You're listening to the back home network, presented by home
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Brewing Company on Gail and klaviyo and this is Crimson cast
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Donate here, that switchyard is partnered with on Hoosier ticket
project and we've got a lot of nice folks out here who have
joined us. So far on the show, we're going
to have some awesome guests coming up here shortly and we've
got Griffin Gonzales in his First, I guess, official IU,
post-graduation, podcast, welcome to the show.
Good to see you, man. That makes me feel old you are,
I appreciate that. You are very old awfully.
Sorry. Yeah, excited to be here.
You know, enjoying the last times of living in Bloomington
for as long as possible, got one week left.
So where you headed after this Louisville, Kentucky WDRB Sports
and excited to see some different basketball cultures
down in that state. I heard there's some other stuff
going on, so there's a few of them.
Absolutely, well Griffin. Appreciate you joining us.
We're going to have some IU basketball guest joining us a
little bit later Miller cop going to be joining us.
Anthony wheel joining us, Jordan Geronimo joining us as well, but
we wanted to chat for a little bit about just some things going
on with IU Sports and what to look forward to we're in the
middle of summer at this point. So it's quiet but it's not too
quiet because we're starting to get.
We had our first press conference with a couple of days
ago or yesterday is race. Thompson was on Zoom talking
about some of the new Chalmers for IU men's basketball and of
course football getting ramped up and ready to start fall Camp
That season starts in a couple of months, as well.
Just a lot under the surface right now.
Happening, what is it that you're most excited about coming
out of the end of the 20 22 Seasons as we head into this
next year? Alright, let me just start with
football because that's the closest one, I think with
Indiana, football, obviously, coming off last year.
I mean, there's stuff you can and can't be excited about more
of the latter there, but I think that the biggest thing with
Indiana football. If you're trying to look at a
positive point of view, here is there's a lot of unknowns,
there's a lot of new faces, there's a lot of new offenses.
From what I'm hearing guys are really loving the new OC.
They really love the offense, they're putting in and there's a
reason there wasn't a spring game because, you know, they
wanted to kind of keep some of that behind closed doors.
And I think that's Buzz That's something to get excited about.
I think we've for the past few years that offense is actually
been the opposite of what I'm hearing so far about it.
So the fact that players and guys who are involved in the
program are getting excited about it tells you okay.
Usually there's some by in there.
I mean last time I've heard players talk.
This highly about an offensive scheme and offensive game plan
was you know two years ago where they lost the guy to Washington?
So I think this is a really exciting team right now.
It's my saying they're going to finish top 10 in.
Big Ten, you know, no, probably not.
It's going to be tough rise. But I think Indiana's, try and
find some momentum there. And I think they might find that
compared to last year. Well, you know, in certainly
you've got what the 5th ranked recruiting class in the Big Ten
coming in and, you know, how many of those guys are able to
have immediate Impact versus down the road?
That's still a nice number. That's a number that Indiana
isn't used to having, you know, the you got Connor Basile at
coming in. I think at this point probably
the presumptive starter at quarterback and he was a pretty
productive quarterback at Mizzou.
So you've got some peace. You know, and there's certainly
I think some guys at the skill positions that can do some
things that are going to be interesting.
The flip side is it's the toughest schedule in the nation
as we saw ESPN with their fpi. Number Indiana has the toughest
schedule of anybody and it is not surprising.
That's essentially what I use had to deal with being in the
Big 10 East, we're here in all of us about divisions going
away, but they're not going away this year.
So you've still got the Full Slate of teams that you normally
have to go against the Ohio. State's the Michigan's the Penn
State's the Michigan State's. There are some opportunities in
the schedule early for football to make a little bit of hay.
I mean, there's a, there's an unlikely but possible scenario
where they win, six or seven games in a row to start the
season. It a lot of it's going to be a
momentum as much as momentum. Last year, for football, got off
on the wrong foot, never really recovered.
We've seen Seasons where the opposite has happened either
with IU or with other teams. So it's going to be interesting
to watch that transpire. What's so fun about college
football to me? Is it takes Years to build.
You can't just go get a bunch of free agent signings and hope it
even in this year of the transfer portal and as wild as
that's getting you have to build a winning culture.
You have to build a winning tradition, have to build a
winning recruiting base. And I think with this top five
recruiting class, they're starting to get there.
It's just going to take time for those guys to get in and what
you can do. While those guys get in is show
them how the program works show that, you know, you're not, I
love this saying it's you can tell me how rough the water is
but at the end of the day you got to bring in the boat anyway.
Way, there's still six wins on this roster, even with this
tough to schedule of this, you know, is who told you that
saying. I'm curious was seventh grade
history, okay? That sounded is whenever we
complain and class, he's like, don't tell me how rough the
water is, just bring in the boat and the other one was, can lead
a horse to water but you're not going to make that thing drink.
Yeah, so, well, it's interesting as a whole lot of roster, change
this value, team with 27 outgoing players in this
offseason. And so, so, large imats a
quarter of the roster. And so it's going to be
interesting to see if that I guess maybe re-establishes some
of the cultural by in that we saw in 2019 and 2020 with this
team on the men's basketball side.
A lot to get excited about. I you in a lot of circles, the
presumptive, Big 10, favorite and we haven't really been able
to talk about that with an IU basketball team in a decade.
I mean, yeah. It's been 20, 30, 2012, that
offseason when I went into that upcoming season as either the
first or second rated team in the conference but it's not, you
know, there were so many questions about who was going to
come back off of last year's team, what was the roster going
to look like and then where they going to be able to get
additional pieces? And not only did they get all
the important pieces? It feels like back.
They also added some really intriguing pieces so it's just a
lot of Buzz around IU basketball.
It feels like maybe I mean it again for the first time since
the middle of the Green Arrow. I mean, is this not the best
case scenario for year to begin to Mike, what's the time he did?
That think that's the biggest thing is you're able to sit
back, you know, as a media member as a fan base and say
this. Exactly what Indiana wanted here
but this higher, they wanted to get somebody who bought into the
culture bought into the program. Got guys and built it with the
guys they had. And there's not a lot of
difference from this roster last year, which is something to be
excited about. And that just seeing these guys,
come together, seeing what they're able to do in my biggest
thing. It's not a matter of, you know,
obviously new guys come in and is huge help.
It's going to increase that bench step.
But I think the success of this roster is going to be carrying
over how much did the good guys from last year's roster?
Prove, how much better are they playing together?
How much more they buying in, and that's something we're
excited. Figure out later today, and so
much about the end of the season, is what I think is
really what has created as much Buzz.
I mean, yes, obviously had getting people back and bring a
new faces in. But the the promise that the
team showed in the Big Ten Tournament, especially, and that
spark that, I think people have been waiting with IU basketball
on for several years. Now it just it suddenly looked
like it, materialized. Well, I go back to like last
season, you watch some of those early year games and is kind of
like a bunch of guys, kind of thrown together like a
first-year roster. You know how you don't really
know how to play together and then you must, but you go to the
end of the year, you go to those Big Ten tournament games like
that. Michigan that, you know, last 10
minutes of that Michigan game and then you go to that
Illinois. Game that team finely, meshed
and it looked like it was more of a flow.
They knew what to get from each other, they knew where to go.
When and when a Team figures that out, no matter what level
they're on, figuring out in March is key but also figuring
out in general is Great recipe for success for a whole season.
I think that's what Indiana is getting ready to, I think you
see that with a lot of teams, I mean, think about North Carolina
in the national title game that team looked completely lost for
half the season. It took them a while to really
put the pieces together. Iowa State and Miami who both
had really great runs in the NCAA tournament.
They didn't have great regular seasons, Iowa State, barely made
it in the field. Mara our Miami barely made it
into the field but they put it together at the right time.
Now obviously the next step is can you put it together for
longer? And I think that's what
everybody's really excited about with this.
Steam because it their all the pieces are there.
And so, yeah, we're going to talk with the guys here in a
minute and get their sense of things.
And just get a sense of what the offseason has felt like so far
as we get ready to do that. Just a reminder that we are here
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Awesome, man, who's your Tinker project?
Obviously, such a cool organization.
You know, the reason I picked my career path as because I saw
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So the fact that we're giving people who usually wouldn't have
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We appreciate that. We're going to take a quick
break, we're going to come back. We have our first guest on Stick
Around. We'll be right back.
And back here with our first guest of Galen klaviyo Griffin
Gonzalez. Joining me, we got another cop
with us on the podcast, Miller back for a second season here in
the cream and Crimson. Thanks for joining us.
How you doing? I'm doing.
Well, thanks for having me. Absolutely.
So let's first of all, I'm curious.
What is the offseason life of an Indiana men's basketball player?
What have you been up to the last couple months?
Well, you know, right after the season is about like mentally
and physically letting your body recover You know, throughout the
season, there's so many ups and downs.
So to where you know, at the end of the year, you just need to
take a press, you know, get away from the game a little bit and,
you know, get your body right because there's so many, you
know, you put so many miles on your body throughout the year
that you just have to recover and get back to like a base
normal level. And then, it's then it's about
rampant. It back up again and get the
body back, used to playing and jumping and running and
shooting, and all that stuff. So, you know, now we're starting
workouts and they've been Really good and it's been going well.
Okay, so galen's going to ask that question.
I'm going to ask a more important one.
You got a dog this officer, how house the dogs dad life treating
you. This is a Gracie Barra this.
Yes. What's it been like?
I mean puppy life. Well, it's been great, you know,
Father's Day is tomorrow. So I'm real excited for that.
I don't think she knows what that is, but I'm going to treat
myself to something. But now it's been good.
It's something that I wanted to do for a while and after the
season was kind of a perfect time to do it and it gives me
something. I don't really have many hobbies
besides basketball. So, it gives me a an outlet
outside the game to, you know, give me something to do, I
guess, but it's been great. It's been very good.
I gotta say intelligent move not getting the dog during the
season. Do you need?
You need all the extra time. I'll try to get him up to her up
to speed as just like a functioning member of society.
Absolutely Believe me, absolutely.
For sure one of the Hobbies you do have and it's it's been
really impressive through your first year.
I mean, you're very active on social, you're very active in
terms of just creating content in general.
Where did that come from with you?
I don't know. I just, I've always felt
comfortable in front of the camera and I think it's, you
know, with n IL and stuff, you know, starting and last year
gave me a just an excuse to kind of just start doing that stuff
without the intent to make any money.
It was just, I just think it's something that people.
Don't see often and you know, I want to give people the, you
know, some insight into, you know, what, it's like to you
know, be you know me or be in a day in the life of, you know,
what we do, what we kind of talked about joke about and
stuff like that. So we're you know, it's a
different perspective to where, you know, you see the games but
you don't really see the behind-the-scenes.
And so it's that stuff that I think it's really interesting
and kind of makes it makes up who we are as people and then
players as well. So it's been fun and, you know,
there's there's a lot of positivity and negativity
towards it, but at the end of the day, you know, it's fun for
me and I like it, I do it. How do you develop that?
I mean, where that come from. Just pick up, what Go Pro one
day and say go for it? No, I had no idea.
Just did a start with my phone. It was kind of awkward at first,
you know, I was like, you know, walking into like the, the
locker room. It's like, hey guys, like just
like I'm going to be filming some stuff like just doing this
for like this video. And they're like, okay, all
right. And it was kind of information
loves the yeah yeah it was weird for me at first because I was a
very comfortable like doing it around everybody else.
But then at the end of the day, I was like you know, it was it
started to kind of be be more fun and everybody got involved
with it. So it's been good though.
So good, what you know, as you've as you thought about
like, what are you trying to document?
I know you want to get behind the scenes a little bit, but
what do you feel like people need to know about the
day-to-day that they don't already?
Dino that they're not getting through like reading articles or
watching interviews. Yeah, I just think that the, the
dynamic between everybody on the team.
It's something that, you know, you don't see often and you
don't see, you know, in in different different teams around
the country and stuff. You know, you see some
interviews and stuff here and there, but it doesn't really
like I let you into the life and into the mind of like, you know,
player and a teammate. And, you know, let somebody
really open up there's a mentality to this and some
people, Just want to document things from their perspective.
If you're pretty interactive on this as well I saw what was it
last week? Or a few weeks ago, you had
gotten invited on social to go to a graduation party, ever some
Bloomington North student and you showed up and so like how
did what led to that and what was that experience?
Like for you? Well yeah I got a I got a flurry
of you know DMS on Instagram about about just coming to a
grad Party come with a grand Party come to grab party and
they all have like the Flyer and stuff.
And so I told myself I was like, all right, I'm not doing
anything today. If it's over 15 minutes, I'm not
going but if it is if it's under I'm going and it was like
twelve. So I said, all right, I'm going
and I just responded and I drove up and just literally walked up.
I had no idea who they were and so but end up being a really fun
and a good time. But the only problem was is that
I got probably another 30 messages about other grad
parties to go to. So I couldn't, I feel bad.
I couldn't go to all of them, but You know, it was fun.
Yeah. And you talk about a little bit
ago about those highs and lows right for social media.
Obviously the graduation party being a high, but in season,
when things aren't looking. So great, there's a lot of lows
when you put yourself out there that much, just about that
mentality, what kind of mindset to you have to have midseason
when you're like, okay, I still want to create content but man,
sometimes that negative feedback can be, you know.
Well, there's there's definitely a balance to it.
And so, during the season two, what I do is I just I really am.
Now I'm not focused on it at all.
I'm what I do is kind of front-load and in terms of, you
know, filming and that that type of deal.
So, you know, during the season is I'm really hands off, you
know? But at the same time, you know,
there are, you know, moments where you know, you're thinking
yourself like all like, I should probably, you know, what are
people going to think but then, you know, I there have been
those thoughts but but they always you know, subside because
at the end of the day it's like we practice, you know.
During the season for hours on, on, on a day.
What are you going to do for the rest for the other 20 hours in
the day? Just like sit in your seat, just
sitting there staring at the wall.
It's like, no, no one's going to do that.
So, you know, it's not for me to do, it's fun for me.
And you know, at the end of the day I like doing it.
I'm going to keep doing it. You're entering your fifth year
as a college, basketball player. How is your perspective on being
a college basketball player changed from your freshman year?
Year to now. And what's your, what's your
mentality on it? Coming into, you know, what
would I guess for your final season man?
It's it's wild because because as I've always had a connection
Indiana from, you know, beginning my freshman year
because it was the first game, the first Big Ten game I ever
played, was at Indiana. It was the first game I started
to as a freshman and it was surreal and and I, you know it
that was the moment I fell in love with like Indiana
basketball and in the Fans and Assembly Hall and all of it.
And it was it was so loud. I could remember today.
I couldn't hear myself think. And, you know, I remember
leaving, you know, that plate assembly and just thinking like,
wow. Like I would like to play their
little more and, you know, but you know, my mentality is a
freshman, it's just, you know, play as hard as you can and just
learn and learn, and learn, and get better.
And, you know, now it's about Do with it, especially with the
team we have now coming back. You know, I've got a perspective
of, you know, for years under my belt of being on a team and then
being on it, you know, another team and seeing how different
things work to where, you know, at the end of the day, it's
about winning and it's about winning a Big, Ten title and a
national title and that's it. And that's in.
However, however I can help is, is my goal really, and that
leadership mindset. You kind of speak on a little
bit is certainly something. You're going to be taking up
this This year, what kind of prep work if you done this
offseason kind of getting ready at lead.
A lot of team with a lot of younger guys who might not have
as much college basketball experience, as you?
Yeah, well, a lot of its, you know, college is, you know,
there is a transition, but, you know, the games, the games, are
you all practices are so hard in terms of, you know, when we play
against each other and where we compete that, you know, you
know, the younger guys are in the freshmen are going to be
ready in terms of the basketball in terms of Playing and
guarding, and all that stuff, just because they've been
playing against us for, you know, a couple months but the
you know, the biggest thing is learning when you know what
coach what he wants, you know, them to do terms of Defense in
terms of offense, in terms of, you know, positioning talking
habits. That's the stuff that, you know,
will separate. I think, you know, young, you
know, freshmen who are good to, you know, Young The Freshmen who
don't play like freshmen that makes sense.
Is there something you're most excited about for this upcoming?
I mean obviously you're trying to compete for a Big Ten title
but is there something about the team in particular?
That's got you the most Juiced right at this point.
I you know, I'm not sure. I think I'm really excited for a
non-conference schedule. I think it's wild noncom.
Yeah. So I think that's going to be
something that's really fun and you know there's still some
games up in the air but that's something that there were were
clearly you know, a team that I want to play and no, we're not,
as you know, it's you as people have seen, you know, we're not
going to back down from any challenges and so you know it's
going to be exciting to get that going.
Well, I know a lot of people looking forward to it.
I'm looking forward to seeing you back on the court.
We really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us today
and wish you the best of luck throughout.
Not just dog fatherhood but also the rest of the offseason at
Leading Edge of the Year. Thank you very much, I
appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Mister cop everybody joining us on the podcast.
We'll be back in just a minute with our next guest here at
switchyard Brewing Company. Stick with us.
All right, back here at switchyard Brewing Company here
for the dining donate with the Hoosier ticket project.
Hopefully you had a chance to join us.
If you're listening to this, after the fact.
Thank you. Dave, we got Jordan Geronimo
joining us here on this segment of the pot.
Jordan, get a happy from this Earth.
Are you doing here? And when you doing really good,
welcome back. Thank you, hello.
So let's talk a little bit about your I guess.
The, the way that the season ended off for you and then the,
the offseason for you. So, you know, there's a little
bit of an up and down year, but you had a really strong finish.
You had the injury in the Big Ten Tournament.
Your will, your overall just feelings and Impressions coming
off of this year? And you know, what did you feel
like you were able to accomplish on your list of things that you
wanted to get done? Ending the season last year?
My pound. My compass was like, really, I
like an all-time high. I guess I would say just, you
know, being able to help my And however I can that's always a
great feeling and so just being able to end the season knowing
that I helped my team you know just go farther it's a great
feeling you don't mean like making a run in the in the Big
Ten tournament and be able to play in March Madness like it's
a feeling that the I used to like feel myself to just, you
know, keep working out in the summer because you know, I don't
be back there. On me back, making it runs in a
tournament stuff. So It's a great feeling so I'm
just trying to use that to, you know, motivate me to keep being
better. You could really see the
confidence growing you there towards the end of the season.
We what, how does that feel for somebody?
And I've had this experience myself, I think in the past
where it's like, you're not feeling confident, you're
questioning what you're doing, as a basketball player on a big
stage constantly. Like what does that mentality?
Like, when you suddenly start to feel like the pieces are coming
together. If it was great, it was amazing.
I mean, I got my teammates in the cooking stuff.
Always, you know, just pushing a positive.
Common storage me. You know, I mean, it's it's a
great feeling when I have, you know, a program like it's beyond
my back to, you know, help me do good.
So, as far as summer workouts go, I think a lot of people, you
know are confused about what is different from the summer versus
the season. When does that change, I guess
for you? What's been the biggest thing
this Summer that you guys have been working on you individually
a bit working on that. You're excited to implement in
your game next season? Yep.
Um, just working on, like my guard skills really because, you
know, So I guess it was knowing that I'm trying to be a 32 this
year when I play. So I can expand my role as a
player, as a basketball player and this offseason I'm just
working on tying ago, my handle reading situations, you know,
which I'm going to be in because I'm be playing to three and
that's really all. I'm kind of trying to work on.
Of course, my jump shot, not that kind of stuff.
But um, Yeah, that's actually much.
So in the offseason when you're trying to emphasize those sorts
of things and you working on your game on your own like how
do you measure your own progress internally, you know who are you
relying on to try to give you the feedback that you feel like
you need to take that next step. Um I'm sorry to like watch like
a lot of film just a practice of with my coach coach Kenya which
answer me and him be watching film of you know the practices
that we had and like I'm learning anything.
I used to do that. I shouldn't be doing is learning
about the new, I guess. Role as a guard as a three-man
just him teaching me and stuff like that.
And just showing me like, how do you know do certain things?
As a guard is really helpful and I keep that as like, you know, I
guess, As like a reminder, like what happened next time.
So I don't do this and do this yummy?
Yeah. So now it's always an
interesting process try. And I know we do this as like
broadcasters, even like you got to go back and watch what you're
doing and what you did wrong. It's always interesting trying
to implement that because you get, you have to think about it.
But you also don't have time to think about that.
It has to be this like natural organic thing that just occurs.
Exactly. And that is a big transition for
a lot of people. I think, especially in
athletics. It's because there's just
there's so much of it just has to become ingrained in your
mentality. All right, what?
So outside of the basketball, like what do you do in the
offseason for fun? Like, what have you been doing
to try to just kind of as Miller was saying, kind of reset, going
into this next year. Um, look at mother said, I don't
have a lot of hobbies, so I will see, just got an Xbox, like, a
couple months ago. So I've gone the video game a
lot. What do you been playing lately?
I put about a fortnight nice guy.
Trash it for a night but it's fun.
I play a lot of war zone and hopefully I'm trying to get
Smash Bros because Smash Bros is my favorite favorite game.
Growing up the song? Yeah just saw no 2K notes.
Okay because when I was younger, I see rage a lot actually engage
Roxy. Okay, that's fair.
That's gonna get that game. That's awesome girl.
What's what? If I could ask this JG a win?
Did it kind of hit you seeing the team?
You guys? As had last year.
When did it hit you? When you realize the potential
this team would have this coming year?
Was it? When Ray said he was coming
back, was it when TJ D said he was coming back when it was all
the changes going on in the Big 10.
When did you guys sit back and say like oh my gosh, we're going
to be one of the better teams in the Big Ten next year.
That's a good question. I mean once I mean, I guess when
you trace came back which was like the final piece of the you
know, the puzzle we had like I feel like we was going to be a
really dangerous team, you know? I mean like we play a lot of
pick up this team and like just seeing a play, you know, I feel
like the potential we have is going to be crazy like Are you
have like that much to say about it?
But yeah like he's not nice to say you know?
I mean like you guys are see later on in the future during
the season but this team is really talented and we can do a
lot of good things. Well, there's obviously a lot of
excitement about the team right now.
And it's interesting because, you know, is Miller talked about
experiencing the Assembly Hall crowd for the first time, as
somebody playing for a different team and then coming in and
being a part of that. You've seen a lot of basketball
in your lifetime, and you playing a lot of different
venues. Like, what?
What's In your impression. Over the first few years here
your career of playing an assembly hall man with a
recorder playing you know I mean like me like I'm like a battery
when I play, you know me like I love the energy, I get from the
crowd, you know, I mean like I feed off the energy from the
crowd and when you have all these guys you know roaring and
cheering for, you got change for me.
It gives me that extra boost to do.
You know what I got to do on the court.
So I love playing on the court. It's is there anywhere that
you've played elsewhere, that has come close to Assembly Hall?
No, not even close. Do you have a different venue
that you love to go visit even because it's just fun to play
in, um, Such a special night special.
It's an interesting Arena because it's like sunken.
Yeah, everybody's kind of on top of you and it's really bright
and those fans get into it. I've broadcast a couple of games
there. It's like it's a different kind
of environment unless you're a lot of players like Minnesota
too, because it's the elevator core and I'm like that, I'm
getting like it because like I feel like really self-conscious
when I was on the edge. Yeah.
I don't like that. I've hated that thing for years.
It's awful. I'm glad you feel this.
A what I am curious just in general, I know because you're
growing like it's clear your game has grown so much.
From when you first got here, is there a player at the NBA level
that you're trying to pattern yourself after I get is there
some or pieces of individual players games that you're like
would say that's what I would like to be or that's what I'm
growing towards. Um I guess I would say like,
when I was like in high school and like, coming out high school
and like, even like in beginning of my freshman season and stuff.
Even now, actually, I was looking at DeAndre Hunter, he
graduated from UVA play for Atlanta, Hawks.
I just love this game, you know? I mean I feel like the stuff
that he's doing at the NBA level was like a something that I can
do if I really just put myself in that position.
So I like his game a lot. So I'm watching a lot.
He was a tremendous guy to wash when he was at UVA.
Absolutely. And yeah.
That's that's a good. That's a good shout.
I like that. Well Jordan really appreciate
you taking the time to join us. Always a pleasure to talk with
you and we wish you the best of luck for the rest of the
offseason. Thank you next year.
Thanks, Jordan Geronimo, ladies and gentlemen.
We'll take another short break. We'll be back with our final
guest of the podcast, stick with us.
All right, back here, switchyard, our final player
guest of the day. The talent Wrangler himself
here. Anthony Leo, appreciate you
joining us, Anthony. Thanks for getting all of us
together and no problem. So first of all did you try the
breakfast? Pizza.
Yeah I did. That's crazy.
There's really not so it's awesome.
I don't even really like breakfast pizza and I was like
that. Be one of the top five pizzas
I've ever had. So, wow.
I know a lot of pizzas don't have a lot of flowers.
So, Anthony. Let's first of all, you tweet a
lot about Camp here recently. So how's that been going?
What's that experience? Been like there's awesome, we
just got through the first session, there's another session
next week, but it's been really good to just be able to interact
with the kids and hang out with the kids because I remember when
I was in the same position, they were at Camp, trying to compete
and press people. When game Ames all the type of
stuff and just have fun. So it's it's been really fun but
it's made for some really long long days because we we lived
before it and then there's camp all day and then we have
practice after it. So it's it makes for a long days
but I just I mean it's honestly so worth it because I the kids
are just so happy so I just try to keep getting it.
Yeah. It makes such a great
impression. I mean I remember being very
young and being a camps like that and it's it's weird as a
kid and I'm sure you had the same experience because you know
you see these guys on Floor and stands or on TV and it's almost
like they're not real and then boom.
It's like well they're standing three feet in front of you, tell
me how to dribble a basketball. Now, you're that guy and you
know that what is that like that transition is got to be just
kind of weird if you sit back and think about it for a little.
Yeah. Very I like as they're doing the
drills. I'm remembering like I was in
the same spot so that's why when I'm interacting with the mice
try to be as normal as I am as I can and just show them like
we're not anything crazy special.
We're just normal guys. That work hard and I try to make
them have fun. What's, what is the experience,
like, especially with those kids, you talked about your
experience? You had how much more does that?
Give that experience to the camps?
And just remembering that you were once in that position?
And we're going to know sometimes.
A lot of guys can see that. That's kind of like a, this
gonna be another long one. But like, do you try to re
encourage them? Be like, no guys, this is a
legit thing. Like, these kids were me one day
and now I'm here to try to encourage them that way.
Yeah, 100%. And I try to lead with my
actions in the way that I'm 20 kids and I think it makes my
teammates a little more comfortable to go out there and
just be goofy with the kids because that's what they want to
see. So and as for you you know these
guys are just here for the summer away from home.
You're not away from home, you're here.
What's your summer in Bloomington?
Look like what do you hang out with high school, buddies?
Do you still just stick around? I you.
What do you do? Little bit of both always get my
basketball stuff, done each day but then I'll either go to the
lake or I've been playing a lot of Uecker and cornholes so it's
just you might Be from Indiana said corn hole.
So that was the start. There was what did it for me?
That's hilarious. You know, so what we ask the
other two guys, like, what's been your offseason Focus as as
far as development and training and practices concerned mostly
just being able to handle the ball, more comfort with the ball
and creating stuff on my own as as we've gone through practicing
stuff, I've I've been playing a lot of point guard right now
because some guys aren't like Obviously trays out right now,
stuff like that. So I've been playing point guard
and I think it's helped me a lot with, with my ball handling,
stuff like that. And there's a mall.
So when we scrimmage, my team is me and the Freshman.
So it's, it's actually been such a blessing because it's making
me so much better as a leader and as a competitor because I'm
I got, you know, get them up to speed.
So we were able to compete with the guys.
So it's been fun and I've just been really try to improve my
ball handling stuff like that. How are those younger guys
coming along and which one? Have you been most impressed
with so far getting play with them every day?
They're coming along really well as much as you could expect for
freshman, I mean, we're only in week two.
So there they got a lot to learn but they're committed and they
got their minds set on the right thing.
So they're definitely on the right path.
But I think I'd probably say I'm most most impressed so far with
Malik do to Beast. He's an animal really.
I mean, the dude is strong, very strong.
And I've just been really impressed with him so far, one
of the big things we know. You know, for years and years
now is culture and, you know, people being on the same page
with each other. Like from that perspective, how
is this new group coming in and how they fit into the overall
culture, the team that they're fitting in?
Really well, I mean, we set, you know, we kind of set a standard
last year and then we talked during this offseason while
there was a lot of moving pieces with the groups that the group
that was sticking around and we kind of you know, like
established ourselves as what we want to be and our identity.
So when the freshmen come in and it's I mean they really don't
have a choice at that point. Point.
If everyone else is doing one certain thing doing one certain
thing a certain way they have to, or else they're not going to
be able to make things work. So they're they're coming along
well and they're buying into it and I think it's going to come
along. Well, some of that was really
unique with you guys last year, especially towards the end of
the year. You guys looked like you were
having more fun playing together.
How much of that is just a difference in like, you
should've said culture, but how much of that is just like
practicing having fun together, you know, hanging out having fun
together, playing games and having fun together, where does
it? Humming most important.
And where do you guys kind of learn that does is it a natural
thing? Is it like a hey, we're going to
focus more on this. What changed with that?
Honestly, it comes pretty naturally coach woods and always
talks about it in practice because we are our practices are
incredibly like competitive and a lot of smack talk but a lot of
competition at the same time. And guys are really competing
and Coach woods and I says that's what it should be like
because then once we get to games, you finally, get to take
it out on somebody else, you know, you're beat yourselves up
all week, but then one day you get to play against someone.
Else and take it out on them. That's where the fun comes from.
So, I think that a lot of guys are noticing that, and that's
kind of what people are, no sent the end of the year and then you
get the momentum like we did at the end of the year.
It just makes things a lot more fun, he talks about smack, I got
to ask that one, I got two down. Who's cues?
Running their mouth and practice.
Who talks the most smack? To be honest, it might be me.
I'm probably probably top to that's Jordan, just gave the
thumbs up on that before. What have you ever met anybody?
With the same Vibe, the coach Woodson has around him like from
the outside. He just he's got this like cool
factor that you just don't see in a lot of human beings.
Let alone like people. Position.
Like like, what's that? Like being being around it all
the time? Yeah, he's one of a kind.
I mean, really, he truly is and like it's it's been amazing just
to get to know him, get closer with him because he truly loves
all of us. And it's just it's, he's
definitely one of a kind just because the way he carries
himself and he he tells us all the time, but people don't
realize that he is, he's literally the coach of Indiana
just for Indiana like it. None of it is for his own good,
not like money. All that type of stuff.
He doesn't need any That either he's just here to win and build
a culture and he treats us like his sons and it's he's one of a
kind of, for sure. So he talked about building that
culture. Obviously Woodson has a lot of
history with this school, how much of that plays into it
versus? How much of it is where he wants
to go? Where he wants to see this
program. Go next a little bit of both.
I mean, he obviously knows what it takes to be successful and he
obviously was coached by a pretty good coach.
So, I mean, we, I think, at least, once every practice we
stop and cook Hall and he points up at the Big Ten, The Big Ten
banners in the national championship game and she just
talks about like, that's what we're working for.
And I honestly think you might just said every day, so it's
just being consistent with that. And the way that we work, always
backs up what he wants us to accomplish.
We're obviously we're here with who's your ticket project, who's
doing their dine and donate and you from here and like do you
have a favorite game that you attended or watch with IU
basketball when you were younger?
Anything sticks out in your mind or just an experience innocent
with all that you've had not necessarily, I mean,
unfortunately wasn't at the wash shot game because I think I was
at my own game as my important. Yeah.
But that to, that guy was at that game.
My game was the night of my bachelor party, really?
Yeah. That was that was pretty wildly.
Very good. Now, all the way around.
That's a good time to know, honestly.
Not, there's not really a game that sticks out to me.
It's just kind of culmination of everything, just being around
there. Yeah, but I'd say one that was
pretty cool was I was ER crew and Coach Knight came back in a
bunch of his former players came back and I was really cool just
to see the way everybody came together like that.
So I know we were talking a little bit with Miller about
just how loud Assembly Hall. Gets in your few years here at
IU. What is Mike?
I'm going to take out Purdue guys because I feel like that's
the go-ahead favorite. So what's the loudest and most
fun environment you've got to play in front of it or something
whole besides Purdue besides Purdue That's tough.
You can get back to Purdue game Griffin.
What are you doing? Nothing, obviously, obviously
that, but they all have steak. Amos was a good one too.
The energy is crazy there so I probably say that awesome.
Yeah, it's it's fun. It's been fun as somebody's been
to a lot of games with the time like watching it slowly ramp
back up again I think that's really exciting to see ya.
So what's the rest of the summer look like for you?
Got Camp next week, obviously, and you got some stuff to work
on but then, you know, as the, this is always a weird time
because I Some of the attention shifts to like football practice
and people are paying attention that you guys are kind of under
the radar until you get to, you know, Hoosier hysteria at the
beginning of October. So what do you have to do now,
what's the checklist between now and then just keep on getting
better every day working as hard as we can every day as a team
and just continuing to grow and get ready.
But I think the most important thing for us is just going to be
to not let any of the noise or the hype that we might get in
the preseason. You know, kind of get to our
heads case, we having a conversation, anything yet as a
team and people are saying we could be this and we could be
that. But if we're not working for
right now, I'm just putting our heads down and grinding then
it's not going to come to fruition.
So I'd say that's probably the most important part and then
just take care of academics and all that type of stuff.
Awesome. Well we really appreciate you
taking the time to join us today.
It's been a lot of fun and we appreciate obviously Miller and
Jordan joining us as well, but Anthony Leal here on the podcast
with this. Thank you so much.
Well, we're going to go ahead and wrap up ourselves here
Griffin. Any final thoughts before we
wrap up. Hey, you know, we got three
great guys right there, I think IU basketball is in good hands
for a couple years to come. And got a sighting, you're
coming out. That's gonna be fun.
It is the, the vibe is palpable and it really is.
It's one of those where I don't know if we've quite had the vibe
around IU basketball like this for quite a while.
So I'm excited to see what happens with it all and looking
forward to getting a chance to talk about it.
So just a reminder that we will be podcasting pretty regularly
starting in August with football and then we got basketball
coming in right after that. So we'll be talking about all
these things. You can catch Griffin on
Louisville television. As he'll be down there, W drb,
right? Already doing this stuff.
Part-time would be down there full time starting what July
1st? All right, I go into H.
Like, I click it. I get to clock in and two hours.
So, he took some time out of the office to help out with this,
but we will look forward. Chatting with you all of course,
be sure to check out assembly call as they'll be covering
after every game and assembly called radio.
Every Thursday Crimson cast normally Mondays and Thursdays
throughout the course of the Season.
Would like to thank the fine folks here at switchyard Brewing
Company, always awesome, hosts, tremendous food, tremendous
drinks, and they just do an awesome job with everything.
We're look forward to coming out and doing some live shows later
on this year. So be sure to join us for that.
And again, our thanks to Hoosier ticket project for allowing us.
The tag along today and all the awesome work that they're doing
trying to get people out to Assembly Hall and Memorial
Stadium. That haven't had the chance to
be there before. So thanks again to Anthony Leo
to Jordan Geronimo to Miller cop.
Thanks to driven, Gonzales is our co-host.
I'm Galen klaviyo. Will join you folks soon?
Be sure to keep tuned in. Subscribe to us on iTunes.
We'd love it. We'll catch you folks on the
flip side. So long everybody bring back the
Bison.