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Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg previews NCAA Tournament matchup against Troy
So you have some time to look at Troy *** little bit. What’s the initial impression? Yeah, *** really, really impressive team. Very well coached, very disciplined. They, they take care of the ball. They have *** very good assist to turnover ratio, uh, do *** really good job on the glass, and, uh, it’s *** team that’s got *** lot of skill all over the floor. And Dowd and, and, uh, uh, Valdez, they’re, they’re really, really good players, both all league players. Dowd first team. And uh those guys play with *** lot of confidence and *** lot of swagger and it’s listen, it’s *** team that’s won 20 games 5 straight years so they’ve got *** winning culture and we’re gonna have to be on point, you know it’s important for us, uh, you know, to go down there and get our crowd into it. I, I think we’re gonna have *** really good crowd. In in Oklahoma City and it’s our job to get them into it. So important to go down there with the right mindset and get off to *** fast start. They’ve talked about the value of experience guys like Sam and Rank and JaMarcus. Just what do you think they got out of that experience two years ago they can apply to this? Well, I think both teams have experience when, when you look at, um, you know, this Troy team that played in the NCAA tournament against Kentucky last year, and it was *** really good game when you looked at the first half, I think it was *** two possession game. At halftime, so their players got really valuable experience in that as well, and I do think it’s important that we’ve had guys that have played in this environment and You know, we went down there we did actually get off to *** really good start against A&M. We just weren’t able to sustain it and you know at this time of year you got to defend, you gotta rebound, and that’s been the thing that’s carried us all year long and being one of the most efficient defensive teams in the country and that’s gonna have to hold true if we want to advance at this time of year and you know our guys had *** really good workout today. They’re excited to go out there and have this opportunity, but at the same time you have to control your emotions. You can’t go out and all of *** sudden try to do things that you haven’t done all year. And um you know it’s important for us it’s all about you know the basics, the things that we’ve been doing since day one on both ends of the ball and you know share it um you know make make the simple play and uh and do *** good job and have great communication, get back in transition, don’t give up easy baskets, just all the things you know that you have to do that you really encourage your team from the first day of practice all the way through and you just have to really it’s on steroids now and you know it’s *** great time of year it’s *** fun time of year, you know, I’ve talked to our guys about enjoying it. Uh, but at the same time this is *** business trip for us and, uh, and the fact that our guys do have some experience with this, I, I do think, uh, helps us, but again it’s gonna help Troy as well for what they experienced last year. Fred, uh, I’m sure I won’t be the last to ask about this, but you know you talked *** lot about firsts that have happened in the program this year. So with, with all that said. To what degree does the way that this season is viewed hinge on you guys breaking through in this? Well, we’re not thinking about it that way. We, we know what’s out there. We, we know what’s at stake. Uh, you know, our guys have done *** lot of really good things this year, some things that have never been done in the history of the program, and, you know, again, *** lot of that has been done because our guys have really had great focus. They haven’t gotten too far ahead of themselves and all they’re worried about is the next assignment so you know we, we, we can’t think about it that way. There’s enough pressure at this time of year and if, if that’s your thought process, you know, you’re not gonna be focused on the, uh, the little things and you know the things you have to do to go one possession at *** time, just the importance of every possession. At this time of year, so if you do that, if, if you go out and you execute, hopefully things at the end of the day take care of, uh, take care of themselves, but that’s been the mentality of our group all year, you know. They haven’t looked, uh, past the assignment. And again, I know I’ve talked *** lot about the big wins that we’ve had and the way that our guys have gotten over it, the tough losses that our guys have had, and how they’ve found *** way to rebound. And get their focus back and you know that’s one thing that we’re going to have to continue with if we want to keep playing. that narrative is going to hit you guys in Oklahoma City probably given the stage that it is. If you talk to your guys about it, you know, there’s the Tom Izzo way if you embrace it, and there’s other people. Yeah, I mean, listen, our guys know. I mean, I don’t have to remind them it’s, it’s, it’s out there and you know, again, we just have to do what we’ve done all year and stay focused on the task at hand and Again, I’m confident our guys will do that. Your experience with playing the game with the 11:40 tip. What are some of the challenges that come with that? Well, last time I had this experience, we just come off of three wins in the Big 12 tournament where we had to come back from double digit deficits and we were *** little bit fried mentally and you know, we played that. I, I can’t believe when you’re *** conference champion you shouldn’t play the first game of the tournament, um, but it happened that year and, and, uh, we ended up losing in ***, in *** one possession game. Uh, you know, this is different. We’ve played *** lot of these games. The other thing, when I look back at that other, we played *** lot of big Monday 8 p.m. games, night games. We hadn’t played an afternoon game in months, uh, when we played that game. So, you know, we’ve played, and I, and I said that throughout the year we’ve played it pretty much every time you can possibly play, uh, over the course of the season. We played 11:00 a.m. games. We played the 9 p.m., so we played at 10:15 central time when we played at UCLA. So we, we’ve, we’re experienced with it and, um. You know, it just, uh, you, you play at the time that they give you that came out, I think the first one was what, 5:10 or 4:10, 3:10, yeah, I get my time zones messed up, but yeah, it’s, uh, yeah, I mean, listen, you get the 11:40 game, it’s exciting and you get *** tip off the tournament, so our, our guys will be ready. What is the message to the guys about just controlling, uh, controlling emotions. Yeah, I mean that again we, we, that you have to do it all year in the Big 10. If you don’t, you’re gonna get, you’re gonna get smacked, and you know we did it for the most part. Obviously UCLA got away from us. The Big 10 Tournament got away from us against Purdue, but guess what, they’re playing pretty damn good, and I think we saw that with them, uh, you know, double digit win over Michigan and, uh, what they did in the semis, uh, against, uh. UCLA Illinois UCLACL come on Wilson, you’re confusing me. So you know, again, I it it was. Something for us that that you got to learn from, you know, we did not handle, I didn’t think very well at UCLA, but they’re rolling right now. So, you know, listen, we play *** couple of really good teams. We’re gonna play *** really good team again on Thursday, and, uh, we have, we have to keep our emotions in check if, if we want to have *** chance. And, but you know, again, I go to this, Wilson, our guys have handled adversity pretty darn well all year long, and you know it’s *** reason we’re whatever we are, 26 and 6, and against some really good teams and *** great conference, and uh we have to keep that. As our as our constant now all of *** sudden, yes, it’s *** one and done. It’s why I think it’s the greatest sporting event in the world, uh, you know, for those reasons, uh, but yes, we’re gonna have to keep our emotions in check. Yeah, we’ll practice here in the morning and get there tomorrow. We’ll have *** team meal, uh, go take them out tomorrow and uh we’ll get *** practice time um. To go to the arena shoot around, we’ll practice before that. We’ll get *** gym in Oklahoma City. Luca is, uh, is taking care of all the logistics of it right now and, um, you know, just get him ready. We’ll have *** good film session the night before the game. Walk through that morning and, and go lace them up. Having *** veteran group, how does that change the way you’re messaging throughout the course of the week, Fred, and the way that you approach day to day I don’t think it changes my messaging. I think our guys have done *** good job that have played in this event, um, you know, Rink has been very vocal the last couple of days. Sam has done *** good job being vocal. JaMarcus has done *** good job. This is Price’s first. Uh, time playing in the NCAA tournament, the excitement that comes with that. Cale was part of our team *** couple of years ago that, uh, certainly can help and speak, uh, to our younger players. Um, you know, Braden is, uh, you know, it’s his first experience, and he, he’s, he’s been really good here the last couple of days. So, you know, now it’s all about, uh, you know, going out there. The biggest thing, listen, you gotta execute, you gotta play disciplined. And you got to find *** way to battle adversity in terms of personnel or philosophy or tempo. Did Troy remind you of anyone that you played throughout the course of this year? Oh, they’re, they’re their own team. Uh, again, the thing I’ve been really impressed, they’re, they’re very well coached. They, they do, they do an unbelievable job. They play with great discipline and, um, you know. *** little bit of *** couple of teams that we played against, but you know they’re their own group, and they’ve got talent all over the floor and they’ve got experience all over the floor and you know, again we’re we’re just, we’re gonna have to go out and do the things that we’ve done well all year. If we, if we jump off the map all of *** sudden we’re going to be in trouble. How do you feel about where your guys are health wise? Yeah, I feel good. I think, I think our guys are in *** good position here. Does it make it harder to prepare for them knowing that? Yeah, I mean, you prepare as if they’re going to be fully healthy and, uh, and, and going to have everybody on board, but you know they played pretty darn well in that uh Sun Belt Tournament, you know, with, with their group. Uh, Sing certainly adds *** whole different element to their team with *** skill level, uh, but, you know, I thought Bellamy was terrific in, in that tournament and, and, uh, you know, really helped them to *** to *** championship.
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Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg previews NCAA Tournament matchup against Troy
Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg previewed the Huskers’ opening-round matchup of the NCAA tournament.NU will face Troy in the first round of March Madness on Thursday.You can watch the full press conference in the video player above.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg previewed the Huskers’ opening-round matchup of the NCAA tournament.
NU will face Troy in the first round of March Madness on Thursday.
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You can watch the full press conference in the video player above.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
