Indiana University Athletics
The Mike Woodson Way -- Playing for Championships
9/28/2021 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Mike Woodson's next great athletic challenge looms and perspective is as clear and pure as the jump shot that once lit up scoreboards across the Big Ten.
"We're not here just to play, man," he says. "There's always been a lot at stake here."
Woodson is not running Indiana's tradition rich basketball program after nearly a quarter century of NBA coaching, nine as a head coach, to bask in the glow of the off-season honeymoon that greets every new hire.
He's here to win big, instantly, if possible, to do it the right way, to develop young players and young men on and off the court, to make a difference at the university where he once thrived as a Big Ten MVP under Hall of Famer Bob Knight.
The championship banners that hang in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall reflect glory past and, if Woodson has his way, glory future.
"Every time we step out on the floor," he says via Monday's media day opportunity, "before we break huddle, I tell the team to look at those Big Ten titles, look at the national titles. There's history here, man.
"Yes, that's Coach Knight hanging in the rafters. That's all they need to know.
"I've got to push them in that direction, make sure that they understand we're playing to win a Big Ten and a national title, nothing else.
"It's no good thinking any other way."
Woodson faces this challenge (IU hasn't made the NCAA tourney since 2016; it hasn't won a national title since 1987) with a strong coaching and support staff, talented players and a non-conference schedule well suited to the program's current state.
A 2-0 August exhibition run in the Bahamas against a Serbian pro team hinted at the potential.
"People are excited," Woodson says. "I'm excited. I came back for one reason and one reason only: to put this team back on top.
"I know there's a lot of work that's got to be done. I'm not new to this. I feel good about where I am. Bloomington and the people around town have had a lot to do with that."
Woodson is new to college coaching, but not to pushing guys to play to their talent and perhaps a little more. NBA coaching has benefits well suited for the college game.
That means one thing:
Woodson ain't changing.
"I can't change, man. The only thing that changes is the name and the uniforms.
"All players want to be coached. You got to be able to touch them, pat them, but you got to be able to challenge them, push them, especially young players."
Woodson has worked with young players before, especially at Atlanta, where he twice won more than 50 games.
"Young players think they play hard. To me, there's always another level, then there's another level. When you get to that peak where you play hard all the time, things come easy for you.
"That's the beauty of coaching in terms of trying to get players at that level because when you do, you win."
Six months into the Cream 'n Crimson job and the biggest surprise, as it turns out, isn't a surprise at all.
"I've got a good group of guys. Everybody seems to like one another. Everybody comes to work. It makes working, coming to work, a treat.
"There were no surprises. Coaching is coaching, man. We've just got to get players to buy in, work their (butts) off, do what's asked of them."
It starts with All-America forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, a 6-9 junior forward with untapped potential (he averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in the two Bahamas games), much of it centered on a perimeter game.
He's the leading returning Big Ten scorer at 19.0 points, and he did it without ever taking a three-pointer. Woodson's mandate to him is clear -- shoot outside or sit. He needs a perimeter game, as much for the Hoosiers as it is for his professional future.
"We've had quite a few scrimmages," Woodson says. "He's taken some jump shots, but not a lot.
"The way we play him puts him in the post, puts him in pick and rolls where he can pop or roll, kind of his choice. He's made a few jump shots."
Woodson says he got on Jackson-Davis the other day about "not setting screens" during a scrimmage. Jackson-Davis' red team trailed by three in the closing seconds. An angry Woodson drew up a play for Jackson-Davis to shoot a three.
"He popped out, shot it and made it. I didn't let the game go to overtime. I blew the whistle and said practice was over with, everybody in.
"I wanted to see how he would respond. He made the shot. So, I know he can make 10- to 15-foot jump shots if he just shoots them. I'm going to keep putting him in situations and forcing his hand to take the shot if he has it."
Beyond that, Jackson-Davis is showing more free-throw-shooting consistency (a career 66.8 percent shooter).
"He's making his free throws, which is nice to see," Woodson says. "He's made a nice jump from the time we started and where we are today."
The same is true for nearly all the Hoosiers, and if that continues through the season, if they find shooting consistency to match defensive intensity (Woodson is, more than anything, a defensive coach) today's buzz will become tomorrow's victories.
As Woodson says, "What comes up more than anything, are the banners. That's what comes up."
When it comes to scheduling Woodson wants to get the program where it faces traditional powerhouses during non-conference action.
Yes, that means Kentucky, among others.
In Year One of his program, the Hoosiers aren't there yet.
They open the season with six straight home games -- Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, St. John's (as part of the Gavitt Games connection with the Big East Conference), Louisiana, Jacksonville State and Marshall before playing at Syracuse as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
That follows a couple of pre-season scrimmages with Cincinnati and one against another team in Louisville.
"I want to get this team back on top to the point where we want to be playing the Kentuckys and UCLAs and Kansases, big games," Woodson says. "We've got St. John's and Syracuse this year. They're considered big-time schools and big-time programs.
"The schedule is what it is, man. We've got to take 'em one game at a time. I've always felt as a coach, if you're not prepared, if you don't come to work, anybody can beat you.
"It doesn't matter who we play. Our schedule is already set. It's what it is. We just going to try to take it one game at a time and see where we are."
Where could the Hoosiers be? Jackson-Davis, for one, can't wait to find out.
"When you're talking to someone who's been in the NBA for longer than you've been alive," he says, "I'm not sure how you can say no to that."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Mike Woodson's next great athletic challenge looms and perspective is as clear and pure as the jump shot that once lit up scoreboards across the Big Ten.
"We're not here just to play, man," he says. "There's always been a lot at stake here."
Woodson is not running Indiana's tradition rich basketball program after nearly a quarter century of NBA coaching, nine as a head coach, to bask in the glow of the off-season honeymoon that greets every new hire.
He's here to win big, instantly, if possible, to do it the right way, to develop young players and young men on and off the court, to make a difference at the university where he once thrived as a Big Ten MVP under Hall of Famer Bob Knight.
The championship banners that hang in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall reflect glory past and, if Woodson has his way, glory future.
"Every time we step out on the floor," he says via Monday's media day opportunity, "before we break huddle, I tell the team to look at those Big Ten titles, look at the national titles. There's history here, man.
"Yes, that's Coach Knight hanging in the rafters. That's all they need to know.
"I've got to push them in that direction, make sure that they understand we're playing to win a Big Ten and a national title, nothing else.
"It's no good thinking any other way."
Woodson faces this challenge (IU hasn't made the NCAA tourney since 2016; it hasn't won a national title since 1987) with a strong coaching and support staff, talented players and a non-conference schedule well suited to the program's current state.
A 2-0 August exhibition run in the Bahamas against a Serbian pro team hinted at the potential.
"People are excited," Woodson says. "I'm excited. I came back for one reason and one reason only: to put this team back on top.
"I know there's a lot of work that's got to be done. I'm not new to this. I feel good about where I am. Bloomington and the people around town have had a lot to do with that."
Woodson is new to college coaching, but not to pushing guys to play to their talent and perhaps a little more. NBA coaching has benefits well suited for the college game.
That means one thing:
Woodson ain't changing.
"I can't change, man. The only thing that changes is the name and the uniforms.
"All players want to be coached. You got to be able to touch them, pat them, but you got to be able to challenge them, push them, especially young players."
Woodson has worked with young players before, especially at Atlanta, where he twice won more than 50 games.
"Young players think they play hard. To me, there's always another level, then there's another level. When you get to that peak where you play hard all the time, things come easy for you.
"That's the beauty of coaching in terms of trying to get players at that level because when you do, you win."
Six months into the Cream 'n Crimson job and the biggest surprise, as it turns out, isn't a surprise at all.
"I've got a good group of guys. Everybody seems to like one another. Everybody comes to work. It makes working, coming to work, a treat.
"There were no surprises. Coaching is coaching, man. We've just got to get players to buy in, work their (butts) off, do what's asked of them."
It starts with All-America forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, a 6-9 junior forward with untapped potential (he averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in the two Bahamas games), much of it centered on a perimeter game.
He's the leading returning Big Ten scorer at 19.0 points, and he did it without ever taking a three-pointer. Woodson's mandate to him is clear -- shoot outside or sit. He needs a perimeter game, as much for the Hoosiers as it is for his professional future.
"We've had quite a few scrimmages," Woodson says. "He's taken some jump shots, but not a lot.
"The way we play him puts him in the post, puts him in pick and rolls where he can pop or roll, kind of his choice. He's made a few jump shots."
Woodson says he got on Jackson-Davis the other day about "not setting screens" during a scrimmage. Jackson-Davis' red team trailed by three in the closing seconds. An angry Woodson drew up a play for Jackson-Davis to shoot a three.
"He popped out, shot it and made it. I didn't let the game go to overtime. I blew the whistle and said practice was over with, everybody in.
"I wanted to see how he would respond. He made the shot. So, I know he can make 10- to 15-foot jump shots if he just shoots them. I'm going to keep putting him in situations and forcing his hand to take the shot if he has it."
Beyond that, Jackson-Davis is showing more free-throw-shooting consistency (a career 66.8 percent shooter).
"He's making his free throws, which is nice to see," Woodson says. "He's made a nice jump from the time we started and where we are today."
The same is true for nearly all the Hoosiers, and if that continues through the season, if they find shooting consistency to match defensive intensity (Woodson is, more than anything, a defensive coach) today's buzz will become tomorrow's victories.
As Woodson says, "What comes up more than anything, are the banners. That's what comes up."
When it comes to scheduling Woodson wants to get the program where it faces traditional powerhouses during non-conference action.
Yes, that means Kentucky, among others.
In Year One of his program, the Hoosiers aren't there yet.
They open the season with six straight home games -- Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, St. John's (as part of the Gavitt Games connection with the Big East Conference), Louisiana, Jacksonville State and Marshall before playing at Syracuse as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
That follows a couple of pre-season scrimmages with Cincinnati and one against another team in Louisville.
"I want to get this team back on top to the point where we want to be playing the Kentuckys and UCLAs and Kansases, big games," Woodson says. "We've got St. John's and Syracuse this year. They're considered big-time schools and big-time programs.
"The schedule is what it is, man. We've got to take 'em one game at a time. I've always felt as a coach, if you're not prepared, if you don't come to work, anybody can beat you.
"It doesn't matter who we play. Our schedule is already set. It's what it is. We just going to try to take it one game at a time and see where we are."
Where could the Hoosiers be? Jackson-Davis, for one, can't wait to find out.
"When you're talking to someone who's been in the NBA for longer than you've been alive," he says, "I'm not sure how you can say no to that."
Players Mentioned
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