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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 5 20 BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com B y Year 3, there should be growth. There should be a better understanding of offensive and defensive schemes, should be a comfort level and higher focus and energy. There was for Purdue in its recent- ly wrapped third spring under Coach Darrell Hazell. Hazell talked about the team's strides and lingering concerns with two local reporters three days af- ter spring concluded. Here's an excerpt of the nearly hour-long interview. Q: Was there an underlying theme for the spring? Hazell: "Yeah, absolutely. Our theme was smarter, faster, more con- fident. It wasn't underlying, though. It was out in front. It was declared early that's what we wanted to do, smarter, faster and much more confident and finish. Those four things I think we got better at all of those. Still not per- fect on the finish part, but we're defi- nitely better, much better." Q: Compare last year after the spring to this year. Hazell: "I think there is a world of, 'You know what? We've got a chance to be pretty good.' I think that's their mindset right now. There's certain po- sitions you've still got to figure out a lit- tle bit, but I think they feel like we've got enough guys in our locker room to get things done. They really believe that. We'll find out. But I think that, too." Q: You share the sentiment. Hazell: "Oh, absolutely I do. By adding a few things schematically of- fensively, by meeting defensively the way we met this spring has helped us immensely. Just to do this (come to- gether), not even so much the scheme part of it, which that was the purpose, but just to hear them all do this be- cause of they're meeting together and they're hearing what the other per- son's assignment is. It wasn't an ex- tensive meeting, it was a two-minute, three-minute meeting where each coach got up. So that was good." Q: What did you think of the de- fense? Hazell: "I think they're running to the ball much better. I think they're playing team defense. The thing we struggled with a little bit that we have to get fixed is, two things, and I'm going to have Greg (Hudson) do a study: How many times the ball got outside of us, that's the one study, the second study Tom Campbell Darrell Hazell sensed a more relaxed vibe, likely stemming from a budding confi- dence, on his Purdue team this spring. Smarter, Faster, More Confident Hazell sees growth