Juwan Howard met with the media after Tuesday night's Big Ten opener and had some interesting things to say about how he viewed his team's output on offense, what he saw from Nebraska on film, freshmen development, Zeb Jackson's return, and Hunter Dickinson's passing.
On Brandon Johns’ role tonight
Brandon came in and played some big minutes for us. His production was as great as you can ask for for a young man who’s been competing hard and at times when things haven’t gone his way he’s always stuck in there. It’s really good to see, not just when the ball’s going in the basket but just to have an overall good balance of play on both ends of the ball and that was as solid as it can be.
On whether he could envision dominating Nebraska that way based on what he saw on film
What I saw from Nebraska’s team is a really well-coached team that does a really good job sharing the basketball. They have so much talent on the floor (inaudible) starting with Alonzo Verge and the way how he gets downhill against opponents. It’s hard to keep a man in front because the kid is very elite-level when he has the ball in his hands. Also I see a guy who can shoot the ball who’s got to be one of the best shooters not just in our league but in the country and I hope I don’t tear his name up but Tominaga, very elite-level shooter. And then McGowens, he’s gonna be special with his length, his skill set, he’ll be able to make shots from the outside, also finishing inside. And then Walker, the way how he plays in that pocket on ball screens, he does an amazing job of making plays for not only himself but for others.
Today, just trying to do whatever you can to make everything tough on both ends of the floor. Defensively, try not to make it easy but that’s challenging to do. There were times they still got into the paint because of Verge being so good at it, putting his head down. But I really applaud our team for how we competed today on the road.
On the 20-5 run in the first half and how pleased he was with ball movement and what Terrance Williams II did
Yeah, I was extremely happy to see the way how the ball was just moving. It was just popping. And then it was great to see our guys sharing the game. There were times where we passed up an open shot for a better shot when a guy was open either in the corner or on the slot. Did a really good job of driving the basketball, not just settling for jumpers. What Terrance did, come in and gave us a big lift when Brandon went out of the game. Made shots from the outside but he also made plays, and the plays that he made were not just on the offensive end, it’s also just being able to defend and also battle on the boards.
But it was a good all-around balance for us offensively but the way how we shared the basketball with 25 assists and kept our turnovers lower than what it has been like in the past for us. We still turned it over 12 times, which we will try our best to improve in that area. I just liked how our guys were dialed into the game plan.
On Caleb Houstan’s confidence
His confidence has never left. It’s early in the season, gentlemen, and I’ve told you this before: you’ll have games where your shot doesn’t fall. We have a lot of season to play and I want him to keep shooting the basketball.
It’s not just the shooting. It’s also other parts of the game that he affects that is important for us and that’s the defensive side of the ball. I’m asking a young man who’s just fresh out of high school to come in and defend, who maybe--he’s probably never done some of the things that we’re asking, but he’s embracing everything that’s been asked. And not just Caleb, all of our guys. Frankie, Kobe, and Isaiah. Also you can throw Ian Burns in there, Moussa, and then D.J..
On how critical first-half minutes were for Zeb Jackson’s confidence
He gave us a big lift for us. Zeb has been out because of illness and with that now you’re coming back and trying to get into a groove of things and it takes time. Missing a lot of time, missing a lot of practice time, it’s going to take any player--all, not just any, all players cannot just jump right in and hit the ground running. It takes you time to develop your conditioning as well as your feel for the game and getting into the game flow, and while the game moves so fast I’ve been impressed with how Zeb has adjusted and also being patient with the process.
On what threes falling does for flow of the offense
We’re not just focusing on threes, we’re focusing on just playing the right way. And it’s good just to see, like I said earlier, that 25 assists. That’s big. I’m not going to ignore that. It needs to be said. It needs to be commended for our young guys and also our entire team, not just the young guys, but just playing for one another.
On how valuable Hunter Dickinson's vision is in the low block
It’s huge. It’s huge for us. He’s a willing passer. Always been since he was in high school. He also is a smart passer. Big fella has a high IQ, and that’s something that has never been said enough. He just makes plays, sees plays before it happens.
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