Previewing Saturday's Senior Day Against Wisconsin

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Archie Miller and seniors Devonte Green and De'Ron Davis met with the media today to preview Saturday's Senior Day game against Wisconsin. Below is a transcript of the press conference.

Head Coach Archie Miller

ARCHIE MILLER: Yeah, coming into our last regular season home game, you know, it's really the finale of an incredible Big Ten season. Being a part of the league is humbling to say the least. The amount of up and downs that every team has gone through, and to sort of at our group going into the last game of the regular season, ironically playing Wisconsin who we started it off with. You know, the different paths that everyone has taken to sort of get here has been -- you know, really as a coach you look at our league and just the utmost respect.

That goes into Wisconsin to say the least. There is lot of great candidates for coaches of the year and all kind of stuff, but I think when Greg Gard has done with his group through the course of this season has been as impressive as any.

The departure of players and then the addition of players and sort of working his team, to be playing the way they're playing right now for an opportunity to get the one seed in the Big Ten tournament, you know, to me, their staff and in particular Greg, deserves a lot of credit.

Their players are playing at a terrific level all the way around. I told I think our staff the other day that as post-season comes, Wisconsin is one of those dangerous teams that regardless of who they play on a given night, you really have a tough matchup. They can do a lot of special things as their season continues to go.

For our guys, you look at senior day. It's always a special day here at Indiana. We have two guys finishing their last regular season home game.

And for our guys in general to be able to play off the Minnesota emotion and come into Saturday, you have to have some optimism that it's going to on an energetic group. Playing for a lot, like everyone is at this time of year.

To me, this is what March is about. It's a Big Ten heavyweight sort of game. It finishes off, like I said, an incredible regular season for our conference in general.

So I'll leave it at that.

Q. De'Ron and Devonte, what have they meant to you as two guys that went through a coaching change and stuck it out and worked with you for the last three years?
ARCHIE MILLER: Well, both guys started off their career here. And, you know, like you said, came into a situation where there was a transition. Transition is not easy. It's not easy at all.

And for those two guys in general, No. 1, coming through the last three years to do what they've done in school and be in a situation where both guys will graduate is great. It's a credit to them.

On the basketball floor they both have had unique paths to the floor through the course of the three seasons. De'Ron with a really serious career-threatening type injury, and then Devonte with some spectacular individual performances and runs.

For both guys, I think in general they've had great humility through the process. They have tried to understand what we've tried to do and have gotten better at times.

But like every guy, they go through up and downs, but finishing their regular season as seniors, I think both guys are primed to do some special things here in the next few weeks and to be a part of something they haven't been part of through the course of their career, through the first year, second or third.

To have a chance to maybe have their best season and to go out on a high note is something as a coach you look forward to seeing. But both guys, you know, you have individual relationships with your players. Those two guys will go long and far, and as long as I'm here, they're going to have an opportunity to really come back whenever they want and be a part of our program moving forward, which is always important.

Q. You talked about the job Greg Gard has done. Kobe King is no longer there, but Potter, Reuvers. Who are the guys that you look at that have really helped him keep themselves at that level?
ARCHIE MILLER: Well, the addition of Micah Potter, I think Wisconsin is 15 and 5 with him adding to the team. He's a terrific offensive weapon and player. Can go inside and out; shooting almost 46% from three on the season at 6'10". You at him with Reuvers, there is constantly a threat behind the three-point line with size with him and Reuvers and Aleem Ford.

That's where it's really trick see with of their concepts and the way that they play. They have a veteran core group with Trice and Davison and Pritzl. Those three in particular have played in a lot of games and they've played in a lot of big games, and they have really risen to the occasion.

With all of the maybe roster turnover, however you wants to look at it, whether it was an injury or whatever it may be, those guys are playing terrific ball.

Shooting the ball extremely well. D'Mitrik Trice is fantastic. Incredible game at Michigan. Shoots it; is their highest assist guy in terms of the way he plays off the ball screen.

And Davison and Pritzl are just true what I would call nuts and bolts guys that beat you in a lot of different ways, not just from the three-point line. But they have a great what I think chemistry right now in their roster.

They're playing their best basketball of the season here clearly at the end winning I think seven in a row coming in here. To me, like I said, I won't be surprised at all if Wisconsin doesn't make a couple really deep runs with some really big wins.

I think they can beat anybody in the country.

Q. You mentioned earlier about how Devonte has had some incredible highs in his four years. Confidence has always been a thing with him. Talk about just a little bit about what it's been like to try to deal with the mental part of keeping him up and getting him up and through everything he's gone through.
ARCHIE MILLER: I mean, he's like every other player. They view the eyes of the game their own way. I think Devonte really values his dynamic offensive ability. I think you've seen the guy out throughout the course of even this season and in games in his career where he's the best player on the floor. I think he envisions himself as that guy every time he takes the floor.

Some times it backfires on him, like it does all guys, but he has a lot of pride and self-confidence. You have to find a way for him to be able to be impactful. In our wins he's very impactful, and I think a lot of people would look and say, 3-point line and his scoring bursts, but I think when he's been most impactful he's engaged in a lot of other areas.

In particular here recently again Minnesota in both wins. Even at Illinois a little bit. You look at our Penn State game. He's done some really good things defensively for us where he's picked up his level of toughness and competitiveness.

Our team has made a big jump in the last few weeks defensively, and a big part of is I think Devonte has added some value were on that end of the floor. Confidence may be -- I don't think he ever lacks for confidence. I think sometimes he lacks that it's not going to be that easy every game. Not just going to look the same every game and flash bomb threes or whatever.

He's aggressive right now, which we need. We need another guy who can score the ball. He's definitely our most impactful guy in shooting the ball when he gets on some of his runs. But just be solid. That's what we try to always be with him and try to have him value some of the little things that go on in the course of a game and how he can do it.

Just in talking to him yesterday about our defense coming out of Minnesota, I think he knows he can do a really good job in certain areas for us. We talked about some things even going into the Wisconsin game that I think if he makes a couple quick tweaks and improvements to some technique and what's he's doing, and he can get a little better.

Which at this point in time, you have an engaged guy, that's good.

Q. Going back to just kind of relationships, De'Ron is a guy who really tried to buy with you almost from the first day. I remember he stayed kind of that whole first summer. Had to battle through some injuries. How have you gotten to know him and what do you feel like you've learned about him watching him?
ARCHIE MILLER: Yeah, I think De'Ron is a really talented player. He's got unbelievable hands and footwork and can really pass the ball as a front court player. I think of all the years I've been here, this is the year that he's been the most steady in terms of his consistency and trying thing that we ask him to do.

There hasn't been a real -- sometimes he gets down on himself or sometimes the injuries really got him down, but he's a guy that I think when engaged has a huge impact on our team because he has a great personality, and guys generally flock him in terms of who he is.

He's older though, more mature. I think he realizes that winning is the most important thing for him to finish. But he's played a big role for us this course of this season, as he has in almost every year he's been here in terms of really impacting when he's good. He really helps us.

But he's a smart guy. He can really communicate. He's very articulate and he can really think the game and what thought. Unfortunately for him, I think when you're his type of a player and you deal with the type of injury which he had, which was a severed Achilles, that's a really tough thing to come back from at his age and his size.

I think he worked hard to get over that. Last year, as a junior, realistically I don't think he really had a fair shake at that recovery coming back November or December, because he tore it in January.

So you saw good things from him last year, but I don't think he was ever fully recovered. I think this off-season and being able to put himself in a situation to have the longest time since his freshman year of being able to kind of stay with it and work at it, he's given himself a chance to be a part of what we're doing every day now, with very little setbacks health-wise.

To his credit, he stayed with it. He's been in a really good place all year long, working his way into what we're doing, and he's played a big role in a lot of games and what we're doing.

I suspect as we keep mowing forward, De'Ron is going to continue to play a big role. But like I see back on a lot of players careers, I had injuries as a player, and you look back, Dang, I was really doing well. You look back at his start with us, to be derailed the way he was derailed for almost a year and a half, that's tough. It's a very difficult injury to come back from, especially when you're the type of player he is and body type that he is. He's a big guy.

But he's given us big time moments over the course of his career where he's really helped us, and he's done that this year as a senior. My hope is he continues to finish strong and has an opportunity to really play a lot more games.

THE MODERATOR: All right, coach, thank you.

ARCHIE MILLER: Thank you.

Indiana Players - Devonte Green and De'Ron Davis

Q. Devonte, obviously going out now your senior year in the tournament, hopes are all aligned here as you guys enter tournament play after this game. What have these years been like for you, and how are you looking forward to trying to put a great cap on your career?
DEVONTE GREEN: These four years have been great. I've been blessed to just even be in the positions that I've been in. I mean, we set a goal in the beginning of the season. We knew what was on the line for is as seniors especially, and we want to finish it up the best we can and do something we've never done before in our four years.

Q. For either of you guys, how emotional of a moment do you think it's going to be when you're on that court for the last time, and how do you kind of keep a level head going into the game?
DE'RON DAVIS: I think it's just bittersweet. You know, had a lot of ups, had a lot of downs, but it's always great to play at such a -- what's the word? You could say powerful and impactful and influential school.

Q. De'Ron, I think you go back further with this program than anybody except maybe J.D. I think Coach Crean offered you after your 8th grade year.
DE'RON DAVIS: Yeah.

Q. Have you had any moments, whether it leading up to Saturday, or just in general these last few months just thinking about the entire journey you've been on with Indiana going all the way back to when you got that offer and Indiana really starts recruiting you?
DE'RON DAVIS: Yeah, just been blessed. Not a lot of kids can get an offer from a D1 school like that where I come from, so I just embraced it. It's been a long journey, but it's been fun.

Q. For De'Ron or Devonte, after the last time you guys played Wisconsin, Archie said that he kind of wanted guys to grab each other by the jerseys. Do you feel like since then there has been some progress in that regard where you do have a little bit more urgency or there is more player leadership of some sort?
DEVONTE GREEN: I would say that there has been an adjustment made throughout the season, and we've definitely improved on things, especially when it comes to holding guys accountable. So I would say so.

Q. And I have two. Start with De'Ron. I remember being out there when you committed at your high school to IU. You talked about how big of a deal it was to have a chance to have an impact. Then you had the injury. Question is: How tough was it to fight through that, not just a moment you had the injury, but the whole time, come back, hey, you're not going to be the star but you're going to be a role player. You stuck with it. Explain to people what that was like and why you stuck with it.
DE'RON DAVIS: I stuck with it because it's the love for the game I have. I like being out there with my teammates playing, and it was just fun. It was some ups and downs with my Achilles injury and then me coming back and hurting my ankle. Had been out for like five games after that my junior year. My sophomore year was kind of cut short from the injury, and then my junior year had the ankle injury.

It is a rocky two years, but because I love basketball and I like being out there with my guys, it made everything worth it.

Q. Devonte, just curious, what are your favorite moments? You've had highs and lows. You had games where you played really well and games where you've been frustrated with yourself. When look back, give me two or three things that in your eyes you say, yeah, these are my top things.
DEVONTE GREEN: Honestly, our very first game at Indiana was probably one of the most memorable ones. It was a fun game to watch and be a part of.

And then last year --

Q. Any particular reasons?
DEVONTE GREEN: I guess it was my first time on a new team, first time playing a college basketball game and I actually played in it. So it went to overtime against like the No. 3 team in the nation, so it was just a fun game to be a part of.

And then last year we played MSU on my birthday and it was my first game back after the suspension. That was probably one of the funnest games I've also been a part of.

And then of course FSU this year was probably the most exciting game I've been in in my entire career. So a lot of good memories here.

Q. For either guy, going through a coaching transition isn't easy. How did you guys manage to stick with it and how rewarding is it maybe this season that you're on the cusp of maybe doing something special?
DEVONTE GREEN: I mean, for us, we're the last two standing from the Crean era. Not everybody did stick with it. I think that the fact that we chose to says something about us. I mean, like I said earlier, we set a goal this season. We're very close to reaching that goal now, so sticking with it was -- it felt like the right choice.

Q. De'Ron? What do you have to add?
DE'RON: Oh. Nothing. He said it all right there. That was good.

Q. How do you feel about the people that helped you academically. Talk about that.
DE'RON DAVIS: Oh, yeah, Lo (Price) -- came out with Marnie, and then she left after that first year, but Lowe been on me since sophomore year, so she got me through. Helped me out, set me up with the right people to tutor and made my college career actually meaningful. Learned a lot of new things. Took classes I didn't like, but I needed to and that will help me in the long run, so...

Q. Devonte, in your time here you've had a whole bunch of highs. The games where you've had to struggle through, the fans, quote, unquote, fans have given you grief a lot of times. Sometimes you have been able to handle that pretty well and sometimes you haven't. When you look back on your four years here, what do you want to say to all those people?

DEVONTE GREEN: Um -- (laughter.) I mean, I probably can't say what I really want to say. No, honestly, I thank all of them, even the good fans for sticking with us. I've had some positivity over the years. Even with the negativity though, it's only been fuel to the fire. So I thank them too, because they helped me learn how to battle adversity.

I mean, especially where I want to play, I want to keep playing, people aren't always going to like you or tell you what you want to hear. I think they taught me a lot. I think I've learned a lot from them.

Q. This is for both of you guys. Do either of you plan to get engaged tomorrow on senior day?
DEVONTE GREEN: No, not me.

DE'RON DAVIS: No, no.

Q. I just wanted to make -- Collin Hartman did that, you know?
DEVONTE GREEN: Yeah, I remember that.

Q. Both you guys have talked about, on our talk show, on the coach's talk show, about after basketball. Both of you have talked about the fact that you would like to maybe open up some kind of a facility for kids.
Can you both talk about that and why that's important to you?
DE'RON DAVIS: Well, like I said on your show, I want to try to open like a rec center or something like that because that's what I grew up in in my neighborhood. That's where I learned to play basketball, just going there after school. After-school programs, they helped me do my homework, they give you a meal, some snacks, and then I was able to hoop and relax and chill with friends. That was always a big part of my life and how I grew up. Helped me stay away from gang violence and stuff like that.

Also, I want to help develop programs for like the NFL, NBA, like try to modernize like the NFL, play 60 seconds. Just try to incorporate more technology to it. Just try to help it be better for kids that are less fortunate and that are in like disabilities.

DEVONTE GREEN: Pretty much the same. Just add on to that for the less fortunate kids of course. I'm from New York, so in New York there is a lot of tournaments that are hosted. And me growing up, I played in all these tournaments, like at the Gaucho's Gym. They have kind of faded away over the years, and the only tournaments you see now are like the summer tournaments with Dyckman and Rucker and those kind of things.

I kind of just want to bring back the indoor tournaments and how they used to be, because gyms used to sell out. That was a big part of my childhood, so I want to bring that back to New York for the upcoming kids.

THE MODERATOR: All right, guys, thank you.

Indiana University Athletics

Previewing Saturday's Senior Day Against Wisconsin

Players Mentioned

De'Ron Davis

Devonte Green

Collin Hartman

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