Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. Michigan State
2/20/2021 2:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Michigan State
Feb. 20, 2021
Indiana Head Coach Archie Miller
Opening Statement
MILLER: It was a disappointing day for our team. I give Michigan State a lot of credit. Their guys played hard. They took a couple good shots because I thought we started the game really good defensively and got good offense in the first half but did not make shots. Coming out of halftime I thought we did a really good job being able to build the lead back to nine but as the half went on there was just too many errors, either very timely or costly turnovers or defensively, just some break downs. Whether it was transition rebounding or guarding the ball screen. I think we let Michigan State continue to build confidence throughout the game and as they hung around. They are good team and have good players but like every team they have their own journey. We knew today was going to be hard and I am disappointed in our team's ability to defend in the second half. 26 points given up in the first half, lot of deflected balls and guys playing hard. Then in the second half we gave up 52 points and 55 percent from the floor. We did not control either end in the second half and it is a hard one to take.
Q. On what wrong defensively…
MILLER: Aaron Henry is a tough matchup. They isolated him a lot in the post or they isolated him just on the perimeter and we did not have a good matchup for him. He jumped over top of us, played bigger and we did not have a floor tight enough. We did a couple things in the post where they were able to play inside out. They spread us on ball screens at times and our coverages were not there. Michigan State is very good on the glass and they are very good in transition. They got 12 offensive rebounds and 14 second chance points. I thought our second half offense was bad after the first five minutes. We had seven turnovers and all seven were tough and bad plays. We took all the sprit and momentum away from ourselves. I would say the second half of the second half was not good for us on both ends of the court.
Q. Talk about the perimeter shooting…
MILLER: Trayce Jackson-Davis had 34 today and he was also able to draw 13 personal fouls. He scored 34, he drew 13 fouls, shot 16 free throws, 12 of them went in, and he was 11 for 18. They did not really have an answer for him, so we played inside out and when the ball came out, epically in the first half, we missed some open ones. In the second half it came down to our inability to capitalize in transition and also capitalize on the inside out game. We shot 4 for 19 from the three today. Armaan Franklin made three of them and Jerome Hunter made one early. Other than that, there was not much perimeter shooting at all.
Q: On the play of Rob Phinisee and Aljami Durham…
MILLER: They practice hard. They have a great attitude. Guys are working. Both of them came off a really good game Wednesday night. Both played hard. Both played well. I think from a perimeter shooting standpoint it might be a confidence thing. Al had his opportunities on curls. He drove it today. Rob is struggling with his shot. He has been struggling with his shot. We have tried to get him away from that. He has been getting good looks. The level of play, we needed more on the perimeter in today's game. Al and Rob play a big role for us. Those two guys, they work at it. Today wasn't their day. Came back at it here in the next few and be ready to go at it, those are the type of guys that they are. There is no question that no getting much out of those guys from the perimeter today hurt the team. We got 49 points from two guys inside and Armaan ended up getting 13. I really look at the second half as being a complete bust on defense, very disappointing there. To give up 52 after you only gave up 26 in the first half.
Q. On the play of Race Thompson…
MILLER: Race played hard and was very active defensively. I thought Trayce did a much better job for our team today in terms of impacting things at the rim. Race got a lot of deflection on the ball. He was very active with his hands. In the second half he did a good job giving us another guy offensively that we could go to. He played well. Race did what he did today. They went small I thought to their advantage. Had Gabe Brown in there, with Henry and Rocket, one center. They spread us out in the second half. I thought that lineup really caused some problems for us at times. We also had some switching going on that they were able to take advantage of. Race did a good job. He was active post of the game. He had a great effort. I never question it. In the second half he did a great job for us, especially early being able to help us. Those two guys, Michigan State choose to play that way. That is how they played. Those two guys were able to do it, able to get some baskets.
Indiana Sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis
Q: On what was going in the minutes when Michigan State started to pull away…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It was really Aaron Henry down the stretch. He really took over the game for them and put them on his back. He was making tough shots after tough shots. Our defense wasn't holding up and they got easy baskets at the rim and easy shots going downhill. That really hurt us a lot.
Q: On what went wrong with the defense…
JACKSON-DAVIS: A few times in our rotations, we are supposed to be in the gap already. We are not supposed to run into the gap. So, we are running into the gap, and that was allowing them to dish it to the corners and we would have to run back out for threes. That really killed us. Gabe Brown hit a few and Josh Langford hit one, I think. So, that really kills you especially when you have the lead. You are up nine and have a chance to put them away then that happens.
Q: On Michigan State's defense giving him room to operate…
JACKSON-DAVIS: We really just watched film. I know by watching other bigs play in the league, they don't really help that much inside. So, I don't think it was more of letting me get mine, but more so that they don't really help on bigs. That was really what it was in my opinion.
Q: On the emphasis of starting quicker offensively…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I think that I am just taking my time and making shot. I really don't think that there is an emphasis on starting quicker. I think that I am just making shots now, and I wasn't making shots before.
Indiana vs. Michigan State
Feb. 20, 2021
Indiana Head Coach Archie Miller
Opening Statement
MILLER: It was a disappointing day for our team. I give Michigan State a lot of credit. Their guys played hard. They took a couple good shots because I thought we started the game really good defensively and got good offense in the first half but did not make shots. Coming out of halftime I thought we did a really good job being able to build the lead back to nine but as the half went on there was just too many errors, either very timely or costly turnovers or defensively, just some break downs. Whether it was transition rebounding or guarding the ball screen. I think we let Michigan State continue to build confidence throughout the game and as they hung around. They are good team and have good players but like every team they have their own journey. We knew today was going to be hard and I am disappointed in our team's ability to defend in the second half. 26 points given up in the first half, lot of deflected balls and guys playing hard. Then in the second half we gave up 52 points and 55 percent from the floor. We did not control either end in the second half and it is a hard one to take.
Q. On what wrong defensively…
MILLER: Aaron Henry is a tough matchup. They isolated him a lot in the post or they isolated him just on the perimeter and we did not have a good matchup for him. He jumped over top of us, played bigger and we did not have a floor tight enough. We did a couple things in the post where they were able to play inside out. They spread us on ball screens at times and our coverages were not there. Michigan State is very good on the glass and they are very good in transition. They got 12 offensive rebounds and 14 second chance points. I thought our second half offense was bad after the first five minutes. We had seven turnovers and all seven were tough and bad plays. We took all the sprit and momentum away from ourselves. I would say the second half of the second half was not good for us on both ends of the court.
Q. Talk about the perimeter shooting…
MILLER: Trayce Jackson-Davis had 34 today and he was also able to draw 13 personal fouls. He scored 34, he drew 13 fouls, shot 16 free throws, 12 of them went in, and he was 11 for 18. They did not really have an answer for him, so we played inside out and when the ball came out, epically in the first half, we missed some open ones. In the second half it came down to our inability to capitalize in transition and also capitalize on the inside out game. We shot 4 for 19 from the three today. Armaan Franklin made three of them and Jerome Hunter made one early. Other than that, there was not much perimeter shooting at all.
Q: On the play of Rob Phinisee and Aljami Durham…
MILLER: They practice hard. They have a great attitude. Guys are working. Both of them came off a really good game Wednesday night. Both played hard. Both played well. I think from a perimeter shooting standpoint it might be a confidence thing. Al had his opportunities on curls. He drove it today. Rob is struggling with his shot. He has been struggling with his shot. We have tried to get him away from that. He has been getting good looks. The level of play, we needed more on the perimeter in today's game. Al and Rob play a big role for us. Those two guys, they work at it. Today wasn't their day. Came back at it here in the next few and be ready to go at it, those are the type of guys that they are. There is no question that no getting much out of those guys from the perimeter today hurt the team. We got 49 points from two guys inside and Armaan ended up getting 13. I really look at the second half as being a complete bust on defense, very disappointing there. To give up 52 after you only gave up 26 in the first half.
Q. On the play of Race Thompson…
MILLER: Race played hard and was very active defensively. I thought Trayce did a much better job for our team today in terms of impacting things at the rim. Race got a lot of deflection on the ball. He was very active with his hands. In the second half he did a good job giving us another guy offensively that we could go to. He played well. Race did what he did today. They went small I thought to their advantage. Had Gabe Brown in there, with Henry and Rocket, one center. They spread us out in the second half. I thought that lineup really caused some problems for us at times. We also had some switching going on that they were able to take advantage of. Race did a good job. He was active post of the game. He had a great effort. I never question it. In the second half he did a great job for us, especially early being able to help us. Those two guys, Michigan State choose to play that way. That is how they played. Those two guys were able to do it, able to get some baskets.
Indiana Sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis
Q: On what was going in the minutes when Michigan State started to pull away…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It was really Aaron Henry down the stretch. He really took over the game for them and put them on his back. He was making tough shots after tough shots. Our defense wasn't holding up and they got easy baskets at the rim and easy shots going downhill. That really hurt us a lot.
Q: On what went wrong with the defense…
JACKSON-DAVIS: A few times in our rotations, we are supposed to be in the gap already. We are not supposed to run into the gap. So, we are running into the gap, and that was allowing them to dish it to the corners and we would have to run back out for threes. That really killed us. Gabe Brown hit a few and Josh Langford hit one, I think. So, that really kills you especially when you have the lead. You are up nine and have a chance to put them away then that happens.
Q: On Michigan State's defense giving him room to operate…
JACKSON-DAVIS: We really just watched film. I know by watching other bigs play in the league, they don't really help that much inside. So, I don't think it was more of letting me get mine, but more so that they don't really help on bigs. That was really what it was in my opinion.
Q: On the emphasis of starting quicker offensively…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I think that I am just taking my time and making shot. I really don't think that there is an emphasis on starting quicker. I think that I am just making shots now, and I wasn't making shots before.
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