Tuesday, November 23
Bloomington, Ind.
7:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Jackson State
No Worries – Miller Kopp Shoots for Consistency
11/23/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Let others worry about shooting insecurities.
Miller Kopp is too busy working to better it.
"I don't get caught up over makes or misses," Indiana's junior forward says. "I don't want to say they're all the same to me, but I shoot off feel. If it feels good coming off my hands, that's good enough for me. I know if that's the case, there's a good chance it's going in."
Hitting three of his last four three-pointers validates those chances.
"I will shoot my shots," he says. "I feel they're all going in. Whether they do or don't, it is what it is. If I make or miss three in a row, I will still go with the same confidence, the same rhythm."
Kopp's don't-sweat-it approach comes from three Northwestern seasons of solid shooting (a career scoring average of 9.6 points that included 36-percent shooting from three-point range, and 122 three-point baskets), and a veteran's perspective.
He's made big shots before. He will again.
As coach Mike Woodson says, "We recruited him to make shots."
Kopp is determined to deliver, and it starts with his workout routine.
"I keep doing the same thing. I continue the same routine. I don't stress about it. It is what it is. Sometimes shots go in, something they don't. At the end of the day, you keep being consistent.
"I know I put the work in. They're going to fall."
Kopp's first Indiana three-pointer came last week against St. John's, when forward Trayce Jackson-Davis passed to him out of a double team.
"Trayce made a great pass," Kopp says. "I will be in that situation a lot this season. So will he. It felt good to finally make one and help the team out."
Kopp worked his way into Woodson's starting thoughts back in August, when Kopp started both games in the Bahamas trip before injuries set him back.
That was no excuse, he says, for his combined 2-for-9 shooting for seven points in the first two regular-season games.
"The Bahamas trip was great," he says. "Coming back from injury, it did set me back. I was out for a while, and not able to do much. I'm still coming back from that.
"That wasn't the (reason) for the first two games. It was me getting in the flow and rhythm with the team. I will improve throughout the season. Every day I'm getting better."
He bounced back to go 2-for-4 on three-pointers for 12 points against St. John's. He was 2-for-3 for seven points in Sunday's win over Louisiana. He added seven rebounds.
What kind of shooting work does Kopp do?
"Whatever we do as far as practice, I work out after," he says. "It's a shooting workout after practice. That includes a bunch of threes, a bunch of shots on the move.
"Depending on how hard the practice was, I'll tone it down a little bit. That stays consistent -- after every practice I get a workout in.
"On game days, it's the same thing, a shooting workout. I can go in. I don't have to think about anything. I just shoot. Do the same thing over and over. That's what shooting is in. The brain is out of it."
Kopp should help with IU's free throw shooting, which picked up the pace against Louisiana (10-for-13) after shooting 65.2 percent from the line in the first three games.
"A lot of it is (practice) reps," Kopp said. "A lot of it is mental.
"It's going up there with confidence. My mentality should be when get I fouled, why would you do that? You're giving me two easy points and for us. That's the mentality you have to have when go to the line.
"We get a lot of reps in practice. It's going to come in time. Everybody works on it and on shots. I'm not worried about any of that."
IU continues to get more comfortable with Woodson's offensive and defensive approach.
"It's something we're all learning," Kopp says. "Coach Woody is learning, too, as far as how to coach everybody. It's a learning curve for everybody.
"We're watching a lot of film and after every game we've gotten better. I think that will continue to be the case."
A hectic early season continues with Tuesday night's home game against Jackson State (0-4), which has already lost to one Big Ten team, Illinois, by a 71-47 score. It's lost every game by at least 12 points.
This will be the second of three Hoosier Classic games for IU. It will end with Saturday night's home game against Marshall.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Let others worry about shooting insecurities.
Miller Kopp is too busy working to better it.
"I don't get caught up over makes or misses," Indiana's junior forward says. "I don't want to say they're all the same to me, but I shoot off feel. If it feels good coming off my hands, that's good enough for me. I know if that's the case, there's a good chance it's going in."
Hitting three of his last four three-pointers validates those chances.
"I will shoot my shots," he says. "I feel they're all going in. Whether they do or don't, it is what it is. If I make or miss three in a row, I will still go with the same confidence, the same rhythm."
Kopp's don't-sweat-it approach comes from three Northwestern seasons of solid shooting (a career scoring average of 9.6 points that included 36-percent shooting from three-point range, and 122 three-point baskets), and a veteran's perspective.
He's made big shots before. He will again.
As coach Mike Woodson says, "We recruited him to make shots."
Kopp is determined to deliver, and it starts with his workout routine.
"I keep doing the same thing. I continue the same routine. I don't stress about it. It is what it is. Sometimes shots go in, something they don't. At the end of the day, you keep being consistent.
"I know I put the work in. They're going to fall."
Kopp's first Indiana three-pointer came last week against St. John's, when forward Trayce Jackson-Davis passed to him out of a double team.
"Trayce made a great pass," Kopp says. "I will be in that situation a lot this season. So will he. It felt good to finally make one and help the team out."
Kopp worked his way into Woodson's starting thoughts back in August, when Kopp started both games in the Bahamas trip before injuries set him back.
That was no excuse, he says, for his combined 2-for-9 shooting for seven points in the first two regular-season games.
"The Bahamas trip was great," he says. "Coming back from injury, it did set me back. I was out for a while, and not able to do much. I'm still coming back from that.
"That wasn't the (reason) for the first two games. It was me getting in the flow and rhythm with the team. I will improve throughout the season. Every day I'm getting better."
He bounced back to go 2-for-4 on three-pointers for 12 points against St. John's. He was 2-for-3 for seven points in Sunday's win over Louisiana. He added seven rebounds.
What kind of shooting work does Kopp do?
"Whatever we do as far as practice, I work out after," he says. "It's a shooting workout after practice. That includes a bunch of threes, a bunch of shots on the move.
"Depending on how hard the practice was, I'll tone it down a little bit. That stays consistent -- after every practice I get a workout in.
"On game days, it's the same thing, a shooting workout. I can go in. I don't have to think about anything. I just shoot. Do the same thing over and over. That's what shooting is in. The brain is out of it."
Kopp should help with IU's free throw shooting, which picked up the pace against Louisiana (10-for-13) after shooting 65.2 percent from the line in the first three games.
"A lot of it is (practice) reps," Kopp said. "A lot of it is mental.
"It's going up there with confidence. My mentality should be when get I fouled, why would you do that? You're giving me two easy points and for us. That's the mentality you have to have when go to the line.
"We get a lot of reps in practice. It's going to come in time. Everybody works on it and on shots. I'm not worried about any of that."
IU continues to get more comfortable with Woodson's offensive and defensive approach.
"It's something we're all learning," Kopp says. "Coach Woody is learning, too, as far as how to coach everybody. It's a learning curve for everybody.
"We're watching a lot of film and after every game we've gotten better. I think that will continue to be the case."
A hectic early season continues with Tuesday night's home game against Jackson State (0-4), which has already lost to one Big Ten team, Illinois, by a 71-47 score. It's lost every game by at least 12 points.
This will be the second of three Hoosier Classic games for IU. It will end with Saturday night's home game against Marshall.
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