NIT SEASON TIP-OFF

November 26, 2003

Bob Knight

BOBBY KNIGHT: We can do some things to make it difficult for you to run and we had been a team that in our first couple of ballgames really pushed the ball off the floor and got the tempo at a quick speed and I just didn't think we'd be able to do that tonight and I was very interested in seeing how our team would react, particularly on the defensive end in a patient game. I thought we reacted pretty well. We were overaggressive and gave up three or four baskets probably, and on the offensive end, we took a couple of shots maybe that were untimely shots. But basically I thought that we played within the tempo of the game and I was really pleased with that. I think that is going to be a very good team. Rick's teams are always very well set up. They don't beat themselves and I'm sure they will get better and I just hope we get better as we go along. That's one of, I think, maybe one of several really good things about the preseason NIT. You're going to play no matter where you are in it, you're going to play at least two good teams, if you play four games, and sometimes you're going to play three real good teams. Maybe you won't always play four because of the NCAA limitations on who can play and conferences and so forth. One thing we really wanted to do was have a chance to come here and play against two good teams. So, we have that opportunity no matter whether we win or lose tonight. So that was a good thing for us. Anybody got a question?

BOBBY KNIGHT: As a scorer. As a freshman, I think he played about 15 or 16 minutes a game and averaged six point something per game. I just -- my hope for him is that the rest of what he does comes along with his ability to score. He made some defensive mistakes tonight, but also, countered that with some really good defensive plays. And we got -- our bench has been good and we got another addition off the bench tonight in Curtis Marshall. Curtis made a couple of good cuts, made some really good defensive plays. I think any team -- and so he countered a couple of mistakes with some pretty good defensive plays and I think he has a little bit better awareness of the defensive end.

BOBBY KNIGHT: He's really good from -- yeah, but he's just got to move better. He's a little bit too much like, "Let me have the ball and then I'll play." I want him to have, "Let me get open and throw me the ball." And there's a big difference. Let me get open and throw me the ball when I'm open. So then I have to work like hell to get open. Don't give me the ball and let me play. I don't like that kind of play.

BOBBY KNIGHT: I have no idea. I haven't seen anyone play. We're trying to -- and really, I've never -- I don't know if I've ever compared our team to somebody else, ever. I compare us to what we have been and what we're trying to become and what we are and what I think we can become. That's about the extent of my comparison.

BOBBY KNIGHT: I don't know. I don't know yet. We've only played four games. If I could do that, I would be sitting with George Bush tonight instead of you guys if I could figure those things out.

BOBBY KNIGHT: I don't care who we play. I'm just happy that we have a chance to play. I can remember one time that we played here. I think when we came off the floor, I think I was so shell-shocked, George hit me over the head with a Coke bottle or something to wake me up. Syracuse beat us by about 100 one night in the semifinal game. And the next night we gave up 106 or 107 to North Carolina. So I'm happy that we are playing in the final game. Let them decide who we are going to play.

BOBBY KNIGHT: I don't know if we did anything. He missed some good shots. He made some buckets. I think that we tried to help as much as we could and sometimes we did and sometimes we didn't.

BOBBY KNIGHT: We didn't make them go back door. They just went back door about four times. I wasn't really happy with that part of it. Our defense, as with any team, you have to start with defensive play. If you don't have good defense, then it's like you've got to score two buckets for every one you give up. We give you a bucket, then we've got to tie that one and then get another one to get ahead of you. If we can keep you from getting baskets and particularly when you're starting to build a little lead, if we can get to five, and then get to seven without you get to go three, that's the way to watch a game, I think and to determine what the defense is doing. And when you get in games like that, it's usually the defense that's enabling the offense to get a lead. The converse of that is true. If you're getting a lead, you get a tip-in, you get a back-cut basket, you get a break away, then our defense has placed a real burden on our offensive play. So what I've always tried to do and with varying degrees of success or lack of, I've tried to make sure that our defense is something that enables our offense to win a game.