Indiana University Athletics
Preseason Update - Sept. 15
9/15/2016 7:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - On Thursday, associate head coach Tim Buckley along with Robert Johnson, James Blackmon, Jr. and OG Anunoby met with members of the media to discuss the team's offseason progression and where things stand as the official start of practice is a little over two weeks away.
Click the link above to watch the complete video or read the transcript below.
James, how are you feeling after your injury and rehab process?
BLCKMON JR: I'm feeling great. I recently just got cleared to do everything and the
Coaches and our trainers are doing a great job of letting me know when to not overdo
stuff.
On what he was able to do before he was cleared to practice:
BLACKMON JR.: "Really just being more vocal. I've been trying to be a leader and I just talking to guys let them know what we do and how we run our program"
Rob, how has your recovery been over the summer?
JOHNSON: "I haven't been all the way cleared yet, but you know to be anytime within the next couple weeks or so. I'm getting really close. I'm doing a lot more things everyday so, I'm getting close to it.
On who has helped him through the rehab process:
JOHNSON: "It has been different you know because it's something that never really had to deal with before. But I have had a good support system with the coaches and trainers to guide me through it and I feel like I've been doing a good job with it."
On who might be stepping up to fill the leadership role this season:
BUCKLEY: "I think it's still evolving. I think coach's expectations are for everyone to
lead and I think they do it in their own way. As James had mentioned, he wants to continue to be more vocal. I think Rob needs to continue to be more vocal. You see Thomas' passion and energy and I think he has channelled that into being more of a leader and trying to teach the new guys and that type of thing. So I would say the older guys were very player-driven, and we need to continue to be that way, and I think they do a great job, all of them, of interacting with the new guys that are here."
On going through the draft workout process:
BLACKMON JR: "Really i just got the idea from Coach. I talked to about four teams – Minnesota, Indiana and teams like that - and i just got good feedback from it. It was definitely a plus."
On the specific feedback from those teams:
"Really, they said to stay healthy and keep working."
On how this summer is different than last year coming in as a freshman:
ANONUOBY: "I'm just more used to everything and accustomed to what's going on and how we do things here.
Anything specific that is easier?
ANUNOBY: "Just all the workouts."
How much weight have you put on since you got here?
ANUNOBY: "Honestly, like five pounds."
On workouts with Freddie McSwain and De'Ron Davis on campus:
BLACKMON JR: "They're both competitors and that's what we do here. De'Ron always asks questions and Freddie is always ready to go. So they are two guys that I feel like they fit real well with us."
On the new guys in the back court:
BLACKMON JR: "Oh, they've been doing good. They listen to what the coaches ask. They're great players, scorers and facilitators so they will fit in well too."
On the adjustment period for this team without Yogi at point guard:
BUCKLEY: "Well, Yogi was here when we took the job in 2008 at least it seemed that way (laughs). He had been here so long and been playing as a starter since he got on campus. Obviously, will be different, and at the same time, you don't make up for a guy of that caliber with one guy. You make up for it with your team.
"We will have even better ball movement this year. We will have even better cutting. Obviously we're going to continue to get better and better at feeding the post because we've got guys that can really spread out and post down there. And not only post guys, but also perimeter guys that can go there I think we've got a lot of interchangeable parts.
"Maybe we don't necessarily have that one guy like Yogi that would just completely break you down off the dribble and make plays, but everybody's building toward that. And at the same time, we want to stick to being a really good passing team and playing good team basketball.
On what the focus of the defense has to be this year:
BUCKLEY: "I think number one - getting good shots and taking care of the basketball because that allows you to get back and get your defense set. Then, I think we have to be solid. I think that we've got a lot of interchangeable parts and we've got a lot of guys that can guard a lot of different positions. So we can keep people out of the paint, make them take challenge shots, rebound the ball and then push the ball up the floor and attack on the offensive end, I think we can be a very good defensive team.
"We're always focusing on the fundamentals and the details and I think we keep getting better and better at that. And I also think that our collective intent as a team, defensively, has gotten so much better over the past year and we're going to continue to build on that."
On other players dealing with injuries:
BUCKLEY: "Certain guys can't have contact or things like that. But to me, it hasn't seemed like anybody's been Injured with the way these guys have worked and the way their mentality has been. Rob and James are just two guys that you have to back them off, you don't have to push them out on the court to get him to go back out there. You've got to back them off, which is always refreshing and rewarding.
"I think Coach Crean has done a terrific job of navigating around that and working the groups together and I think everybody's progress in the way that they need to. We should be in pretty good shape as we get closer to the season starting."
On Collin Hartman providing leadership this year as a senior:
JOHNSON: "Well, I think he's been a lot more vocal for one. We had guys last year like Yogi and Nick that would step up in make sure that certain things were being said. I think he's doing a good job with that and also just showing the young guys how our culture is and how we do it here."
On Juwan Morgan's recovery from shoulder surgery:
BUCKLEY: "I would say he has recovered very well. He's on track with where he's supposed to be at this point in time, and he's become another guy, a lot like OG, that those guys are positionless. They're just basketball players. Not only do they have the ability to guard a lot of different positions, they're able to handle the ball. I think at one point in time at the end of the season, Juwan was kind of our backup point guard with where we were with injuries and how we played guys. He stretched his game and now he's really shooting the three very well.
"He's another one of those guys you got to back him off because you know that he wants to get back and he wants to get in the mix again. But he's progressed very well."
On Thomas Bryant's biggest change this offseason:
BUCKLEY: "I would say that his perimeter skills have really improved. He's done a much better job of playing more athletically, where he's getting down and he's dropping his hips and he's being more explosive. And he continues to work on that daily.
"As I said before, I think he's really channel that energy into more of a leadership role, where he's trying to do more teaching and helping guys that need instruction. I think that he's made the natural progression that you expect and feel like he's very comfortable being here and being that type of guy."
On Bryant channeling his emotion into leadership:
BUCKLEY: "These guys can speak to that too, but i just think that it helps when somebody who's doing it helps instruct it or says 'Here's how I try to do this' or 'Why don't you try it this way' and then you can not only see him do it but then he's also telling you how to do it.
"I think what he does a really good job of is when we are in drill work or we set up game-like situations in our drills, he's in line and he's talking to the guy either behind him or directly in front of them before they take their rep and he's just giving them reminders or different points that they need to to look at before they go ahead and they go through the drill."
On playing with a chip on his shoulder this season after missing half of last year with injury:
BLACKMON JR: "Definitely. I think when the season comes, a lot of people will see the chip, just because this is what I do. When it's taken away from you for a while, you get hungry.
On what he learned while he was sitting out:
BLACKMON JR.: "Well, I went through it before. When I was out, I learned a lot about watching my teammates, watching film and just seeing the game and seeing it through a different way."
BUCKLEY: "You know, I learned a lot watching James. I think that physically, he did all the things you need to do to recover from that type of injury, but I don't think you can discount his mental attitude and how he carried himself and how he kept persevering and never felt sorry for himself.
"I think it's a great example for our team. He was really excited for our team to do as well as we did, because he knows full well, and we do also, that if James had played we would have even been better than we were. I think that's going to make us a better team this season having watched him go through something that was very tough and then see how he's come out."
On playing against very good teams in the non-conference part of the schedule:
JOHNSON: "For me, I know we are definitely excited to be playing you know the caliber team like that, especially with the type of season we had last year. We just want to continue to build on that and just get better and better. So we will definitely be excited when the season starts."
BLACKMON JR: "I feel like it's good that we get to start off playing those teams out the gate, to measure where we are and I think that will be ready."
BUCKLEY: "I think one thing too when you look at non-conference schedules as a whole, as we do as coaches and a basketball program, everyone expects you to play the best of the best all the time. But if you really look at last year's schedule, because of some of the teams that we played, it allowed guys like Ryan Burton to play some minutes in those games. And Ryan helped us beat Rutgers at Rutgers initially when James got hurt. Had we only played the best of the best before we got to conference play, I don't know that Ryan would've been able to contribute in that way. And I think it gave him some confidence and obviously helped us throughout the season.
"I think even OG, as OG started to get acclimated to college basketball at the Big Ten level, I think that helped him as well too. So we look at each game for what it is and then we try to build on each one and we want it to prepare us for the Big Ten season, which is always a tough, tough grind and then also for the NCAA tournament, if we are fortunate to make that."
On Josh Newkirk's potential impact this year:
BUCKLEY: "We feel like he's really shot the ball well. Obviously these guys shoot with them a lot more than we can. I think it's just a matter of transferring those makes in Cook Hall to Assembly Hall and then taking it with you on the road. I think that Josh has a great way about him, and I think that he has a great ability to get to the next shot and not focus on the last one. So if he misses it, he can make the adjustment and then make that next shot."
JOHNSON: "I think he's a tough guard for one. He's fast, quick and shares a ball really well. He sees the floor, so I think he will definitely be a great addition for us."
On how his role might evolve this year:
ANUNOBY: "Same as last year, really. Just play hard and compete on both ends."
On how much he has grown inside the program since he joined last year:
ANUNOBY: "I think I've grown a lot thanks to the support and teammates and coaches help me get through everything.
On whether he looks at early NBA Draft things online:
ANUNOBY: "I mean that's the goal (to get to the NBA), but I don't pay attention to it."
On whether Anunoby is quiet around the team in the locker room:
BUCKLEY: "I think everybody has their way, and obviously we try to get them to stretch themselves just a little bit more. What I would say, that you don't get an opportunity to see, and it's the reason why we were really good basketball team last year, is what that locker room is like when nobody's around. When it's just those guys, there's a lot of leadership that's shown in there and there's a lot of learning. But a lot of fun and a lot of camaraderie. It's one of those things where OG is one of the biggest contributors as anybody.
"I can honestly say that every day we came in here last year, we really enjoyed it, and there were tough days. But whether it was in the film room, in the weight room and practice or individuals shooting extra – whatever it might be – we truly enjoyed being around each other. I think that's a part of leadership too, a I think OG shows that.
"You mentioned to OK about 'How did you get acclimated to the speed of the game?' I think one of OG's great characteristics is that he never gets sped up. He plays at his tempo and his pace and I think that's very important to be able to play at a high level at our level. And I think that's why he had a taste of success last year and it will have even more success this year. But the only way he will have success is if he keeps focusing on the day-to-day and not what those draft things say. I don't think they were a hundred percent correct for this year's draft, were they?
"So that's why we just try to focus on the things that are important which are getting better today and working hard and see how things go."
On Freddie McSwain and De'Ron Davis:
BUCKLEY: "Number one, I think they're both competitive. i think they're both very hard workers. They're very receptive to instruction, so that like they said, De'Ron will ask questions or he'll listen. Freddie would say to you 'This is new to me or this is different but I want to learn so please show me how to do it.' So I think that's important right there
"Obviously, with the conditioning and the pace of things, it takes a little while for them to catch up but i think they've done a really good job of that. And then as as they do get into that playing type shape and the pace that we go, I think then their skill level is going to continue to develop and grow."
On whether not having De'Ron around this summer prohibited Thomas Bryant's growth over the summer:
BUCKLEY: "Almost the opposite, in that I thought it was better for Thomas to play against the smaller quicker guys, because that's where he needs to continue to get better and be more athletic. So I don't think that was as much of a hindrance. But obviously those two guys are going to make each each other better by battling in practice and they're also going to be able to battle together too, which i think will make them very good players."
On the excitement about the renovations to Assembly Hall:
JOHNSON: "Well I'm really excited to see it. They have been working on it for a long time now, so the sooner the better for me. I think it will be really good for us as a program and I'm just excited to see.
BLACKMON JR: "Same here. I think it'll be good for the fans. It will be something for them to look forward to."
ANUNOBY: "Yeah, what they said."
Click the link above to watch the complete video or read the transcript below.
James, how are you feeling after your injury and rehab process?
BLCKMON JR: I'm feeling great. I recently just got cleared to do everything and the
Coaches and our trainers are doing a great job of letting me know when to not overdo
stuff.
On what he was able to do before he was cleared to practice:
BLACKMON JR.: "Really just being more vocal. I've been trying to be a leader and I just talking to guys let them know what we do and how we run our program"
Rob, how has your recovery been over the summer?
JOHNSON: "I haven't been all the way cleared yet, but you know to be anytime within the next couple weeks or so. I'm getting really close. I'm doing a lot more things everyday so, I'm getting close to it.
On who has helped him through the rehab process:
JOHNSON: "It has been different you know because it's something that never really had to deal with before. But I have had a good support system with the coaches and trainers to guide me through it and I feel like I've been doing a good job with it."
On who might be stepping up to fill the leadership role this season:
BUCKLEY: "I think it's still evolving. I think coach's expectations are for everyone to
lead and I think they do it in their own way. As James had mentioned, he wants to continue to be more vocal. I think Rob needs to continue to be more vocal. You see Thomas' passion and energy and I think he has channelled that into being more of a leader and trying to teach the new guys and that type of thing. So I would say the older guys were very player-driven, and we need to continue to be that way, and I think they do a great job, all of them, of interacting with the new guys that are here."
On going through the draft workout process:
BLACKMON JR: "Really i just got the idea from Coach. I talked to about four teams – Minnesota, Indiana and teams like that - and i just got good feedback from it. It was definitely a plus."
On the specific feedback from those teams:
"Really, they said to stay healthy and keep working."
On how this summer is different than last year coming in as a freshman:
ANONUOBY: "I'm just more used to everything and accustomed to what's going on and how we do things here.
Anything specific that is easier?
ANUNOBY: "Just all the workouts."
How much weight have you put on since you got here?
ANUNOBY: "Honestly, like five pounds."
On workouts with Freddie McSwain and De'Ron Davis on campus:
BLACKMON JR: "They're both competitors and that's what we do here. De'Ron always asks questions and Freddie is always ready to go. So they are two guys that I feel like they fit real well with us."
On the new guys in the back court:
BLACKMON JR: "Oh, they've been doing good. They listen to what the coaches ask. They're great players, scorers and facilitators so they will fit in well too."
On the adjustment period for this team without Yogi at point guard:
BUCKLEY: "Well, Yogi was here when we took the job in 2008 at least it seemed that way (laughs). He had been here so long and been playing as a starter since he got on campus. Obviously, will be different, and at the same time, you don't make up for a guy of that caliber with one guy. You make up for it with your team.
"We will have even better ball movement this year. We will have even better cutting. Obviously we're going to continue to get better and better at feeding the post because we've got guys that can really spread out and post down there. And not only post guys, but also perimeter guys that can go there I think we've got a lot of interchangeable parts.
"Maybe we don't necessarily have that one guy like Yogi that would just completely break you down off the dribble and make plays, but everybody's building toward that. And at the same time, we want to stick to being a really good passing team and playing good team basketball.
On what the focus of the defense has to be this year:
BUCKLEY: "I think number one - getting good shots and taking care of the basketball because that allows you to get back and get your defense set. Then, I think we have to be solid. I think that we've got a lot of interchangeable parts and we've got a lot of guys that can guard a lot of different positions. So we can keep people out of the paint, make them take challenge shots, rebound the ball and then push the ball up the floor and attack on the offensive end, I think we can be a very good defensive team.
"We're always focusing on the fundamentals and the details and I think we keep getting better and better at that. And I also think that our collective intent as a team, defensively, has gotten so much better over the past year and we're going to continue to build on that."
On other players dealing with injuries:
BUCKLEY: "Certain guys can't have contact or things like that. But to me, it hasn't seemed like anybody's been Injured with the way these guys have worked and the way their mentality has been. Rob and James are just two guys that you have to back them off, you don't have to push them out on the court to get him to go back out there. You've got to back them off, which is always refreshing and rewarding.
"I think Coach Crean has done a terrific job of navigating around that and working the groups together and I think everybody's progress in the way that they need to. We should be in pretty good shape as we get closer to the season starting."
On Collin Hartman providing leadership this year as a senior:
JOHNSON: "Well, I think he's been a lot more vocal for one. We had guys last year like Yogi and Nick that would step up in make sure that certain things were being said. I think he's doing a good job with that and also just showing the young guys how our culture is and how we do it here."
On Juwan Morgan's recovery from shoulder surgery:
BUCKLEY: "I would say he has recovered very well. He's on track with where he's supposed to be at this point in time, and he's become another guy, a lot like OG, that those guys are positionless. They're just basketball players. Not only do they have the ability to guard a lot of different positions, they're able to handle the ball. I think at one point in time at the end of the season, Juwan was kind of our backup point guard with where we were with injuries and how we played guys. He stretched his game and now he's really shooting the three very well.
"He's another one of those guys you got to back him off because you know that he wants to get back and he wants to get in the mix again. But he's progressed very well."
On Thomas Bryant's biggest change this offseason:
BUCKLEY: "I would say that his perimeter skills have really improved. He's done a much better job of playing more athletically, where he's getting down and he's dropping his hips and he's being more explosive. And he continues to work on that daily.
"As I said before, I think he's really channel that energy into more of a leadership role, where he's trying to do more teaching and helping guys that need instruction. I think that he's made the natural progression that you expect and feel like he's very comfortable being here and being that type of guy."
On Bryant channeling his emotion into leadership:
BUCKLEY: "These guys can speak to that too, but i just think that it helps when somebody who's doing it helps instruct it or says 'Here's how I try to do this' or 'Why don't you try it this way' and then you can not only see him do it but then he's also telling you how to do it.
"I think what he does a really good job of is when we are in drill work or we set up game-like situations in our drills, he's in line and he's talking to the guy either behind him or directly in front of them before they take their rep and he's just giving them reminders or different points that they need to to look at before they go ahead and they go through the drill."
On playing with a chip on his shoulder this season after missing half of last year with injury:
BLACKMON JR: "Definitely. I think when the season comes, a lot of people will see the chip, just because this is what I do. When it's taken away from you for a while, you get hungry.
On what he learned while he was sitting out:
BLACKMON JR.: "Well, I went through it before. When I was out, I learned a lot about watching my teammates, watching film and just seeing the game and seeing it through a different way."
BUCKLEY: "You know, I learned a lot watching James. I think that physically, he did all the things you need to do to recover from that type of injury, but I don't think you can discount his mental attitude and how he carried himself and how he kept persevering and never felt sorry for himself.
"I think it's a great example for our team. He was really excited for our team to do as well as we did, because he knows full well, and we do also, that if James had played we would have even been better than we were. I think that's going to make us a better team this season having watched him go through something that was very tough and then see how he's come out."
On playing against very good teams in the non-conference part of the schedule:
JOHNSON: "For me, I know we are definitely excited to be playing you know the caliber team like that, especially with the type of season we had last year. We just want to continue to build on that and just get better and better. So we will definitely be excited when the season starts."
BLACKMON JR: "I feel like it's good that we get to start off playing those teams out the gate, to measure where we are and I think that will be ready."
BUCKLEY: "I think one thing too when you look at non-conference schedules as a whole, as we do as coaches and a basketball program, everyone expects you to play the best of the best all the time. But if you really look at last year's schedule, because of some of the teams that we played, it allowed guys like Ryan Burton to play some minutes in those games. And Ryan helped us beat Rutgers at Rutgers initially when James got hurt. Had we only played the best of the best before we got to conference play, I don't know that Ryan would've been able to contribute in that way. And I think it gave him some confidence and obviously helped us throughout the season.
"I think even OG, as OG started to get acclimated to college basketball at the Big Ten level, I think that helped him as well too. So we look at each game for what it is and then we try to build on each one and we want it to prepare us for the Big Ten season, which is always a tough, tough grind and then also for the NCAA tournament, if we are fortunate to make that."
On Josh Newkirk's potential impact this year:
BUCKLEY: "We feel like he's really shot the ball well. Obviously these guys shoot with them a lot more than we can. I think it's just a matter of transferring those makes in Cook Hall to Assembly Hall and then taking it with you on the road. I think that Josh has a great way about him, and I think that he has a great ability to get to the next shot and not focus on the last one. So if he misses it, he can make the adjustment and then make that next shot."
JOHNSON: "I think he's a tough guard for one. He's fast, quick and shares a ball really well. He sees the floor, so I think he will definitely be a great addition for us."
On how his role might evolve this year:
ANUNOBY: "Same as last year, really. Just play hard and compete on both ends."
On how much he has grown inside the program since he joined last year:
ANUNOBY: "I think I've grown a lot thanks to the support and teammates and coaches help me get through everything.
On whether he looks at early NBA Draft things online:
ANUNOBY: "I mean that's the goal (to get to the NBA), but I don't pay attention to it."
On whether Anunoby is quiet around the team in the locker room:
BUCKLEY: "I think everybody has their way, and obviously we try to get them to stretch themselves just a little bit more. What I would say, that you don't get an opportunity to see, and it's the reason why we were really good basketball team last year, is what that locker room is like when nobody's around. When it's just those guys, there's a lot of leadership that's shown in there and there's a lot of learning. But a lot of fun and a lot of camaraderie. It's one of those things where OG is one of the biggest contributors as anybody.
"I can honestly say that every day we came in here last year, we really enjoyed it, and there were tough days. But whether it was in the film room, in the weight room and practice or individuals shooting extra – whatever it might be – we truly enjoyed being around each other. I think that's a part of leadership too, a I think OG shows that.
"You mentioned to OK about 'How did you get acclimated to the speed of the game?' I think one of OG's great characteristics is that he never gets sped up. He plays at his tempo and his pace and I think that's very important to be able to play at a high level at our level. And I think that's why he had a taste of success last year and it will have even more success this year. But the only way he will have success is if he keeps focusing on the day-to-day and not what those draft things say. I don't think they were a hundred percent correct for this year's draft, were they?
"So that's why we just try to focus on the things that are important which are getting better today and working hard and see how things go."
On Freddie McSwain and De'Ron Davis:
BUCKLEY: "Number one, I think they're both competitive. i think they're both very hard workers. They're very receptive to instruction, so that like they said, De'Ron will ask questions or he'll listen. Freddie would say to you 'This is new to me or this is different but I want to learn so please show me how to do it.' So I think that's important right there
"Obviously, with the conditioning and the pace of things, it takes a little while for them to catch up but i think they've done a really good job of that. And then as as they do get into that playing type shape and the pace that we go, I think then their skill level is going to continue to develop and grow."
On whether not having De'Ron around this summer prohibited Thomas Bryant's growth over the summer:
BUCKLEY: "Almost the opposite, in that I thought it was better for Thomas to play against the smaller quicker guys, because that's where he needs to continue to get better and be more athletic. So I don't think that was as much of a hindrance. But obviously those two guys are going to make each each other better by battling in practice and they're also going to be able to battle together too, which i think will make them very good players."
On the excitement about the renovations to Assembly Hall:
JOHNSON: "Well I'm really excited to see it. They have been working on it for a long time now, so the sooner the better for me. I think it will be really good for us as a program and I'm just excited to see.
BLACKMON JR: "Same here. I think it'll be good for the fans. It will be something for them to look forward to."
ANUNOBY: "Yeah, what they said."
Players Mentioned
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