Hey folks,
I'll keep it short tonight, I know this is way late and the Muniru commitment is on everyone's mind anyway.
We got the chance to chat with Tom Pritchard for a bit today, and I've posted some of the questions and answers from that session below. Considering I missed the boat on this one (totally my bad), I gave you just about everything. If you wanna read the whole thing, be my guest, just take a short break first, grab some coffee, etc.
A few highlights: -Matt Roth's shoulder separation is still preventing him from practicing, although Pritchard said he's progressing. -Pritchard and Jobe are pretty much it in terms of big men right now, and they've been working literally and almost exclusively against each other since the beginning of workouts with Kyle Taber out. Taber is still around instructing and supporting, he said. -Pritchard also said he can feel an increased energy and intensity surrounding Tom Crean basketball as opposed to what he got from his visits with and subsequent commitment to Kelvin Sampson. He praised Crean's approach as what IU needs right now.
Enjoy the rest, and take it easy.
What's it been like, finally getting with the team?
Theyve been great, definitely a lot of enthusiasm and hard work definitely goes into it with coach Crean. You get a little sore a couple of days, but I'm definitely working through it, and obviously, I'm getting better.
What's your schedule been the last week?
With coach Crean, we've been on the court once. It was for a conditioning workout, which was very tough. But today we have an individual workout with coach Crean, so I'm really looking forward to that, and working with coach.
Besides that, we've been working out with (strength and conditioning) coach (Jeff) Wat(kinson), just doing lifting and tire flips and other things like that that help you get in shape.
Who is typically involved in these team workouts?
Usually, it's four guys, but I think today, we're gonna go with the whole team, because I think last week or this week was the first week we were allowed to do that. All the coaches are going to be there and I think everyone's going to be there, so it should be a good workout.
With so little size, does this team even have a big man group at practice?
Yea, there's a big man group. I mean, it's usually just me and Tijan, and Taber's on the side rooting us on, telling us what to do, because as a senior, he's got to tell us what to do, because we don't really know.
But yea, it's definitely just been me and Tijan, pretty much.
It's definitely helped me to go up strong. If I fade away, I'm not going to be making a bucket on a seven-footer.
Which coaches are you working with most?
Coach McLeod and Tim Buckley have been working with us a lot with that. Coach Crean is mostly the guy talking to us and stuff, but they're definitely on the side, helping us out.
As one of the two recruits who actually committed to Sampson, what's different about this program now than what you remember then?
I think the main difference is probably intensity and work ethic. Obviously, coach Sampson, I liked him a lot, because I came here for coach Sampson, but he wasn't really as much of an intense coach as coach Crean is and coach Crean will definitely get on you, and he'll pull out the best in you.
What's coach Crean's intensity like on-court? Is he talking, yelling, running around?
Pretty much a combination of all three. He's running around telling everybody what to do, making sure you get it right. If you don't get it right in the first try, he'll teach you, but you have to be coachable and remember what he says. If you don't do that, he'll get on you a little bit.
How much are you looking forward to playing against Delvin Roe, your former high school teammate, now at Michigan State?
Yea, definitely. I saw him on ESPN.com, he had a little story, and that's good to hear he's getting a lot better. I've been talking to him a little bit about their schedule over there. That's definitely one of the games that I'm looking forward to.
They had a team workout at like six in the morning or something, and he was telling me about it, he said it's pretty rough. I've been telling him about our rough stuff we've got over here.
Everybody's in the same program and everybody's working hard for the upcoming season.
Is it tough just going up against Jobe every day in practice?
Yea, it gets kind of tough. Sometimes, Broderick Lewis comes out and he guards either me or Tijan. But I mean, it does kind of get tiring. Tijan's a big guy, so it's kind of tough to move him, but I'm definitely getting used to guarding him, and I'm really getting sick of it, but I'm sure, once the game starts, I'll be ready for anybody else.
How has your game changed in the time you've been here?
Definitely a lot more outside game and dribbling. In high school, I was always a lot bigger than everyone else, me and Delvin, both 6-8 and everybody else was like 6-6, so we definitely just stayed inside for the most part. In college, obviously, I'm not gonna be the biggest guy out there, so I've been working on my jump shot, and also dribbling, attacking the basket and stuff like that.
You've slimmed down since the summer, what have you done to get to where you are now?
I came in about like, 268, and coach Wat didn't really appreciate that, so I ate pretty much salads and was running on the elliptical all summer, and I'm down to about 245 right now, so I'm pretty good with what I am right now. I'm looking to maybe get to about 240.
How different in this experience than what you thought you'd be stepping into?
It's definitely a big change to go from a lot of the guys you saw on your visit here, to pretty much only two guys, Bret (Finkelmeier) and Kyle. I think it's a good change, I think coach Crean will bring this program back to the top.
What's it like living with Matt Roth?
It's a lot of fun. We both know coach Sampson, we both know the situation, what we had to go through. We haven't really talked about it too much, because we're both moving on, thinking about coach Crean and what's upcoming for this season.
We pretty much just watch TV and hang out.
How's his shoulder?
Yea, he had a little separation, I think. He's definitely getting better, he's definitely working and doing a lot of therapy and stuff. He told me that he wants to play, but with his condition and what he has right now, Tim Garl thinks it's probably not a good idea to go full contact right now.
What are you expecting out of the Big Ten this year?
Obviously, we're undersized, it's going to be pretty rough. We're going to have to come with strength and intensity and everything that coach Crean talks about. I think we'll be able to outmuscle a couple teams, and if we have to use our finesse, we will use it.
What is your role in coach Crean's office?
He hasn't told me a lot about it yet, but we've just pretty much be going through some kind of basic basketball stuff. I know he's gonna need me to be kind of an all-around guy, rebound, score, defend, and I'm looking forward to doing that.
Do you think people will try to get you and Tijan in foul trouble?
We get pretty, not tall at all pretty quick, so I'm sure that's going to be at the top of their charts, to get me and Tijan in foul trouble. I'm sure we'll be alright.
