I had the chance to chat with coach Jack a couple of days ago for about 15 minutes on a variety of subjects, and her thoughts are below. I apologize for sitting on it so long, like many of you I've been traveling with and to family all break. Stay with me in the next couple of days, and I'll have a short preview of the Hoosiers' first Big Ten game against Northwestern up for your reading pleasure. So without further ado, here's the interview:
On what the team has been up to in the last few days: Coach Jack said her team spent some time between Dec. 23 and Dec. 26 at home with their families. They also spent some time working with a few different charities in and around Bloomignton.
On her team's recent win streak, which stands at three games "We're not really concentrating on three or four games," she said. Jack said she and her team are going to approach the Big Ten schedule one game at a time as well, and she emphasized the importance of not getting too amped up fr conference play, but rather to keep grounded and focused.
On the break between non-conference and Big Ten play "I think the time off gave us time to really absorb each other and learn each other too," Jack said. She said the time her team spent with their families also helped them, and that they went double practices for days when they returned, then went to game prep for Northwestern.
On her team's grades this year-Though she didn't know an exact number, coach Jack said her team achieved a team GPA above a 3.0, and that they all worked hard throughout the semester to concentrate on school as well as basketball. She said having the break probably helped her team gel more, because they could just concentrate purely on basketball.
On IU's team play recently -Jack said her team's recent success has come, in part, because of their versatility. She said it's hard for teams to gameplan for the Hoosiers., because they get contributions from all over the floor, and several players are comfortable in numerous positions on the court. -Statistics would seem to back up that claim, as the Hoosiers have four players averaging double digures and a fifth - senior guard Nikki Smith - standing at 8.5 PPG with conference play upcoming. They also have five players averaging 5.0 rebounds per game and three players averaging over two assists a game. "We're willing to do whatever whenever we have to do it in order to be successful," Jack said. "We're going to be a better Indiana, with our focus on playing for something better than ourselves."
-Stay with ATR, I'll have a Northwestern preview up either tonight or tomorrow.
