Jake Diebler spoke about winning four of the last five games and staying focused on what's important.
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00:00 >> A little tired, a little tired, but it's a good feeling, certainly.
00:04 Good feeling, certainly.
00:06 >> I know you wanna start.
00:07 Go ahead.
00:08 >> What was going through your head after Zed's dunk at the beginning of the game,
00:11 and what did that do for the team's energy during the rest?
00:14 >> Listen, Zed's dunk, certainly, but also just how hard and
00:18 active he played to start the game, I thought was contagious and
00:22 gave us a good boost to start the game.
00:25 >> What does your relationship with Zed mean to you?
00:27 >> Yeah, I love Zed.
00:29 Zed is, Zed's a great, he's not a kid, I've almost said great kid,
00:34 he's a young man, he's a great young man.
00:37 And he's the type of guy that you love having over to your house and
00:42 being around your family, he's like a family favorite.
00:45 And I think the thing about Zed that I'm most proud of is he's shown some
00:51 real growth since he got here.
00:54 And maybe even more so off the court,
00:59 which is ultimately what this is about.
01:02 So I love Zed, his family's awesome,
01:06 the support they provide for him by coming to so many games.
01:09 And we got to build a relationship through recruiting and starting out.
01:14 And then to coach him, and he's a special young man.
01:18 >> Jake, we talked to Jawan, he said when things aren't going well,
01:23 your food doesn't taste the same, your pillow is harder.
01:27 So how does your food taste right now?
01:28 >> [LAUGH] >> How's your pillow doing right now?
01:32 >> Well, I think first off, I just have a lot of respect for
01:36 Coach Howard and that program.
01:38 And I think this game means a ton.
01:43 We talked about this, you can throw the records out the window and
01:47 just expect a real battle.
01:52 So, and I think that's what makes this rivalry so
01:57 good is there's a level of respect and some other feelings and
02:02 emotions towards them certainly.
02:04 But yeah, I don't know, everything just, I'm a little tired,
02:10 probably more than the food tastes better or not, I just feel tired.
02:14 I think that's been the biggest difference for me personally.
02:18 To be transparent, I'm a little more tired.
02:22 >> Defensively, the way that this team has played now for a pretty good stretch,
02:26 you continue to hold teams and check more than you did a couple weeks ago.
02:30 And you're able to stop runs before they can get out of hand.
02:33 What is ultimately differently about this team?
02:35 Jawan said it's in a lot of ways the same, but you're getting better results.
02:39 What's different about you guys defensively?
02:41 >> I think we're playing with more urgency and aggressiveness.
02:44 And you're seeing that with some of the turnover numbers.
02:47 But the sense of urgency, aggressiveness, and
02:51 then I would also say just how together and connected we are.
02:55 And it certainly wasn't perfect today by any means, but
02:59 especially coming out of halftime, I felt like we were really connected and together.
03:04 >> Jake, you said you throw all the records out the window, but
03:10 how much more special does it make it that this game was your fourth win last five
03:14 years?
03:15 >> Yeah, we've really tried to focus on the task at hand and
03:19 this game is special specifically because it's the team of North.
03:23 So I think that's real and we've, like I said before,
03:28 we leaned into this game, it's kind of one game against our rival.
03:33 But certainly we're feeling some momentum, I think that's real, and
03:39 our guys have earned that.
03:41 But if we start to look too far ahead or we start to think about other things,
03:46 this college basketball can change quickly.
03:48 So we gotta keep focusing on the task at hand.
03:51 And right now it's having some good practices with this and
03:54 getting rest with this time we have in between games.
03:57 And then a great opportunity going into a gym that's really hard to play in
04:02 against a team that's really been playing well, feels like the last few weeks.
04:07 >> Just a moment for you, on defense in the first half,
04:10 it seemed like Zed and Felix were just a tad late on the low help.
04:14 Whether it was Terrence or Doug or Nymari driving in,
04:17 what changed in the second half?
04:18 And how do you guys plan to attack that move forward?
04:22 >> Yeah, we talk a lot about their level in the ball screen.
04:25 I think that's what you're talking about, the ball screen is kind of that double
04:28 where they bring two guys up.
04:29 >> I was actually mostly talking about down low.
04:32 >> You're saying in the post?
04:33 >> Yeah. >> Okay, yeah,
04:34 yeah, we let the ball in a little too easy in the first half.
04:40 So I think, now listen, those two guys, they're good individual defenders.
04:45 We also didn't provide enough help, it felt like, in the gaps with
04:49 being active from the perimeter to help the post defense.
04:53 But we did a better job of that in the second half, Terrence Reed's a good player.
04:57 And even though he caught it deeper, I felt like Felix and Zed, they fought.
05:03 They battled, there was a physicality in it, and they made him miss a few that
05:08 he's certainly capable of making, but
05:10 they made a good adjustment coming out in the second half.
05:14 >> Jake, you say you're more aggressive, but
05:17 it also looks like you're playing relaxed for a looser,
05:21 which is an interesting little thing.
05:22 How have you gotten them to do that?
05:25 Where is the more relaxed, not as uptight?
05:29 I don't know if you're seeing that, if you sense that.
05:33 So you've got this mix of aggression yet more relaxed.
05:36 >> Yeah, we're playing to win, I think, and not that we weren't before, certainly.
05:40 But I just feel like our mentality, our focus is to stay aggressive.
05:45 And we weren't perfect, we were overly aggressive in a couple gaps,
05:50 where we had some turnovers.
05:51 And I think also, we're still working through some of the shots of time.
05:56 But what I wanna make sure we're not doing is looking over,
05:59 we need to stay aggressive, we need to play with pace, we need to try and
06:02 strike early.
06:03 Those are things we've talked about consistently.
06:06 But I think maybe what you're referencing, too,
06:09 is there's a confidence guys have right now.
06:11 And I think that's where you're seeing kind of this aggressive, but
06:14 also set loose, but I think it's confidence.
06:17 >> You're speaking of confidence, you're four and one over the last five.
06:21 Not that you ever doubted your ability, but is there any confirmation or
06:25 any dissatisfaction from you as a coach to say, I can do this?
06:31 >> Well, we're four and one, I think most importantly.
06:34 Our staff, I understand that I'm the one sitting here and I get that.
06:41 But our staff, they deserve so much credit for what we've been able to do,
06:47 how we've come together in the last couple weeks.
06:51 I've talked about this, this has been really hard for all of us.
06:54 And it takes a whole program, I think,
06:57 to fight through the adversity that we were dealt.
07:02 So I think I said this earlier, too, the games were kind of,
07:06 that was the part I was least worried about.
07:09 I've been, it's been well documented that my family and
07:14 the coaching that's in my family.
07:16 And so I'm so thankful for just my dad having me in the gym when I was
07:21 able to walk, and I love this game and I got that from him.
07:25 And so the games, that part was, that was kind of the least of my worries.
07:30 Not that I had it figured out, but there were just other things to focus on.
07:33 But we, our program, I think most importantly is four and one.
07:40 But we gotta keep going.
07:42 >> Yeah, first thing, 22 to two in pass break points, you've talked a lot about
07:50 pushing the pace in games, aggressive offense, aggressive defense.
07:53 I mean, did you see that maximized in this one as you built that lead?
07:57 >> Yeah, yeah, I felt like our guards and
07:59 our guys who want to rebound and push it, I thought they played with great pace.
08:04 And part of playing with pace is everybody else has to get out and run, too.
08:08 Certainly our turnovers help with that, we were able to get some advantages,
08:14 numbers advantages because of the turnovers we forced.
08:17 But our guys are running their lanes hard, they're running the floor hard,
08:20 they're pushing the ball hard.
08:22 We've been working on that, that's the urgency side.
08:25 We've talked about playing with urgency, we've talked about the defense.
08:29 That's part of the offensive urgency that we need to operate with on a consistent
08:32 basis because I've said this, it is hard in this league,
08:36 with this coaching in this league, and the experience in this league.
08:40 It's hard to score over and over again in the half court.
08:44 So you gotta try to create mismatches with pace,
08:46 you gotta try to get the ball ahead of the defense at times, and
08:48 our guys have embraced that.
08:50 >> Well, you found half court success, too, 71% in the second half shooting the ball.
08:55 Just how do you get to that number on offense, that's pretty ridiculous.
08:59 >> Being connected, I think that's the biggest thing,
09:02 being connected, guys playing to their strengths.
09:04 But every huddle we break is family, and
09:10 the connection that our guys have right now is really special.
09:15 >> Jake, I know the 40 bench points is a little bit of a story,
09:19 but seeing you name the line up there, how much of that is a validation
09:22 for what you guys are doing, the depth and the rotation?
09:25 Dale's scoring 10, Zed 9, but Scott is a million, right?
09:29 >> Yeah, our depth has been really, it's been a real strength for
09:33 us, especially these last couple weeks.
09:36 We had Roddy scoring 15 points, he's obviously, I think you could say this,
09:43 we have a lot of starting quality players on this team.
09:47 And guys are stepping up, they're playing with confidence,
09:51 that we talked about, we're just helping that, certainly.
09:54 But we've got a lot of different ways we can score the ball, for
09:59 us to score 84 points and Jameson have eight on five field goal attempts.
10:05 I wouldn't have been able to anticipate that, but
10:08 I think it speaks to just the versatility of this team, the depth of this team.
10:13 We've done a much better job getting to the free throw line,
10:15 we're playing through the paint a little bit more and more aggressive.
10:18 So I think that's good, but yeah,
10:21 I'm proud of how guys have stepped up in their time and
10:25 I think that's gonna be important for us the rest of the way.
10:28 >> You mentioned the time off, how do you maximize that?
10:30 It's not always that you have the bye week this way of the season.
10:34 Is it still go, go, go in practice?
10:36 Do you take, do you put off the pedal a little bit?
10:37 How do you push that?
10:38 >> Yeah, I'm gonna make some calls to some people who have some more experience than
10:42 I do in this.
10:43 Certainly, we'll talk about it as a staff.
10:46 But I think we do, we need to get some rest, but
10:50 we need to keep the momentum and there's a balance there.
10:53 But we'll meet, we'll figure that out.
10:56 I'll lean on some of my mentors to kind of help figure that out.
11:01 We'll lean on the staff certainly, but I think it's, you're right,
11:04 it's a balance.
11:05 But when we're on the court, we don't wanna sacrifice the urgency and
11:10 stuff we've been practicing with.
11:11 So we can shorten the time certainly and do things like that.
11:14 Off days, we have some flexibility this week to help us get ready.
11:20 >> All right, Mike.
11:23 >> Coach, put your situation would be challenging no matter what, but
11:25 you immediately get the number two team.
11:27 Then you immediately have to go on the road to a couple difficult places.
11:30 You immediately then get a rivalry game.
11:32 The last two weeks, for you personally, has it felt like a blur?
11:36 Has it felt like a year?
11:38 Is sleep difficult?
11:41 What has it been like for you all this one after another, the two weeks?
11:45 >> Yeah, well, I think when you really step back and
11:47 put it the way you just put it, it is pretty hard.
11:50 >> [LAUGH] >> I think first and foremost,
11:55 I've been open about this.
11:56 I'm getting strength from my faith, and that's the foundation.
12:04 The next part, my wife is unbelievable.
12:07 She's like a superhero with what she's able to do.
12:11 We have a growing family, and her support for me is like,
12:17 I didn't think it could somehow get any better, but it has.
12:22 So I've gained a lot of strength from her and her support.
12:25 At some point, kinda after the season, I think we'll be able to sit back and
12:32 reflect on what we ultimately end up accomplishing.
12:37 That's not to diminish what we have accomplished, cuz I think our guys and
12:40 the people in this program deserve so
12:42 much credit for what we've been able to accomplish in this short period of time.
12:47 But yeah, faith first, my wife next.
12:53 And then we have, I think, that connection that we have right now within our
12:57 program, it's empowering me too.
13:00 >> Jeff, you guys have been closed out of games,
13:05 you really closed out today, which as we know was a struggle earlier in the year.
13:10 Is this a mental toughness thing, is it just this connected stuff, or
13:14 how does this mental focus play into that?
13:17 >> Yeah, I'm sure it's a little bit of both.
13:19 I think some of it is players making plays and stepping up.
13:23 It's been great to see different guys in those moments where the game could
13:28 potentially swing, that we've seen different guys within our team step up.
13:32 There's been, I mean, I think the guys who may be the veterans you think about,
13:38 certainly, but then you think about some of the big three Scotty Middleton's hit in
13:43 some of these games, or some of Devin Royals' big minutes.
13:46 I keep going back to Felix and
13:49 just how impactful he's been these last few games.
13:53 So it's been different guys every game, but
14:00 then I feel like the confidence, the aggressiveness we're playing with really
14:05 down the stretch has been a great thing for us.
14:09 >> Coach, I don't know what went through your mind when you took over the program,
14:14 but I don't know how many people around Ohio State thought that March,
14:18 more so than we did today, was a possibility that your name could be called.
14:22 Now, obviously, you guys are playing for that.
14:25 How much do you talk about that?
14:26 I mean, how much does every game at this point become a bracket game?
14:31 >> Yeah, well, I'll tell you what went through my mind.
14:33 And my first thought was with Holt, to be honest with you.
14:36 That was, I just, my heart broke for him and
14:41 just his family because I know how much he poured into this program.
14:46 And then I thought about our players.
14:50 And I thought about, okay, Gene had asked me to do this and
14:55 he was very clear, we need to make it about them.
14:58 So we went to work our staff doing that right away.
15:00 As far as kind of the position we put ourselves in, I think you see every year,
15:09 this time of year, you see teams get some momentum, you see them win some games.
15:14 And to me, though, our focus has to be on Rutgers.
15:19 I want our guys to enjoy this game tonight and
15:23 spend time with their families who are in town.
15:25 And certainly, beating your rival at any point of the season is big.
15:33 But we have to turn the page and we gotta focus on Rutgers.
15:37 They're a really good team.
15:39 And I understand that our momentum is giving
15:45 some things for people to talk about, and that's exciting.
15:50 I also need to say that the energy in the shot, today especially,
15:55 but even just these last few home games has been unbelievable.
16:00 And for our guys to be able to experience that, that's been awesome.
16:04 So all the things you're talking about are connected.
16:07 And it's been hard, it's been challenging, but
16:11 it's our guys I think are having some fun and they're motivated.
16:16 So we have to keep that going, but
16:19 there's nothing more important now than the next one.
16:22 >> Jake, I know every coach is gonna do senior day differently.
16:27 Some guys might roll your vest out there and
16:29 let's just make sure you get a few minutes.
16:31 Some might start all the seniors and walk out on the scholarship and
16:35 usually you start going today.
16:36 And even at the risk of maybe you could start out slow and
16:40 fall behind and starting to walk on.
16:41 What has Owen provided to the program where you trusted him and
16:45 said you're starting this game today?
16:48 >> Well, he earned the right to say, it was really an easy decision.
16:51 He earned the right to start, he deserved to start.
16:53 We tried to run a play for him, first play.
16:56 But we get to see every,
17:00 you guys don't get to see how important he is to our program.
17:03 But I mean, think about this now.
17:06 You go to practice every day and you're battling Zed Key,
17:10 you're battling Felix and Austin Parks.
17:14 And then you don't get to go,
17:17 like get the reward of playing on game day a whole lot.
17:20 So his love for this program is real.
17:23 He deserved everything he got.
17:27 I wanted him to get a basket so bad, but he deserved it.
17:30 It was an easy decision because of just what he's about and
17:35 how much he's poured into this program.
17:37 He's really, really important to this program, so we needed to honor that.
17:43 >> Were you more surprised that Bruce got up with that dunk or
17:45 that Zed was sprinting down the sideline almost to the Michigan side when Bruce
17:49 did the dunk down?
17:50 >> Yeah, so I've challenged Bruce.
17:55 Since I've known him, he's always told me how he could dunk, and
17:58 I just said, I've never really seen it.
17:59 >> [LAUGH] >> In a game.
18:01 >> [LAUGH] >> And that was impressive.
18:06 That was impressive.
18:07 I'm sure I will forever hear about that.
18:10 I can no longer talk to him or I even said something to Rodney,
18:16 tell him, Rodney, did he dunk that?
18:18 I'm like, well, now he's got more dunks than you.
18:20 So we have a great relationship.
18:23 I don't know if that's true.
18:26 I guess Rodney did have a dunk.
18:27 I think I'll think about it, maybe it was after.
18:29 But listen, we've talked about how special Bruce is.
18:33 And I think he doesn't get credit for
18:37 the complete athlete that he is because he's not really making a ton of plays
18:42 above the rim, but he is a phenomenal athlete.
18:46 He works really, really hard to stay in great condition and
18:50 be able to maximize his ability.
18:54 And Zed, if Zed moved really fast, cuz I've been kind of pushing the limit a couple
19:01 times of trying to get better at that of being out there, and Zed was well past me.
19:06 And he was there quickly.
19:07 So we'll evaluate the film on that and see if we can utilize some of that speed and
19:12 maybe some ball screen coverages and some other things.
19:15 >> [LAUGH] >> Finish up over here, Ben.
19:17 >> Yeah, I know you probably don't wanna get into specific conversations, but
19:21 today was obviously being a senior day.
19:23 What was the message to your seniors specifically, just a raw message?
19:27 And a lot of them have been through a lot of adversity in the last year,
19:31 some of them multiple years in Ohio State.
19:33 So what was the overall message to the group?
19:35 >> The overall message was thank you for obviously not just coming here,
19:41 but seeing this season through the way they have.
19:45 And it hasn't gone, it stretches certainly,
19:49 none of us anticipated being like that.
19:54 And Jameson's been vocal about why he came here.
19:58 And so thank you first, and I love you.
20:03 I think those were the messages.
20:06 And I learned from my dad at a very young age,
20:12 basketball team that it really is a family.
20:17 And we've had people who played for my dad probably before I was even born,
20:23 he still talks to.
20:25 And the amount of messages and former players of his that have reached out to me.
20:31 And then you look at the Valpo family that I had, the amount of former teammates and
20:37 coaches and stuff that have reached out to me during this time.
20:41 Basketball, it's such a great game.
20:45 And the family stuff, if you treat the game right and
20:49 you really pour everything you have into it, you do leave with the family.
20:53 And so those guys know that if they ever need anything from me,
20:57 all they have to do is pick up the phone and call, even if that's 20 years from now.
21:02 And the message was to the rest of the team, we need to honor them today.
21:08 I think that was the other message.
21:10 So I appreciate your question, but that family stuff is real and
21:15 I've seen it my whole life, so I wanna continue to keep that going.
21:19 >> Good, thanks.