Indiana University Athletics
Previewing Wednesday's Game at Northwestern
2/9/2021 2:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Archie Miller and freshman Khristian Lander met with the media on Tuesday to discuss tomorrow's game at Northwestern.
Freshman guard Khristian Lander
Head Coach Archie Miller
Opening Statement
MILLER: It is a big week for us like everybody coming down the home stretch playing for a lot. We are just trying to continue to build on where we are at. Our last week in particular, I think our staff and our team's effort level has been good. Our defensive intensity is right there. We are still just trying to become a better team at finishing and being a little tougher at the little things of execution and being tougher at the little things like body language, huddles when things matter the most. We had some breakdowns late in our Illinois game and couldn't finish. But I thought our guys did a much better job at grasping what we are looking for in those tough situations when we are in the games. We are able to really, really step up and make some winning plays on both ends of the floor against Iowa, so it was a good carry over. In general, it is a high-level league right now. There is a lot of high-level ball. The quest is to continue to get better every day. We have a lot of room to grow. As we watch film as a team there are some things if we could just clean up our discipline in terms of some unnecessary fouling. If we can clean up our transition defense a little bit better, and we continue to take care of the ball and especially execute late a little bit better with screening and getting the ball where we want to get to, to me we still have a lot of room to grow. I am hopeful that our young guys continue to build, they have made us better. We feel much more confident about our group being able to play a lot of different combinations. In both games last week, we had four true freshmen on the floor with either Race or Trayce. To me, there are very few teams in the league who are playing with four true freshmen at different times against really good teams. So that is going to be a big part of us as we move forward and try to develop our depth and get those guys more opportunities because they have made us better. I think that is where we are at right now. You are constantly looking for that opportunity to break through, and as you have a big win you can take your foot off the pedal so to speak and take a deep breath. That is really not what we can afford to do. We have to continue to push the way we have been pushing and get ready for Northwestern who caused us a lot of problems in our first game. That seems like a long time ago, but we are going to have to be much better against these guys then we were the first time.
On how much of a coach's son he sees in Trey Galloway…
MILLER: Trey has a high basketball IQ. He is a gym rat. He works on his game. He is the one guy who really embodies when things aren't going well, he has a knack to huddle our team and do some things out there that probably don't stand out on the stat sheet. So, he has got those winning attributes and that being around the game feel. But he knows at the end of the day it comes down to that winning mindset, and I think Trey has that. He is really battling physically right now. He is not healthy. You can tell in the way that he moves as the course of the game goes on that he really stiffens up. The back isn't really something that I think will calm down for him until he gets to the off season. So, he is gutting it out. He is a tough kid. He makes winning plays for us. He can really pass the ball. He is very unselfish and stepped up to make a big shot for us the other day which was good to see. He needed that. But in general, I think as he gets back into the flow of things with our deal, he brings us another guy that makes winning plays. The biggest gift that he has is that he is very unselfish, and he knows how to play. He is probably our best passer when it comes down to an assist type of plays.
On the Big Ten Tournament being moved to Indianapolis…
MILLER: The move to Lucas Oil is a really smart move. I just don't think that the tournament would have been able to survive in Chicago with the hotel situation, with the protocols with the virus, and just being able to execute a weeklong thing with that many people involved. So, to be able to move it is probably a real sign that the tournament is not only a go, but that it is going to be successful. I think the fact that it is in Lucas Oil, it is a great venue, and it gives all of our teams an opportunity to play there which is good. Coming to Indianapolis, I think it takes a little bit of the stress off in just being able to navigate multiple days in a hotel. It has been very difficult even when you go on a single road trip with the different types of states and what you are dealing with. How many meeting spaces do you have? Meals, how do you eat? So, I think it is a little bit less stressful there. But the commitment to be able to pull the tournament off and give our league that opportunity to battle within those three or four days, gives our teams the opportunity to play for seeding, and gives our teams an opportunity to play games which our guys want to do. It is a positive all the way around. And you have to give our league a lot of credit in terms of a basketball perspective from the beginning of the year all the way through the end, they have been proactive on everything to give us the best chance we can of having the best situation for our players.
Q. On the resiliency of his team…
MILLER: You know you have to be able to as a group understand that there are going to be some rough waters. There are going to be some really high moments with wins because every team that you play is really good. It feels so good to be able to battle it out and get one. You are also going to have some opportunities where you are going to have some hard losses, and the big thing is just to stay with it day-to-day. We talk about it all the time. Just be the master of the moment that you are in, and to me that is what our team has done a pretty good job of. Of being resilient, having a good attitude every day. You have a collective group that continues to try to work to get better. I think that is why you are seeing so many of our other guys here in the last three or four weeks emerge because we are staying with it, and there is still so much ball left to be played. Within our league, get just get one win it is like, holy cow, what an opportunity to build off of, but there are going to be ups and downs. Every team in our league is going to go through their stretches where they are not playing well, and you have to play well in this league to win. It is not one of these leagues where you can sneak by not having a good day. If you do not have a good day, you are not winning, and even if you do have a good day, it does not guarantee it. But I think the teams have kind of just stayed with each other, you keep it positive, you keep your work environment very, very efficient, the best you can every day. You try to really focus on improving because really there are a lot of things you can improve on to help your team and that is what we have tried to do. But I definitely think our guys, when you talk about resiliency have showed a great attitude, and have had very few down moments in terms of being able to come back. And we have had some very, very difficult losses this year, overtimes, double overtimes where you can get down in the dumps. I do think our group has done a good job and we have more guys right now playing better, and that is the quest to be able to find something here at the end of the year you can hang your hat on. And to me, our group has hung their hat on just coming every day trying to get better, having a great attitude, and being ready for the next opportunity that you have.
Q. On how the team has handled the unique challenges of this season…
MILLER: Yeah, I think it is challenging, but I think every coach going in there kind of knew you are going to have to be able to roll with the punches a little bit. Whether that is in October having a situation where you have guys in isolation or quarantine. Your practices early in the year not having all your guys, I mean you are constantly juggling the day-to-day approach based on what you have available. I think once the season has now started, and we have been able to be fine just in terms of being able to get most of our non-conference in. That was a deep sigh of relief, being able to play a very difficult non-conference with travel. Got that over with. Now that we are in the league, we have had a couple of setbacks with games, have been missed and we have just tried to take advantage of the opportunities that are giving to us each day to prepare a little bit more, and more. When the games come, obviously you have got to be ready. I think these last three weeks, we will see how jam-packed things get and how much more is put on our plate. But for us as a staff, I think if you just bottle it up and you just worry about your own players, you worry about making them better, you worry about really having an energy and an environment that you can hold them accountable next thing that is up, you kind of deal with from that point forward. But we are not out of the woods yet you know, we are just not. Our season is not out of the woods yet. There is a lot more that can happen here down the stretch, and I think these next three weeks are going to pile some more stuff on us to be able to do but we just have got to be ready for it. I think at this time of year it is about playing the games, it is about being excited to play the games and it is about being excited to come to work. Our guys have been good with that. I definitely think it has added an element of the normal day-to-day stress in a normal season with injuries in games and all of the that stuff is one thing. I think when you add in the constant daily testing. When you add in the constant pauses in your schedule. When you are not playing, it just creates more mental things I think for you to think about more so than physical. Your guys worn out. There is no Christmas break, there is no Thanksgiving break, you are constantly worried about where they are at in my opinion mentally just because it is draining. It is draining on everybody, but I think it is more draining on the young guys, you know the kids that you have to be mindful of. So, we try to be mindful of that, making more days off, a little more rest here and there. But to me, this time of year is about having fun and playing, and preparing and going out and competing, and I think we are right there in that mode where we have a pretty good vibe about our group. So, we are just hanging in there, but it is definitely something you roll with the punches. There is not much you can do about anything that comes your way, and if you cannot control it, do not worry about it.
Freshman guard Khristian Lander
Head Coach Archie Miller
Opening Statement
MILLER: It is a big week for us like everybody coming down the home stretch playing for a lot. We are just trying to continue to build on where we are at. Our last week in particular, I think our staff and our team's effort level has been good. Our defensive intensity is right there. We are still just trying to become a better team at finishing and being a little tougher at the little things of execution and being tougher at the little things like body language, huddles when things matter the most. We had some breakdowns late in our Illinois game and couldn't finish. But I thought our guys did a much better job at grasping what we are looking for in those tough situations when we are in the games. We are able to really, really step up and make some winning plays on both ends of the floor against Iowa, so it was a good carry over. In general, it is a high-level league right now. There is a lot of high-level ball. The quest is to continue to get better every day. We have a lot of room to grow. As we watch film as a team there are some things if we could just clean up our discipline in terms of some unnecessary fouling. If we can clean up our transition defense a little bit better, and we continue to take care of the ball and especially execute late a little bit better with screening and getting the ball where we want to get to, to me we still have a lot of room to grow. I am hopeful that our young guys continue to build, they have made us better. We feel much more confident about our group being able to play a lot of different combinations. In both games last week, we had four true freshmen on the floor with either Race or Trayce. To me, there are very few teams in the league who are playing with four true freshmen at different times against really good teams. So that is going to be a big part of us as we move forward and try to develop our depth and get those guys more opportunities because they have made us better. I think that is where we are at right now. You are constantly looking for that opportunity to break through, and as you have a big win you can take your foot off the pedal so to speak and take a deep breath. That is really not what we can afford to do. We have to continue to push the way we have been pushing and get ready for Northwestern who caused us a lot of problems in our first game. That seems like a long time ago, but we are going to have to be much better against these guys then we were the first time.
On how much of a coach's son he sees in Trey Galloway…
MILLER: Trey has a high basketball IQ. He is a gym rat. He works on his game. He is the one guy who really embodies when things aren't going well, he has a knack to huddle our team and do some things out there that probably don't stand out on the stat sheet. So, he has got those winning attributes and that being around the game feel. But he knows at the end of the day it comes down to that winning mindset, and I think Trey has that. He is really battling physically right now. He is not healthy. You can tell in the way that he moves as the course of the game goes on that he really stiffens up. The back isn't really something that I think will calm down for him until he gets to the off season. So, he is gutting it out. He is a tough kid. He makes winning plays for us. He can really pass the ball. He is very unselfish and stepped up to make a big shot for us the other day which was good to see. He needed that. But in general, I think as he gets back into the flow of things with our deal, he brings us another guy that makes winning plays. The biggest gift that he has is that he is very unselfish, and he knows how to play. He is probably our best passer when it comes down to an assist type of plays.
On the Big Ten Tournament being moved to Indianapolis…
MILLER: The move to Lucas Oil is a really smart move. I just don't think that the tournament would have been able to survive in Chicago with the hotel situation, with the protocols with the virus, and just being able to execute a weeklong thing with that many people involved. So, to be able to move it is probably a real sign that the tournament is not only a go, but that it is going to be successful. I think the fact that it is in Lucas Oil, it is a great venue, and it gives all of our teams an opportunity to play there which is good. Coming to Indianapolis, I think it takes a little bit of the stress off in just being able to navigate multiple days in a hotel. It has been very difficult even when you go on a single road trip with the different types of states and what you are dealing with. How many meeting spaces do you have? Meals, how do you eat? So, I think it is a little bit less stressful there. But the commitment to be able to pull the tournament off and give our league that opportunity to battle within those three or four days, gives our teams the opportunity to play for seeding, and gives our teams an opportunity to play games which our guys want to do. It is a positive all the way around. And you have to give our league a lot of credit in terms of a basketball perspective from the beginning of the year all the way through the end, they have been proactive on everything to give us the best chance we can of having the best situation for our players.
Q. On the resiliency of his team…
MILLER: You know you have to be able to as a group understand that there are going to be some rough waters. There are going to be some really high moments with wins because every team that you play is really good. It feels so good to be able to battle it out and get one. You are also going to have some opportunities where you are going to have some hard losses, and the big thing is just to stay with it day-to-day. We talk about it all the time. Just be the master of the moment that you are in, and to me that is what our team has done a pretty good job of. Of being resilient, having a good attitude every day. You have a collective group that continues to try to work to get better. I think that is why you are seeing so many of our other guys here in the last three or four weeks emerge because we are staying with it, and there is still so much ball left to be played. Within our league, get just get one win it is like, holy cow, what an opportunity to build off of, but there are going to be ups and downs. Every team in our league is going to go through their stretches where they are not playing well, and you have to play well in this league to win. It is not one of these leagues where you can sneak by not having a good day. If you do not have a good day, you are not winning, and even if you do have a good day, it does not guarantee it. But I think the teams have kind of just stayed with each other, you keep it positive, you keep your work environment very, very efficient, the best you can every day. You try to really focus on improving because really there are a lot of things you can improve on to help your team and that is what we have tried to do. But I definitely think our guys, when you talk about resiliency have showed a great attitude, and have had very few down moments in terms of being able to come back. And we have had some very, very difficult losses this year, overtimes, double overtimes where you can get down in the dumps. I do think our group has done a good job and we have more guys right now playing better, and that is the quest to be able to find something here at the end of the year you can hang your hat on. And to me, our group has hung their hat on just coming every day trying to get better, having a great attitude, and being ready for the next opportunity that you have.
Q. On how the team has handled the unique challenges of this season…
MILLER: Yeah, I think it is challenging, but I think every coach going in there kind of knew you are going to have to be able to roll with the punches a little bit. Whether that is in October having a situation where you have guys in isolation or quarantine. Your practices early in the year not having all your guys, I mean you are constantly juggling the day-to-day approach based on what you have available. I think once the season has now started, and we have been able to be fine just in terms of being able to get most of our non-conference in. That was a deep sigh of relief, being able to play a very difficult non-conference with travel. Got that over with. Now that we are in the league, we have had a couple of setbacks with games, have been missed and we have just tried to take advantage of the opportunities that are giving to us each day to prepare a little bit more, and more. When the games come, obviously you have got to be ready. I think these last three weeks, we will see how jam-packed things get and how much more is put on our plate. But for us as a staff, I think if you just bottle it up and you just worry about your own players, you worry about making them better, you worry about really having an energy and an environment that you can hold them accountable next thing that is up, you kind of deal with from that point forward. But we are not out of the woods yet you know, we are just not. Our season is not out of the woods yet. There is a lot more that can happen here down the stretch, and I think these next three weeks are going to pile some more stuff on us to be able to do but we just have got to be ready for it. I think at this time of year it is about playing the games, it is about being excited to play the games and it is about being excited to come to work. Our guys have been good with that. I definitely think it has added an element of the normal day-to-day stress in a normal season with injuries in games and all of the that stuff is one thing. I think when you add in the constant daily testing. When you add in the constant pauses in your schedule. When you are not playing, it just creates more mental things I think for you to think about more so than physical. Your guys worn out. There is no Christmas break, there is no Thanksgiving break, you are constantly worried about where they are at in my opinion mentally just because it is draining. It is draining on everybody, but I think it is more draining on the young guys, you know the kids that you have to be mindful of. So, we try to be mindful of that, making more days off, a little more rest here and there. But to me, this time of year is about having fun and playing, and preparing and going out and competing, and I think we are right there in that mode where we have a pretty good vibe about our group. So, we are just hanging in there, but it is definitely something you roll with the punches. There is not much you can do about anything that comes your way, and if you cannot control it, do not worry about it.
Players Mentioned
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