Jaden Ivey and Purdue are getting everyone's best shot in chase for No. 1.
Purdue sophomore Jaden Ivey joined the Field of 68 podcast with Jeff Goodman and Robbie Hummel to talk about his development, Purdue's quest for the No. 1 ranking and more. Here's what he had to say.
Growing up around Notre Dame women's basketball with mom as assistant coach
“It was fun to be around Skylar (Diggins-Smith) and a lot of great talent. Growing up, you don’t see kids (with the opportunity of) being a coach’s child and being around such great talent. I grew up in that stage at an early age.”
Purdue star @IveyJaden talks potentially being the #1 team, his rising NBA Draft stock and lessons from @IrishCoachIvey and Ja Morant | @GoodmanHoops and @RobbieHummel Podcast powered by @BetRivers https://t.co/eSCDk2rxdZ
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) December 1, 2021
Pressure to go to Notre Dame
“I never felt any pressure. I was just in a situation where my mom was a coach. I had access. I utilized it. That’s home. That’s family. I never had pressure to go there. I was just trying to find myself and maybe eventually get a scholarship.”
Why he wasn't heavily recruited
“I just think I was overlooked. Maybe I wasn’t as high as everybody else in the rankings, but I can tell you I was probably working way harder than most of them. I felt like I was the No. 1 player. I didn’t really care about the rankings and colleges not looking at me. I knew I’d find a great team and a great coach, and I knew from the day Coach Painter offered me a scholarship that I could see myself playing there. It was the perfect fit for me.”
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Matt Painter's impact
“He’s given me a lot of tips on how to stay patient. Last year, I was up and down. He kept saying, ‘Your time is coming. Continue to stay in the gym.’ At the end of the year last year, I improved. He helped me in all aspects.”
Purdue's chase for No. 1 ranking
"I watched the game (between Duke and Ohio State) last night and I texted my teammates and said, 'We’ve got to lock in even more.’ We put in a lot of work. Any given night, everyone’s going to give Purdue their best shot. We know what’s at stake. Hopefully we’ll be No. 1, but we’ve got to maintain that throughout the whole season and in March.”
Improving his shot in the offseason
“The biggest thing was I took even more shots than I did the previous summer. It was sticking with the daily routine, shooting in the early morning and coming back late at night. It was sticking to a plan, having confidence in my shot. In games, it’s just taking the right shot. Last year, some shots were bad shots. I know what shots are good shots versus bad shots. Game by game, I’ve improved my shot.”
Taking pride in his defense
“I feel like I’ve improved since last year. Coming in as a freshman, it’s hard. You’re just learning the system, and with COVID it was crazy. I can’t say it was easy last year. I went through trials and tribulations. As the games progressed, I started to get a feel for how college ball is played. Defensively, I’m in the right spots now, when I wasn’t last year.”
Who he styles his game after
“Ja Morant for sure. I went to games sometimes and I took note of his game. I see a lot of similarities in my game. I love watching his pace, his change of speed, getting to the basket, his dunks and his craftiness. I try to take some of his stuff and implement it into my game.”
Why Purdue is the best team in the country
“We’ve just got so many pieces. It’s hard to stop when you have a great team with great pieces that play together and gel as a team. You can’t just stop one. We play for one another.”
Listen to the full podcast here.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jaden Ivey on Purdue chase for No. 1: 'We know what's at stake.'
