I'm not much of a morning person, which is why I've always been grateful most sporting events I cover are held following sunset.
Nevertheless, I woke up this morning to hear IU coach Tom Crean answer questions for about 15 minutes on the Big Ten's weekly coaches teleconference. Here are some of the highlights:
Why yes, we are talking about practice Crean said his team had a "strong week of solid practice." Obviously, the Hoosiers wanted to win their Big Ten season opener against Iowa, but the team took a lot of positives from the loss.
"We're learning what it takes to compete in these games," he said.
IU's first-year coach said he hopes his players begin to bring their "practice habits" to the games.
Next up for the Hoosiers: Michigan IU hosts the Wolverines in their conference home opener Wednesday night (6:30 p.m.). Crean said the coaching staff has been watching Michigan for the last few days, even while the team was in Iowa City.
What sticks out is Michigan's speed and athleticism, led by sophomore guard Manny Harris (18.8 ppg). Crean said the Wolverines shooting the ball with range, utilize spacing, play inside-to-out and communicate as well as anyone.
They primarily play a 1-3-1 defense, but they often switch defenses. Crean said thanks to the team's speed and athleticism they are able to compete at high levels on both ends of the floor.
Pritch, VJ3 and Roth Several reporters asked specifically about the three freshmen in particular ("John Doe is playing well, talk about..."). Here are a few excerpts from what Crean said about the trio of Tom Pritchard, Verdell Jones and Matt Roth:
Pritchard: "He's continued to improve. Sometimes his numbers show it, sometimes they don't. So much of it for any young player is continuing to understand that energy level you have to have on a daily basis...He can do so many things. Certainly, he can see the floor, pass the ball, score, he can rebound and he works hard everyday."
Jones: Crean said its as if Jones has played two different seasons this year (pre-injury, post-injury). "Anytime a freshman misses some time even a day or two is like missing a week or two... Obviously when he got hurt that set him back...Now he's really flowing back into that and we're pleased with his progress... His best days, like so many of are guys, are in front of them."
Roth: "We're moving him around quite a bit to make sure we're getting him quality minutes... he's got a skill that is very, very unique... But he's getting better at other things. We're really happy the way (both Roth and Jones) are a part of our program in the sense of their development"
