Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 >> Yeah, just to recap the week, coming out of this Bellarmine game and
00:05 trying to learn from that and grow from that.
00:09 A couple big things that we really hit home on, it was our shot selection.
00:15 Our shot selection, taking care of the ball,
00:18 turnovers always been a huge mark for us in terms of a goal and
00:23 taking care of that ball and we really put ourselves in a really precarious
00:27 situation in terms of not controlling the game with our offense.
00:32 And we gotta get to a point where we're controlling that game and
00:37 making them guard as hard and long as we've had to guard
00:42 with all the offensive rebounds and such that we gave up on the defensive end.
00:48 So defensive rebounding, defense in transition, and we really hit home.
00:54 Monday we had to take off, Tuesday we did a non-contact day,
00:59 did film, recovery, weights, and a lot of individual development.
01:04 Because I'm trying to do everything I can to
01:09 minimize the risk of any type of injury at this point.
01:11 So yesterday I had a really good practice, really good practice, and
01:15 we started turning the page and really locked in on St. John's.
01:18 And today I look forward to another really good practice, so
01:22 moving forward and going into a very competitive game
01:26 with a very good, well-coached team in St. John's.
01:29 So looking forward to the game on Friday.
01:32 I know Jay Jacobs was supposed to be honored on Friday.
01:37 Some things came up personally, so we're gonna have to delay that.
01:42 But we certainly look forward to having Jay in and honoring his career and
01:48 getting him a call on one last game.
01:51 And it'll mean a lot to me to have him on one of the calls with me as head coach.
01:55 So he's an outstanding human being and individual, and look forward to honoring
02:00 him.
02:01 >> Six games into the regular season,
02:06 what have you found that you don't do the way you thought?
02:09 Have you had to change scheme, thought as you move forward?
02:13 >> Well, each and every game presents different challenges, and so
02:17 we gotta come at it with a different approach each and
02:22 every game to make sure we're competitive and
02:25 put ourselves in a position to win the game at the end of the day.
02:29 So most programs, they have their identity pretty much set in stone.
02:35 They can try to impose their will on teams and
02:38 really use their competitive advantage each and every night.
02:43 Sometimes that's gonna change with us, with the challenges we're going through
02:46 with basically playing six, seven guys at most.
02:50 We have to be very conscious of that and understand that our game plan is probably
02:56 gonna change each and every night to make sure we're in a position to win
03:02 basketball games at the end of the day.
03:03 >> Coach, I'm seeing the game itself,
03:08 it's not the coach versus the coach.
03:12 But this is kind of a unique situation where here's Josh Island,
03:17 his first year head coaching, about to go up against Rick Pitino,
03:21 a Hall of Famer who's been coaching for what, almost 40 years.
03:25 Just your kind of thoughts going in, I know it's not a coach versus coach kind of
03:30 thing, but there's gotta be some kind of feelings about being in the situation
03:35 you're in, going up against the guy who he is.
03:38 >> Yeah, absolutely, he's a Hall of Fame coach and
03:41 has done incredible things throughout his career.
03:43 And I've watched and followed him as my career has advanced.
03:47 And certainly, he's very, so many things he does on the basketball court and
03:54 is very admirable.
03:55 And it's been fun to see how successful
04:01 his programs have become at every different school he's been at.
04:05 But I had the same type of feeling going against Coach Bennett at Virginia.
04:10 And he's done an extremely incredible job there and
04:14 I've always really, really admired him.
04:17 And the way he handled his program and the discipline that he instills in his program.
04:22 So yeah, it's certainly an honor to go against coaches of that stature.
04:29 And but I don't put too much thought into it.
04:33 I figure out what I can control from a game planning perspective to put
04:38 ourselves in the best position to win the game at the end of the day.
04:43 >> Is tempo game for you?
04:45 I mean, his past has been up and down.
04:47 I'm sure he's gonna go 10, 11 deep.
04:50 >> Yeah, 100%, if you look at it from his shoes,
04:54 he's certainly gonna try to be as physical as possible knowing he's got the bodies.
05:00 He's probably gonna keep the pace as high paced as possible.
05:05 And I'm gonna try to do the exact opposite.
05:08 So it's gonna be who can impose their will given their circumstances.
05:14 So yeah, I would totally anticipate him turning the pressure up on us and
05:20 figuring it out that we're shorthanded and can try to wear us down the best he could.
05:25 And that was kind of SMU's game plan.
05:28 And so we got to learn from that game because there is a lot of similarities in
05:32 that game to what we're gonna face against St. John's.
05:36 So what we can learn from and I think even I've spoke about this coming out of
05:41 that game in hindsight, coming out of halftime, we kind of got into a up and
05:46 down battle with them when we probably didn't have to.
05:49 We would break their press and as a coach, you always wanna be in attack mode.
05:54 And if you got the numbers, you wanna try to take advantage of those numbers.
05:58 Now we didn't convert on several occasions where we could have probably
06:01 pulled the ball out and ran some offense and slowed the pace down.
06:07 So we got to probably be very conscious of that and
06:11 try to learn from our mistakes in the second half against SMU.
06:14 >> Along those lines, your first couple games,
06:18 how comfortable were you with making quick in-game decisions?
06:22 And are you getting more comfortable now as you're into game six, now seven?
06:26 >> Yeah, I mean, the comfort level definitely,
06:29 every chance you get to rep that out, you get more comfortable with it.
06:34 And I think probably the hardest challenge you have is what to go to,
06:41 given what you have in the game at that certain time.
06:43 So certain guys require different offensive attacks.
06:49 Certain guys out there give you a better or worse chance to change a defense.
06:54 So there's so many different variables that is going through your head at any
06:58 given time that you're trying to manage those thoughts and
07:02 putting yourself in the best position to be able to relay what you need to relay.
07:07 And everybody's on the same page coming out of those timeouts.
07:11 But the comfort level is certainly, it's becoming second nature.
07:17 >> How do you handle Quinn?
07:19 How do you handle Quinn?
07:21 >> In what way?
07:22 >> Well, he's just an emotional guy.
07:24 He's gonna face a lot of his former teammates, his former coach.
07:28 You have talked to him a little bit?
07:29 >> Yeah, we've already had several conversations.
07:32 Quinn's passion can be, it's a double edged sword.
07:36 I love guys that play with passion and that intensity.
07:39 And what I've told him just keep that passion and
07:43 intensity within your teammates.
07:45 You do that, you're gonna be just fine.
07:48 It's when you start portraying that to the other team and
07:51 you're gonna be emotional game for him, I get it.
07:55 I get it and so we just need to channel it in the right direction.
08:00 And we've had several conversations already and I believe he'll do that.
08:04 >> One other thing here, I know he's kind of the story but
08:08 you got a matchup of two good bigs.
08:10 I mean, their guys numbers are very similar to Jesse's.
08:13 How does that go together, those two?
08:16 >> Well, I mean, we might, based on what I've seen on film, Soriano,
08:23 they're probably gonna believe he can handle Jesse one on one.
08:25 So we might not see the double teams that we've seen in the past.
08:28 They haven't shown a lot of doubles.
08:30 They've shown a lot of digs in the post with a really good big man that they face.
08:36 They'll try to dig it out as best they can, but
08:38 they really haven't shown a hard double.
08:42 So they probably believe going into it that he can hold his own down there with
08:47 Jesse and so it's gonna be a good matchup.
08:51 Those are two really good bigs and it's gonna be fun to see them battle.
08:55 >> Story behind the hoodie there?
08:59 >> Raekwon battle,
09:03 it's kind of a show of support for
09:08 him, he's going through a heck of a lot
09:14 mentally trying to make sense of everything that's been thrown his way.
09:20 And I just wanna show a sign of support because he really has,
09:25 it's weighing heavy on him.
09:28 It really is weighing heavy on him.
09:30 And this is a gift that was given to me in August when I went out to
09:34 the Tulalip tribes and spent some time with him on the reservation.
09:40 And tried to understand the struggles and the challenges that all those kids and
09:47 the people that reservation face each and every day.
09:50 But when I came out there, they were so hospitable and
09:54 they presented me with this hoodie from the Tulalip tribes.
09:58 So being that it's the last day of November and
10:02 it's Native American Heritage Month.
10:06 And he really hasn't had a chance to showcase or
10:11 express his skills, his talents.
10:15 It's kind of a crying shame.
10:17 And so I just wanna show of support for him and know that I'm in his corner and
10:24 with all the struggles that he has going on.
10:26 So he was the only Native American to play in the NCAA tournament last year.
10:32 He's the only one that's ever got a Division I scholarship from his tribe.
10:37 So I feel for Ray and I wanted to show a sign of support for him.
10:45 Being that he doesn't really have that voice, he can't really express himself
10:51 in the game of basketball that means so much to his mental health.
10:56 And mental health really does matter.
10:57 >> What's the fish on the- >> That's the orca.
11:01 >> Orca, okay.
11:02 >> That's the orca.
11:03 >> That's part of the story behind their tribes.
11:07 And it is a whale, yeah.
11:10 >> We're talking about Soriano and
11:16 how they can probably think, they don't have to double.
11:20 What about you?
11:21 Do you think Jesse can hold his own against him?
11:26 >> Yeah, I think Jesse will do fine down there with Soriano.
11:29 They have a lot of ways to attack you, so you gotta be careful.
11:35 Where you dig from or what you do defensively to send a double to him.
11:41 So between Dingle and Jenkins and Ledlum,
11:47 they really got a strong four-headed attack, especially from their starting five.
11:53 So yeah, I don't anticipate Jesse having too much problems with him,
11:59 but he is a big, strong big.
12:01 And he can present a challenge in terms of especially getting Jesse in foul trouble.
12:07 So we've come up with several different defensive schemes to
12:11 switch things up if we have to, to try to protect him.
12:14 >> This is probably more of a question for Jesse, I guess.
12:19 But I mean, through your college experiences too, what do you think is better,
12:26 a big with rather face the double or triple from guys slightly smaller or
12:33 the one on one against a guy who's just as big and strong as you?
12:38 I'm sure there's challenges each way.
12:40 >> Well, I mean, definitely from a postman perspective,
12:43 you're gonna wanna see just one on one with space.
12:45 The double team creates a lot of,
12:52 you can create a lot of advantages from it if it's handled correctly.
12:56 And Bellarmine, I thought we would handle a double team a lot better than we did.
13:00 I believe he had five turnovers, and
13:02 a lot of those were coming and making passes out of the double team.
13:06 So he didn't handle it nearly as well as I thought he would against Bellarmine.
13:09 But we're gonna see it so many games.
13:15 So I don't necessarily know whether they're gonna double or not double.
13:22 But we continue to prepare for it every single day because it will be an issue
13:26 regardless moving forward.
13:28 >> Is Luger at their lineup?
13:29 Are they four out at all?
13:30 They play four out?
13:31 >> They will from time to time.
13:33 He runs a lot of different stuff.
13:35 He certainly does.
13:37 And Ledlum playing at the four, or the three four,
13:42 he can pass the ball, he can create off the bounce.
13:46 So it's not necessarily he's the option by any means.
13:52 I mean, Dingle came from Penn.
13:56 We scouted him last year and he was Ivy League player of the year,
14:00 if I'm not mistaken.
14:01 And we got lucky enough that he didn't play against us
14:07 when Penn came to the Coliseum.
14:09 So I believe he was suffering from an injury the days prior to leading up
14:14 to playing him, but I remember that scout and I remember worrying about Dingle
14:19 because he is an offensive threat and he can go off on you.
14:21 So they got some options around him.
14:25 It's not like they're trying to force them every single play.
14:28 And Soriano, by any means, is their one and only option.
14:33 >> Jenkins is obviously the most familiar with him.
14:36 Yeah. >> Yeah, Jenkins has been with him and
14:38 he really creates and he's three level score.
14:42 He can get downhill, he can facilitate.
14:44 He can make open shots.
14:45 So the best we can keep him out of the fold is gonna be to our advantage.
14:53 >> I'm sure when you're facing a coach that's got a level of 900 wins,
14:58 and likes to play fast, and likes to do everything you don't want him to do.
15:03 How do you get him to slow down?
15:07 How do you- >> Well, he's not going to.
15:10 He's gonna keep throwing guys at me.
15:13 And he's gonna keep turning up the pressure when he can.
15:15 But we just gotta be poised.
15:20 We gotta be steady.
15:22 We can't get rattled.
15:23 And it was the same message against SMU.
15:27 And we did, for the most part, we did a pretty good job with their pressure.
15:32 It was just us converting when we did have numbers advantage.
15:36 And making sure when we can control the pace,
15:39 we don't try to fall into that realm of getting up and down when we don't need to.
15:46 When we can control the pace, we should control the pace.
15:48 >> Josh, teaching guys to, I think, more or less slow down to control the pace,
15:54 control the game with your offense might be a deliberate.
15:57 That just seems like it's really hard to get through to people nowadays.
16:00 Cuz when you've got momentum, you wanna run.
16:01 >> Yeah. >> And you wanna increase it.
16:03 It's one thing to install offense or even change your offense as you have.
16:06 But that philosophical shift, is it just conversation or
16:10 experiencing it, what goes right, what goes wrong?
16:12 >> Yeah, I mean, you can show it to them.
16:14 You can show them quick shots and not converting when you do have numbers and
16:19 what you're gonna have to face on the defensive end.
16:23 That was a big message coming out of the Bellarmine game.
16:26 We took a handful of really bad shots early in the clock.
16:31 And then consequently, we were going down there and guarding for 30 seconds.
16:36 And then giving up an offensive rebound and guarding for another 20.
16:39 And so we had, you have so little margin for error,
16:45 and especially when you're fatigued and you're guarding that long.
16:48 And then somebody breaks down consequently.
16:51 And so we gotta control the game with our offense.
16:54 And that was the message going into the Bellarmine game.
16:57 Obviously, it didn't get quite through to them.
17:00 But if we can learn from those mistakes and be more efficient on the offensive end,
17:04 and be poised with the ball and take care of it, we'll have a chance.
17:08 >> That experience of watching a team do that against you, it can't hurt, I guess.
17:14 >> No, not at all.
17:15 I mean, that was something we gotta take bits and pieces from every game and
17:19 learn and grow.
17:20 >> You were talking about the SMU.
17:22 The thing that kinda stands out to me about the SMU,
17:25 it wasn't like a full court pressure, but
17:28 it was a pressure that made it difficult just to inbound the ball.
17:34 Screen, sometimes two screens just to get,
17:36 is that kinda what you think Louisville will do too?
17:39 Not necessarily a full court press, but
17:41 just to make it work hard to do the simple things, I guess.
17:46 >> Yeah, you end up burning eight, nine seconds getting it over.
17:50 And then you can't really get, it takes a little bit to get into your structure and
17:56 what you want.
17:56 So you gotta kinda simplify your offense from that standpoint,
18:00 because you've already burnt eight, nine seconds getting it over the floor.
18:04 So yeah, any chance they get, they're gonna put the pressure on our guards and
18:10 make it taxing on us to get the ball down the floor.
18:12 That's the way they play.
18:15 And so from our perspective, we can't get too complicated.
18:19 Once we break that pressure, we need to flow right into it.
18:22 >> Do you have a pain in the butt, for lack of a better term, is that for
18:26 the guard?
18:26 Cuz most teams, they'll just let you inbound the ball and bring it up the court.
18:30 But if you've got a screen and then sometimes screen again just to get
18:35 an inbounds and do that for 40 minutes, how much of a-
18:38 >> No, it's very taxing.
18:40 It's very taxing on your guard, especially when you don't have anybody to,
18:45 you don't have the correct depth to attack it.
18:47 And so you're relying on one or two guys to do that the entire game can
18:53 really put a lot of pressure on you.
18:56 And sometimes you can look at different matchups when especially you're going,
19:00 it's a man to man press and you can get it to a Quinn that isn't getting quite
19:05 that the ball pressure that a guard would get and allow him to bring it down.
19:10 And so we're looking at a lot of different options and
19:13 ways to relieve that pressure and that stress that's gonna be put on our guards.
19:17 >> [INAUDIBLE] Jump shooting team primarily?
19:23 >> No, I mean, yeah, they come at you from all angles.
19:28 They have a very balanced attack, so inside, outside.
19:32 >> Wilson have struggled some with their offense.
19:35 What do you do to get some consistency from them?
19:38 >> We just keep on ripping it out.
19:40 We kept on ripping it out and instilling the confidence we have in them.
19:45 Because we do, we have a tremendous amount of confidence in them making shots.
19:49 And what they say, water always finds its level.
19:53 They're a lot better shots.
19:54 They're a lot better shooters than what they've shown percentage wise.
19:58 And so I look for them to have a breakout game sooner than later.
20:03 And that's coming.
20:05 I have full faith in them.
20:07 >> Another thing here on St. John's, first true road game, I think.
20:13 Is that right for them?
20:13 >> Yeah.
20:14 >> So can you hang your hat on that a little bit?
20:16 Is that something you can use to your advantage?
20:18 >> Yeah, I hope so.
20:18 I mean, I hope we play with the tenacity and
20:21 that protect home court type of mentality.
20:27 That's our home court and nobody's gonna come in here and disrespect us.
20:30 And we gotta give everything we got and get the crowd involved and
20:35 keep that energy going each and every possession.
20:38 [BLANK_AUDIO]