Josh Dix interview
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:06 >> All right, questions for Jess.
00:09 >> So can we expect another career high in scoring the next game?
00:12 >> I don't know, I'm just kinda focused on Purdue.
00:15 I mean, do anything to win, so yeah.
00:17 >> How confident are you playing right now, seeing the ball go down consistently?
00:21 >> Yeah, pretty confident.
00:22 I mean, my teammates and coaches just trust me a lot.
00:24 So I just put in the work and try and do whatever I can.
00:28 >> You are not a guy who likes to hunt shots, but
00:31 it seems like you're shooting more.
00:33 Is it just kind of the natural growth of your game?
00:36 >> Yeah, I would say that, but also just kinda like the play calls and
00:39 stuff like that.
00:40 I mean, my teammates are just kinda finding me and
00:42 I feel like we have a really unselfish team.
00:44 So when one guy gets kinda going, they kinda tend to find everyone.
00:48 >> How do you benefit from playing alongside Tony?
00:50 Seems like you both kinda feed off each other.
00:52 >> Yeah, he's great to play with.
00:53 I mean, he likes to push it in transition and I also like to run in transition.
00:57 So I feel like that kinda complements each other's game and
01:00 I feel like we both can defend pretty well.
01:02 And we're both pretty versatile, so we can both play on or off the ball.
01:06 >> Did you just need steady playing time,
01:10 X number of minutes without coming out of a game to
01:15 sort of show what you can do and do what you can do?
01:19 >> I mean, yeah, kinda a little bit, but I feel like I just needed to be more
01:23 confident in my game and trust myself a little bit more and
01:26 be more aggressive on the court.
01:27 >> How much more confident is this group as a team right now after three wins in
01:32 their own conference?
01:34 >> Yeah, I feel like we're a lot more confident,
01:35 especially with kind of a new group of guys.
01:37 And I mean, four freshmen and two new guys starting on three,
01:40 we were kinda like they hadn't been through that before, but
01:43 a few of us had been through that last year.
01:45 So I feel like just winning three in a row, we're really confident right now.
01:49 >> The injury you went through in high school, just how did you deal with that?
01:54 Fran kind of said like he didn't see it affect you, but
01:58 how did you kind of deal with that internally?
02:01 >> Yeah, I mean, I had a lot of good people around me,
02:03 including the coaches here and stuff.
02:05 They called me right after it happened and just said that,
02:08 just work through the rehab and everything's gonna be fine.
02:10 So that really helped a lot.
02:13 >> Was it Fran that called you or was it- >> Yeah,
02:15 Fran called me a couple days after cuz I had to go into surgery the next day.
02:19 So I wasn't really awake or anything.
02:21 And then he called me right after and yeah, he just told me that.
02:26 >> Was there any possibility that you could have redshirted last year?
02:30 Was that something that- >> Yeah, for sure.
02:33 I mean, my doctor at home told me that it'd probably be like 10 to 12 months.
02:37 So that would have put me at coming back in December.
02:40 So I wasn't really sure how long it would be.
02:43 But once I got here, they kinda sped up the process a little bit.
02:46 And I worked a lot with Brad, the trainer, and
02:49 he helped me get back by September, so.
02:53 >> Is starting rather than coming off the bench something that has, I don't know,
02:57 maybe factored in the disconfidence that you've kinda shown on the court these
03:01 last few games?
03:01 I mean, I assume you've never really come off the bench in your basketball career.
03:06 >> Yeah, I mean, starting school, but it doesn't really matter to me.
03:09 I feel like coming off the bench and
03:10 bringing a spark with DeSante, Brock, Lodgy, and Price is cool too.
03:14 I like doing that.
03:15 So, and at the beginning of the year,
03:17 I like coming off the bench with all four freshmen, so that was cool.
03:20 But yeah, I feel like everyone just knew that they had to step up their game with
03:23 Pat being out, so.
03:24 >> It seemed like in the second half, there was just kind of a flurry of shots
03:29 you made, kinda just carrying the offense.
03:31 Like, what does it feel like when you're kind of in that type of zone?
03:35 >> Yeah, it feels great.
03:36 I mean, especially when your teammates trust you and
03:38 your coaches trust you to keep making plays and stuff.
03:41 And they were just finding me.
03:43 I was getting found for open jump shots and stuff like that.
03:46 So it was good.
03:47 >> How important is your mid-range game?
03:49 Seems like you're getting better at that.
03:51 >> Yeah, I like the mid-range a lot.
03:52 I mean, I'd probably like that more than the three-point shot.
03:55 So just getting to my spots, trying to get to my spots, and
03:59 just rising up with confidence.
04:01 >> Do you guys have to do better against Purdue to win?
04:04 >> I would say from last time, just doubling the post better.
04:07 I feel like we didn't do that as well as we planned to.
04:10 And then playing fast, I feel like we gotta get the ball out and
04:13 run before they get their set defense.
04:15 >> All right, thanks guys.
04:18 >> Thank you, Coach.
04:19 >> Thank you, Coach.