Postgame Quotes - Indiana vs. Saint Francis - Indiana University Athletics

Indiana vs. Saint Francis
Postgame Quotes
March 19, 2019

Indiana Players
Juwan Morgan
Q: What was the message at halftime?
A: "He told us what he was seeing. He was seeing that we need to get the ball in the paint anytime we run it. Just making plays out of the paint. If that wasn't there, pass it. Whatever you want it to be. He really emphasized that in the second half."

Q: Coach Schilling got animated at halftime, did that get your attention?
A: "Definitely, you don't see it often. I've only seen it once. It was in the beginning of the year. That really opened some guys eyes to how serious this is. Regardless if it's the NCAA or NIT. It made us realize that this game is just as important as any other game. I think that's what got the guys going in the second half."

Al Durham
Q. What kind of changes were made going into the second half?
"We just knew that we could play harder and we just felt like we weren't playing at our max. So, we tried to put an emphasis on us playing harder and playing better defense. When we got that to be our focus, it was over."

Q. What did you see from the defense that allowed you to attack the basket?
"I just saw the openings and coach told me to hit the seams so I just took what they gave me."

Q. You went out there and scored a career-high 22 tonight. What did that feel like?
"It feels good. My teammates have confidence in me, and I just do what I do every day."

Indiana Head Coach Archie Miller
Well, a lot of credit to Saint Francis. Obviously they had a terrific season being able to win their regular season championship and I thought they came in here and in particular -- in particular Jamaal King really played well. That first half, he was fantastic, and he got them going.

The end of the day, defensively, we weren't very good and then we were very apprehensive on offense and I think that happens at times when you play this first game.

You don't really know how it's going to go. It's a different feeling, and we looked that way in the first half. We did a better job in the second half, and Juwan clearly established himself, and that's what we needed to do, you know, pretty much the entire game.

So other guys stepped up and made some plays. Al was very good tonight. Devonte continues to make some good plays. Justin got on the glass a few times, but you know, more importantly, the first one is down. Feel a lot better to kind of get into the tournament now, and Providence and Arkansas will be a much different feeling on probably Thursday.

Q. What did you appreciate most about how your guys played here tonight?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: Well second half was much more like I'd like to think that we can be. I don't think we're playing very well defensively as a team here in this last, maybe three games. We've sort of let our guard down.

I don't think our perimeter guys right now defensively are locked in as much, and we have to try and figure out a way to get that back, because you're not going to score a ton of points every single game.

You know, the next one against Providence with their size, or Arkansas with their quickness, which we have already seen this year, they can give us a lot of different types of problems. We are going to have to find a way to get back that confidence level on defense, that toughness level on defense, which at times in the second half, we got it going. But we're going to need it from the jump ball here kind of moving forward.

Q. About Juwan establishing himself in the second half, was that a point of emphasis of yours at halftime or his or where did that come from?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: That came right from us, staff, at halftime. We wanted to get it established. In the first half, they played a lot of zone, and he picked up two fouls which took him off the floor. We were doing all right when he was on the floor in the first half, but when he came out it, hurt us.

Second half, I mean, there was a clear message to establish, and with the new rules with the fouls, you've got ten minutes; if you can pick up that fifth foul before the tenth minute, you go two shots every time, and that was much more the philosophy in the second half. And he wanted ball; we got it in there to him and that was a good sign and it was able to neutralize sort of the game. We didn't have to shoot as many jumpers.

Q. How did you balance tonight whether to play Romeo, sore back, NBA draft stock; am I making too much calculus of the occasion or is that all part of it?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: No, he tweaked his back early on in the Ohio State game. He dealt with it through the Ohio State game and post-Ohio State, he's had multiple treatments a day and he's not feeling very good, so he's uncomfortable.

If we played in the NCAA Tournament tonight, he wouldn't have played. So I think that's one thing to state.

Romeo would like to come back. There are short turnarounds right here with these games, so I don't necessarily know if one day is going to make a lot of difference for him. Maybe it takes us into that second week.

But hopefully he starts to feel little better, he can start to move. He hasn't done anything since Ohio State on court, but definitely in talking to Romeo he wants to be out there and play. He's very uncomfortable with the alignment, or whatever is going on with him which popped, sort of spasmed out on him during the Ohio State game.

We're hopeful we can get him back. If it's a short turnaround coming in on Thursday and he's still not able to do anything, he won't play. When he's ready to play obviously he'll get back to work, and hopefully we have an opportunity to get him back.

Q. The tech at the end of the first half, what were you mad about? It seemed to energize this crowd and really spark you to start the second half?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: I just thought Rob went down, and I thought he got fouled and then I thought the play that came back him was no different. I mean, I didn't see the difference on the call. You know, we'll see on film. I think the officials at halftime regrouped and told me Rob didn't get fouled. So, you know, I got a technical.

Q. You mentioned the slow start but once they got going, 18 assists on 35 shots and only seven turnovers, two of the most critical part of your team's success?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: Yeah, against the zone, we had to take care of the ball. We got a little sloppy in transition I thought at times in the second half, but most of the time we got the ball where we needed to get to, and also thought our guards did a better job penetrating and kicking. We had more assist-type passion in transition.

We had more in the second half than we di in first, but it all kind of started with the ability to establish the post. We were able to establish catches in the post, and good things usually happen when you can work inside-out.

Q. What did you tell the team during halftime to inspire them?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: A lot of things I can't say right now, I promise you that (laughter) it was a very, very poor performance in the first half and I knew it was coming.

I mean, you can sense the attitude of your team. You can always sense the vibe that's going around, and I didn't feel that we had four or five guys, you know, completely locked in and it showed, and we got more locked in in the second half.

But I think as we moved through, like I said, you get this first one under your belt, we've got a another one coming, so we should be much better prepared in the second one. The opponent is going to be a lot better, obviously, in terms of the league and the size that they are coming from.

Q. You nearly had all five starters going double-figures tonight. How pleased were you with the balance there? Juwan and Al, obviously scored most of those points but the balance overall from them?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: We were better in the second half. You could tell we much were much more aggressive getting the ball to the paint.

We drove it more. We scored more around the basket. We were able to get a lot more two-point shots. First half, we're a team that shoots I think maybe in the 20s from three, so when you watch us jack threes up, the result usually is transition defense and having to get back and guard.

When you work the ball into the paint, you can get fouled. If your guards can put it down and get to the paint usually that's better. I thought the second half makeup of our team was much better.

Q. Can you talk about the importance of doing well in this event, maybe even winning this event?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: I mean, be honest with you, we're taking it very, very serious right now. Maybe the first half, we didn't, but this is a tournament that has teams that could advance in the NCAA Tournament, I feel like that.

Once you start to get through a round and play that second one you're going to see the intensity level go up because you're a step closer to getting to Madison Square Garden. And if you get to that third one, obviously there's a lot of pressure in those games. Guys got to play.

Anywhere in postseason play, like I said, doesn't really matter. When you learn how to win here, find a way to have a couple good games as a player, it helps you. It helps you moving forward as a player.

Q. You mentioned them jacking up threes in the first half. You got that fix in the second half. How do you just stop that during the first half just to get them --
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: Juwan needed to stay on the floor. I think his second foul eliminated our post presence. We didn't have another guy really wanting the ball there in the second half, and it didn't work in the paint, and when it did, the guy that caught the ball in the paint was very apprehensive to turn around and look at the rim and attack and score.

And we needed a different post look when Juwan went out. That's why we struggled I thought shooting so many threes. Second half, as you can see, he was a guy that we established very early, and he kept at it.

Q. How huge was it for Al to score 22 points that he did tonight, especially with Romeo being out and one of the big offensive cogs being out of the game?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: Al did a nice job. I thought all of our perimeter guys from an offensive standpoint did a pretty good job. Al in the second half, Rob and Devonte, I thought drove the ball much more than they did in the first half.

DeVonte pops in another six assists, Rob has four to one, so you get ten to three from those two guys; that's a good sign.

Q. Was the decision not to play De'Ron in the second half just based on how Juwan was playing?
COACH ARCHIE MILLER: That was part of it, and also De'Ron didn't play very good in the first half. I don't think he felt very good. He didn't look the part the last couple days. We've got to get him going here. He can't move like he moved out there in the first half.

You know, Juwan was able to play long minutes in the second half. If he wasn't able to do it, obviously De'Ron would have probably gotten a second crack at it, but he was playing too well on offense to take him out."

Saint Francis Players
Keith Braxton
Q: What are some positives you took away from this game?
"I'm just glad that we didn't back down. The energy and focus that we brought to this game was big time. Being able to go up against a big program like that and to put together an effort like that, you can't ask for much more. Just proud of the way the guys and the staff worked."

Q: What was it like playing in Assembly Hall?
"It was great. The fans were amazing. Being able to play against a great team like that in the Big Ten is definitely an experience I won't forget."

Q: What are some things you guys worked on in practice and executed in this game?
"I think we did well on our pick-and-roll offense. Coming off the screen and finding an open teammate. I think that really helped us offensively. Getting stops and getting out of transition was also a really big help for us."

Jordan Forehand:
Q: What was it like to play at Assembly Hall and what did you think of it?
"It was my first time playing here. (Assembly Hall) was a great environment and definitely a great experience to play here. Definitely a memorable moment."

Q: What was the atmosphere in the locker room going into half time?
"It was definitely a high moment. Everybody was excited to be in this position. We tried to come out in the second half and with that energy, but we couldn't get it done. It was definitely a fun experience, we thought we had them, but we couldn't get it done."

Saint Francis Head Coach Rob Krimmel
Congratulate Archie and his staff on a well-played game. Certainly a coach and a former player who has a lot of talent on his roster and was a very good player in his own right.

So to be able to stand on the sideline next to Coach Miller and his staff, certainly an honor and a privilege for our guys.

And to the great people here in Indiana, our stay has been fantastic. What an opportunity for our guys to come in and compete against one of the most storied programs in college basketball history in one much most stories arenas. It's a pretty special experience for our guys and the coaches.

It's something that we see on TV, and to be able to come in here and compete against these guys and a great university is something I know our guy also remember; and to the people at the NIT for making this experience for our guys awesome.

Something our university hasn't done in 60 years, and certainly the history of Saint Francis Basketball dates back to when the NIT was the premiere tournament and something I know our guys have embraced and the many alums that are out there that have followed this team during the season, certainly thank you to them and to all the people back at Saint Francis. It's been a fun ride with these guys for 33 games, they gave Saint Francis university and the coaching staff everything they had. Proud of the way they came out and competed the first 20 minutes, and you know, certainly there for the first part of the second half before Indiana was able to run away with it.

But you know, for our guys, for the seniors, the five guys that put on the uniform for the last time, proud of the way they represented the university and certainly an experience we'll never forget.

Q. You came in here and had the lead at the half. What does that specific thing mean to this team and to Saint Francis?
COACH ROB KRIMMEL: I told the guys in the locker room, probably four or five years ago, in games like this, we would have kept it close for, you know, maybe the first media. Maybe the second media.

But of the five games that we played this year in the power five conferences, and if you include Buffalo in that mix; in every one of those five games, our guys were in it for more than just the first media time-out.

As a coach, you want to come in and win one of these games. It's certainly something that you have on the bucket list, but where the program has come from, to just being close maybe in the first media to in each one of these five games, being around a lot longer, it's a credit to the guys on the staff and that locker room that were not really fazed by the atmosphere or by the opponent. They came out competed 94 by 50, and certainly gave us everything that they had.

Q. You've built a program now that's been successful for four or five years in a row, not just one team. What does that mean to Saint Francis to have a lot of these guys back, maybe being picked to win? What does it mean to be part of a strong program, as opposed to having one good team every now and then?
COACH ROB KRIMMEL: That's important. We talked about that way back in day one that we wanted to build a program that was going to be around, and not get to the top and then have to rebuild every supple of years. We've been fortunate to have some really good players in the program that have embraced not just what we've asked of them as a basketball player but as students and as people at Saint Francis. You know, the goal of the program is to continue to get a little bit better every day.

We ask our guys to do that one game at a time and in practice to practice, but from season to season. We want to make sure we see progress in a positive direction. Sometimes they are not always measurable and sometimes it doesn't always happen on the court, but it's certainly an exciting group that's coming back, and the bar has been set high by that senior class. Anxious to see how this group responds and the challenges that they will face, certainly the seniors have set that bar high and set a great example for those young kids to follow.

Q. The challenges of a big talented guy like a Juwan Morgan, is that the biggest issue you face when you come up against a power five school like you did tonight?
COACH ROB KRIMMEL: Yes. Because a lot of times, they have more than one. You know, and certainly his career, I mean, he's an experienced guy, too, that knows how to play angles. You could tell he's well-coached. You know, knows how to play to his strengths.

But I think it's a good thing, though, for our post players to see. It's something that they can learn from someone like that. As tough as it is in the moment, those are things as coaches, we can go back and say, hey, see how he did it. But a lot of times when you get to this level you and play those games, yes, that's the biggest challenge.

Q. After earning CIT bids in each of the last two seasons and getting an NIT bid this year, how valuable is that experience for your program, particularly this year, NIT?
COACH ROB KRIMMEL: It's important. Certainly every kid, when they watch college basketball this time of year, they want to play in March Madness. March Madness has a lot of different versions: The CIT and the NIT and the NCAA. You know, to be able to play in postseason basketball is exciting because you're one of the few teams that are left playing college basketball in the middle of March. The great thing for us is we're practicing and it's still light out. Those are great things, and for those of you that don't know Loretto, Pennsylvania, there's not much snow on the ground this time of year and so the weather is starting to turn and for our guys that's exciting.

To be able to play in postseason, I don't know, three of the last four, whatever the numbers are, that's a credit to those guys. In order to do that, you have to have a winning record, and we played some tough non-conference opponents.

For our guys to stick with it through some tough nonconference schedules and put ourselves in a position to be in postseason a credit to them.

Q. You mentioned how special it is to play at a place like Assembly Hall. What were some of the reactions from the guys on the team when they walked in here for the first time?
COACH ROB KRIMMEL: It's need to see those reactions. As a parent, I look, I have two kids at home and I have 18 on the roster, so I have 20 kids, right.

So when you see your kids do anything, and you see the joy, it's pretty cool. You know, kids like to go on a water slide, or they go to the amusement park. When they come into a place like this, we always try to get here early so that they can do all the banner looking and kind of film all the stuff that's going around, because it's something they will never forget.

They will never forget coming in and playing on the same court that some of the greatest basketball players ever to play the game played on.

They will be able to two back and ten years from now, 15 years from now, they will remember that they competed. But the memory that is they have from this year and being able to play at the Dean Dome and Pauley Pavilion, and last year Cameron and being able to play in those environments, it's a special experience. That's what college basketball is all about. We grow up seeing those kids, those programs and the TV and to be able to come and experience it firsthand, it's awesome. It's great. Especially when the people are so welcoming. They allow us to do some of those neat things to soak in the environment.

Q. What can you say about Jamaal's play in the first half and the whole game?
COACH ROB KRIMMEL: Typical Jamaal. I don't know that I've coached a more competitive kid. And to see where he's come from, where he came in as a freshman and where he is now as a player and as a person, when you hear the saying, good things happen to good people, he's right in that -- right there by that definition in the dictionary. To see him have that kind of performance on this kind of stage, does not surprise me. He's not afraid. He's the ultimate competitor, and he's a big part of why the program is where it is right now because of his willingness to stick with us, to challenge guys to be better.

As I said before, the best thing that this team did all year is that they were close. It's the closest team -- and it's Jamaal King that's responsible for that.

Those things as a coach, you want to be a part of every year, but knowing that Jamaal was a big part of getting us here, and then the success that he had tonight and then the Championship game, it's a credit to the work that he's put in and who he is as a person.

Indiana University Athletics

Postgame Quotes - Indiana vs. Saint Francis

Players Mentioned

Juwan Morgan

Related Videos