Head coach Jake Diebler follows up on his dream to coach the Buckeyes.
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00:00 players here on all of that meant so much to me.
00:03 Buckeye Nation, it was really special, but I was happy to get to practice.
00:11 To be able to just coach and prepare for a game where your season is on the line.
00:18 But leading into that press conference and all the day before that,
00:21 it was a lot of different emotions.
00:24 Practice was the best part of the day, though.
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00:30 >> Coach, I would characterize the way they played tonight as being a clever
00:33 brand of basketball, and totally a partner for us to make 10 in that respect.
00:39 Would you say the same thing about that?
00:41 And can you compare them to anything you've seen thus far in Big Ten?
00:46 >> Yeah, I think they're well coached.
00:48 That's a great way to put it.
00:49 They have great chemistry and a lot of skill.
00:55 I think the closest team we would see in league may be Nebraska,
01:00 would just have a big that can shoot like theirs in the space,
01:04 the five-ounce spacing, the cutting, the three-point field goal attempts.
01:10 Nebraska's probably the closest in the Big Ten to compare.
01:14 >> You're right.
01:17 >> Jake, congrats on the win.
01:18 >> Thank you. >> I'm sure you looked up and
01:20 saw the crowd, I guess, before the game, the upper decks were closed off.
01:23 But I guess down the stretch, how much of the crowd helped you guys out in
01:28 the big lobs, just down the stretch of the environment?
01:30 >> I thought Buckeye Nation, everybody here was great.
01:33 This was a quick turnaround.
01:34 There wasn't a lot of time to prepare and plan and all of those things.
01:37 So really appreciative of everybody that came out.
01:40 The energy in the building was awesome.
01:43 And it helped us finish the game.
01:48 So thank you to everybody who showed up.
01:50 I don't know what to expect, right?
01:54 With such a quick, from the time you find out who you're playing,
01:58 when you're playing, to when you're actually playing the game,
02:00 I thought the support was awesome.
02:02 >> Yeah, you had games up and down to the last seconds.
02:07 This is the first time you've been in a situation, game on the line,
02:11 and you're in the huddle there.
02:12 Did your boys feel any different coaching a team in a situation where it's
02:17 like, you have games up and don't progress, you lose, you go home?
02:21 Did it feel different when you were in any of those moments knowing this would
02:24 all fall on your shoulders this time?
02:26 >> No, I think the reps that I've been able to get here over the last month
02:30 have helped.
02:32 And we've talked about staying aggressive no matter if you're up.
02:37 We've been in situations this last month where we've been up three,
02:39 down two, going into the last four minutes.
02:42 So we're gonna stay aggressive.
02:46 We're gonna play to win, and that's not gonna change.
02:50 So it didn't change because this was kind of a win or go home game.
02:55 We just stayed the course, we stuck with what's worked.
02:58 We stuck with how we're gonna be as a program moving forward.
03:03 And listen, guys need to stay aggressive so
03:06 they can be the ones to step up and make plays, that's what you saw.
03:09 Saw that in Jamison's three, it was big time.
03:12 The read of the press break, and that's players doing that because they're
03:17 playing aggressive with confidence and they know that we believe them.
03:22 >> You talked about having to cope without Bruce, without Scotty as well.
03:27 Do you have any update on his situation going forward?
03:29 And how did that also stress some of your rotations and some of your lineups?
03:33 >> Yeah, it caused some adjustments certainly through the flow of the game.
03:38 Scotty and I have been in contact today.
03:40 We're thinking of him and praying for him and his family.
03:44 And I haven't talked to him since the game's been over yet, but
03:47 I'm sure we'll talk to him soon.
03:48 >> All right, Rob.
03:50 >> Kind of like Adam's question, did this feel any different for you?
03:54 Not so much the team and the players, but two days ago you were one thing,
03:59 now you're, was there anything different?
04:02 Did you feel more pressure now that you are the guy?
04:05 And yeah, that.
04:12 >> No, not once the game started.
04:15 I think leading into the game, it was a little bit different,
04:20 a little different feeling.
04:21 Kind of the, I tried to keep the routine that I've been doing for
04:25 games, the exact same.
04:27 But yeah, is it okay to admit a little vulnerability that it felt
04:32 maybe a little different, I think.
04:33 But once the game started, it was back to doing what I love and
04:39 coaching guys and coaching hard and coaching with passion and energy.
04:43 And we got a great group that makes this really fun.
04:48 So I just leaned into that.
04:50 >> You're kind of learning on the job in some ways,
04:52 I mean, because of the small sample size.
04:53 But does a game like this actually maybe help you?
04:56 Cuz you've really gotta coach versus maybe winning by 25 or 30.
05:01 >> Yeah.
05:02 >> When you look back on it.
05:04 >> Yeah, I think so.
05:05 I think so.
05:07 I'm sure when there's time to kind of look back and reflect,
05:10 we'll say like, yeah, that was a great experience.
05:13 But in that moment, it's all about that moment.
05:18 And that's what I was stuck with from the time I was asked to do this.
05:22 And that wasn't gonna change today, certainly.
05:24 >> And when did you find out their leading scorer was,
05:28 Grudges had not come play?
05:30 >> Kind of about midway through warmups.
05:32 Yeah, midway through warmups.
05:33 The unique thing about this today, we knew going into this game,
05:37 they had like eight different guys who could score double figures.
05:41 They had great depth and versatility.
05:43 So their system is so, they have good players, certainly.
05:46 But their system is really good.
05:48 And they've got veterans who've been in it for a while.
05:51 So I didn't feel like that was gonna, I'm sure they would love to have him.
05:56 He's a good player.
05:57 We respected him, we saw it on film.
05:59 But they had guys step up, just like we did at the end of the game without Bruce.
06:04 But yeah, it was more for us, this game was less about personnel.
06:09 It wasn't as much ISO, it was just that system they run,
06:12 which was unique for us to see.
06:14 Yeah, we just kind of moved on quickly when we saw it wasn't out.
06:19 >> You talked about what players could get out of playing this.
06:25 What do you get out of coaching for another, probably another game this year?
06:29 I mean, kind of getting that experience before it really starts to change.
06:35 >> Yeah, I think it's been talked about, it's a great experience for me.
06:39 But ultimately, I love doing this.
06:43 So that's the best part.
06:45 I wish we could have games all year long.
06:48 I love it.
06:51 So this was great for all of us, players, ourselves, staff.
06:57 And I think that experience will continue to grow and build.
07:02 But again, that's not what I'm thinking about or processing in the moment.
07:06 It's instincts, it's relying on prep, it's staying in the moment.
07:11 And I think that's been important.
07:14 >> And it looks like Nick may have moved up a seat or how do you phrase that?
07:19 What did he bring you, what did you think of him doing?
07:23 >> Yeah, it's been obviously since middle of February,
07:27 there's been a lot of adjustments and changes in the staff.
07:30 I think guys have stepped up, several different guys have stepped up.
07:33 Nick did a great job, got to deliver some film and some scouting stuff for
07:38 the first time, which is a great experience for him.
07:39 So we've embraced change.
07:43 I think that's been obvious.
07:46 And everybody's had to step up and adapt, the staff, players,
07:50 everybody within the program, so it's good.
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