Nov. 8, 2009

Derek Elston
11/8/09

How has practice been since that first game?
"Very intense. Coach Crean sees from the first game the things we need to work on and that mostly has been defense. Practice for me has been focused on that and how the bigs need to get back on transition. "

What do you come away with after taking the floor the first time as an Indiana Hoosier?
"It is very important for all of us to feel and see what a game is like. Once these next games come around, it is not going to be our first time out, so hopefully that can give us a lot of confidence and hopefully we can build on that."

Was it good for you to have some success in the first game and how does that help you move forward?
"I'm glad to see that a couple of my jump shots went in, I was able to rebound and I scored a little bit here and there, and its fun to see stuff that we have actually worked in practice and how it is being executed in a game."

Talk about how the team balances chemistry with its competitiveness?
"It can get very intense and heated in practice, but as soon as coach blows the whistle and we are done, we come back and talk about what we might be doing tomorrow or later on tonight. Everyone wants to win and we do what we have to do help us achieve that when we are out on the court, but when we walk back through these locker room doors we are friends again, so it is fun."