Fred Hoiberg Press Conference

Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg met with the media Monday afternoon to look back on Saturday's scrimmage against Wichita State and to preview the Huskers' first exhibition game against Doane on Wednesday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

On the closed scrimmage game against Wichita State
“I thought it was the perfect game for us just because the personnel of the team that we faced was very similar to what we’ll see in conference play. Big, strong physical. Had a size advantage at almost every position. It was a good experience for us. We had some really good moments. I thought our transition game was excellent when we got the rebound. That’s one thing I’ve talked a lot about with our group is we’ve got to find a way to rebound. Guards have to do a good job of getting in there. Once we did secure the ball,  I think we did a great job of getting out of the break and I think we scored 34 (points) in transition and that was a positive, but too many offensive rebounds. Every time that thing goes up, we got to make first contact. We got to go hit bodies. We can’t let them make contact with us just because we’re giving them too much size.”
 
On rebounding and replicating size in practice
“It was very helpful because [they] don’t get that look a lot in practice. You get a little bit with Dalano [Banton] and Derrick Walker. Two guys that will sit out for us this year. Those guys have excellent size. So you do see it some, but to have all five guys and the way Wichita State plays and how hard they play. It was a really good experience for our guys to see it. We had a really good film session today and got after it again on the court after a day off yesterday. Tomorrow we’ll start shifting our focus a little bit more. Preparing for the exhibition game on Wednesday, but for us it was a really good opportunity to go out and play against another team and give us a barometer about where we are right now.”
 
On Shamiel Stevenson's waiver
“No updates on Shamiel [Stevenson] at his point. Shamiel’s out there practicing every day. That’s one thing that we’re preparing as if Shamiel will be out there with us. We don’t have any update on where we are with the waiver yet.”
 
On Cam Mack
“He just brings a whole different element to our team. He’s extremely fast with the ball. If there is a seam to attack, he hits that seam with great pace. He’s a good decision maker once he gets in there. Guys benefit playing with him. Matej [Kavas] had a great game as far as hitting his shots and a lot of those came off of Cam’s penetration. Since he’s been back, it took him a while because of the illness that he had. The weight that he lost and the strength that he lost. Now that’s he’s starting to get it back and having consecutive practices the way he has here these past couple of weeks you can really start to see him take off so I’ve been really pleased with Cam Mack.”
 
On what he wants to see from the team on Wednesday
“I want to see us go out there. I talked with our team every day. [Just] go out there and compete at the highest level with everything they’ve got on the floor. I saw a lot of stretches like that on Saturday. For us, every time we [play] it’s an opportunity for us to learn. It’s an opportunity to hopefully get better. The first time playing in front of the fans which will be a great experience for our guys in a game setting against another opponent. It’s all part of the process as far as where we are. Going through the preseason with the intrasquad scrimmages, the exhibition game, now getting a chance to go out and play another team in our own building and preparing to play the home opener next Tuesday.”
 
On if the team came away healthy from the scrimmage
“Our guys are good.”
 
On if he knows what the starting lineup will be on Wednesday
“No, I don’t. We're going to get practice and set the lineup where we want it. I’ll let you know before the game.”
 
On the expectation for this season
“I want our guys to go out there to compete and at the end of the game, we want to be the hardest playing, most together team out there whether we win or whether we lose. We want to take steps in the right direction and get better as the season goes on. As far as wins, losses, tournament and those type of things, that all takes care of itself if you go out there the right way and play for each other. That’s something we’re striving for is to go out there and play hard every time we step out on the floor.”
 
On if he thinks they have the type of talent to compete in the Big Ten. 
“We’re going to get an early test against some high quality opponents. That will show us where we are at and if we will be able to compete in the league. Obviously, we are not picked very high. We are picked second-to-last in our league. I understand it. We have two points and one rebound back from last year’s team. I like our guys. I like the way the go out and compete. I like their mentality. I like the way they have stuck together. If you go out there and gain some confidence, hopefully that gives you momentum going into league play.”
 
On what he has seen from freshman forward Yvan Ouderaogo
“Yvan is a big physical body, and he is going to have to play a lot of minutes for us. Sometimes you forget looking at him and his body that he is 17 years old. He has a long ways to go, but that will come with age and maturity. He’s got a Big Ten body already. He’s done a good job from the first time he got here on not hesitating to the rim. He’s collapsing guys now and giving us shots for our perimeter guys. He is going to be a huge part of our rebounding efforts. Obviously, he’s going to be guarding the biggest guy on the floor. He’s going to have to do a good job with his physicality down in there. I have no issues of him doing that. With our group and the way it is, it’s going to have to be a collective effort every time we step out on the floor as far competing on the glass.”
 
On his excitement of being able to coach his first game at PBA
“I’m excited to be out there. This is everything that we’ve been through up to this point. It’s all about getting ready for the first time on the floor. We had the scrimmage, but this is the real thing now. We’re going to approach that with a game on Wednesday and the opener. We are going to play a good team on Tuesday against UC Riverside. I’m excited. Our staff is excited, and our players are ready.”
 
On how well he knows Doane Head Coach Ian McKeithen
“Yeah, I do. I was part of the group at the Timberwolves that hired Ian. He’s a great person. I know he’s going to do really good things at Doane. He worked our camp this summer. It was good to reconnect with him. He was a really hard worker when I knew him with the Timberwolves.”
 
On if he has gotten the chance to watch the BTN series on their trip to Italy
“My thoughts were Doc [Sadler] was the star of the show. It’s great. I think tonight is when it airs at 7 o’clock on the Big Ten Network. It was good. It was fun to go back and see all the sites and the experiences we were able to be a part of. It’s a pretty good three part series.”
 
On how the trip helped the team
“The trip couldn’t have come at a better time for us. The biggest thing we benefited from was guys spending a lot of quality time with each other. More than any x’s and o’s more than anything we did on the floor, just guys spending quality time with each other. You could see it. As we went on with the trip, you could start to see their personalities come out. Once they got out the floor, you could see them talking more, building trust with each other. With 16 players, 14 of them are brand new, the opportunity to have that quality time together was very important.”
 
On if any particular player on the trip that came out of his shell
“Jervay [Green]. [Dachon] Burke. He gave the toast every night at the dinners. It was great. I don’t know if they appreciate now how great of a trip that was and the unbelievable experience to see all the history to go to the Vatican, the Spanish Steps, the Coliseum, Lake Como and all of those things on that trip.”
NU Athletic Communications