Wednesday, November 17
Bloomington, Ind.
9:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
St. John's
Make ‘em Pay – IU Set to Attack St. John’s Pressure
11/17/2021 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Here comes St. John's and its attack-till-you-break press, and for this, Indiana coach Mike Woodson says in so many words:
Bring it on.
"When teams press, I revert back to when I was in college," he says amid Tuesday's media availability. "That was open-door season for us to get up and down the floor. We used to lick our chops back in the day because we liked it."
While Woodson's college-playing days are decades in his rearview mirror, his approach remains 21st Century relevant. When St. John's (2-0) turns up the defensive heat Wednesday night in a Gavitt Games battle at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and it will under 400-plus-game-winning coach Mike Anderson, Woodson wants the Hoosiers (2-0) to attack.
"I'm telling our guys, hell, you get pressed, you've got to make them pay on the other end."
IU did last Friday night when Northern Illinois pressed, and the result was 88 points and 48.2 percent shooting.
"It might cause us to speed up and play more up-tempo," Woodson says, "but that's OK. It's part of it. I don't want to break the press and play half-court (offense). If we've got the opportunity to score, that's what I want us to do."
That works for guard Xavier Johnson.
"I love playing at a fast pace," he says. "I love it."
The Hoosiers are built for speed. Thirteen guys played against Northern Illinois. That reflects Woodson's intention to fully utilize his roster and, if possible, bring fatigue to the opponent.
Against St. John's, fatigue likely won't happen given it has an 11-player rotation, but traps will. Anderson uses them ruthlessly, as he did during previous coaching stops at Alabama-Birmingham, Missouri and Arkansas. They are major reasons why his first two St. John's teams ranked second and seventh nationally in steals.
The Hoosiers are ready to test that pressure, junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis says.
"It's a really good opportunity for us, especially early in the season, to play a team that presses the whole game and gets up the floor and tries to speed you up. It's like a Big Ten level of play."
The Hoosiers did have 15 turnovers against Northern Illinois (three more than Woodson wants) after committing just eight against Eastern Michigan.
"It's part of college basketball," Woodson says about the press. "You can't run from it."
IU coaches have tried duplicating pressure in practice.
"We've been working all year on pressing," Woodson says. "We try to create the atmosphere where we are getting trapped.
"We've got to hope when they throw it on us, our guys are comfortable in making the reads and getting the ball out of double teams, getting the ball up the floor and trying to create a scoring opportunity.
"We haven't witnessed this kind of pressure. I'm anxious to see how we react to it."
Good point guard play is crucial. Xavier Johnson and Rob Phinisee take the lead, with Khristian Lander in an auxiliary role.
"Rob and Xavier are holding it down in terms of how we want to play," Woodson says. "Rob has been a stabilizer for us.
"Xavier is starting to find his groove. They last game he played really well (13 points, three assists, two rebounds, 4-for-5 shooting) and made all the right plays that we needed him to make as a point guard.
"I haven't played Khristian very much, but when he came in the other night, he was ready to play (Lander had seven points and an assist in seven off-the-bench minutes against Northern Illinois). That's all you can ask from a coaching standpoint."
Woodson pushes Johnson to play at an elite level, which requires shooting, defending and leading at difference-making levels beyond what he did during his three seasons at Pitt when he totaled 1,152 points, 415 assists, 311 rebounds and 124 steals.
"He's making some nice strides," Woodson says. "Point guard is a tough position for me. I'm so demanding on them doing the right things to help all the other pieces that go with your team.
"He's learning. I don't think he's ever been asked to do a lot of the things I'm asking him to do. That's part of being a good point guard. You need a good point guard to be effective."
What does Woodson ask of Johnson?
For one thing, call his own plays.
"At Pitt, the coach didn't ask me to call my own plays," Johnson says. "That's one thing that's different. I have to know all the plays. Everybody has to know all the plays, but (Woodson) wants me to call my own plays."
This is part of Woodson's plan to return IU to the forefront of college basketball.
"If I can keep Rob and Khristian on board and doing the things they need to do when they play," Woodson says, "with Xavier leading the charge with that first unit, then we'll be in position to win games."
St. John's dominated its first two opponents, beating Mississippi Valley State 119-61 and Saint's Peter's 91-70.
The win over Saint Peter's was noteworthy because the Peacocks nearly upset VCU in their opener and are picked to finish second in the MAAC behind Iona.
"It's a good challenge," Johnson says. "It's the first real big test. It will be fun. Our plan is to respect our opponent and to come out on top each game. We have to protect home court. That's the main thing we're focused on."
Julian Champagnie, a 6-8 junior forward, is a Wooden Award candidate. He averages 21.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 46.7 percent from three-point range and 51.9 percent overall.
Point guard Posh Alexander averages 15.0 points and 8.0 assists. Sixth-man Tareq Coburn averages 15.0 points and 2.5 rebounds. He had 17 points in 23 minutes against Saint Peter's.
"X (Johnson) and Rob have to be patient with the ball and make the right plays," Jackson-Davis says. "I know that they will and then it's an easy break for a 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 type of thing. We've been working on it a lot in practice. We just have to execute."
Jackson-Davis executed fine in earning Big Ten player of the week honors. He averaged 20 points and 10.5 rebounds in wins over Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois.
He's 11 points away from becoming the 54th Hoosier to reach 1,000 career points.
As for what to expect Wednesday night, Woodson says, "It's going to be an interesting game to see where we are. I'm anxious to see how we fare against their traps, get the ball up the floor and doing what we do."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Here comes St. John's and its attack-till-you-break press, and for this, Indiana coach Mike Woodson says in so many words:
Bring it on.
"When teams press, I revert back to when I was in college," he says amid Tuesday's media availability. "That was open-door season for us to get up and down the floor. We used to lick our chops back in the day because we liked it."
While Woodson's college-playing days are decades in his rearview mirror, his approach remains 21st Century relevant. When St. John's (2-0) turns up the defensive heat Wednesday night in a Gavitt Games battle at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and it will under 400-plus-game-winning coach Mike Anderson, Woodson wants the Hoosiers (2-0) to attack.
"I'm telling our guys, hell, you get pressed, you've got to make them pay on the other end."
IU did last Friday night when Northern Illinois pressed, and the result was 88 points and 48.2 percent shooting.
"It might cause us to speed up and play more up-tempo," Woodson says, "but that's OK. It's part of it. I don't want to break the press and play half-court (offense). If we've got the opportunity to score, that's what I want us to do."
That works for guard Xavier Johnson.
"I love playing at a fast pace," he says. "I love it."
The Hoosiers are built for speed. Thirteen guys played against Northern Illinois. That reflects Woodson's intention to fully utilize his roster and, if possible, bring fatigue to the opponent.
Against St. John's, fatigue likely won't happen given it has an 11-player rotation, but traps will. Anderson uses them ruthlessly, as he did during previous coaching stops at Alabama-Birmingham, Missouri and Arkansas. They are major reasons why his first two St. John's teams ranked second and seventh nationally in steals.
The Hoosiers are ready to test that pressure, junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis says.
"It's a really good opportunity for us, especially early in the season, to play a team that presses the whole game and gets up the floor and tries to speed you up. It's like a Big Ten level of play."
The Hoosiers did have 15 turnovers against Northern Illinois (three more than Woodson wants) after committing just eight against Eastern Michigan.
"It's part of college basketball," Woodson says about the press. "You can't run from it."
IU coaches have tried duplicating pressure in practice.
"We've been working all year on pressing," Woodson says. "We try to create the atmosphere where we are getting trapped.
"We've got to hope when they throw it on us, our guys are comfortable in making the reads and getting the ball out of double teams, getting the ball up the floor and trying to create a scoring opportunity.
"We haven't witnessed this kind of pressure. I'm anxious to see how we react to it."
Good point guard play is crucial. Xavier Johnson and Rob Phinisee take the lead, with Khristian Lander in an auxiliary role.
"Rob and Xavier are holding it down in terms of how we want to play," Woodson says. "Rob has been a stabilizer for us.
"Xavier is starting to find his groove. They last game he played really well (13 points, three assists, two rebounds, 4-for-5 shooting) and made all the right plays that we needed him to make as a point guard.
"I haven't played Khristian very much, but when he came in the other night, he was ready to play (Lander had seven points and an assist in seven off-the-bench minutes against Northern Illinois). That's all you can ask from a coaching standpoint."
Woodson pushes Johnson to play at an elite level, which requires shooting, defending and leading at difference-making levels beyond what he did during his three seasons at Pitt when he totaled 1,152 points, 415 assists, 311 rebounds and 124 steals.
"He's making some nice strides," Woodson says. "Point guard is a tough position for me. I'm so demanding on them doing the right things to help all the other pieces that go with your team.
"He's learning. I don't think he's ever been asked to do a lot of the things I'm asking him to do. That's part of being a good point guard. You need a good point guard to be effective."
What does Woodson ask of Johnson?
For one thing, call his own plays.
"At Pitt, the coach didn't ask me to call my own plays," Johnson says. "That's one thing that's different. I have to know all the plays. Everybody has to know all the plays, but (Woodson) wants me to call my own plays."
This is part of Woodson's plan to return IU to the forefront of college basketball.
"If I can keep Rob and Khristian on board and doing the things they need to do when they play," Woodson says, "with Xavier leading the charge with that first unit, then we'll be in position to win games."
St. John's dominated its first two opponents, beating Mississippi Valley State 119-61 and Saint's Peter's 91-70.
The win over Saint Peter's was noteworthy because the Peacocks nearly upset VCU in their opener and are picked to finish second in the MAAC behind Iona.
"It's a good challenge," Johnson says. "It's the first real big test. It will be fun. Our plan is to respect our opponent and to come out on top each game. We have to protect home court. That's the main thing we're focused on."
Julian Champagnie, a 6-8 junior forward, is a Wooden Award candidate. He averages 21.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 46.7 percent from three-point range and 51.9 percent overall.
Point guard Posh Alexander averages 15.0 points and 8.0 assists. Sixth-man Tareq Coburn averages 15.0 points and 2.5 rebounds. He had 17 points in 23 minutes against Saint Peter's.
"X (Johnson) and Rob have to be patient with the ball and make the right plays," Jackson-Davis says. "I know that they will and then it's an easy break for a 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 type of thing. We've been working on it a lot in practice. We just have to execute."
Jackson-Davis executed fine in earning Big Ten player of the week honors. He averaged 20 points and 10.5 rebounds in wins over Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois.
He's 11 points away from becoming the 54th Hoosier to reach 1,000 career points.
As for what to expect Wednesday night, Woodson says, "It's going to be an interesting game to see where we are. I'm anxious to see how we fare against their traps, get the ball up the floor and doing what we do."
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