Crean Previews Penn State

Per IUHoosiers:

Opening Statement
“First I would say that our team this week has had the fresh outlook, mindset and energy that I would expect they would. Especially with being really a new season for everybody in college basketball when they get ready for tournaments and our guys have been no different. I think also, with trying to put Saturday behind them because they know they didn’t play well, they know they didn’t play with the energy and the toughness that they needed to and our week has been very good for that. I think leading up into tomorrow night, I couldn’t ask for more from them. They’ve been attentive, they’ve been competitive and they’ve concentrated.

“The practices have been shorter because of the intensity that they’ve played with inside of those and they’re mindset is very good going into this tournament. That’s what you want more than anything else because if you don’t believe that you can compete, if you don’t believe you’ve earned the chance the win and if you’re not excited about playing, then those things can never happen and our guys are in all of those mindsets right now.”

On facing Penn State for the first time since December
“We’ve gone back a lot further, obviously, and there’s been more preparation but not much has changed in the sense of how they play. The guys that played well against us have played well the entire year. Maybe they’re not playing quite as many guys as they were back then and we’re not going to spend a lot of time on that game (first meeting between Indiana and Penn State on Dec. 27). We’ve learned from it as coaches a little bit but that, when you look at it, our energy level, our fatigue level in that game when we look back at it was very, very high and we still had our opportunities to win.

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“They came in here, they were tougher than us that night. There’s no doubt about it because they were coming off a tough loss and they had some time to prepare and get themselves ready. We were coming off a trip to the West Coast where we didn’t play well at all coming off Christmas and we played like it. So, there’s not a lot that we will show from that game but there are some things that we’ve learned and, at the same, been able to watch them develop as we’ve watched their game tapes from this season.”

On the challenge presented by Talor Battle
“It’s a good a challenge as there is in the league and we’ve gone against some very good challenges, obviously, when you look at the teams we’ve watched in the last few weeks. But he is in range once he crosses half court, there’s not doubt about that and it’s not about picking him up, you’ve got to find him very, very early.
“Again Tim Frazier’s done an outstanding job at the point this year, he’s continued to develop as the year has gone on. Jeff Brooks and David Jackson, those guys can still score and they can make shots and they have range. The thing that stands out about them, you know why I think they’re so good is they’re tough; they look like they’re very mentally tough. I think to come back from the Ohio State game and then go on road against Minnesota that shows great mental toughness. You can see their age and experience coming out when they play and, again Frazier’s emergence has really helped their team. So that may be the biggest difference from when we played them the first time. But nothing has changed with Taylor Battle in any of his years, I mean he’s still a prolific scorer, shooter, and does a lot of things really well. If you’re not tuned into where he’s at at all times, he makes you pay.”

On Jeff Brooks
“I saw in one of the articles where Ed was disappointed that he didn’t make third team and I don’t disagree with him. I think that is an all-league type of player and I would say the same thing about Jackson and by next year Tim Frazier will probably be that kind of player because of the point guard that he is. They’re a very good team there’s no doubt they are far from a one or two-man team.

“Again, they’re not playing very many people but they really play well together and they can space the floor and having a player like Brooks that can score inside, score at mid-range but is also shooting very well and shooting at some volume from the three really gives them a good compliment of guys that can space the floor and allow Battle to maneuver and do what he wants to do.”

On what is impressive about Frazier
“His penetration. He’s an outstanding penetrator no question about it and he finds teammates. He is what Darius Morris (from Michigan), in the league right now, of coast-to-coast guys in transition and Morris has emerged this year and so has Frazier. So again, you’ve got to get back and get Frazier stopped and, at the same time, you’re trying to find Battle early and you know those guys are coming down the lane trying to tip-dunk everything. So they’re a very underrated running team, it’s a very underrated running league and I think they’re very much a part of that. So I say the penetration and I would say the ability to go one end to another coast- to-coast, that’s what really stands out.”