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INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 28, 2017Devonte GreenQuentin TaylorJosh NewkirkBloomington, Indiana Q. Josh, Archie talked about how a lot of guys on the team, he wants them to kind of embrace being multi-positional, but he wants you to embrace just being this team's point guard in a lot of different ways at both ends of the floor. What are some keys for you kind of looking back at what was good last season, what wasn't good, and how you can improve in that role this year for you? JOSH NEWKIRK: I think just being more of a vocal leader, telling guys, putting guys in the right position to succeed, and just taking care of the ball. We had a lot of turnovers last year, so just making the right decisions, making the right plays. Q. Just one followup. You talked about the turnovers in particular as something you thought about a lot during the summer. What are some things you can do to cut those down right away? Not just you, but Indiana as a team? JOSH NEWKIRK: Just making the game simpler. Making the pass earlier, one dribble earlier, just passing ahead, just making the game simpler. Q. Devonte, Coach Miller mentioned that he sees you as -- he sees your defensive potential and called you an Indiana defender. I guess, how would you define that? And what have you kind of been doing that's impressed him? DEVONTE GREEN: Well, being recruited, a big part of my game was my defense. I've always taken pride in it. So I just bring it every day, and I guess he sees that. Q. Josh or Devonte, there's a quiet confidence about Coach Miller. Has that rubbed off on this roster at all? Can you sense a change in that department? JOSH NEWKIRK: Yeah, him coming in, he obviously wants to establish that identity, just being confident, just having a way about yourself, working hard and just bringing a great work ethic. So I think he definitely brings that to the team, and it's rubbing off. Q. Josh, you've had to make transition to a new coaching staff at the college level before, having come in from Pitt. What did you learn about that process? And have you tried to talk to some of your teammates about that in terms of having to deal with a new coaching staff? JOSH NEWKIRK: Yeah, just have open communication. I think that's the biggest part. Just being on the same page with whoever the new staff is, I think that's just the main part, just having open communication, being up front, and that's mainly it. Q. Josh, how is this team defensively going to be better? How do you see the improvement in defense? JOSH NEWKIRK: I think just the mindset, just putting defense first, just the little things, just having the mindset that nobody's going to score. Like we're going to be in the right position, the right gaps, the right everything. That's the main thing. Q. Devonte, Coach was saying he sees a lot of style in your game, but he also kind of wants you to maybe tone it down just a little bit. How do you kind of balance keeping some of that style that makes you unique while also kind of playing in the framework of the offense? DEVONTE GREEN: It's not hard to balance, I would say. I'm sure he wants me to tone it down a little bit, but he accepts my game for what it is. Also, we have to come to a middle ground somewhere. Q. For any of you guys, Coach has talked a lot about defense since he came into town, but he's also talked about valuing the ball and cutting down turnovers. Talk about that a little bit in terms of what he's emphasized in that regard. QUENTIN TAYLOR: I think the emphasis is, like you said, on taking care of the ball. So a lot of times, what Archie aims to do is make sure we're in the right spots because the spacing of the game makes decision-making a lot easier, and if the floor is spread out, then you can really see kind of what the defense is giving you. So that kind of -- with the speed of the game as fast as it is, if you know guys are in the right spots, you kind of know what to expect, and when you see the defense shift, you know what plays you should make. So he's teaching spots. So that's helping us take care of the ball. JOSH NEWKIRK: A lot of times last year, we turned the ball over more than other teams, and that led to some turnovers. I think he wants us to turn the other teams over more than they turn us over, and that will create easy offensive opportunities. So I think that's it. DEVONTE GREEN: And also like Josh said earlier, just keeping it simple, making that one extra pass, that easy pass. Q. Devonte, Coach Miller talked about you kind of fitting the definition of an East Coast point guard. Maybe Josh can chime in on this too. What is an East Coast guard, in your mind? And what's the same as what you bring to the table? DEVONTE GREEN: Up tempo, gritty. I mean, I can't really speak in his words. I can show you better. But yeah. Q. Kind of as a followup to that, though, Archie himself was a college point guard. How has that affected in terms of how he relates to you and instructs you and how you can relate to him a little bit? JOSH NEWKIRK: It relates a lot because he can actually get out there and show us different things, how he wants it done. So he's real interactive with us on the court. So that means a lot. He played at the college level, so he can teach us a lot. DEVONTE GREEN: He also has a different kind of basketball IQ because he was a player, and he understands what works and what doesn't in certain situations. Q. This question is for Devonte. With last season, I think you turned a lot of heads with your strong play. What are some of the things that you've been working on this season to kind of take that next step with your game? DEVONTE GREEN: I would say just keeping it simpler, playing more with my mind than anything else, and keeping my shot consistent. Q. Josh, has Coach Miller brought up any of the film from the Purdue loss last year, where they're celebrating in front of you guys? If not, in your mind, how much has that maybe added an extra kick in your step this off-season knowing that that happened last year? JOSH NEWKIRK: No, he hasn't brought it up, but definitely you lose a game like that and that happens, it's definitely going to be in the back of your mind next time you play. So I definitely haven't forgot about it, but he hasn't brought it up. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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