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INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 30, 2017De'Ron DavisRobert JohnsonBloomington, Indiana Duke - 91, Indiana - 81 Q. For both you guys, in what ways do you feel like this team grew up a little bit tonight? ROBERT JOHNSON: Well, I think to start the game out, we were locked in offensively and defensively. I don't think we had a lot of lapses on either side of the ball this game. So, if anything, I think that's two areas where we improved. DE'RON DAVIS: Like Rob said, played hard. Team's improving in every aspect of our game. We rebounded the ball. We were playing longer stretches. Just gotta finish the tenth war. Q. You averaged, I think, 1.1 points per possession tonight. You just about matched them in paint points, despite everybody talking about their length inside. What was working particularly at the offensive end that was getting you guys so many good looks around the rim? DE'RON DAVIS: Well, I think we did a good job of getting shots every time and executing. When we saw things that we could take advantage inside with our bigs, De'Ron did a good job of -- and other guys did a good job of finishing around the basket and getting fouls. So that was something that was good for us. Q. You mentioned De'Ron, just how big was he for you guys tonight, particularly in that second half; it sort of felt like you kept feeding him? ROBERT JOHNSON: Very, he's a big weapon for us. That's something we'll continue to do. Whenever we feel he has an advantage inside he has to get the ball. That's something we'll continue to do. Q. Rob, I think the final 15 minutes of the first half, without De'Ron you guys played some interesting lineup combos. How important was it to get some of those guys playing together, cohesive basketball without De'Ron? ROBERT JOHNSON: Yeah, I think it takes a whole team to compete with a team like that. And guys did a good job of being ready when their names were called. And I think we have to continue to do that moving forward. Q. Last 5:26 you didn't have a field goal. What was maybe different down the stretch from the first 35 minutes? DE'RON DAVIS: I think towards the last, the last part of the game, we started getting fouled more, and that's on us to hit our free throws. Although we didn't match bucket for bucket we was getting fouled. We knock down our free throws, we're right there. And that plays a big part of me, and the team just got to get better. And I feel like we hit most of the free throws that we missed, I don't know how many we missed as a team, but we hit most of those we're right there, instead of a ten-point game, it's a four-point game, five-point game. Q. You guys have kind of a tough stretch coming up. This was the beginning of it. You've got Michigan, Iowa, Louisville, Notre Dame. I know you would have liked to have gotten this win, but does the way that you played tonight give you guys a little bit more confidence moving forward when you're playing these opponents coming up? ROBERT JOHNSON: You have to give Duke a lot of credit. They're a good team. But I think we did a lot of good things, and I think it gave us sort of an identity and a standard to which a baseline level of we need to play that hard and that intense every night. And I think if we get better from here, day-by-day, drill by drill in practice, I think we'll be right where we want to be at the end of the season. Q. De'Ron, they've got one of, if not the best front lines in the country. You get 16 points in 21 minutes. Why were you so effective? What do you need to do to replicate this throughout the season? DE'RON DAVIS: I just need to keep being aggressive. It's not just on me. We have a lot of 3-point threats on our team and that opens the paint up for me. Rob constantly tells me one, two, dribbles, if no one's coming and I can go to work. And then that second dribble if you see someone diving down on me, kick it out, it's a three. So I think overall as a team, with our 3-point threats it opens up the paint for me a lot. And I think that's what got me so open in the post. Q. Rob, seemed like there were times when you guys did a really good job of post, kick it out, repost, get it back to De'Ron, sometimes Juwan. Was that a big emphasis and is that something you'll emphasize going forward? ROBERT JOHNSON: That's something we talk about a lot playing inside/out. I think when we do that and establish that we're going to have an inside game, it makes those 3s and kick-outs a lot easier and it's a lot better shot. It's definitely something we'll continue to do. Q. Rob, also your thoughts on the way Juwan Morgan played. He had to go against Bagley during that stretch when De'Ron was in foul trouble. What did you think of Juwan's play tonight? ROBERT JOHNSON: I felt like Juwan did an excellent job on him, especially with Bagley's length. I felt like he got a couple little iffy calls on him, especially towards the end of the second half when I wasn't in, the first half when I wasn't in. But Juwan played his part. Coach had a real good game plan on what we needed to do, and just kind of got some little nicky knack fouls, but overall I think Juwan did an excellent job. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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