Northwestern Coach Chris Collins Reacts to Win Over Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Northwestern moved to 12-3 total and 3-1 in Huge Ten play with an 84-83 win over No. 15 Indiana at Meeting Corridor.

This is the total transcript of Northwestern coach Chris Collins’ postgame press convention, plus video from Collins connected beneath.

Opening assertion…

Collins: It is all the time particular to play on this constructing. I all the time really feel lucky. This is likely one of the iconic, for my part, iconic locations in all of school basketball as somebody who’s beloved the sport a lot, so while you are available in and also you see all that crimson and also you see it packed, man, your juices get flowing. Simply actually happy with my group as we speak. I believed the beginning of the sport actually set a great tone for us. I believed our execution early within the sport was actually good. We knew they have been going to have a whole lot of power coming off the sport in opposition to Iowa the opposite evening, and we knew how necessary the beginning of the sport was going to be, particularly with the group. So our skill to type of get open photographs, share the ball, I believed we received down hill and received some dunks and a few open 3’s after which had the lead there on the under-four timeout and we knew that is why they seem to be a heck of a group and so they’re effectively coached, they are not going to go down with no battle. I am simply glad they ran out of time. Hood-Schifino, I imply, the photographs he was making within the final three minutes after which clearly Galloway throws in a three-quarter-court shot and we have been lucky we had another level than they did and made our free throws. We did not have any turnovers in that stretch, and simply really feel lucky to return away with a extremely huge highway win.

On Northwestern’s factors off turnovers…

Collins: Regardless that we gave up 83 as we speak, our protection has been our calling card. Our offense has been the one which’s been a wrestle. Our protection has carried us all yr lengthy, after which as we speak we would have liked all the offense. I believed we did some good issues when it comes to creating turnovers, however they’re very tough to protect due to what Trayce can do. He isn’t a prototypical low-post participant. He will get the ball out on the mid-post and he drives it, so it is actually laborious to know when to assist off of it. I believed our skill to get 25 factors off of the turnovers was an enormous stat to the sport as a result of they weren’t capable of get their protection set. We have been capable of assault in transition and will get some straightforward ones and you have to have the ability to discover a means to do this on the highway.

On highway wins over Michigan State and Indiana…

Collins: Now we have a whole lot of coronary heart. And it is nonetheless early. Each sport, we have performed 4 now, and we have got 16 to go, however to play the schedule we have performed these first 4 video games, to play Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan State and Indiana, two of these on the highway, and to return out of that 3-1, that is a extremely good stretch for our guys. We’re not good by any stretch of the creativeness. Now we have a whole lot of limitations, however our guys actually battle and so they actually battle. There’s energy when you might have a collectively group. Everybody is aware of their roles. We all know our guards are those which might be keys. They’ve the ball of their fingers, they make good choices, and people different guys are simply filling into their roles properly. We get good manufacturing, the bench guys are coming in and so they’re serving to us. Matt Nicholson’s emergence. I believed Ty Berry’s sport as we speak, a double-double with 11 rebounds was big from the wing place. Simply actually proud. I simply love going into these locker rooms, you possibly can inform when a group’s actually collectively and so they laid all of it out on the road and tremendous happy with our effort as we speak.

On Boo Buie’s 26 factors…

Collins: He was implausible as a result of Chase went down a little bit bit, his again locked up on him early there within the second half it type of tweaked on him. I used to be like, ‘The place’s he at? The place’s he at? We have to get him again within the sport?’ However Boo’s skill to play the choose and rolls type of the remainder of that sport, I believed he made actually good choices for him to solely have two turnovers and so they have been actually attempting to return after him. I believed he received downhill. He made some big-time floaters. We executed, had a extremely good rating out of a timeout one time once we have been bleeding a little bit bit, a sideline out of bounds, he received to his proper hand and made a pair huge photographs over Trayce, which isn’t straightforward, he is such an ideal shot-blocker. He was implausible. You are available in right here and also you get 26 factors on the highway in opposition to a proficient group like that, and you then add 19 and eight from Chase with six steals, these guards definitely have been worthy of taking part in as big-time gamers as we speak.”

On limiting Indiana’s runs…

Collins: I felt like every time they began to go on – that they had mini runs – however I by no means felt like we had that eight-minute drought that typically we have had the place we won’t discover a bucket. I felt like despite the fact that they hit us with possibly an eight-point run or a seven level run, we discovered a option to get a layup or we discovered a option to get to the foul line, or somebody stepped up and made a giant shot once we wanted it. That is what you need to do in these venues. That is what’s so enjoyable about taking part in within the Huge Ten. You understand these crowds are going to indicate up and the scholars. There’s nothing higher, for my part, and you are going to be examined. We informed our guys with the communication, it was loud. There have been a pair instances even after the sport the place Boo mentioned to me, ‘Coach, I do know you have been calling a play, however I did not hear crap as a result of it was so loud in there.’ Having older guys, too, I believed Robbie Beran performed an ideal sport for us as we speak. Having him as a senior, Boo is a senior, Chase is a senior, Ty Berry is a junior who has performed so much. That is the place you actually lean in your veterans.

On Northwestern’s protection…

Collins: We have been fairly lively, defensively. For those who take a look at our numbers, we have not been giving up 80-plus factors. I believe Pitt was the one group to essentially try this to us early within the yr. We have been forcing extra turnovers this yr, and a part of it’s Chase. He had six. He had half these steals, so his exercise I believe turns into infectious. We’re discovering a means with our protection to be aggressive. We solely had eight guys that we’re taking part in, so it is actually laborious for us to press and stand up the ground and try this factor. However how can we be aggressive within the half court docket? And I believe we have executed a great job. Our hand exercise. We do some trapping within the put up that may trigger some turnovers after which having, for my part, pretty much as good a defender as there’s within the convention in Audige, definitely helps that quantity as effectively.

On his group taking part in laborious…

Collins: Our guys know we have now no probability if we do not – we are available in to each sport saying we have got to be the toughest taking part in group on the ground. If we’re not, we’re not going to win. That is not disparaging to the expertise. Now we have good gamers, however in phrases depth, when it comes to measurement, when it comes to scoring prowess, a few of these groups with that they trot out, we do not have, however we do have a whole lot of coronary heart and we do have a whole lot of battle and we’re actually collectively. We speak about these issues – can we do these issues at an elite stage? And if we do, hopefully you will put your self able to win some video games. Luckily for us, we have received some shut video games. We have taken a whole lot of flack all through the years for not with the ability to shut. These guys deserve some reward for closing as we speak. We have closed at Michigan State. We have closed some video games this yr that hopefully a number of the expertise and possibly not doing as effectively up to now has rubbed off on this yr. It is the management. It is concerning the guys. That is when you possibly can have enjoyable teaching a group when you possibly can spend all of your time as a coach worrying about sport planning. I am not fearful about attitudes. I am not fearful about who’s fearful about their roles. Everyone seems to be in such an ideal place with that. Now we are able to actually simply say, ‘What do we have to do to beat this opponent?’ and that is what’s made it a extremely enjoyable group to educate to date.

On if he cares if Northwestern is ranked…

Collins: No. Our guys have objectives. They need to play significant video games when it issues in late February and March. Is it a feather within the cap to this system? Completely. If somebody says you are a top-25 group and gamers like that, but it surely would not matter. You guys observe this league. To me, everyone’s within the high 25. Each group we have performed, we have performed 4 video games to date and all 4 of these groups are simply actually good groups and so they simply informed me we play Rutgers subsequent, so I am actually not wanting ahead to that one both. This league goes to be about that. We won’t get caught up in rankings. It was an ideal week for us, a 2-0 week. We took care of enterprise at dwelling, we went on the highway and received. We have to get dwelling and get rested and prepare for the following one on Wednesday.

• NORTHWESTERN CAPITALIZES ON TURNOVERS: Northwestern basketball scored 25 factors off 16 Indiana turnovers to defeat the No. 15 Hoosiers 84-83 at Meeting Corridor. Boo Buie scored 26 factors, and the Wildcats moved right into a tie atop the Huge Ten standing with a 3-1 convention report, 12-3 total. CLICK HERE
• GAME STORY: Jalen Hood-Schifino scored a freshman-high 33 factors and Trayce Jackson-Davis had 24 rebounds, probably the most by an Indiana participant since 1971, but it surely nonetheless wasn’t sufficient in a disappointing 84-83 loss to Northwestern. It was the Hoosiers’ first dwelling lack of the season. CLICK HERE
• WHAT WOODSON SAID: Indiana fell to 1-3 within the Huge Ten on Sunday after an 84-83 loss to Northwestern that was not practically as shut as the ultimate rating indicated. This is the total video of Indiana coach Mike Woodson’s postgame press convention, plus the total transcript. CLICK HERE
• WHAT PLAYERS SAID: Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino had report days throughout Indiana’s loss to Northwestern on Sunday. This is what they needed to say within the postgame press convention, with video and transcript connected. CLICK HERE
• WATCH MILLER KOPP’S 3: Indiana is starting to mount a comeback in opposition to Northwestern due to a block from Trayce Jackson-Davis, resulting in a 3-pointer from Miller Kopp. CLICK HERE
• WATCH JACKSON-DAVIS’ LAYUP: Indiana ahead Trayce Jackson-Davis grabbed his personal rebound and put it proper again up, ending by way of contact in opposition to Northwestern within the first half. CLICK HERE
• WATCH HOOD-SCHIFINO’S 3-POINTER: Indiana freshman level guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had the new hand early on, draining a 3-pointer from the appropriate wing for Indiana’s first basket. CLICK HERE
• WATCH GALLOWAY’S FLOATER: Indiana guard Trey Galloway dropped in his signature floater within the second half in opposition to Northwestern on Sunday. CLICK HERE