In lieu of availability this weekend ahead of Indiana’s trip to Ohio State, we were all e-mailed a selection of thoughts from IU coach Tom Crean regarding his team’s tilt with the Buckeyes. Take a gander below to see what he said:
Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean on the Ohio State game
“First and foremost, this is another great opportunity for our players and coaches. We get to play on CBS on a Sunday afternoon against one of the top teams in the country.”
”We will have to play mistake-free and make the most of our opportunities on offense. We have to move the ball, make the extra pass and take the best shot possible each time down the floor.”
“Each game is an opportunity to find out something about yourself. When we have played with toughness and resolve we are a different basketball team, home or on the road. We have to play with trust and belief in one another and we have to play with a controlled confidence. As I said after the Purdue game, we played hard, but we didn’t always play smart.”
“Defensively, they have so many weapons that we are going to have to be active with our hands, move on the pass to disrupt what they want to do and contest every shot. We can’t allow them to be active on the offensive glass.”
On Ohio State
“Ohio State is a great example of a player-led team. Their seniors (Lighty, Diebler and Lauderdale) have done a great job of integrating their younger players.”
“I think everything starts with Diebler, because he’s as good a shooter as there is in the country and the ball continually finds him back because of the way he finds other people. They’re such a dominant team and they’re so good at so many positions that you just can’t let guys do things that they don’t normally do in games.”
“Last time against us, Buford got hot early with the three and it just created everything else for the rest of the team and we did not have an individual match-up for Jared Sullinger.”
“Ohio State is different because of how much talent they have and there are multi-dimensional. These guys can beat you from three, they can beat you from the pull-up game, they can beat you at the rim and you’ve got to get up and you’ve got to establish more will and grit and resolve to that.”
Indiana (20-3, 9-1 Big Ten) took sole possession of second-place in the conference with an impressive 59-53 win over Ohio State in Value City Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The Hoosiers are finishing up their cupcakes and the New Year is nearly upon us, which can mean only one thing: It’s Big Ten Preview Time! Here’s a look at the teams that will challenge the Hoosiers for the conference crown … or fall under the weighty boot of crimson dominance. Probably the latter. Today: THE Ohio State University.
