• 11 months ago
Porter Moser Pre-Iowa State (1-5-24)
Transcript
00:00 >> Porter, I asked, try and say kind of the same thing, but
00:02 through the first 13 games of the season, what stood out to you just about this team?
00:07 And does it feel like maybe the defense is becoming the identity for this team?
00:11 >> Yeah, what stands out is that there's a push with these guys to get better.
00:18 There's a push to these guys to defend.
00:21 And on all aspects, I think that these guys, they play hard.
00:28 We're getting our athleticism into the game.
00:30 But there's this mentality of a push to get better.
00:36 And that's what you're gonna need in this league.
00:38 There's gonna be ups and downs in this journey.
00:41 And you just gotta be pushing to get better, learn from what doesn't go your way.
00:45 And, but the things that I've learned from this team is that,
00:54 the things we set out to be longer and more athletic to impact the game
00:59 is moving in that right direction.
01:01 I think defensively, we're better.
01:02 I just think we cover more ground.
01:04 We can do some different things.
01:06 I think offensively, we're playing at a much higher pace.
01:10 So, and also, no matter who our opponent is,
01:17 I think we've come out ready to play every game.
01:18 Didn't always play great, but you never said, they took it politely or
01:23 they didn't come out ready to play.
01:24 We've been ready to play and played hard for 13 games.
01:27 And that's what I love about this group.
01:29 >> You feel like you're finding a rhythm again.
01:32 You had Carolina a week off and then another week off.
01:38 Things feel like they're getting back to normal.
01:40 >> Yeah, you're getting your legs back.
01:41 You're getting your Christmas slough off.
01:43 I do.
01:45 I think the Monmouth game, we played more like we can play.
01:51 And with that said, I still feel like that.
01:55 I think we've had great practices.
01:56 So to answer your question, yes,
01:57 there's unequivocally a little bit of coming off from Christmas.
02:02 Anytime you take five days off,
02:04 there's no other point in the season where you take five days off.
02:06 It won't happen again, and it's just different.
02:09 >> We're talking about Iowa State's defense here in a second, but
02:12 offensively, what do you see from them as far as being able to attack you guys?
02:15 >> Pace.
02:17 They run, they cut, and they run their offense at an unprecedented pace.
02:24 They are phenomenal.
02:25 It's incredible because people, that's what you do when you talk about Iowa State.
02:28 You talk about how hard they play.
02:30 They force turnovers, how good defensively,
02:32 how well coached, connected they are defensively.
02:35 And so those are all things you say about Iowa State.
02:37 And they're true as ever with this year's team, number two in all those categories.
02:42 But the thing that you, when you watch Iowa State is,
02:45 they run their offense with a phenomenal pace.
02:49 They cut, they move, they share, they drive, they pass at a high, high.
02:54 You have to be ready for the pace at which they run their offense.
02:57 >> Well, because you're playing pace, aren't you better ready to play a team like that?
03:01 >> Yeah, I mean, I feel like that.
03:02 So the pace is not only in transition with them.
03:04 The pace is on the half court offense.
03:07 I mean, they're cutting, they're going side to side to side to side.
03:09 And they're cutting with tremendous pace.
03:12 And you've gotta be ready to stay fresh to guard that, because they're very good.
03:16 I mean, they have two guys averaging six assists.
03:19 That's phenomenal, when you got two guys averaging that many assists.
03:23 That means they're sharing it, moving it.
03:25 I mean, you've gotta stay fresh guarding their pace.
03:29 >> They also look like they're balanced in scoring, Porter.
03:31 >> They are. >> They're four guys in double figures.
03:33 >> I mean, Lipsy is one of the top improved players in the nation,
03:37 not just the Big 12.
03:39 Gilbert gives you 15 a game.
03:41 A lot of the freshmen can really shoot.
03:45 But he also can drive and post you up.
03:48 He's got that dirt move where he can jump over you.
03:51 He's got tremendous space when he gets that move going.
03:53 I know they call him Rob Energy.
03:56 He's one of my favorite players, just because he brings what he brings.
04:00 Every single night, they're big.
04:04 They got Jones, a transfer from Buffalo, is a very good player.
04:07 They come at you in a lot of different ways to score.
04:14 And I think that's part of it.
04:16 They have no problem sharing the ball.
04:18 They share it as good as anybody.
04:20 >> You mentioned the things that you've learned about this team.
04:22 Is there anything that's surprised you about this team so
04:25 far this year, given how many new faces?
04:26 >> I wouldn't say surprised, no.
04:31 This is what we expected when we were recruited to this.
04:35 And this is what our standards have been to this.
04:37 So nothing's really surprised me.
04:43 No, we've gotta get better.
04:47 And but I really enjoy how hard these guys are practicing every day to get better.
04:54 >> You successfully recruited a roster that's panned out to have the length,
04:58 the athleticism that you wanted to add.
05:01 How much better does that equip you guys to go into big 12 play,
05:03 where that's gotta be what that was at least partially about?
05:06 >> It is.
05:07 When you're playing 18 or 19 of these games in a row at the highest level,
05:14 night in, night out, you've gotta have some athleticism and
05:18 length to compete against that night in, night out.
05:20 You're gonna get some wins, we did some good things.
05:23 But to do it every night, you need more athleticism,
05:28 more length to do what you do.
05:30 I'm not changing what we do.
05:32 We still are fundamentally doing what we do defensively.
05:35 We still are trying to do space.
05:38 What I love is we're doing a little bit more pace in space.
05:40 What I love is we're getting a little more length in what we do defensively.
05:43 So I just think it's better equipped us to go into the number one
05:48 basketball league in the country.
05:50 19 games in a row kind of the conference tournament, minimum.
05:53 It is 19 games in a row of the highest level.
05:57 It wears on you if you're out athletic and out length every single night.
06:02 And I think we've shrunk that gap.
06:05 >> We talked a lot after the North Carolina game about you play in a lead
06:08 defensive team, you have to keep the ball moving.
06:10 Not that you don't want that every week, but
06:12 do you reemphasize that a lot going into facing a lead defensive team like this?
06:15 >> Well, we gotta take care of the thing.
06:16 The lesson we can't have that game go in vain, that loss go in vain is,
06:21 we had 18 turnovers.
06:22 We had 18 turnovers and it was two possession game, two minutes left to go.
06:26 I mean, do the math.
06:28 I mean, we're one of the upper top 30 offensive efficiency teams.
06:32 We're scoring over one point per possession.
06:34 So you cut off six or seven of those turnovers.
06:41 Now instead of two minutes, you're up if we're analytically doing what we're doing.
06:45 So that is such a key, that game of North Carolina,
06:49 that lessons learned from the turnovers and not taking care of it.
06:52 Going too deep and having them dig and rake.
06:54 Now we're playing the team that does that the best.
06:56 I don't know if there's a team in the country that takes turnovers and
06:59 scores and forces you to turn over better than Iowa State.
07:02 That's what they do.
07:03 They turn you over and turn it into baskets.
07:05 And we're gonna have some, but
07:08 we've gotta learn from that game from Carolina.
07:13 >> Now what is that balance?
07:14 Maybe with the pace that you wanna play knowing that turnovers can go up the
07:17 faster you play, but also wanting to be intentional.
07:20 >> Value the ball strong.
07:21 You gotta eliminate the ones that are out of carelessness, being too sped up.
07:25 There's, Coach Majerus, I think you've heard me quote this.
07:28 There's turnovers out of commission.
07:30 And you're really trying to do the right thing, man.
07:32 It's the right play, you just turn it over.
07:34 All right, then there's turnovers out of omission.
07:37 You omit your toughness.
07:38 You omit your IQ.
07:40 You omit your fundamentals.
07:41 Those are the ones you gotta omit.
07:43 But we're gonna have one.
07:44 We go on a fast break, we throw it ahead.
07:46 I mean, it goes off the guy's hands and we're trying to make the right play.
07:50 There's a difference between the turnover we had at the end of the Monmouth game
07:54 where we just soft and bobbled it and it got stolen and they hit a three.
07:57 We gotta have, if we're gonna have turnovers, there's gotta be a commission.
08:01 Trying to make the right play, not omitting our fundamentals, our toughness,
08:04 or our IQ.
08:05 >> Now, Porter, you're an older team now.
08:09 You think that's gonna help a lot?
08:11 >> Heck yeah, yeah, I do.
08:13 We got guys coming off the bench that's been at high major levels that have
08:18 played in front of big crowds, that have played at stakes.
08:22 So sometimes when you come off the bench and you're super, super young and
08:24 inexperienced, but our guys off the bench,
08:28 then you look at the guys that are the first eight.
08:30 I mean, Tegan Lowe's went through this last year.
08:34 Sam went through it last year.
08:36 And Jalen Moore went through the ACC.
08:40 And JV on is been terrific.
08:44 So like the experience does definitely help.
08:47 It definitely helps.
08:48 But I will say this about, it isn't the end all answer because the bottom line is,
08:54 there's nothing like going through the grind we're about to go through.
08:57 It's the best of the best every single night, and
09:01 you've gotta be ready every single night.
09:03 >> Sam talked about one through eight,
09:06 kind of everybody's accepted their role on this team and
09:08 how that's kind of helped with the commission chemistry and everything.
09:11 How does Jalen fit into that?
09:14 >> You know what Jalen's done?
09:15 Jalen's done a great job of getting better at who he is.
09:23 We talked a couple times at North Carolina,
09:24 tried to do a couple things and he was going too deep.
09:28 Next couple games, like last game, he stopped before the plug, kicked it,
09:31 kicked it, like that's growth.
09:33 Jalen's really accepted coaching.
09:35 And he's let the game come to him.
09:40 And this is such a lesson for anybody at any level.
09:44 When your mind's right, your game's right.
09:47 Jalen has kept his mind right.
09:51 There's times where he's been frustrated, there's times we've got on him.
09:55 And if you look at his body language, if you look at his energy level,
10:00 it's always high.
10:01 So we have this quote, and the guys will know, they've heard it.
10:04 How you think is how you feel.
10:07 How you feel is how you act, and how you act defines you.
10:10 And it starts with how you think.
10:12 And Jalen's got this positive energy.
10:13 Whether you're on him and trying to correct him, he's like, okay,
10:16 I'm trying to address that.
10:17 I'm trying to get better at that.
10:18 That's how he thinks.
10:19 That's how he feels.
10:21 When you sit there and think, man, coach is on me.
10:23 Coach is criticizing me, doesn't think I can do this.
10:26 That's how I feel.
10:27 And when I'm feeling that way, I'm walking around feeling like that way.
10:31 That's how I act.
10:32 And that's how your teammates and your coaches perceive you.
10:35 And Jalen is the definition of that.
10:37 My favorite quote, he's the definition of taking coaching and addressing like,
10:43 man, all right, doesn't think coach doesn't think I can put the ball on the deck.
10:46 But be smarter.
10:48 If they start coming, digging, and raking, I gotta pick it up.
10:51 Doesn't mean coach thinks don't dribble.
10:53 And that's what I think of when I think of Jalen Moore going this way.
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