23.11.14 Creighton MBB Presser
Iowa coach 11-14-23
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 The second half punch felt pretty substantial in terms of how they got control of the game.
00:05 What did you see there that was breaking down for you guys?
00:07 Yeah, we were really connected I thought in the first half defensively.
00:11 And you have to be against this team and we were not in that stretch.
00:15 So it was a little disappointing.
00:17 Plus, you know, we weren't scoring either.
00:19 So they were able to get out and run off of our misses.
00:22 I think they were 4 for 4 from 3 in that stretch.
00:31 I think you can beat this team if they only make 10.
00:34 10 is not a great number obviously, but if they're making 14, 15, it's going to be virtually impossible to beat them.
00:41 So you take that stretch out of there.
00:44 I thought we were there, but we weren't there.
00:48 Are we switching? Are we not switching?
00:50 We're sort of up on the ball screen, but not really.
00:54 They were getting downhill on us and creating three-point shot opportunities and also getting to the free throw line.
00:59 How do you walk away from a game?
01:05 Do you feel positive that you hung close?
01:06 Are you disappointed with the win or above the loss?
01:08 How do you feel right now?
01:10 Chad, you've known me a long time.
01:13 I feel the same way every time.
01:14 We did some really good things tonight.
01:17 We did some things that have to be corrected.
01:19 But I'm not going to focus on any one particular thing that makes me angry or makes me happy.
01:27 I wanted to get 10 guys playing time.
01:32 We were able to do that.
01:33 The young guys were able to get some quality minutes and execute and get the opportunity to play through their mistakes.
01:41 I pulled them a little quick in the first half because the starters were doing really well.
01:47 I left those starters out there.
01:51 The young guys were really good in the second half, fighting to help get us back in there.
01:56 Then the starters came back and did well.
01:58 A lot of good things, but things that clearly, if you're going to beat a team of that caliber, that you can't do.
02:07 Is Kreeky giving you everything that you thought he would?
02:09 He's been really good, it looks like.
02:14 Recruiting is different now, especially in the springtime.
02:22 When you sign guys early, you have what you think you need.
02:25 Then when you get to the spring, you know what you need.
02:28 We were pretty sure Chris was going to go pro, and he did.
02:32 We needed a frontcourt guy that could be an impact player that fit how we play.
02:38 We looked at a lot of players.
02:40 There's a lot of guys in the portal, as you know.
02:43 He was the guy we targeted.
02:45 We were really excited to get him because he fits our program in every way.
02:52 Not only in terms of how he plays the game, how he fits with our style, how he understands the game,
03:00 but just kind of who he is, how he is in the locker room.
03:04 He is everything you want as a coach in terms of work ethic, character, understanding teamwork, and commitment to winning.
03:12 My only disappointment is I only get to coach him for one year.
03:16 It's 80-63, you bring in the freshman plus Josh in the second half, and they kind of claw back.
03:21 What do you have to say about that group?
03:23 And also, Lodge and Owen, eight points a piece in a tough road.
03:27 They were terrific, both of them.
03:28 I thought Price was really good when I put him back in there.
03:30 Brock was really trying to get things going.
03:34 Sometimes you've got to penetrate and kind of keep your dribble against them.
03:39 When he got the big foul in there, protecting the rim, it's not like you can just get down and lay it up easy.
03:46 So you've got to draw the defense and kick it back out and drive the close out.
03:49 So he understood that.
03:50 He was trying to execute all of that.
03:52 But at the end of the day, those four guys didn't play like freshmen.
03:57 And that's not surprising to me, quite frankly.
04:00 That's who they are.
04:02 What were your impressions of Trey Alexander, number 23, and how he kind of grabbed control of the game?
04:08 Yeah, he's special.
04:10 I mean, he makes threes.
04:12 He plays off the bounce.
04:14 He plays both ends.
04:15 He's a competitor.
04:17 And I think Greg does a great job in terms of how they use him and utilize his skill set,
04:27 because he can take it at the point, or he can move off the ball and have Ashworth run it.
04:32 So it gives him a lot of flexibility.
04:34 How do you feel about the pace of this game?
04:36 You've had some high-scoring games this year, and this game kind of--
04:39 That's the way we like it.
04:40 So you might say, well, it's kind of the way they like it, too.
04:43 But we're not changing.
04:45 That's who we are.
04:47 And we're typically pretty comfortable in that pace.
04:50 Peyton, I know it took a hard hit there.
04:53 Do you have any early prognosis?
04:55 I was really close to not putting him back in.
04:57 What Brad said, they took him in the back, and they put him through a battery of tests,
05:03 and they said he was fine.
05:06 He wanted to go back in.
05:07 That's not typically enough to put him back in.
05:10 We've got to make sure--
05:11 You know, we had Dr. Markeson here, and they all felt comfortable putting him back in there.
05:15 How challenging is that trio that's come back for Peyton and Baylor, Trey and Ryan,
05:21 the defenders and post and coach?
05:22 Well, they all can score.
05:25 They all have size.
05:26 They all make plays.
05:28 You know, they typically don't rattle too much.
05:30 That's kind of what you need if you're going to win close games.
05:35 Last question.
05:36 Josh Dix, kind of homecoming-ish for him, just right across the river.
05:40 He had a big kind of section of fans cheering him on.
05:44 Just overcoming the injury and him playing pretty well, I guess, in time tonight.
05:49 Yeah, no, Josh is always going to be solid.
05:52 He's really smart.
05:54 We have the ability to kind of move him around.
05:57 We can put him at the point.
05:58 We can play him at the three or the two.
06:01 I thought he came off the screen in the first half, a nice pull up.
06:04 I mean, he's usually money with that shot.
06:06 So I would have preferred he keep shooting that one.
06:10 But he's only going to really lock in to try to help us win.
06:14 And typically, he's a really good defender.
06:17 We can put him on guys that are anywhere from six feet to six seven.
06:20 So he's a very valuable guy.
06:23 It was great to see his family there.
06:24 Thanks, guys.