Tyler Smith’s interview with Hoosier legend Tom Coverdale

Tyler Smith March 23, 2016 0

By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor

Tom Coverdale sees similarities between the 2002 Hoosiers and this year's team. — Tom Coverdale sees similarities between the 2002 Hoosiers and this year’s team.

Tom Coverdale has been a Hoosier fan-favorite since he played at Indiana in the 2000-2003 seasons. Just this season, current Hoosier Yogi Ferrell joined Coverdale as the only players in Indiana history to record 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 200 3-pointers made. With IU’s current tournament run drawing comparisons to Coverdale’s 2002 team, I thought it would be great for Hoosier nation to hear from one of the all-time greats to ever wear the candy-stripes. In my interview with Tom, we discuss IU’s chances against North Carolina, the state of the program, and what it means to be a Hoosier.

Listen to the full interview here:

FULL TRANSCRIPT- INTERVIEW WITH TOM COVERDALE:

Tyler- “Fans always mention you as one of their favorites. What does that mean to you, and what does it mean to be a Hoosier?”

Tom- “Well, I think it’s meant something to me my whole life, and that’s probably what resonated with fans, just because I grew up in Indiana and always was an Indiana fan and dreamed about playing there. For people to say that, it means a lot. More than any other award, to have Indiana fans approval on how I played the game is one of the biggest honors I can have in my life.”

Tyler- “What was the most memorable thing in the entire 2002 run?”

Tom- “For me, obviously that game (Duke) sticks out more than any. You know, how close that team was- and then the celebrations when you get in the locker room after the game- when it’s just your teammates and coaches and everyone that’s worked so hard to get there, that’s the biggest thing that sticks out to me. But as far as that Duke game, literally when the horn sounded and we knew we won- just the celebration on the floor and how loud that stadium got because there were so many IU fans there, and it was almost like a home game- it’s something I’ll always remember.”

Tyler- “Do you see any similarities between the 2002 team and this year’s team?”

Tom- “Yeah I think definitely I do. You have a team that you can tell is extremely close, and that’s exactly what we are. And I think you have to have that to go on a run in the tournament, because you’re always going to have times where you hit adversity. I’m sure there’s going to be times in this upcoming game when North Carolina makes a run just like Duke did against us, and you have to be together as a team to overcome that, and I think this group can definitely do that.

I think this team from a talent standpoint is probably better than we were just because we had one NBA player, as far as Jared Jeffries, and I think several of these guys could have a future there. Just like you said, a 5 seed going against a 1, If they get by this one they can beat anybody.”

Tyler- “What’s your gut tell you about their chances?”

Tom- “Well my gut tells me Indiana is going to win, but I think that’s a little bit biased opinion. But when you get to this point, and I think all 16 teams left feel this way- When you get to this point and have made a run this far and have won two really big games, you think you can beat anybody. So I’m sure their confidence is sky high just like North Carolina’s is. I think it’s going to be an unbelievable game. It’s disappointing that Indiana got a 5-seed because this should be an Elite-8 or Final-4 game, but you have to play with who’s in front of you and they have a great chance to win. If North Carolina is picked to win the whole thing just like Duke was, you might as well play them now and get the momentum moving forward.”

Tyler- “What are your thoughts on Yogi Ferrell, and what advice would you give him for Friday?”

Tom- “As far as advice, I think it’s just do everything you’ve done all year. You don’t have to do anything special, and he’s shown that throughout the tournament already, he doesn’t really need any advice from anybody with as many games as he’s played in his career already. As far as his career, he’s going to go down as one of the best point-guards Indiana has ever had. I mean the numbers show it, and the leadership he’s shown this year over past years has just been remarkable, and he’s the reason why they’re good this year, just his maturity, and getting other players involved and it’s been a lot of fun to watch. This year’s team, as a fan has been more fun to watch than year’s past, and he’s a big reason why.”

Tyler- “What are your thoughts on Tom Crean and the state of the program going forward?”

Tom- “Well the state of the program obviously is heading in the right direction, especially with some of these young freshmen. I think recruiting the right type of players- they maybe have gotten away from that the last couple years, but you can tell, and not from a talent standpoint- it’s just the players that get excited and it means something. You can tell especially this group of freshman that’s come in with Bryant, and OG, and all these guys- that it means something to win and the winning culture is coming back, and I think that has a lot to do with the type of kids he’s recruiting, not just from a talent standpoint.”

Tyler- “If you could say one thing to Hoosier nation, what would it be?”

Tom- “Just enjoy this run because it doesn’t happen all the time, as we know as fans. Just stay positive through tthe up and down times with every Indiana team, because when you’re a player, you try to block out all the fans and everything like that- but with it being such a big tradition and has such a long history, it’s hard to avoid. So stay positive with young teams when they’re struggling like we did this year. It just shows how they can bounce back and keep improving.”