	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

STATE FARM MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 7, 2019

St. Louis, Missouri - Arch Madness

THE MODERATOR: Missouri State Bears are here. They're the No. 4 seed. They'll play Bradley, the No. 5 seed, at 2:30 on Friday. Head coach Dana Ford is surrounded by Ryan Kreklow and Jarred Dixon. We'll ask Coach to start off with a a statement about his team, then we'll take questions for the student-athletes.

DANA FORD: Excited to be here obviously. These guys have done a solid job most of the year in trying to buy in to a first-year head coach and actually buy in to a new way of playing midway through the year. I think a lot of the credit belongs to the players, if not all the credit, and I'm really happy for J.D. and Krek to be in a situation where they feel they have the right to go to the NCAA Tournament, as well as our other guys.

Just happy for our players this year that they were able to exceed most people's expectations and hopefully still have a lot to play for. So that's basically it.

Q. Coach, I wanted to ask about that change in style. What caused that? I mean, it seemed like you guys went from playing very fast to very slow. Was there something specifically that you noticed that led to that change?
DANA FORD: We tried to start off by playing fast because at that time, at the beginning of the year, we didn't feel like we had anyone that could score around the basket. We added Tulio five games in, and he started to do some things, kind of the beginning of conference play, where we started to realize he could be a guy that we could kind of play around or play through, so we had to slow it up a little bit for him.

Then we slowed it up even more because we played Loyola. They shoot 50 percent from the floor, and we figured the only way to beat them was to not give them the ball. It happened to work really well that game. We did it against Bradley the next game, and it worked. We just kept doing it, one of those common sense things, I guess.

So we accidentally started playing this slow, and looking at some numbers down the stretch our last three or four games, the possessions have been too high, and they need to be a lot lower if we want to be successful here.

Q. Coach, if I recall correctly, did you say there was a team meeting at the first Drake loss?
DANA FORD: Uh-huh.

Q. What was said in that that kind of just -- right after that, you seemed to turn it around.
DANA FORD: Guys were just being honest. Guys weren't doing what they were supposed to do. We got a lot of clutter. Our team has had a lot of things happen to it this year, and I think guys were letting some of that stuff affect what they were supposed to be doing on the floor, whether it be a guy unhappy about playing time, a guy unhappy about shots, a guy unhappy about who's on the team, who's not on the team, a guy unhappy about Coach yelling at him, whatever. It was just individual clutter. So it was basically a clean-up meeting after the Drake game.

What we realized is we were losing games that we shouldn't lose. With all due respect to our league, there's no dominant team this year, and we were losing games because we were making a lot of mental errors. Basically, that's what I would call a coming-to-Jesus meeting.

Q. For the guys, just what do you remember from that meeting, and how much did it help you guys?
THE MODERATOR: J.D. first, and then we'll go to Ryan.

JARRED DIXON: Yeah, it was just about what was on our mind, what was stopping us from playing as a team on both ends and stuff like that. It was just good to come together and talk, figure some stuff out. It's helped us since. So it was just good to talk to the team.

RYAN KREKLOW: Yeah, I think people were just being honest with themselves, being honest with the team, what was holding some people back from how we could reach our full potential as a team. So we just -- from that meeting, we just went forward. It really just brought us together, and we started playing together, playing more focused and playing for each other.

Q. For both the players, could you talk about what Dana has kind of brought to the team and the program this year. I know both you guys obviously only have one year with him, but what's been kind of the big change this year?
THE MODERATOR: Ryan, you're first this time.

RYAN KREKLOW: Coach Ford, as you guys have probably seen already, him on the sidelines, he's passionate. He's fired up. He coaches with a lot of fire, and as a player, that's just something that you like to see in a coach. It really just drives us on the court. I mean, we try and play like he coaches. We know he'd do anything for us, so we'd do anything for him too.

JARRED DIXON: The same thing. He's really helped me, Krek, and guys who -- I mean, Webster's senior year, it's not easy having a new coach. He's really helped us as players on and off the court. Like I said, last press conference, it was great to start this year with him. He's going to bring a lot of success to this program, and I wish I had more years with him.

Q. Jarred, I know earlier in the season, we talked preseason, it felt like you're an all-conference guy. You're a leader of this team, had a heck of a conference year. Just not being selected on those teams, do you feel like you have a chip on your shoulder here to really prove what you have?
JARRED DIXON: You could say that. It's not about me or anything. I just want to win. So whoever -- I mean, that stuff doesn't really matter. As long as we get these one day at a time and win and get to the Big Dance, that's all I really care about really.

Q. For Jarred, going into this tournament, does it feel any different than years past, being your last one or just different mood around the team?
JARRED DIXON: Yeah, it feels a lot different. I mean, the last couple years, it's -- I mean, we were confident going in, but as a team, we really didn't think we could win it, just being in and playing games and stuff like that. My freshman year, I didn't even get to play in this tournament. This year, it definitely feels different. I'm confident and these two people next to me are confident that we could really win this tournament. So it definitely feels different.

Q. This is for the players: Just what is it like, what are the challenges when you have to change your pace of play, your style of play in the middle of the season? And what's different now that you're playing at a slow pace?
RYAN KREKLOW: It can be difficult if you let it be difficult. Honestly, if you just go out there and play and just follow directions and just do what Coach is asking, it's not hard to do what he's saying to do. So as long as you just buy in and you've got five guys on the court at the same time buying in, then honestly, it becomes pretty easy.

JARRED DIXON: Same thing. Whenever you have to change something but it's working, you're not going to -- you don't want to fight anything. If it's working for the team and it's going to win us games, then we're all with it, especially at this time of year where it's win or go home. Whatever works for the team.

Q. Coach, now that you're back here, just how familiar has things felt just being back at the Arch Madness?
DANA FORD: It's different as a coach than what it is when you're a player. It's been nice to be back. We got in late last night, and the guys really just hung out last night. We'll see if they want to do something tonight or something. But I think we're just really focused on the game and what we need to try to do to give ourselves the best chance to hopefully get the result that I'm sure most people want.

When I was a player, I don't think I had great memories here. I think one time we beat Bradley here my freshman year maybe or something like that. I had a couple of play-in games, which I try to forget. And then I think my career ended here against Northern Iowa maybe. I'm not sure. I mean, I've got a lot on my mind right now, and me playing here is not one of them.

But I am excited for our players to be here, and like I said, like most coaches, I think they have a legitimate chance to play on Sunday and see what happens.

Q. Just for the players, you two are really two of the only guys that have been here on the roster. Do you share any advice or anything or just what are you telling your guys, and what are you leading your guys to coming in here?
JARRED DIXON: Just enjoy the moment. I mean, everybody wants to win the tournament, but I mean, it's only one winner. So just enjoy -- try to just take everything game by game, stick to what we've been doing in this fight. This conference, only one team really goes to the Big Dance. So just helping my guys as best as I can any type of way.

RYAN KREKLOW: What I would probably say is that things happen early in your career. They might seem like a big deal if you're not playing like your freshman year, sophomore year, whatever. But I mean, that stuff's not as big as it seems. Just keep working on your game and getting better. Later on it will all work out.

THE MODERATOR: Bears and Braves, 2:30 tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297