Per IU Athletics:
Coach Tom Crean
"Tubby Smith is one of the very best coaches in the country and one of the very best people. He gets his teams to compete as well as anyone. Minnesota is a tough-minded team that likes to be aggressive and use their athleticism to their advantage."
"Our ability to defend and get out in transition has been important to us all year. We have to move the basketball and make good decisions."
"It's important our guards and wings take care of the ball, handle the pressure and make great decisions."
"Every game in the Big Ten is played at such a high level. The fans in every arena have the ability to bring so much energy to their teams."
"From the start we have to have an awareness defensively. Communication, weak side, ball side, challenging shots, block outs, will all be critical."
Matt Roth
On getting off to a good start
"We are going to have to come out with great energy. We know they are going to come out swinging and ready to go. It will be a great atmosphere. We just have to come out and play well and keep their crowd out of it."
On the key to the Hoosiers success
"When we play great defense, our offense follows. We have to be able to get stops and get out in transition."
On the last meeting
"They played with a lot of emotion against us earlier. They hit a lot of big shots down the stretch. We have to know our assignments and execute our game plan."
On Williams Arena
It is a unique arena and is one of my favorite places to play. I played on some raised floors in high school. Their fans are always great and it's always competitive."
Verdell Jones III
"We have to come out with a desperate attitude. We have to play like the underdogs."
On Williams Arena
"It's a different atmosphere, an older gym. The fans get very loud. We have to keep them out of the game."
On the last meeting
"They were very aggressive and got us in foul trouble. We have to push the ball and play at the tempo we prefer"
