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00:00 >> Well, I gotta be pleased with my team.
00:03 I was surprised, I'm not gonna lie to you.
00:08 I like the job Mike has done.
00:10 I watched him play some real good basketball already.
00:15 And those guards are really good.
00:17 We did an unbelievable job on Baldwin, when he was 0 for 7.
00:24 We did a pretty good job on Clary.
00:26 He was 5 for 10, but he went 10 for 10 from the line.
00:28 But for me, Mollie Call is starting back to back games now.
00:35 And everybody knows that was an important position to get better at.
00:38 And Tyson's been solid.
00:41 AJ and Jaden, I mean, Jaden played really well, but they got in foul trouble.
00:44 And I think it affected AJ a little bit.
00:46 It was the first time he, second half, he just kind of didn't do,
00:50 none of our guys did what I wanted to do.
00:52 That was the only disappointment.
00:55 And I understand when you're 30 up, but I still wanna play the game
00:59 the way the game's supposed to be played.
01:01 A guy that wouldn't get as a lot of credit is Monty.
01:06 And the job he did on those ball screens,
01:09 because they are really good coming off him, was phenomenal.
01:13 And then he gets 12 boards, I think that's back to back 12 rebounds for him.
01:17 You know, I'm disappointed early we missed some layups, but in general,
01:24 as I told Mike after, we might not be as good as we play, and
01:28 they're not as bad as they play.
01:30 We had a combination of things.
01:32 He's done a great job with that group, and our defense, I think,
01:37 was deserving of my credit that I'd give to him.
01:43 Because I don't usually give it out very much, but
01:46 holding them to 10% from the three and 32% from the field was really good.
01:52 If it wasn't for fouling a little too much, which that was a concern of ours,
01:56 14 offensive rebounds, that is a concern even though we out-rebounded them.
02:01 And we only had five turnovers first half, we had seven the second.
02:05 This is a team that turns people over 17, 18 times a game.
02:08 So all in all, I'm very pleased with what we brought.
02:16 And we've had good practices.
02:18 We played good against a very good Indiana State team.
02:22 Tonight we did the things that you gotta do, and
02:25 now we'll see if we can go on the road to it.
02:28 >> Hey Tom, happy New Year and congrats on your first Big Ten win.
02:31 Seemed like you saw a book a little early in the first half.
02:34 If so, is that a reflection of his progress and
02:37 what he's been doing in practice?
02:38 >> Well, we're just trying to get him some minutes, get him acclimated.
02:45 And it's not easy.
02:46 It's not easy on him.
02:48 I mean, but we got him 14, 15 minutes tonight.
02:53 And it just gives us some tape to evaluate and more importantly,
02:57 some tape to talk to him about things he's gotta do.
03:01 And it's the offensive end, there's no issues on the defensive end.
03:08 He's just gotta improve.
03:10 And he knows it, and we know it.
03:14 There's nothing like game situation to figure that out.
03:16 So yeah, we're trying to get him in there.
03:19 Sometimes the team we play dictates what we can do.
03:23 And but we're gonna keep working at it.
03:27 >> Thank you.
03:28 >> Chris.
03:29 >> I kinda wanted to know, the first half between the hands on the defensive side
03:34 and the ball sharing, it seemed like those were the two things that really got you
03:39 going in transition and doing, kinda carrying over what you've been doing
03:43 the last few or four games.
03:44 >> Yeah, I'd say that's right.
03:45 I mean, we had, I forgot how many steals the first half.
03:48 >> 11.
03:49 >> 11, and we only had 13 for the game.
03:51 I challenged Tyson to get a double double with steals and points.
03:56 And he said I put too much pressure on him, he didn't get one the second half.
04:00 So typical East Coast guy.
04:03 But anyway, those steals and what he creates is amazing.
04:10 I mean, he just, he gets his hands on a lot of stuff.
04:13 That got our fast break going.
04:15 Fast break is where we're at our best.
04:17 Fast break points today was 20 to 8, and they're a good fast break team.
04:23 So I'd say that if there's been an improvement in this team,
04:27 our defense has helped us get our break going.
04:31 Now the only thing left is to do a better job rebounding the ball,
04:34 cuz we have not rebounded like a Michigan State team.
04:38 And part of that is we're not as big as most Michigan State teams,
04:41 especially on the perimeter.
04:43 But we got to improve in that area.
04:45 >> Now, when he's able to play like that offensively early,
04:49 and hit those shots that he did the first couple minutes,
04:51 how does that help your team out if they're changing that offensively?
04:54 >> Well, it does a lot cuz now we're getting inside, outside, and
04:57 he's kinda everything.
04:59 He's inside, he's outside, he's versatile.
05:01 He made some great post moves, he made some dribble in there,
05:07 he made a couple threes.
05:10 Just the versatility and that was phenomenal and
05:15 it really makes a difference in our team.
05:18 Cuz especially James shooting it so good, AJ shooting it better,
05:21 placing enough said, and that really makes a difference.
05:26 So it gave something for those old people, a chance to cheer about.
05:31 The alumni zone for me is, we had a little wall there and
05:37 I kinda got on them about getting on and they were unbelievable how they reacted.
05:41 And I say I get a lot of things at this university and
05:45 I've been part of some good things I've given and part of that people have given
05:50 me but nothing in the world like having Paul Davis,
05:55 Caleb Lucas there, nothing in the world like having 1,500 or
06:00 whatever there was there, a thousand former alums.
06:05 Some of those have been there for the first one, so
06:08 that means they're 28, 29 years.
06:13 So I told someone they gotta get in a little better shape,
06:15 you gotta take care of yourself a little better, but God bless them.
06:18 They were unbelievable and they came from a long distance, some of them.
06:23 And they were walking around this campus.
06:24 As I said, you maybe as media wouldn't appreciate it, but
06:31 there's not a lot of places that have that.
06:35 And as I told them, they were part of building it.
06:39 Now we got a lot of fans that are part of renting it.
06:44 And we're gonna try to get on them to build even bigger and
06:47 that's gonna be the chore of the next couple weeks.
06:50 >> Tom, is this how you envisioned your team to be at the beginning of the year,
06:55 the way they're playing now with the senior and upper class and leadership?
07:00 >> Yeah, I think more, I mean, I keep going back.
07:03 Why didn't we, we missed a bunch of shots.
07:07 I mean, we missed a bunch of free throws.
07:09 I mean, tonight we shoot 77% from the free throw line,
07:14 48% from the three.
07:16 We were shooting 19, 13, 61 from the free throw line.
07:21 And I told you, and then the injuries a little bit.
07:26 Malik standing in the Wisconsin game and Tyson's in the ten day period.
07:30 I mean, I would play without Jackson when we thought he would be something.
07:36 Trying to play some freshmen, even when Jeremy was there,
07:41 when as you look around the country, not many people are playing freshmen,
07:45 which to me is still sad.
07:46 But those are all things that are part of the learning curve.
07:49 And we hit some good teams that played good.
07:52 I mean, you watch that, that Indiana State team's gonna win a lot of games.
07:57 JMU is still undefeated.
07:59 Are they the only or is there somebody else that's undefeated?
08:02 >> Houston and Ole Miss.
08:05 >> Houston and them.
08:07 So there's two teams that are undefeated, and they're one of them.
08:09 But look around the country, and we had our, a while early and
08:16 a couple injuries, and other teams are going through it.
08:21 I thought Arizona's one of the best teams I played, and then they got beat.
08:24 And then they got beat by 20 by Cal.
08:27 I mean, it's kinda, let me tell you, every win,
08:30 if you think I slept at all this week, I mean, that's the difference.
08:35 I think all these teams, they're all so much older, and they got veterans.
08:43 And they're better than you'd think.
08:45 I mean, that team was, and they're completely different.
08:48 We played 14 different teams.
08:50 We haven't played anybody twice, so we played 14.
08:54 That's 14 different preps.
08:56 And I mean, there's been some different, like this team.
08:59 I mean, it was just drive it, drive it, drive it to get fouled.
09:02 And Indiana State was shoot it, shoot it, shoot it.
09:06 And Baylor had their own, and we had to prepare for
09:11 the pressing, which we did a damn good job of.
09:13 So my staff deserves a lot of credit for that, they really do.
09:17 >> My first half, you get 17 assists on 20 buckets,
09:23 with AJ only getting one, and score 50 some points with Jaden not scoring.
09:28 I mean, can you talk a little bit about the balance of this team?
09:31 >> Yeah, well, Jaden and AJ were both in foul trouble, and
09:35 we really kinda got off to a slow.
09:38 I mean, we were okay, and then we missed some layups.
09:40 And then, I don't know, I didn't watch the film, but
09:44 that does say a lot when those two guys didn't do much.
09:48 And kudos to Ty and of course Malik.
09:52 And it was, and Trey Holliman played pretty good.
09:56 I mean, the only guy that didn't play good was Izzo, kid.
10:00 I don't know what the hell he's doing shooting those Steph Curry shots.
10:03 >> [LAUGH]
10:04 >> Other than that,
10:05 I don't have a lot of people that get on, but I will get on him later.
10:09 >> [LAUGH]
10:11 >> Anything else, guys?
10:13 I appreciate it guys, see some of you on Sunday.
10:17 - Thanks.