Indiana head coach Archie Miller and the Hoosiers take on Iowa (9:00 p.m. ET, FS1) in Iowa City on Friday.
Miller, and IU players Zach McRoberts and Al Durham were made available to the media Thursday afternoon to preview the contest.
Transcripts and video of all three are available below.
Video
Transcript: Miller
ARCHIE MILLER: We were really good in film on some stuff that we worked on on the floor. Today we'll get back on the court again and hopefully that's the case. That's the one thing that we have to hold ourselves accountable for right now is the disposition of what we're trying to play and what purpose do we have, and I think if we can continue to do that, we'll continue to play hard, and we'll continue to play against really good teams and have opportunities.
Q. Is that something that maybe is particularly important for a young team, just that ability to open up a little bit, not I assume being touchy-feely, but guys who maybe aren't comfortable being a little bit more honest or being a little bit more critical, self-critical, critical with their teammates?
ARCHIE MILLER: Yeah, I think at the end of the day, the personalities of your team usually starts with your upperclassmen. Our upperclassmen, we don't have a ton. We do have a lot of younger guys that are getting experienced to the hard realities of college basketball for the first time. You know, it's hard, it's difficult, and to do that, at times you kind of want to go away, and I think that's what our team has to break through with is more not going away from one another, more of going with one another, communicating better, pressuring each other in practice and doing more in terms of understanding like to get the results that we want to get, we're going to have to do it together. It's not going to be, hey, I'll go to practice today and see how it goes. It's got to be a real approach and a disposition, like I said, to do this thing better than we've been doing it, and I think definitely communication -- young guys in particular learning how to talk is always a huge thing, and your experienced guys being able to express themselves, as well.Communication is a big part. This team has got a quiet personality naturally. You've got some reserved guys. But you've got to be in between the lines, and especially while you're working, you've got to be able to communicate with one another.
Q. Close losses to Purdue and Iowa. Is there anything execution wise that you need to be doing down the stretch of close games like that?
ARCHIE MILLER: Yeah, we've come up short in our last two or three games at home just with not good execution out of time-outs, not being able to get a good shot. We've turned it over a few times, and part of that is just getting better. You've got to show it on film, you've got to watch it, you've got to drill it more in practice, and sometimes it just comes down to a play. This league as you just watch the games, it's usually coming down to the last four minutes, and whoever is able to get the job done in those four minutes on both ends, you've got to execute on both ends, usually has a chance to win, making less mistakes.We got the stop, we ended up getting a stop on that last possession, and give Haarms credit on a great tap. That was a 50/50 play. Juwan had the ball almost in his hands, as well, and he made a great play, a winning play that knocked it in. But there were so many little things that led up to that moment that you can also control that we've got to continue to just kind of address and hone in on those things.
Q. How much of a difference do you see between the offense you guys are practicing behind the scenes and the one that shows up in games and kind of struggles? Is there a big difference there?
ARCHIE MILLER: I don't necessarily know if it's a big difference. I think when you're in practice, obviously you play a little bit more freely. You're able to make more mistakes without the public eye, so to speak. But what you do in practice gives you great confidence that you can do it in a game, and the one thing is we're just not shooting the ball from the perimeter as well as we need to. We sometimes get good shots, sometimes we're right there to be able to get a good look, and it's not going down, and I think part of it is we just need some guys to step up and make some shots, and it makes it a little bit easier. Sometimes it's as simple as that.Our work in practice and what we're doing, we're spending a lot of time on some things, and hopefully we can get some carryover and some translation to be able to score more baskets.
Q. Kind of along those lines, aside from Romeo, you haven't had a ton of consistent scoring from other guards, guys like Al and Devonte. Has there more of a concerted effort to get those guys going offensively or is that something you work on in practice?
ARCHIE MILLER: Working on them. I think those guys, we're really trying to get those guys to be aggressive right now, Rob, Devonte, Al, as well, those guys know right now we need those guys to be aggressive. They have to have an aggressive mentality, and they have to be willing to try to make plays for us. I think we had some opportunities in the game against Purdue where our guards were going to have to make some plays. It was a very well defended game on both ends. It was a very hard, physical game where you weren't getting to the line a ton so you're going to have to make some, and we weren't able to stretch the floor a whole lot from three obviously, but we weren't also able to get a whole lot in the paint; I think we were 7 for 27 in and around the basket, so it was counterproductive. We didn't get a whole lot of anything going, and we missed some easy ones, too.
Q. Was Tuesday more of that defensive identity that you hope to hang your hat on with this team?
ARCHIE MILLER: Without question. I think it's one of our -- maybe our best defensive performance of the season against a really good offensive team, and I'm sure Purdue felt like they could have made more shots, as well, but it was definitely a game that as you look at it and you hang your hat on what can you control, our effort level was right there for 40 minutes. We had very little lapses at times during the game, lockouts, we had balls come off the rim and hit the floor. Guys were really dialed in and doing that, and without question, in this league and how we want to do things, that's the type of identity you want to have, especially in that type of game, the competitiveness.
Q. Kind of a zoom-out question, but a lot has been made in the last couple days about some things that were chanted during the game Tuesday night. As a coach you talk a lot about crowd support and how important it is for your team. What's the line between wanting a crowd that's energetic and tough on an opponent but maybe one that doesn't cross wherever that line is?
ARCHIE MILLER: Yeah, you know, we have great fans. We have unparalleled support, and that arena the other night was electric, and it's one that you want to be in. Obviously when it comes down to what was going on and what was said in the game, I wasn't paying attention to anything, so I didn't hear it until it was pointed out to me afterwards. But the question, you don't want to get into the personal side of things with players. They're out there working hard. They're out there playing and competing. It's hard enough to be in the public eye all the time. But it was unfortunate, and we'll move on from it. I definitely don't ever condone any personal sort of attacks or things like that.But without question, the arena, though, was electric. Our fans are well-regarded, and I think our university handled it in a first-class manner.
Q. Kind of along those lines, when you have such an emotional, such a physical game that your team obviously put a lot toward, is there a concern about that dropping off or having to maintain that to Iowa?
ARCHIE MILLER: I don't think that you really have the room to really think that way. I mean, we're going to have to be that way almost in every game, and if we're not, then we know good enough to win. That effort level right there is something hopefully you can build on and hang your hat on and say, look, at the end of the day, make shots, don't make shots, good play, bad play, continue with the disposition that you're in a competitive mind state, the whole team, everyone that's in there, and everyone that's on the bench, everyone who's working in practice. That's what we have to hold ourselves accountable to to find a way to crawl to the top and get a win.You know, emotional game, yes, disappointing, yes, but it's our responsibility to be ready for Iowa.
Transcript: Durham and McRoberts
Q. What do you guys remember of Iowa? It hasn't been that long since you played them, and obviously you'll be on the road this time, but what do you remember of them from the first time around?
ALJAMI DURHAM: Just them having a defensive presence in the zone, them having us a little thrown off a little bit, us trying to attack it, and knowing where the gaps and seams are, we're just trying to get prepared for that and just prepare ourselves to be successful against their zone defense.
Q. They hit a lot of threes in that game. What do you remember or what do you need to do better to defend them, the threes?
ALJAMI DURHAM: I know personally, I feel like we've got to be able to chase cut it and be there when they're coming off screens or be there on the shot so they don't at least get them up or have a great contest on the shots for them and their three ball.
Q. You guys dropped a close one to Iowa last time you played them, dropped a close one to Purdue. What kinds of things do you need to do better either from a schematic or execution standpoint like down the stretch of games to kind of tighten those things up?
ALJAMI DURHAM: I feel like we've just got to keep locked in on defense. We had a great defensive mindset against Purdue last game, and I feel like if we keep doing that and keep going forward that we can be successful in some of these games.
Q. Zach, how much of an emphasis has it been to keep up the energy level that you guys came out with against Purdue?
ZACH McROBERTS: Yeah, it's been huge. Yesterday in practice just the mindset, having the mindset right, being able to continue that defensive presence we had, that's huge going into next game, too, and throughout the season.
Q. Just where are you? It feels like you just kind of keep getting dealt one sort of injury, frustration after another. At this point are you just kind of playing through it and figuring whatever comes comes?
ZACH McROBERTS: Yeah, I think just playing through some things and then just knowing I've got a couple more games left here at IU, so I want to be able to play through it and make the most out of it.
Q. How tough has it been as a senior to kind of been hit with these frustrations in your last year?
ZACH McROBERTS: Yeah, obviously it's been frustrating, but being around the guys, being around the team has helped a lot getting through it and then just keep a positive attitude. You don't want to come in here negative just because you're hurt. You've got 15 to 16 guys going out every night playing hard, practicing, so just keeping a positive attitude has been key.
Q. Is it hard to lead when you're not active, when you're not playing? Is it hard to find your voice when you're not actually out there?
ZACH McROBERTS: It's a little more difficult, but I still think like I have to have a voice in practice, voice during the games in huddles and stuff like that. But obviously not being out there is frustrating. It's a different feel when you're not there in practice, when you're not in games but still trying to lead.
Q. Kind of the second phase of the drastic change that Coach alluded to, he was talking about better communication between guys on the court and in practice. Just how do you feel like that's kind of manifested itself, not only going into Purdue but now on the back end of such an emotional game?
ZACH McROBERTS: Yeah, I think guys have had great energy. After the Minnesota game and throughout, I think that's been huge, guys talking in practice, guys talking in the huddles. Just keeping up that communication, keeping up that energy.
Q. Is that something that in particular you've maybe noticed a change from compared to some last teams that you've been on?
ZACH McROBERTS: Not necessarily. I think every team tries to find their voice, tries to find their energy any way they can and guys are always trying to talk, so that's been about the same.
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