ARTICLE:Summer Update: Indiana Hoosiers Players

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On Tuesday, Hanner Mosquera-Perea, Evan Gordon, Austin Etherington, Jeremy Hollowell and Noah Vonleh met with members of the media to talk about a variety of offseason topics from strength training to on-court skill development.

Transcribed via IUHoosiers.com

On replacing the leadership lost from last season's team:

Austin Etherington: "As you all know, we lost quite a few guys --we have seven new guys here so it's been a lot of work for everybody to come in, learn their roles, and get better. You know, we're working out every morning and afternoon, so everyone is putting that work in and getting better."

On his rehabilitation from his knee injury:

ETHERINGTON: "I'm not 100 percent yet, but I'm doing everything that I can. I can't do 5-on-5 or full contact yet, but I'm doing 1-on-1 and 2-on-2. Other than that I'm feeling pretty good--my knee his feeling really good."

On how close he is to being able to go full-go:

ETHERINGTON: "I'd say I probably won't do 5-on-5 for the next couple of weeks because we get to go home for a little bit. So, during that time I'll continue to rehab and keep improving my strength and when we get back I'll probably go full-go then."

On how this off-season has been different than others that you've been a part of:

ETHERINGTON: "Well I'd say the leadership has definitely changed a lot--losing all those older guys, losing Cody and Vic to the NBA. Then having the seven new guys, and with me and Jeremy being two of the older guys here right now and then Evan coming in and taking a leadership role right away. Definitely the leadership has changed--it's also helped out a lot having me, Evan, and Jeremy be the leaders with Yogi and Will being gone. I think it's definitely helped us out a lot. I'm not saying it's good that Will and Yogi are there, but it's helped us become better leaders ourselves."

On how you (Hanner) have progressed this summer:

Hanner Mosquera-Perea: "I feel that I have made a lot of improvements. I've been working out with the coaches, doing new things, because I'm going to have to step up and do a lot of new things for our team this year. So, I've been working really hard and getting a lot better."

On certain areas that you have improved in:

MOSQUERA-PEREA: "My timing and my shooting."

On your time here so far:

NOAH VONLEH: "I came up here May 29, before a couple of the other freshman. I've been working really hard in the weight room; it's real intense. I'm getting a lot stronger--I've put on like 20 pounds since I've been here. I'm working hard on the court. We're all working hard and getting better with different things -- ball-handling, footwork on shooting, different things like that. I'm just going to keep getting better as the year goes on."

On your work ethic and what you've been doing this summer:

VONLEH: "I just like to be in the gym all the time getting better. I'm going to be playing against a lot of guys who are a lot older than me next year, so I need to get physically ready, mentally ready, and just keep getting better."

On your experience at the LeBron James Skills Academy:

VONLEH: "I was the youngest guy at the camp. I was talking a lot--a lot of guys there weren't talking--and Jay Bilas came up to me and said, `Your leadership and talking can become a great strength if you keep working on it.' So I remembered that, and I just competed, rebounded--because that's one of my biggest strengths--and scored really well in the post."

On your other conversations you had with Jay Bilas:

VONLEH: "He said leadership would be a great strength. He said continue to stay low when I'm in the post. He said to make my moves quick, and sometimes I was indecisive, but I have to keep working on that."

On Evan's impressions of the program so far:

EVAN GORDON: "As a whole, the atmosphere, the expectations are a lot higher. That's what I expected when I chose to come here. I've been to two different institutions, but me being here at home, I can go home. And the expectations in the weight room are a lot different than I ever expected."

On what you expect to bring to the team and how your experience helps that:

GORDON: "Me playing, you know, starting out college, when some of these guys were in eighth grade, there is a little bit of an advantage, you know just leadership , knowing how to handle situations and push through things that some of these guys aren't used to in some of these work outs."

On how you (Jeremy) have been a leader on the court so far this summer:

Jeremy Hollowell: "One of the big things that we emphasize is talk, trying to get out of the young guys talk. That's the biggest thing, getting them through the workouts, knowing what to expect, knowing what is hard as a freshman and try to get through. We try to be there and help them through the workouts."

On how you see your role increasing this year after finishing last season strong:

HOLLOWELL: "I see my role growing a lot. I mean we lost a lot of good players but we have a lot of good players coming in, but knowing what to expect. Going through it already one year, I see a big opportunity for me to make a big jump from last year, improvement wise, and just helping the team any way I can."

On your leadership role and how it has manifested itself this summer:

HOLLOWELL: "I mean I think I am taking it well, Will and Yogi have been out, they are two big leaders on our team, with our young team, so with them being out, me being one of the returning players, I know someone has to step up, take the group, get them to talk, get them through workouts, get them ready, get them stretched. That's what me and Austin have been trying to do."

On Hanner Masquera-Perea:

ETHERINGTON: "One thing I have noticed is he is putting a lot more time in. He is working on his shot, working on everything he needs he knows to work on. After going through a year, you start to realize the things that you need to improve so you can get on the court. I think Hanner has learned a lot and has been working on everything that he knows he needs to work on. One thing I have noticed is he has been shooting the ball really well and that's one thing that has proven from how hard he has been working in the gym."

On how your game has developed, and what has improved since last year:

HOLLOWELL: "I think one-on-one scoring, my shooting, my ball-handling has come on a lot, I have been in the gym quite a bit this summer, definitely more than last year, like I said I know what to expect. Last season was a blur; it went by pretty fast. So day in and day out I have been working hard just trying to improve every aspect of my game."

On competing at the rim, and how that has shown itself this summer:

VONLEH: "They just push us and tell us to play hard and we take that into our minds and we just go out there and play hard."

On the biggest challenge for you:

ETHERINGTON: "I'd say the biggest thing is just the mindset, I have been through an injury before and the big thing is just the mind set and being able to go out there and not worry about your knee. That is something I have been better with, the first time I took a charge in workouts it was the first step in knowing I do it again and not worry about my knee, and so I would say the biggest thing is the mindset, because the physical part with my knee and my strength is coming on pretty well."

On going through a previous injury, and the rehab this time being faster:

ETHRINGTON: "Yeah, I would say it has. It has made me push myself knowing I can come back from an injury. It defiantly is a factor, I have been through it before and I can do it again, so it's not that bad"

On your day-to-day approach, teaching the younger guys:

PEREA: "Yeah I feel like I have been bringing that experience to work because I learned a lot from those two players (Cody and Derek), and just having players like Noah and Luke coming in and being big strong players, that allows me to keep getting better and work on those things."

On the freshman so far this summer:

ETHRINGTON: "Well I would just say that they are very athletic, we have very athletic freshman. Already we had an athletic team and I think just them coming in just adds so much more athleticism to our team. Coach always wants us to be a fastbreak team and pushing the ball and there are no better recruits that we have coming in to do that."

On the keys for Evan this summer:

GORDON: "Basically get better each day, get stronger and adapt to this program and learn as much as I can while I am here. Also, help lead some of the younger guys to progress faster."

On your leadership role this summer, with you being new to the program:

GORDON: "Me coming here I was like `wow, I have to adapt, again.' These guys are a totally different group than I have ever experienced. There are no egos on this team, and I am able to just come in and everyone sometimes is looking for advice and sometime I can take advice from the older guys like Yogi, Austin, Will, and Jeremy. We go back and forth and bounce ideas off of each other."

On what Jeremy has to do to make a jump and earn more playing time this season:

HOLLOWELL: "What I need to do to make a jump is stay in the gym and get after it. Outside of the team stuff my individual stuff I need to push myself to get better with my ball handling, get better with my shot, and post moves. I feel like I have the ball in my hands a lot more and looking to score and rebound, and be an offensive factor for us to score points."

On the biggest surprise for you about this program thus far:

VONLEH: "The weight lifting, like I said is very intense and I was not used to that at prep school so that was a big adjustment, but I put on a lot of weight and am getting stronger. On the court one of the main reasons I came here was because of Coach Crean and his skill development, I like that a lot. I feel like we are all getting better each and every day."

On putting on more weight and how your game has changed because of that:

VONLEH: "I think it has helped me a lot. I can bump guys off better and I can finish stronger."

On the pressure that you, Peter, and Luke feel to be a presence in the front court again:

PEREA: "We have a huge responsibility because I know how Cody and Derek took care of us last year. So I feel like I have to step up with the new guys like Noah and Luke because they are going to be doing the same thing we had been doing. It's a huge responsibility."

On Noah Vonleh:

HOLLOWELL: "He is a real good player. The biggest thing that I have seen is that he is willing to learn, always willing to improve his game, he is very coachable, and works hard day in and day out. He is always going to go hard and give you his best."

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[HoosierJenn 8]

I'm so happy to see Austin back and in a leadership role!  Keep working hard Austin, WE LOVE YOU!!! <3<3

[IU Hoosier41 14,465]

Agreed.  It's a good thing to have Will and Yogi playing over seas so the younger guys and less vocal guys get a chance to lead.  Sounds like the team is working hard and ready to get after it once everyone gets back to Bloomington.

[All_Hoosiers 873]

Last season, I was at the game when Etherington got hurt. When Austin came in the game, I leaned over to my dad and said, "You know, I really think Austin could be a very good player if he got an extended opportunity." Etherington then proceeded to miss two free-throws and injure his knee, but I still believe he can be a very good player. He's a leader and can shoot. He's an underrated athlete, too. Hoping he gets back to 100% and plays really well this year. Great mentor to the young guys.