Northwestern University Athletics
Indiana 85, Northwestern 82 -- Postgame Quotes
2/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2008
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Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody
Opening statement...
"It's hard to say this, but when you haven't won a game in conference but we've been playing pretty decently and haven't been able to get over the hump, as they say. In other games, we had stretches where we didn't play very well and teams would go 12-2 on us and that would be the difference in the game. Tonight, we had one little stretch in the first half at about the five-minute mark where they closed the gap, but besides that, I thought we played pretty consistently. The backboards certainly hurt us, but their penetration from the front really caused problems. We couldn't keep our bodies in front a couple of those perimeter guys, [Eric] Gordon and [Jordan] Crawford and [Armon] Bassett, which caused them to go to the foul line a lot and they converted the foul shots. It seemed like we answered a lot of different times. Each time we seemed to come up with a big play, a defensive play here and made some shots, but weren't able to get that last one. I had Mike [Thompson] driving to the basket, down two, and if he didn't like what he saw, he could've thrown it back out top for the three. But he went in there and it's a good shot. He just missed it with a big guy on him. It's another game you don't win, but I thought the guys really played hard and executed well. It's a very good team. We all know they've been going through a lot and they still executed and played with a lot of courage out there."
On Kevin Coble's career game...
"He played very well. I told him before the game. I just took him aside and I said 'you really haven't been playing that well. Let's see what you can do out there tonight,' because he really hasn't. He's been off and he's capable of good games and he certainly produced this evening."
On whether close games help a team learn to win...
"It's hard. You've got to win before you can know how to win. We came pretty close the other night and certainly this evening. They're trying hard. You're down and [Jeremy] Nash comes down with a big play, the big steal, and you have a 4-on-2 and funny situations there. A guy tips the ball or else we tie it up. So a lot of different things happened, but you have to win before you figure out how you're going to do it."
On the play of Ivan Peljusic...
"He had four fouls and we just told him 'you've got to play like you're playing.' I thought he was very good in the first half. The offense ran extremely well when he was there. I think when they came back in the first half, when we had about an eight-point lead, was when he went out because he moves. He's fast and he was important to us. I didn't notice any difference in play when he had four fouls or not."
On what he expected from Indiana entering the game...
"I know they're going through this situation, but I saw them play against Michigan State when it was in full boil and against Purdue, who is a very good team, and they looked awfully good to me. Even against Wisconsin, they got beat on a banker at the end. Once you throw it up there, the guys play. I thought they did that tonight and I thought they played well."
Indiana interim Head Coach Dan Dakich
Opening Statement...
"I thought this was a heck of a college basketball game. I thought going into the game that this would be an incredibly difficult game, for a couple of reasons. One, our circumstance: you are going through a lot in the last 24, 48 hours. Kids that you see playing basketball are 18-22 year-old kids, so they aren't robots. They have all kinds of emotions, as do I, as does Ray [McCallum], as does Jeff [Meyer], as does Kellen Sampson. Second reason is, I think watching Northwestern that they have really improved. They played us really tough. They are a good team, and have gotten much better. Ray made a great statement going into half ime, we were walking in and I said, 'What do you think?,' and he said, 'This is how we knew it would be. We knew this would be tough. We knew this wasn't going to be easy.' So my hat's off to how hard the Northwestern kids played. My hat's off to the Indiana fans for coming out here, but mostly I am so proud of our players, in the way that they have been so resilient in the course of the year. It's a testament to all the things that I think are good about Indiana University and Indiana University Basketball. And I'm not just talking about the players; I'm talking about the managers. We were with our managers last night at our walk-through. They got together and ran Northwestern's offense, so that we could put five guys in quick. They are just unbelievable kids. The assistants, Ray and Jeff and Kellen Sampson being here is a big deal on our staff. Bilal [Batley], who came with Coach Sampson. A lot of it is a testament to why Indiana a pretty neat place. It was a tough win, and I'm glad that we got the win, and we will go from there."
On his emotions after the resignation of Kelvin Sampson...
"Not right now. I have a lot emotions about our athletes, feelings for Coach Sampson and his family for what they're going through, feelings for our players and what they're going through. I feel a lot better that this is my first win as opposed to my first loss. I can tell you that. We'll move on and hopefully, as this continues, get better. My thoughts were 'it's natural.' It wasn't like a boycott. They got told at 11:45, I think was the meeting when we went down there. I finished up the meeting with them at 12:30. Ask them to go practice and some do, some don't. They're 18- and 20-year-old kids. I mean, I'm having a hard time with it and I've been through some things. Kids started texting me about 6 p.m. I'm telling you I wasn't calling to get them back. I knew that they'd be back. I understand. Everyone who has ever coached kids, you understand. D.J. White's issue yesterday was far deeper than just practice. This is the second time D.J.'s been through something like this. Looking out here, I don't see too many 18-22 year olds so I'm sure everyone out here has an opinion on how this should have gone. Well your opinion is not based on being 18-22 years old, 25 or 26 games into a season, with a guy that you came to play for, with a guy that you have worked with continuously, with a guy that you love because the only thing I heard in the press conference was Eric [Gordon] talk about how coach was a father figure. And now for whatever reason, he's no longer there. I mean, it's a difficult thing. So there was no chance I was going to sit there and demand that you go. No, I have respect for 18-22 year old people. I always have. I'll push them. I'll yell at them, make the crazy, but I respect their opinions because they're bright people. So myself, Ray [McCallum], Jeff [Meyer], it was a non-issue. I was getting texts, 'Coach, I'll be there.' Anybody that knows anything about my background knows that soft is not one of the things I'm known as, but the kids needed time and needed space. The truth of the matter is they still do."
