Players Q&A: Tucker DeVries, Sam Alexis react to Indiana's win over Lindenwood

Indiana basketball forwards Tucker DeVries and Sam Alexis spoke with the media Thursday night following Indiana’s win over Lindenwood.

Below is their full Q&A, as well as a transcript of the conversation (to be added once it became available).

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Q. For both you guys, obviously 5-0, you’re winning, but the rebounding tonight, when you look at that number, give us a player’s perspective, what are things that can help make this less of a concern going forward?

SAM ALEXIS: I mean, just attacking practice every day. We do the drills. Like the pad drill we do every day in practice, just taking that more serious every time we step on the court.

TUCKER DeVRIES: We just got to play harder to be honest. It’s been an emphasis in practice and we’ll get it fixed.

Q. You mentioned playing hard. Did you feel the energy was an issue in the first half? Where do you think not playing hard enough, what’s the issue there?

TUCKER DeVRIES: For sure. I think it’s pretty obvious we were a little flat. Sam, again, saved the day with not only what he produced on the court, but his energy, his enthusiasm gets everybody going, and even the crowd got into it a little more in the second half.

I thought the first half was just kind of dead all around. It was important for our team to bring the energy, and coming out when he came in for the first time in the second half, he really brought it and changed the game again.

Q. When you say flat, where does that come from?

TUCKER DeVRIES: I think, I mean, you see the difference in the two teams of us, of when we are bringing that energy, and that’s something we got to really focus on and make sure that we’re bringing that every time.

We talk about it all the time. We’re not a very good team when we are not playing with a bunch of enthusiasm and excitement. We got to get to that every point, 40 minutes a game, and then I think we’re really good when we are doing that.

Q. For both of you, how does that tie into some of the — just these last two games specifically — the sort of just offensive lulls you guys have hit? I recognize those things can feed one another in a positive way. Shots going down. There is a lot of natural energy. Is there is difficulty sometimes in either the energy affecting the shot making the offense, of maybe the offense affecting the energy and just getting guys a little bit quieter I guess.

TUCKER DeVRIES: Yeah, I think, I mean, every team feeds off making shots if we’re being honest. When things are going well every team has energy and enthusiasm.

It’s on us to make sure — on nights that we’re not shooting it very well it’s on us to win the games on the defensive end. When we get into Big10 play there will be games we don’t shoot it well and we’re going up against some of the best games in the country and we still got to find ways to win the game whether or not shots aren’t falling.

We got to rely on our defense and togetherness and toughness and make strides there going forward into Big10 play.

Q. You hear it said sometimes that rebounding is kind of an effort stat. When you talk about coming out flat and lacking a little energy tonight, do you feel like improving in that department is what you need to do to get better in the rebounding area, or is there something else on top of the energy that needs to improve?

SAM ALEXIS: I mean, I feel like we just need to bring energy every day. I mean, it starts with the bench, too. The bench have to have energy as well. I don’t feel like it’s no issue. I feel like we’re showing effort out there. It’s more about hitting bodies and squeezing the ball.

I feel like we go pretty hard on the rebounds. It’s about squeezing the ball and hitting bodies for real.

Q. You mentioned Sam saved the day again. What is it about his energy and what he brings to the table that allows him it bring that energy consistently?

TUCKER DeVRIES: It’s so great for us when he comes into the game. It just changes the game, his energy, like I said. Just what he brings to the table, physicality down low and just the excitement that he plays with, everybody can see it when he’s out there.

He loves playing the game of basketball and we all feed off that and the extra effort plays and toughness plays he makes is what really makes our team go.

Q. Sam, you’ve been so consistent off the bench. When you’re on the bench, what are you kind of paying attention to? Then if the team is struggling like tonight, does that change your mindset when you do get into the game?

SAM ALEXIS: I mean, coming off the bench I just want to get on the court and give energy every time. You know, just see if the starting five start off slow, just come in, bring a different type of energy, different vibe.

Q. For Tucker, right after — at the beginning of the second half they made a little run; cut the lead to six. Then you guys had a big run and you personally ran off like 13 points in a row. What changed at that point to enable you guys to either get hot or get everything working?

TUCKER DeVRIES: I thought the defensive end. I think — I haven’t seen it yet or the stats, but one of our coaches mentioned we had two kills in a row so three straight stops. Any time you’re hitting stops on defense and getting shots on the rim that’s probably going to equal a good outcome for us.

And then just happened to get swung my way and happened to make a couple shots. On the defensive end is where it really started. We were able to get stops, get out in transition, get easier buckets.

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