Miller, Seniors Preview Regular Season Finale

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - Indiana head coach along with the five seniors on the team met with the media to discuss Senior Night and the game against No. 16 Ohio State.

ARCHIE MILLER: We have -- it's an understatement to say big game, but the finale here, coming down a grueling stretch to finish at home against arguably one of the -- maybe the league champion, we'll see how it falls out, but should have an electric environment. It's senior night, a lot of guys have put a lot into their careers here, and we're trying to obviously dedicate ourselves right now, be the best that we can possibly be every day and give ourselves a chance to compete against the best team and one of the best teams in the country. It's a big opportunity.

Q. How do you approach senior day? Do you make sure all five guys get in the game?
ARCHIE MILLER: Senior day is like every other game. The way you honor the seniors is you try to win the game and give them an opportunity to play in front of the fans and give them one more opportunity in Assembly Hall that they don't forget. Senior days are always delicate. There's a lot of emotion that goes into those things, but at the end of the day, it's about the 40-minute game, and that's what we're going to try and do is prepare our team like we've prepared very, very hard here every game. It's like I told those guys the other day, the only thing you remember about your senior day is did you win or lose, and that's what we'll do. We'll prepare the same way we always have, and we'll see how the thing stacks up.

Q. Since you just played Ohio State not that long ago, can you draw a lot from that in preparation?
ARCHIE MILLER: Without question. We were physically dominated in the game. We were a step slow to every loose ball. We were very -- lack of physicality on our offensive side of the ball in terms of the way we screened, the way we cut. They were the more forceful team in that game.

We did some good things. I thought we were coming off a one-day turnaround. I think we played Purdue. And we didn't have a whole lot of time to sort of prepare for them. But they're a unique team. At the small forward, power forward and center position, you can make the case they arguably have one of the best players in the conference at those three spots, and they beat you up pretty good, and their guards have done a great job of just really, to be honest with you, playing the game simple, taking great shots, and making the simple, easy play. They have a very connected team on both ends of the floor. They're very underrated defensively. They're one of the best defenses in the country. They have great length. They're very tough, and they -- to be honest with you, they've been able to have a successful season because they have good parts.

In our first game, lack of physical toughness, lack of energy, there was a lot of things we didn't have in place that night to be able to give them a better game, and hopefully in our building, we have a little bit more pep in our step, so to speak.

Q. You've talked about a lot of the seniors individually through the season, but Rob, what's he meant for you, this being your first year? You've talked about his work ethic, his buy-in, those sorts of things. How important has he been for you?
ARCHIE MILLER: Probably can't put it into words, just how much he's given to our staff. It hasn't been just like one day or one week. It's been literally the first second we arrived on campus until today, he has been all in, and he's worked extremely hard not only individually on his own game, but he's really just done an amazing job of giving everything he has to our process. Regardless of how this season finishes up, he individually from a statistical standpoint, I don't know if guys will look at it, but what he's meant to the program in terms of giving us an opportunity to build, to compete, to be able to get better all season long -- you know, when you're Iron Man, your seniors can go a lot of different ways when there's change, especially when there's a lot of ups and downs in a season, and to me, he is as ready right now as he was at the start of the season when there was a lot of excitement. He'll go down as one of the guys -- hopefully as we build season upon season that you look back on and say he gave us a chance.

Q. With Justin's play coming off the bench each of the last three games, what's been clicking for him lately having double figures in scoring?
ARCHIE MILLER: He's been more aggressive around the basket. He's finished a lot tougher than he has in the past. I think you've seen him miss a lot of opportunities around the basket earlier in the season, whether it was some empty dunks or just some blocked shots around the basket. I think if you look at him now, he really attacking the rim hard. He's had some great finishes. He's on the offensive glass. He's doing some of the things that he needs to do to be successful, and he's using his athleticism, and he's a lot more forceful on his drives. I just think he's playing with a lot more confidence in and around the basket. And defensively not only against Iowa, not only against Iowa and Illinois, but also even in our recent game against Nebraska, I thought he took a step up defensively, really took on the challenge of some perimeter-oriented guys, driving the ball. I thought he did a good job, maybe his best -- one of his best overall games to be honest with you. It's good to see freshmen finishing strong. I think that's a big part of their development is at the end of the season showing that they got to a point where they feel good about themselves.

Q. How much has his basketball IQ come along?
ARCHIE MILLER: He's smart. He's a lot smarter. He's funny, if you watch our first Ohio State game, he was at his worst. You go back a month and you watch him, and you go, wow, Justin wasn't there that night or whatever, and you look five games later, six games later, and you're like, Justin is playing better. It's just the evolution of those young guys learning the game, learning the intensity of the game, and from a feel perspective, I think you see a guy that's a little bit more in sync with how we play as a team. He knows what's going on a lot more. These experiences are giving him an opportunity to bolster sort of his career and gives him enough information that he belongs, and also the smarter he gets with what we do and how we do it, the better he'll be.

Q. With Collin maybe just not having the production lately and the injuries mounting, how has he kept it in balance?
ARCHIE MILLER: He's positive. He's a leader. He's stayed with it. He's all about winning. I think he's probably -- deep down inside, he'd say to himself, I'm a shell of probably what I was at one point in my career, and the injuries certainly played a big role, not in his inconsistency but his inability to really get in rhythm. I wouldn't be surprised, though, with his attitude and how things go, I gave him a lot of credit in front of the team. I thought he helped us win the Iowa game. I thought the Iowa game maybe he didn't score a ton, but his assists, his defense, he helped us win that game in a very hard-fought game, so that was good.

Right now we're just trying to find the rhythm on the floor when a group is playing well, and if he gets his opportunities, he knows if he does the right things and plays well, he'll play. But make no mistake about it, he's unselfish. He's given us another guy that really has been about the right things all the time. Just unfortunately he has had a number of issues from the first day of the season to start until right now that are still lingering, whether it's his thumb right now or his knee continues to be sore. He's been a guys that just has not had that opportunity to really get in great rhythm, and as a player, when you're constantly in and out and you're constantly missing practices, you're constantly sort of a game-time decision, it just doesn't set up well for you.

But I'm glad he came back. He's been awesome to be around. He's been awesome for our staff to have a guy that's a little bit older, a little bit more mature help our young guys. So he's been good.

Q. With all those injuries that you talked about, especially in the front court, can you just talk about Freddie and maybe how far he has evolved since you got here to where he is now?
ARCHIE MILLER: Oh, he's come a long way. I think Freddie is a guy that's always had pride in himself as a player and wants more opportunities. With injuries, he's got his opportunities, and I think when we've sort of evolved here over the last I would say seven, eight games, when we've needed energy, when we've needed rebounding, when we've needed a guy to come in here and give that to us, he did it. Here of late, we've got to pick it back up for him here as he finishes I think the last couple games. He hasn't rebounded the ball as well as we've needed him to. But he's evolved. He's given us a guy on defense and offense that's helped our team, and without question, our survival and how we play, he's gotten better. He has. He's gotten better. He's helped us in a number of situations.

We've got to get him cranked back up a little bit on the glass here coming down the home stretch because we're struggling right now rebounding.

Q. You'll either be the sixth or seventh seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Do you have a preference -- I know if you're the sixth --
ARCHIE MILLER: Sixth. You don't want to finish seventh if you can finish sixth, so we're going to take the highest possible seed that they'll name us. Sixth is definitely better than seventh. But in terms of who you play, I think the sixth is a little more unique because you wait and see. I think you get a play-in game if I'm not mistaken, so you wait and see. If you're the seven, you go in there with three to four days probably with preparation.

Maybe it's a little better to play the seven just in terms of having your readiness for the first game, but just in terms of how it stacks up, if this team finished sixth, I would be happier than if we finished in the seventh.

Q. Before the Rutgers game, Ohio State had a couple losses against Penn State and Michigan. What did you see in those two games that they did well that you guys may be able to replicate?
ARCHIE MILLER: Well, one, they were on the road against two teams that are playing very well right now. They caught Penn State on a tough night, in terms of what Penn State and how they've been playing, and Wesson goes out with an ankle injury early in the game, it changed their team a little bit. When you go on the road, especially in this league, and you're playing for a lot like a Penn State is or a Michigan is or Nebraska the other night, you're catching a team that is playing in a hostile environment that has a lot to prove.

So I thought the Penn State game was one of which was going to be difficult. And then rivalry game, go to Michigan, that's not easy, either. So they were just put in two tough environments, and they were in the Michigan game for the most part. I think Michigan made some plays down the home stretch. But if you watch them come back against Rutgers and how they played, they were in sync, played very hard, dominated the game, and for us, I think we're clearly going to get a good Ohio State. But there's a lot of things to like about them. There's a lot of things that they do well. They impose their will on both ends of the floor. You've got to be really willing to match the toughness aspect of things on both ends of the floor. It's not as if they're really -- there's not very many things you can pick on them with. They've got a lot of answers. That's why they're a good team.

Robert Johnson
Freddie McSwain Jr.
Collin Hartman
Josh Newkirk
Tim Priller

Q. Robert, as you look back on a career over 100 starts, broken 1,000 points a while ago now, how do you want to be remembered I guess at Indiana?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Yeah, it is a tough question. But I think I just want to be remembered as a guy who despite whatever circumstances that I came across, I tried to do my best to give the team everything I had and to help the team win in any way I could.

Q. Collin, how have you kind of balanced keeping an even keel with all the injuries, maybe just not having the production, navigated this season as a whole?
COLLIN HARTMAN: It actually started a lot with my faith, my religion and just staying focused and focusing on what matters and controlling what you can control. I surround myself with a lot of good guys, all these guys here at the table and the program and good people outside the program. So it's just -- you have to be the kind of guy that's going to uplift everybody around you, even if you're not feeling the best or you're not in the best state of mind. Just kind of stay focused on that.

Q. Is there any way to top last senior day for you?
COLLIN HARTMAN: No, this one won't be much different. Short and sweet.

Q. Collin, kind of paraphrasing here, but I remember you were quoted before the season began about your decision to come back. One of the things you cited was I think Archie Miller can do some special things here, and I want to be a part of that, a part of the building from the ground up. What has that been like to watch this team develop under him for the season?
COLLIN HARTMAN: It's been awesome. It's been a journey, and I think that, like you said, as this team has gone on, we've come together and grown together as a team throughout the season, coming together and learning the system and just working through everyday trials and tribulations together. We've grown together and we've become really close, and it's been a fun ride so far. Going to take it as far as we can.

Q. You talk about growing together, and this could be for anybody, but you guys are an interesting group in that a couple of you weren't here at the very beginning, different classes and stuff. How have you guys been able to kind of grow together?
JOSH NEWKIRK: I think just having an open communication. All of us, we just -- we've been through so much on and off the court that it's kind of just bonded us together. We just stick together no matter what happens.

TIM PRILLER: Really just bonding, kind of like Boose said. We just hang out all the time together outside of basketball, and obviously we see each other every day, and we just build trust, build communication, and just work together every day. So that's pretty much how.

FREDDIE McSWAIN: Basically what Tim and Josh were saying. Just being together every day and going through the ups and downs and just fighting through adversity every day. It just kept us together.

Q. In terms of your senior night speeches, do you guys prepare those, write those down? What do you have to include in that?
JOSH NEWKIRK: I mean, I just plan to keep it sweet, simple, just thank the people close to me, and that's it.

TIM PRILLER: I mean, yeah, I'm going to write mine later tonight, and like Boose said, I'm going to keep my short and sweet, too.

ROBERT JOHNSON: Yeah, pretty much the same. I don't think I'm going to write anything down. I'll probably just go off the top of my head, whatever I'm thinking. Just try to thank everybody that's been a part of the journey. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

FREDDIE McSWAIN: Yeah, basically just come from the heart and just thanking everybody that's been with me on this journey. That's really it.

COLLIN HARTMAN: Yeah, same.

Q. Freddie, you've kind of been through a wild ride, JuCo and coming here and having two different coaches. This past season you've seen a lot of development. Could you ever have perceived the experiences you've had this year starting with the majority of the season?
FREDDIE McSWAIN: No, I could just say I've just been trusting the process of just getting better every day and keep looking forward, don't look back, really.

Q. Collin, can you just talk about Rob in terms of how much growth you've seen from him since the beginning to now?
COLLIN HARTMAN: I've been here since Rob got here, and we've actually created a very unique and special bond. We room with each other on the road, always have just great conversations about not just basketball but life and who you want to be as a man and where you put your priorities. So I really commend him for that, and I thank him for being that person that we can have that connection to have those real talks with, so thank you for that, Rob. But as a basketball player, the dude is the same dude day in and day out. Still gets up, exercises, works out after practice every day, even yesterday. You're going to get the same dude every day, and I respect that, and it takes mental toughness and perseverance to be able to come in regardless of the circumstances and, like I said, be the same dude every day. It's been cool to see him grow, and I think the one thing that he has grown on the most is being more vocal, and I think from year one to year four for him, that's been the biggest change is he's been leading by example and just changed it to leading with his voice, as well.

Q. Rob, your thoughts on Collin?
ROBERT JOHNSON: Yeah, well, as you mentioned, we always talk. I kind of like to talk to a lot of people on topics other than basketball because a lot of times that's always the conversation. And like he said, he's been a guy that I could talk to about things like that, and I think it's helped both of us grow in our faith and just to be better men, period.

And basketball-wise, I think he's probably one of the toughest dudes I ever seen as far as fighting the injury bug day in and day out. It seems like he can never catch a break, but at the end of the day, he always tries to bounce back and come back as quick as possible and try to keep the same attitude and give everything he has to the team.

Q. Tim, these four years you've kind of been the fan favorite guy. 20 years from now how will you sum up your experience being here these four years?
TIM PRILLER: My four years have been great. The fan thing is pretty cool and all that, but I really just want to be remembered as a great guy with a great attitude that tried to help my team in any way possible and just do whatever I can to help us win games.

Q. Do you ever have a moment where they're chanting for you at the end of the game and you're thinking, please stop?
TIM PRILLER: It doesn't bother me, but every time it happens, these guys, they want to look at me and smirk at me and stuff, and I try not to laugh. But it doesn't bother me.

Q. Josh, when you came here from Pittsburgh, could you have imagined that your college career was going to end up here tomorrow night in Assembly Hall when you came here and had that big game against IU in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge? Tell us what you remember about that.
JOSH NEWKIRK: No, coming from Pittsburgh to here, I never would have imagined that. It's been a long journey. To finally be here, after five years, I don't know, it's surreal.

Q. Tim, Rob and Collin, the first time you wore this uniform, I think Mike and Zach may have been with us, but we went to Canada. Talk about where you were at that time playing for IU, putting an IU uniform on for the first time? Talk about that trip in particular because I think that springboarded that team to making the NCAA Tournament that year.
ROBERT JOHNSON: Yeah, it doesn't even seem like it was that long ago to be honest. I still remember first putting on the uniform and just having the feeling of I'm finally here, I'm finally a college athlete.

And I think that's where it all started for all of us, really, or for me, Tim, and Collin was already here. But I think that springboarded us as far as bonding and getting to know each other while we were up there. That was the first time we had been away from Bloomington as a group. So I think we bonded with each other, and I think it's been great ever since.

TIM PRILLER: It was a pretty cool experience. I wish we would have got to go to Australia or some cool place, but other than that, Canada was a good experience, and like Rob said, that was our first trip together. It really just brought that first bond in between us three that were there, and Collin had already been there. He's an old man. Boose is an old man, but he wasn't there. And the overall experience was cool. We played, I think, five games. We went to like a theme park, roller coaster thing where we all bonded and then just got to know each other real well.

COLLIN HARTMAN: They pretty much said it. When you go on a trip and you don't really know anybody really that well and you're out experiencing new things and a new country, I guess -- it feels a lot like the United States, but you're somewhere else. And it was cool just to be on our own and being away from Bloomington and learning the new guys and just being immersed in the team atmosphere. Yeah, I think it was really good for that team, and I think that it really did help jump-start that season.

Q. Collin, they call you old man, but you actually did commit to this program like seven and a half years ago; do you ever think back to that far back?
COLLIN HARTMAN: It's been a long, long time ago since I've been around the program. Obviously I committed sophomore year, so that was a long time ago. But I just want to say for the record, Josh Newkirk is older than me. I've always got to throw that out there. But yeah, it's been a long time. It's been a great road. I don't know if there's very many people that have been a part of the program longer than I have, from my commitment to graduation. I'd like to maybe claim that. I don't know if that's a thing, but I'm going to claim it.

Q. When each of you guys look back on your IU career to this point, and obviously you've still got the Ohio State game and the Big Ten Tournament next week, but what will you cherish the most about it, whether it's a moment in practice with each of these guys or other teammates or pregame shootaround, the Canada trip? Is there anything that you'll remember especially?
JOSH NEWKIRK: Just being around these guys day in and day out. Just remembering the summer grinds that we've been through, all the running that we used to do, all the weight lifting. I think that's just the little things, little things like that, going through adversity with these guys. I think that's some of the little things that we'll cherish forever.

TIM PRILLER: I'm going to cherish everything. Everything here has been a wild ride, ups, downs. It's all been good for me.

ROBERT JOHNSON: Yeah, same. I think as far as our experiences, we could get together and talk about a lot of things that we've been through and learned for hours, but something for me that I'll cherish is the impact that we've had on other people's lives. And I think being here is a special place. You get to inspire a lot of people that you don't come across every day, and for me, I think that's been special.

FREDDIE McSWAIN: Well, for me, just coming from junior college to here, I embrace just being here, and I love these guys, love this team, and like Rob was saying, just making an impact on other people's lives and having people watch us every day, watching us, our games, and I'm just truly grateful to be in front of everybody.

COLLIN HARTMAN: I think that what I'll cherish most is obviously the relationships, but also being from Indiana, wearing Indiana across your chest, it brings a lot of pride, and it humbles me to see how much -- coming off what Rob and Freddie were saying, how much it impacts people's lives, how engrained people are into basketball. It's their culture, it's their lifestyle, and I think having the impact that we do and the influence that we do and being able to represent not just the University, not just the program, but you're representing people's lifestyle, and it's humbling and it's an experience that not a lot of people get a feel. When you put a bunch of guys like this, like us from all different kinds of backgrounds, it's cool because we all come together for the same thing, and I think that being able to put together a team like we do in this game with all these different backgrounds, I think it's a life lesson we really get to learn and really respect going into life.

Q. I know four of you had an opportunity to play for a championship, but Collin and Rob both overcame some big obstacles in that year's NCAA Tournament. That's something not many IU teams have done is beat Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament and get to the Sweet 16. What will you take away from that experience and those two games? I know the Kentucky game you ended up collapsing, your ankle, and then you had surgery, and you playing were playing with a broken wrist and hiding it it shoot-around. Talk about that experience.
ROBERT JOHNSON: Yeah, I think that experience and that game in particular really speaks about me and Collin's career. We pretty much had little to give. My ankle was barely holding on, and the same thing with Collin's injuries. But we still tried to come together and give what we could to help the team win. As J.D. said, that's something that's not been done by a lot of IU teams. You can't always -- there's not a lot of things you can say that about. To have that experience and accomplishment is big for us.

COLLIN HARTMAN: Yeah, I think what I take from that is just perseverance and just having the love for the team and love for your teammates to want to push through it and still give what you've got for them. I mean, the season is winding down, your body is tired, injuries obviously, and you just want to contribute in some type of way, so you give everything that you've got. And I think that's the thing I'll take from it is just -- there's always some way you can contribute. You've just got to find that way.

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