Player Q&A: Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries react to Indiana's loss to Northwestern

Indiana basketball guards Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries spoke with the media following Indiana’s 72-68 loss to Northwestern.

Below is their full Q&A, as well as a transcript when it becomes available.

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Q. Tucker, it came down to that last shot. Didn’t decide the game entirely, but did you feel contact on that? What was going through your head on that last three-point shot?

TUCKER DeVRIES: He said he couldn’t see it. I mean, that’s his explanation. That’s all I can give you. I thought it was a foul. It’s part of the game. That’s all I’m going to give.

Q. Lamar, from your point of view, what were the biggest issues? Was it the slow start in the second half? Was it the time you guys went 0-11? What did you feel the biggest issue was tonight?

LAMAR WILKERSON: We just couldn’t hooked up as a team. As a group of seniors we got to be better. Me personally, I have to be better leading this team, stepping up. Just, you know, we could have made some plays down the stretch that could have helped us.

It’s just one-on-ones that hurt, man. This was is what our resume was — this hurt our resume. Now we have to try to go get these next ones and put our focus towards that.

Ultimately, man, shouldn’t have came down to the ref. We shouldn’t have put the ref in the position to make that call. When we was up we shouldn’t have got comfortable. We just got to do better, man. We just got to do better.

Q. What about this loss hurts you guys the most? Is it the way that it ended? The lack of the call at the end? What hurts the most for you guys in that moment?

LAMAR WILKERSON: It’s just a game we shouldn’t have lost. It’s one of those self-inflicted losses as you say. We was the reason we lost. Kudos to Northwestern. They played a good game, but there is no way in hell we should have lost this game. We just being frankly honest.

Q. Tucker, same question to you. Where are these emotions coming from right now?

TUCKER DeVRIES: I mean, I think as a group this one hurts pretty bad. I think it’s important for us to realize we still got three opportunities. This one hurts, but we’re not out of the mix by any means. Our season is not defined by this game.

We have gone through a rough match in the season. If you want to say this is one, too. We responded and know we’re capable of doing that. Coming off a loss like this there is no better opportunity than hosting a really good Michigan State team. You know, we got to come prepared for that one a lot better, a lot more hooked up and take advantage of these opportunities. They’re starting to get fewer.

Q. You guys kept Martinelli relatively quiet in the first half. He had 21 in the second half. What changed guarding him and how was he able to be so effective in the second half?

TUCKER DeVRIES: He’s a tough cover. They go to him every single play. Everything is revolved around him. We had a lot of different guys on him, mixed it up. Thought he did a fairly good job and he hot some tough shots. I mean, he’s a good player.

Credit to them. You could go through every play, and I would have to re-watch it to see, but it didn’t seem like one particular thing. Was just killing us every time. He’s a good player and he made some good plays for sure.

Q. Tucker, you guys have lost games this season and this level of emotion that you’re showing up here, it’s not something that we see every time. Why is it so — why is this a little difficult for you to set in right now? Just the way it slipped through your hands at the end? What makes this stand out in your head a little more than some of the other games you guys have had?

TUCKER DeVRIES: I think for me personally, I feel like I let this group down today. I feel like this was an opportunity for us that we really had to take advantage of, seeing how few opportunities we have, and to have one of our last ones go like that is tough one.

But, I mean, in the short conversations we’ve had we know the opportunities that are left. I mean, it’ll hurt, but we got to flip this page quick. Like I said those opportunities are getting lower.

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