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INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 20, 2014James Blackmon, Jr.Yogi FerrellTroy WilliamsSOUTHERN METHODIST – 68 Q. Yogi, 36 minutes and no turnovers. What does that mean to you? KEVIN YOGI FERRELL: Just going out there and trying to be a point guard. I was going out there trying not to force things. Move the ball because I feel like playing SMU we did well moving the ball, just got open shots. Q. I asked Coach about this too. You guys started a little cold in both halves behind the arc. Is part of it to never get gun shy and just always be telling yourselves and each other if we keep creating good looks they'll go down eventually? Don't ever lose that confidence and get gun shy? KEVIN YOGI FERRELL: The great thing about our team, we assess great shooters, and when it wasn't falling, for us, none of our heads went down. For us, that was the big thing for us. We know we can make shots and we're not human. We're not robots. We're not going to make every single shot. I think that is the biggest thing. Don't get your head down, move on to the next play and make the next shot, and I feel like we did that. Q. Troy, I saw you got here early and you were out shooting early and the minute after practice was done? TROY WILLIAMS: It was the first game back. I was really glad to be back and out there in the war again with my team and my brothers. I just came in with so much anxiety because I was ready to play. And as for shooting right after the game, I've been getting my shot better, so I just want to keep improving it. Q. Talk about how it was having to sit out and be in the locker room? TROY WILLIAMS: The biggest thing I learned from that was what it means to other people to be in my position, for one. Also, I just sat in the back and watched the team play, and I decided to come in and try to fix things for myself. It's like I just came here to help them out. To help out with running the floor, rebounding, and all the extra passing and everything. So I just came here to fit in the system that they had already made. Q. How did you guys force 19 turnovers tonight? KEVIN YOGI FERRELL: I think the biggest thing for us was a lot of talk out there. I felt like we were all one out there playing defense, and that was the biggest thing. I feel like collectively, this entire game we played team defense, and that is the biggest thing we're going to need. We're a little small out there, so we have to have guys out there talking and on a rope with one another. I think that was the biggest thing for us is having our hands up. We're small, so we can get in there when those big guys get the ball, and we're off to the races. Q. What was going through your mind and how amped were you? JAMES BLACKMON: Really that I needed to hit them. That we needed it, and I tried to do whatever it took, whether grab a rebound, hit free throws. I really just stayed focused in the game. Q. How does shooting 61% from the three for your first game back happen? JAMES BLACKMON: Really I tried to stay aggressive. My teammates always find me in the right spot. So they know how I play and I know how they play, so it's getting better every game. Q. (Indiscernible)? JAMES BLACKMON: Not really. Even the guys and coach were telling me that I missed some that I should have made just holding my follow through and doing the little things that got me here. Q. You mentioned being in your position meant to other people. But now what does it mean to you to be in that position? TROY WILLIAMS: After this experience, it actually means a lot more to me now. You know what I mean? I wouldn't say I take it for granted, but I see how other people see it. I now see what kind of position I uphold now, so it's just a new look on everything. Q. Yogi, you guys went small a couple of times tonight. You were playing down low in the post and giving up ten inches or more. What is that like for you? KEVIN YOGI FERRELL: That's one of the things I'm willing to do. I'm willing to go in there and play post defense, get in front of them because I know I have backside help. That is the biggest thing with our team, we just help each other, I feel like. Even when we go small, we're very confident. So coach always says get into the legs of the big man. If you take that out and they can't get the ball, they can't rebound. So I feel like we did that tonight. TROY WILLIAMS: He does it all. Q. James, you had 7 rebounds. Can you talk about that? JAMES BLACKMON: Just really what we worked on in practice.  I paid attention every day and tried to get better from that. The coaches told me, they got on me that I had to hit the glass. Every time I got the chance I just tried to get in there. Even though they're a lot bigger, I felt like we played a lot scrappier and we went for the loose balls. Q. Do you guys think that as long as you're making threes, you can give up points in the paint as long as you're making the outside shot? Or is that something you have to fix and rebound even better? TROY WILLIAMS: That's not always going to be the case. You always have to game plan night after night. So I felt like tonight we took what the defense gave us. I felt like in that game that really compacted the defense in on me especially. So I was looking to drive and kick and get wide open threes for us. Another night they could be spaced out because we have so many shooters and on that night everybody's going to be driving. It just depends on each night and what we're doing and how we've got to game plan for each team. Q. Last year turnovers were an issue. Now tonight you came out and only had 7 the whole game. Is it just maturity, better ball handers, concentration? What is it? KEVIN YOGI FERRELL: I think the difference is making easy plays. In the game, we didn't force anything, I feel like. We just kind of moved the ball and picking different spots for us. That is the biggest thing. Coaches always harp on making the simple play, and I felt like we did that tonight, making the extra pass, not forcing any drives, not forcing any pass. Q. (No Microphone)? JAMES BLACKMON: I would say no because out of everybody that came in, I see it as wisdom and advice, and they've all been through the IU program as well or heard about it. So I just learned from them all. Nothing actually stuck out. Q. How big was Hanner's charge? KEVIN YOGI FERRELL: Man, that was a big play. That could have been on Sportscenter too. They called it a block. That's just one of the dynamics. I remember I had two or three charges tonight, and that is one of the biggest things. How to be a shot blocker and take charge guy. So I don't think you see that in too many big men, but that was key. That was a big play for Hanner. I knew after that we were going to get things rolling. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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