of changes at 5 and 3. If anything, our offense was as poor as what was going on defensively.
Defensively, we weren't as aggressive. Defensively, we had to change a couple of pick-and-roll coverages. Defensively, we weren't playing -- you always want to get a guy that will play on the ball like he is not going to have any help. There were too many times early in the season where we were waiting for the help to be there, rather than really trying to guard their player, especially in Maui.
We'd get hit on a screen and we'd wait for somebody to pick it up. Thomas wasn't ready to do all that yet. And we grew out of that because we just kept getting better. Kept getting tougher with that. But our defense and the defensive field goal percentage was so poor because we were turning it over so much. And because we were giving up baskets, we weren't getting a chance to run the break. And the break, these guys are outstanding in the break. So, really, the bottom line was we needed to play faster. We needed to move the ball even better offensively. And if we defended better and got more stops, it was going to make our break that much better, which was going to break open games. And along the way they got a lot of confidence doing it. The drills didn't change. The drills have been the same since the summer. I mean, really, they haven't changed. Now we've added a couple things, but we've also -- these guys have really gotten better athletically. They've gotten better detail-wise, skill-wise. And they've really, really built a connection. And I think that's what's helped our defense as much as anything.
Q. Is there anything extraordinary that O.G. and Juwan have done to maintain their level of play?
COACH CREAN: I think it's confidence. I think their teammates have confidence in them. There's a lot of conversation that goes on in practice, a lot of conversation that goes on in the film room. I'm sure there's a lot of conversation that goes on when they're not around us, right?
Everybody was different. O.G. had to learn sustained intensity, and Jawan had to get healthy. And Thomas had to get healthy. I should have done a much better job -- I said this before, I wish we would've played more zone in Maui, looking back. But Thomas wasn't healthy enough to do what we were trying to do yet. He had injuries to both feet. Look back at it now, you see the difference. He's so much more improved because he's healthier and he's gotten better.
But I think all three of them have a great work ethic. And, I mean, it's not like they're having bad practices. They might have moments in practice. But they don't have bad practices. That's rare for freshmen. They spend a lot of time in the gym. They're close. And because the seniors have accepted them in a good way over a period of time, they feel connected to it.
So there's probably a lot of things that go on. They spend a lot of extra time at it. But they're not tired. I mean, they're a product of what we're trying to do with practices and what we're trying to do with conditioning and those type of things. They feel good with their energy there. But, again, they got success. O.G.'s was a little earlier in the Big Ten season. And Jawan's came after the injury. Those guys had success. And that makes your confidence skyrocket. When your teammates believe in you and you actually believe in yourself because you're getting it done, fatigue doesn't kick in as much.
Q. Talk about Troy Williams.
COACH CREAN: I thought that was fantastic. I said don't try to get the next 1,000 tonight. But he didn't listen. He went after it.
He played so fast and then matched up with Carter with him, which Carter was going to have to match up with somebody on the perimeter and they chose Troy. We obviously were going to have a hard matchup with Carter, too, on his offensive end. But Troy played like he was shot out of a cannon. He really did. And he did it under control. A couple mistakes here and there, but he plays fast. He was aggressive. The way he started the second half was tremendous going to the basket. Made great reads. The ball was put out front. He's getting better. He works really hard at it. He's constantly getting better. Really proud of the way that he has responded since the Michigan State game. And now we just gotta keep it up. Gotta keep it up. He's done a fantastic job. Not like he's practicing any harder. And he's always practiced hard. But he's playing with real efficiency right now. So I hope we can keep sustaining that.
Q. Talk about Juwan (Morgan) handling the ball in in the second half.
COACH CREAN: We did have a guard. Juwan, we play at the point in practice about five to eight, maybe ten minutes a day. We've been preparing.
That's when Yogi needed a blow. Did we get him two blows in the second half? They're quick. Always better when we get him two blows. Jawan wasn't handling the ball by accident. That's what we do in practice. Harrison can, Troy can easily do that. Collin can do that. But we've been planning, the last couple of weeks, especially with Rob's injury, we'd have to have more ball handling and do those the lineups.
The other night I didn't realize we had four freshmen on the floor. I don't think that way anymore. Couple of weeks ago I did. Couple of weeks ago I'd be very, very conscious about having three freshmen out there. And we're playing Iowa, four freshmen out there. We're past that. But Jawan, we have a package where Jawan will handle the 1 spot for us in that type of situation.
Q. How is Juwan's shoulder?
COACH CREAN: He's in good spirts, but he's sore. We've been down this road, like I said, before. We'll get an update here in a little bit. But his dad's here. And I know he's excited about that.
And he was in a lot of pain. And it's tough. But he's been enduring this. And it gets back together, and they wouldn't put him out there if he wasn't cleared, obviously. And it just shows not only his physical toughness, but his mental toughness. And it shows that we've got really good trainers that help him get back. We didn't have Jawan much this week. Didn't have him full until yesterday. In that sense, it's good we don't play for a while. But, again, we've been dealing with this. So I'm sure he'll be fine.
On the journey the team has been on this season…
Yogi Ferrell: What it says about not only this program, but this team, is that we've overcome adversity. Early in December we were very disconnected defensively, you know, not getting stops. I feel like we've come together and, you know, we've just found a way. No matter what way or how, we've found a way to win games. I think our coaching staff did a tremendous job of preparing us for each game and, you know, all we did was just take it onto the court. They definitely have the more mentally strenuous part, watching the film and extended hours being in here. We [the team] kind of have the easy part. We're young kids. We can go out there and run around all day. So I say we got it done from the coaching staff just preparing us, and then us going out there and getting the job done.
On the turn-around after the second half of the Notre Dame game…
Yogi Ferrell: I just feel like we were communicating as well, even though we found a way to win that game. I would definitely say that after that we buckled down and came together and had a feeling that we could make a run in this regular season in the Big Ten, and I felt like we did that. Halftime if that game, Coach Crean came up to me and said "go out there and let it come to you. Play free and not reckless, and at the end of the day, I'm still going to go with you as my point guard." I felt like I really took that to heart, even more so this being my last year. He was still rocking with me when I didn't have a great half that game, so I think that's really transitioned me to this run in the Big Ten. Just not trying to force things so much and just letting the game come to me.
On what Assembly Hall means to him…
Yogi Ferrell: Assembly Hall means a lot. I'm going to miss playing in this place. I used to play AAU tournaments here, and I can still remember those days. To not be able to come in here and put on a #11 jersey again is definitely a sad feeling. I feel like I've had many memories in here, many games won in here, and I feel like I gave my all to Assembly Hall.
On the assets of the team going into the Big Ten tournament…
Yogi Ferrell: Well I think the main thing is our effort and technique. Coach Brock always says our effort is there but it's all in our technique. I feel like when we go out there and do something wrong in practice, guys are correcting each other on the spot and when you can do it like that in practice, with guys correcting each other, you can do that in the games. I feel like when we go out there and play together, we don't make the same mistakes twice, especially defensively, because I feel like we're all one mind out there defensively. We're always talking and communication, so I feel like that's our biggest asset.
On the connectivity and communication stemming from him…
Yogi Ferrell: I say we're connected because I like to share my knowledge with my teammates. I like to show them what I can see on the court, and they do a great job of listening to me and what I see on the court. I think that I've seen the way guys prepare for each game. Vic, Will, the way they used to watch film was unbelievable, and I feel like I've taken part of that and it's been trickling down to the younger guys. So that's the biggest thing. We're connected because we prepare very well, and when we get onto the court, we take away teams' tendencies and flow together.
On if Maui was the turning point of the season…
Max Bielfeldt: "I don't know if it was the one moment but it was something that struck a cord. That whole experience of Maui was a learning experience having such a young team with new pieces. That and going to Duke with that environment we really grew from that. We learned the hard way and sometimes that's what we have to do to be successful. The same thing with Penn State, we learned the hard way and just try to keep getting better."
On the adapting to new lineups following Maui
Max Bielfeldt: "It was a big help, we were trying to do a lot and at the end of the day just playing good unit team defense is really what we needed to do. It really has paid off for our defense which has grown exponentially as far as how we are playing, how much tougher we are.
On how cool the experience was tonight…
Troy Williams: "Just reminiscing from the journey at the beginning of the season to now, it's crazy just going over with the team and looking how far we have come. It's a great experience.
On what it says about team the way they handled bumps in the road…
Troy Williams: "There's been nothing individually, as a team though it's crazy. We surcome so much, just being together and staying with each other, still having the same mindset now and back then as well. It's crazy how everything came together.
On the recipe for success…
Troy Williams: "Just focusing on ourselves, listening to our coaches. Not really paying attention to the distractions and coming closer together."
On getting prepared for big games and advice from upper classman…
Thomas Bryant: "I always talk to them. Coming from Max (Bielfeldt) and Yogi (Ferrell), trying to stay mentality tough out there. You just have to take it step by step."
On the pass made to Juwan Morgan in the second half…
Nick Zeisloft: "Just throw it long, save the ball right near the hoop and Juwan happened to be in the very perfect spot. No chance did I see him. I want to say that I saw him but I didn't see him."
Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon
Opening statement…
COACH TURGEON: "We played a great team today, played a team with a lot of confidence, great environment. Tom's done a terrific job with his team. They have a great point guard, who's a great all around basketball player in Yogi (Ferrell). He's had an unbelievable career and we lost to a good team. We started out well and then we couldn't score the last 10 minutes of the first half and we let our offense affect our defense to finish the half. Defensively when we got our defense set we were good enough but our transition defense wasn't good enough. Second chance points weren't good enough even though we rebounded better. They were good, we kept battling by cutting it to nine there, we just didn't finish the first half right and we didn't finish the second half right. They are a heck of a team, very fast and their speed gave us problems."
On the fatigue of his players…
COACH TURGEON: "They are able to sub a little more than I am able to, they have great speed. We have to be a little tougher in those situations."
On the offensive struggles down the stretch…
COACH TURGEON: "It was very physical, we couldn't even cut, it was a physical game and we shot eight free-throws, to their 25. It was physical and that's what happens in games on the road. They've got much better defensively, they got above us. We were executing at a high level, we missed some open looks, missed layups, missed some open shots. When you're not getting to the foul line, you feel like you are trying to get there, it hurts you if you are not making jump shots. They had a stretch there for three or four minutes in the first half they were terrific on defense."
On where the offense went wrong…
COACH TURGEON: "It was a combination of a few things, we got a little fatigued, we weren't tough enough mentality I think. We were missing layups and we couldn't get to the foul line but we kept guarding. Then the last few minutes of the half we stopped guarding, it could have been a four-point game at half but it was different. They made some shots down the stretch. The start of the second half, I thought we were focused but we just couldn't get back on defense after makes. Playing a team like Indiana is really good for us because it prepares us for a lot of things."
On how the crazy plays and atmosphere played into the game…
COACH TURGEON: "This building is pretty terrific mind our place. I watched a lot of film and that's who they are, they make great plays. Yogi Ferrell is terrific, he makes guys around him better and they have two starters out, think about that. They play with toughness, make great plays, hustle, play hard. Troy Williams, the plays he makes. The last layup we gave them on the baseline, they had nothing going and we just let them drive around and shoot a layup. They just make dynamic plays."
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Center
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
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