Head Coach Ben Howlett
Q: From the previous matchup with Cleveland State, the Jaguars were cold in their shooting. Today, you all were on fire on defense as well as offense. What was the main focus in today's matchup?
BH: “We had a full week off where we got to rest. Some of our guys were banged up and had some injuries. Getting the week of rest, and then in practice, allowed us to get back to the fundamentals and really focus on some things that gave us trouble the first time we played Cleveland State. We knew this was Cleveland State’s third game of the week, so they were fatigued. We were rested, and I thought we got off to a really good start. This was pivotal for us as we shot the ball well. Then it got a little dicey in some runs, but good teams are going to come back and we were good enough and had a big enough lead to get the win.”
Q: What do you say to players that are not meeting the expectations during those numerous offensive runs?”
BH: “Just keep pushing. As long as the guys are trying, you can't get mad at kids for not putting up an effort. When the effort dips and I don't think they're trying hard, that's when we'll be pretty upset with them. But just keep trying and they're not trying to make mistakes out there, just keep excelling.”
Q: Besides an individual showing fatigue or causing turnovers, how do you base the substitutions during the game?
BH: "I think it differs from game to game. For this game, we went to our bench early. We were in an eight to nine man rotation today, and sometimes we'll go 10 deep. That's kind of scouting and something that the coaches and myself do all week. We brainstorm a gameplan and get together when we're going to substitute a player. We are really cognizant of when players are coming out of the game."
#7 Finley Woodward
Q: So pure cinema in today's game between the hard defense and impactful offense. What is a long term and short term goal that you have for the remainder of the season?
FW: "I believe it's starting to build on some momentum. Previously we had won two out of three games in our schedule. Then recently when Kyler went down with an injury I think it held us back a little bit. Kyler is a big influence for our team - not just scoring, but he's a great leader as well. I think that set us back a little bit with our recent loss, but now that we have him back, I believe we can really go on a run for the rest of the season. I think we're starting to click at the right time. We are starting to build some more team chemistry, which is always important.”
Q: What is one quote from either a huddle, timeout, or off to the sides that Coach Howlett told you that stuck during the game?
FW: "I don't think it's necessarily something he said, however, he does a good job of pointing out how the other team is doing in their warm up. An example would be when we faced Oakland, you could tell they're more relaxed in layups, because they think they're gonna get an easy win. I feel like that gives us a chance to come out and have high intensity for each possession."
#0 Jaxon Edwards
Q: So you had a handful of critical plays in the Jags' favor. What was your main focus in the first half with your defensive efforts?
JE: "I was really trying to get involved defensively at the start of the half. After that, to get going offensively, then try to get the whole team going and keep the energy up. We had an early lead, so just keep going.”
Q: I remember in a previous interview you told me that you're focusing on slowing down to fully work on your mechanics. Do you feel that you have and how so have you worked on that?
JE: "I think today, I took a few steps back in the first half. However in the second half, I had to slow down, whenever I caught the ball I would take my time, I don't have to rush. Whenever I have the ball everybody else is waiting for me to do something so I can just take my time.”
Q: So for those baskets that went in and out, what did you tell yourself to get back into it?
JE: "I really just try to stay positive and try for the next play. There’s still more time, so just keep going.”
Quotes compiled by Hannah Hodge for IUIndyJags.com
