Wes Miller Evansville Postgame
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00:00 Okay, well, I certainly am pleased with the second half.
00:05 If we play with that type of defensive activity, energy, and intention,
00:12 we've got a chance to be a competitive team in our league.
00:16 What we've got to decide is that we're going to be that way every night
00:22 for 40 minutes.
00:24 I think when this team makes that conscious decision,
00:27 that's the most important.
00:29 They want to be good, but when they make the conscious decision,
00:32 that's the most important thing is for our team to figure that out,
00:36 and we are going to be good.
00:38 We can't be a light switch team.
00:41 We can't be a team that turns it on and turns it off,
00:45 and in the first half the light switch wasn't on.
00:47 That was really disappointing.
00:49 Again, am I glad that we responded and found a way?
00:52 Heck, yeah.
00:53 There's no doubt about that, and I told them that in the locker room.
00:56 We've got to decide that we're going to be the way we were in the second half
01:00 every second of every possession, and the league we're going to
01:04 and the games that we're about to start playing,
01:06 that's going to give us a chance.
01:07 It don't mean that we're going to win, but that's going to give us a dang chance.
01:10 But if we play the way we did in the first half,
01:12 it don't matter who we play against, where we're going,
01:14 we're not going to have a chance.
01:15 And so I'm pleased that we responded in the second half.
01:20 There's a lot of things that were positive there,
01:22 and I'm really disappointed in how we played in the first half.
01:25 That's about it.
01:27 John said you didn't talk much about defense at halftime.
01:30 Was that more of like you guys know that that wasn't good enough to figure out?
01:35 Yeah, you know, I think this is my 13th year.
01:41 Sometimes you lose count when you're so dang wrong.
01:44 But I think the majority of my career, if we played a half like that,
01:49 any team I've coached, I go in there and yell and scream and break things
01:53 and act like an idiot.
01:56 And I didn't do that today.
01:58 I walked in there, we talked a couple -- about the zone a little bit.
02:02 Because I thought that they hadn't played --
02:04 they played 20 possessions of zone the whole season until tonight,
02:08 and ten of them were in one game against UT Martin.
02:11 So as a staff, we had talked about it.
02:13 We played a little zone against each other in practice the last two days.
02:18 So it wasn't like we hadn't prepared,
02:20 but it's not like we were going to this game expecting to play a ton of zone.
02:24 So we were a little shell-shocked by that.
02:26 They did a nice job.
02:27 They prepared for a couple of our main zone actions from last week.
02:31 So we talked about that a little bit, talked about sharing the ball,
02:34 because the ball wasn't popping around in the first half,
02:38 and maybe a couple other details offensively.
02:42 And just kind of looked at it and was like,
02:45 11 deflections is what we had them for in the first half.
02:49 It's stuff we value we're not doing.
02:51 We lost four straight four-minute games.
02:53 It's like we won the first one.
02:54 It's like we got to make -- I got no adjustments here.
02:57 Like we got to make a conscious decision.
02:58 We come out, double the post, we don't rotate.
03:02 Because we're not alert.
03:04 So then you go play the post one-on-one and you're not alert,
03:07 you're going to get crushed on back cuts and back doors and fan outs.
03:10 It's like it doesn't matter what we do strategically.
03:13 If we don't play hard and play with intention and activity and communication,
03:17 it don't matter what we do.
03:18 So come out, play two-three zone, give up a layup.
03:21 Play one-three-one, give up a layup.
03:23 I mean, it's not about strategy.
03:25 Sometimes it's about five guys decide they want to sit down, guard,
03:28 be alive and have some attention.
03:30 And we don't have guys that dog it,
03:31 but that's not what's expected in the first half when you put this jersey on,
03:35 guys.
03:36 And I told them -- I said it more concisely than I've said it to you guys.
03:41 We just got to decide that we care about defending
03:44 and doing the little stuff.
03:45 And I guess I will say this, I really appreciate our fans.
03:49 Because when we started defending and playing with energy and activity,
03:52 our fans responded.
03:53 That's, you know, like praise the acts you want repeated.
03:56 That's one thing I learned when I started getting into coaching.
03:59 It's not just about telling them what they're not doing.
04:01 You praise the acts that you want people to repeat.
04:04 So when our fans started cheering their butts off because we were playing hard
04:08 and getting our hands on balls and getting stops, I went, "Thank goodness,"
04:11 because they like to be cheered for.
04:13 They do.
04:14 I mean, they're human beings.
04:15 They like it when people cheer for their butt.
04:17 And they're cheering for them for the right reasons.
04:19 So I was actually -- I appreciated our fans getting into it
04:22 when we started playing the right way.
04:24 That helps us.
04:26 Coach, you seem like Josh Reed played really well in that second half.
04:29 Did he surprise and have the game guys attack him with the force?
04:33 Yeah.
04:34 You know, the first half, I said this on the radio show,
04:37 we get in there at halftime as a staff,
04:39 and like anybody that was watching that game is talking about why the heck
04:44 we can't guard anybody.
04:45 So we're talking about it as a staff.
04:47 It's not rocket science.
04:48 At the first half, I'm like, "Are you guys kidding me?"
04:50 They scored 40 and shoot 55%.
04:52 I think that's what it was.
04:53 I remember right.
04:56 Yeah, thanks.
04:57 Worse than I remember.
04:59 But they score 40, shoot 58.
05:02 We got 11 deflections.
05:04 I mean, we have no activity.
05:06 So we're sitting there talking about it.
05:07 I looked down and I said, "Why did we play Josh only --
05:09 who's the stupid head coach that only played Josh four minutes?"
05:12 Because he was the damn best defensive player.
05:15 And I thought about starting him coming out of halftime.
05:18 But Dan, it also had great energy to compete in the first half.
05:21 I thought he was the one guy that had great energy in the first half.
05:24 It was obvious.
05:26 So we said, "We're going to start Dan, go a little smaller,"
05:30 which I thought would help us with our activity,
05:32 and then bring Josh in right away.
05:35 And, boy, was he good in the second half.
05:37 I mean, he was defending.
05:38 He got his hands on balls.
05:40 He held his ground in the post.
05:42 And it's amazing.
05:44 You play the right way, do the right things,
05:46 and all of a sudden the ball goes in for you.
05:48 And then all of a sudden he makes two big threes.
05:49 Like it's amazing how the basketball gods reward that kind of stuff.
05:53 So I was really pleased with Josh's play tonight.
05:56 He was the catalyst for our team.
05:58 [Inaudible]
06:06 Do you see progress in that tonight?
06:14 No, I thought we, in the second half,
06:17 defended the ball significantly better.
06:19 I thought we contested shots.
06:21 I mean, how many we block, I don't have a count in my head,
06:24 but they have us for eight blocks in the game.
06:28 I mean, how many of them were like the primary defender blocking the shot?
06:32 I mean, that's contesting better.
06:34 I mean, I want to say five or six was the primary.
06:36 Dick had two, right, coming to help down.
06:40 I mean, four or five were the primary defenders.
06:43 So you're contesting shots better, and you're doing it without fouling.
06:46 Guys, if you think I didn't realize that the team shot 28
06:51 and 30 free throws against us in two of our last three games coming tonight,
06:55 I promise you I might not be the smartest, but I ain't stupid.
06:58 Like we've been emphasizing the hell out of finishing the game
07:01 with discipline and practice, contesting,
07:03 but doing it without committing silly fouls.
07:06 We got some habits we got to break.
07:08 Again, I thought there was some good steps there in the second half.
07:11 J.J. Thomas has 10 points, struggled shooting for the floor,
07:14 but just really active everywhere else.
07:17 I think it's his first multiple block and multiple steal game
07:20 here at Cincinnati.
07:22 You see a kind of elevated level of intensity,
07:24 and he was also able to kind of break down that zone a little bit more.
07:27 Ball pursuit, hands, activity.
07:30 Like I thought in the second half that, you know,
07:33 there's a bunch of loose balls in the first half, and we're not quick to them.
07:38 You know, I mean, it was like -- I'm like that.
07:41 Sometimes being the coach is like sitting in the stands.
07:43 Like I can't go out and get the damn loose ball.
07:45 I see what you all see.
07:47 Like hopefully I see a little bit more.
07:49 It's like balls bouncing around, and you're like, "Are you all kidding me?"
07:53 And that just comes because you're not alert and ready.
07:57 You're not moving to the basketball defensively.
07:59 You're not out there to make defensive plays.
08:02 And I thought Day-Day made a bunch of those defensive plays,
08:05 whether they were steals.
08:07 It all starts because he got active, started moving the ball,
08:09 doing little things, and, you know, defensive rebound.
08:12 Like you just -- you kind of saw that tonight.
08:14 So I want his decision-making to continue to improve, you know,
08:18 and I told him that in a couple timeouts.
08:20 I thought he missed some guys or over-penetrated a little bit.
08:22 But I thought his activity and energy was phenomenal,
08:26 especially in the second half.
08:28 You had two guys out, they had two guys out.
08:31 First off, what are the chances of your team being back a week?
08:37 And secondly, how does that mess up your scouting,
08:40 if they're too best for it, or out to play a part in the game at all,
08:44 psychologically or anything?
08:47 I can't speak to what it does to other teams.
08:50 I can tell you that when we found out -- when those two walked out tonight,
08:56 one of them is a reserve off the bench, it's a freshman.
08:58 I think he's their second-leading scorer on the year.
09:00 But he's a freshman that they -- that he plays with a lot of confidence
09:04 and freedom, and he's certainly somebody we talked about in the scouting report.
09:09 And then, obviously, their leading scorer, who's a terrific shooter
09:13 and really makes them dangerous offensively, was out.
09:17 So, you know, we find out -- when you guys find out, we walk out for one --
09:22 assistant runs back and goes, "Coach, there's two guys that are at street close.
09:25 One of them's in a boot, one of them's in a cast."
09:27 For us, it's simple.
09:29 The first time we see the guys in the locker room,
09:31 we cross them off the scouting report on the board,
09:34 and we add a couple guys that we think may play that we didn't cover,
09:38 give our guys a couple details on them, and then we move on; right?
09:42 If we had some kind of game plan based on one of those guys, that would be off.
09:47 We just kind of move on.
09:48 I can't tell you how they approach it.
09:50 In terms of -- I think you asked about next week --
09:54 I'm going to be really forthcoming with injury stuff this year.
09:58 I've made a commitment to my staff and my team.
10:01 I'm not going to play any kind of games or stuff.
10:03 I just think there's too many outside things in college basketball with injuries
10:08 that I just want to keep information clear to everybody.
10:10 So, you know, it's just the way it is now,
10:13 there's a lot of things that's scary as a coach that you can't control.
10:16 So we're not playing any injury games.
10:19 So I'll tell you what I know.
10:20 What I know is Z's worked out today.
10:24 He got a sweat.
10:26 It was the first time I saw him move.
10:28 I wouldn't say 100%, but it's the first time I saw him get up
10:31 and dump the ball and move with a little bit of pop.
10:34 He has not done that yet since the date.
10:36 I mean, I think it's been hard for him to get out of bed.
10:40 So I think he's trending in the right direction.
10:43 It's a back.
10:45 I can't tell you if he's going to -- I don't think he'll practice tomorrow,
10:49 but I can't tell you what it'll look like in a week.
10:52 You guys know I want him back as soon as I possibly can get him back
10:55 without putting him in any kind of jeopardy.
10:57 And then CJ's a hamstring.
10:59 He's completely shut down, no activity right now.
11:02 If we played five, six, seven days from now, I would say there's no way.
11:06 But it's just how quickly does that hamstring heal,
11:09 and then we got to get him back and not return to play.
11:12 We're not going to just get it healed and throw him out there.
11:14 So that's Mike Rayfield, Bob Mangine, you know, Dr. Donilworth.
11:20 It's our medical staff that's going to determine that.
11:22 But CJ's not even -- he's doing zero.
11:25 He's completely shut down right now.
11:26 So I think we've got a ways to go with him.
11:29 [Inaudible].
11:41 Yeah, I heard that.
11:43 Now, I'd have been booing, too, if I could damn boo.
11:45 I was probably booing in my own coaching way, you know.
11:48 So you shouldn't do that.
11:49 It was terrible.
11:50 But, no, I mean, again, I've probably come a long way.
11:57 Like, I'm trying to get better and grow.
11:59 Every damn year I love trying to get better,
12:02 just like we ask the players to do.
12:04 I probably have lost my mind and yelled and screamed.
12:07 I didn't do that tonight.
12:08 I just tried to point out the things that we had to do.
12:11 Because I think these are really good kids that want to be good.
12:14 I just think they're still learning what it takes to be good.
12:17 So it's not about yelling and screaming because it's not like they don't want
12:20 to be good or they don't want to perform.
12:22 It's about trying to teach them.
12:24 I'm not very damn patient,
12:25 but I'm trying to do a good job of coaching in those moments.
12:28 Have those been one of the best defensive rebounding teams?
12:31 18 offensive rebounds.
12:33 I mean, that's the second-chance points that you like,
12:36 but you have to be satisfied with at least their effort on the offense last
12:42 round.
12:43 And I want more.
12:44 I mean, we're rebounding the ball well statistically,
12:47 and every time somebody points that out to me I go, "Damn,
12:50 I think we can get better there."
12:51 I think this could be a great rebounding team.
12:53 Jamil Reynolds, I think the world of him, guys.
12:56 I'm having so much fun coaching him because the talent's incredible,
13:00 and he wants to be good, and he comes to work every day.
13:03 And I just think it's coming.
13:06 He's got some habits.
13:07 He's not even crashing the board like I know he's capable of.
13:11 And he's trying.
13:12 But when he gets the habit of how to defeat a box out, oh, boy.
13:16 So I think we can get even better there.
13:20 I really do.
13:21 I think there's some other big top categories we could improve in as well.
13:24 Thanks.