Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. Michigan
1/23/2022 6:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Michigan
Jan. 23, 2022
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
WOODSON: I told Juwan that after the ballgame. I just thought our rotation, I thought our intensity starting the game, when I look at the stat sheet and look at the plus/minus, everybody had minuses, so that just lets me know we weren't there tonight, which that's on me. It's just unacceptable, especially coming off a great game like the Purdue game.
Q. What were you missing from the starting five…
WOODSON: Well, again, our starting five the last two games has dug a hole. They've been pretty good all year, but our bench bailed us out in the Purdue game, but tonight we just -- we got down so much. We'd make runs and then we'd kill ourselves by giving the run back. When you make a run -- we haven't been down a whole lot this year like that, and when we have, we've gotten stops. I thought 80 points is a lot of points to give up for us. We've got to defend every night in order to put ourselves in position to win.
Q. Talk about the energy level from the players today…
WOODSON: Well, it's disappointing, but again, it's my job to make sure that they don't drop the rope and we come back and go to work tomorrow and get ready for Penn State.
Q. What's your message to the team on keeping momentum going forward…
WOODSON: Well, again, Penn State is next. We've got to go back and break this tape down and actually see where all the breakdowns were and why our plus/minus was all minuses. Those are areas that we can learn and grow as a team. But Penn State is next, and I've got to get them ready to go for Penn State. We can't go back and get this one.
Q. What is it about responding to a big win with a letdown or not keeping that from happening…
WOODSON: Again, they haven't had very many big wins here. Their wins have been kind of on a roller coaster. I think when you experience some success, it's new to us. We're still learning as a team how to win. That's why we're in the position we're in. We've done some good things this season, but we've still got a long way to go, and hopefully we can learn -- it's my job to make sure we learn from this situation today because I'm not taking anything away from Michigan; they played great. They were fabulous tonight, and we've just got to get ready now, and like I said, break the tape down and get ready for Penn State.
Q. Talk about Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart…
WOODSON: Well, again, the way teams are playing us, they know that they can make shots if they're open. I thought our early shots that we had on the perimeter, we had so much pressure coming at us, instead of just pump faking and letting the guys go by, they made us miss. They weren't hoping we missed, they made us miss shots.
You reverse that, we were hoping that they missed shots instead of making them miss shots. That was the difference in our pressure on their three-point shooters. I mean, that's something that hadn't been consistent for us. We've been normally good on the three-point line, but we let it get away tonight. That was the difference in the game I thought.
Q. On how to get the most our Parker Stewart…
WOODSON: Well, I thought the other night against Purdue, our starters came out and they were aggressive, but they couldn't make shots early. We dug a hole, but our defense was holding in there. Purdue wasn't running off. But tonight, our defense, it just wasn't there. We were a step behind in our rotations, and they just kind of had their way. Again, I give them credit because we just didn't meet the challenge tonight, and that's pretty sad after having a big game against Purdue. We've got to put this one behind us and regroup. Got a few days to practice to get ready for Penn State.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | INDIANA FORWARD
Q. Talk about not finishing shots…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, I think we had a few runs in the game, but every time we got close, they would pull away. Defensively I think it was more of our defense that we gave up 80 points at home. That's something that can't happen. We've just got to go back to work honestly tomorrow and get ready for Penn State, which is our next game.
Q. Explain some of the binds they put you in defensively…
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, so defensively when we were doubling him, we were supposed to wait on his crab when he started to dribble the ball and we weren't doing that. He was holding the ball, so it was easy for him to look over and watch and see who's coming instead of when he was posting up and trying to dribble. That's on us, and we made that mistake, and he made us pay for it.
Q. What happened at the start of both halves…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It's honestly on us. That falls on us. It's our home court, and the starting five, we need to regroup, and we need to figure that out because it's unacceptable honestly to come out with no emotion and no drive, and like when we were at the Purdue game, that second unit really helped us and got us going with Trey and all of them blowing up ball screens and stuff like that on defense. Our starting five is our starting five for a reason, so we've got to figure that out.
Q. On the issues with some rotations…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, so obviously with Hunter shooting the ball like that and then our guards getting drilled on screens, we were supposed to switch or veer if they died on the ball screen, so basically, I take the guy and then our guard stays up, but they kept thinking that he was rolling but he was popping, so he was getting right open shots at the top of the key. That's just something we're going to have to watch on film and then go back over. Then obviously in the double-team, like I explained how he was crabbing, he didn't crab, so he was just turning and looking and seeing the whole floor, and he's watching that double come, so he's just passing to the guy that's doubling.
Q. Talk about Michigan's 3-point shooting…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I think it's a little bit of both. Obviously, they came in here clawing, scratching for a win, and they needed this one bad. They honestly played harder than us, and we didn't defend the line well at all, and that's something that we usually hang our hats on. It's something that we're going to have to watch on film and obviously get better at it for Penn State.
JUWAN HOWARD | MICHIGAN HEAD COACH
Q. Do you feel like the team is finally playing up to the fullest potential…
HOWARD: I'm just so proud of how our team competed today, they have been competing all year. It's nothing like coming in on the road and getting a road victory in a tough environment. We got to continue to go back in the gym each and every practice and see how we can grow. It was beautiful to see all the contribution coming from everyone that touched that floor.
Q. On being on the road so much and coming off COVID pause…
HOWARD: Enjoy what you're doing, because don't get into coaching right now during a pandemic, it's very challenging. Every coach, every player, is getting uncomfortable during this stretch for the last couple years. I'm proud how our young men have really band together despite a lot of the uncomfortable moments, finding ways to stay together, stay positive, and to enjoy this college experience the best way they can. What's best about it all is that playing basketball is something they love to do, is a nice therapy and very therapeutic for each and every one of us. Coaching is beautiful, seeing these young men enjoying the process
Q. Talk about the 3-point efficiency…
HOWARD: Defensively. Our defense is really getting the job done for us. Defense sometimes creates good offense. It's great when you see a ball go through the net, it definitely builds confidence for the players. It also helps on the road when the ball goes through the net because it takes the some of the energy out of the crowd. We had some runs that were thrown at us, and the beautiful part about it was we were able to respond after those runs that Indiana had.
Indiana vs. Michigan
Jan. 23, 2022
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Opening Statement…
WOODSON: I told Juwan that after the ballgame. I just thought our rotation, I thought our intensity starting the game, when I look at the stat sheet and look at the plus/minus, everybody had minuses, so that just lets me know we weren't there tonight, which that's on me. It's just unacceptable, especially coming off a great game like the Purdue game.
Q. What were you missing from the starting five…
WOODSON: Well, again, our starting five the last two games has dug a hole. They've been pretty good all year, but our bench bailed us out in the Purdue game, but tonight we just -- we got down so much. We'd make runs and then we'd kill ourselves by giving the run back. When you make a run -- we haven't been down a whole lot this year like that, and when we have, we've gotten stops. I thought 80 points is a lot of points to give up for us. We've got to defend every night in order to put ourselves in position to win.
Q. Talk about the energy level from the players today…
WOODSON: Well, it's disappointing, but again, it's my job to make sure that they don't drop the rope and we come back and go to work tomorrow and get ready for Penn State.
Q. What's your message to the team on keeping momentum going forward…
WOODSON: Well, again, Penn State is next. We've got to go back and break this tape down and actually see where all the breakdowns were and why our plus/minus was all minuses. Those are areas that we can learn and grow as a team. But Penn State is next, and I've got to get them ready to go for Penn State. We can't go back and get this one.
Q. What is it about responding to a big win with a letdown or not keeping that from happening…
WOODSON: Again, they haven't had very many big wins here. Their wins have been kind of on a roller coaster. I think when you experience some success, it's new to us. We're still learning as a team how to win. That's why we're in the position we're in. We've done some good things this season, but we've still got a long way to go, and hopefully we can learn -- it's my job to make sure we learn from this situation today because I'm not taking anything away from Michigan; they played great. They were fabulous tonight, and we've just got to get ready now, and like I said, break the tape down and get ready for Penn State.
Q. Talk about Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart…
WOODSON: Well, again, the way teams are playing us, they know that they can make shots if they're open. I thought our early shots that we had on the perimeter, we had so much pressure coming at us, instead of just pump faking and letting the guys go by, they made us miss. They weren't hoping we missed, they made us miss shots.
You reverse that, we were hoping that they missed shots instead of making them miss shots. That was the difference in our pressure on their three-point shooters. I mean, that's something that hadn't been consistent for us. We've been normally good on the three-point line, but we let it get away tonight. That was the difference in the game I thought.
Q. On how to get the most our Parker Stewart…
WOODSON: Well, I thought the other night against Purdue, our starters came out and they were aggressive, but they couldn't make shots early. We dug a hole, but our defense was holding in there. Purdue wasn't running off. But tonight, our defense, it just wasn't there. We were a step behind in our rotations, and they just kind of had their way. Again, I give them credit because we just didn't meet the challenge tonight, and that's pretty sad after having a big game against Purdue. We've got to put this one behind us and regroup. Got a few days to practice to get ready for Penn State.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | INDIANA FORWARD
Q. Talk about not finishing shots…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, I think we had a few runs in the game, but every time we got close, they would pull away. Defensively I think it was more of our defense that we gave up 80 points at home. That's something that can't happen. We've just got to go back to work honestly tomorrow and get ready for Penn State, which is our next game.
Q. Explain some of the binds they put you in defensively…
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, so defensively when we were doubling him, we were supposed to wait on his crab when he started to dribble the ball and we weren't doing that. He was holding the ball, so it was easy for him to look over and watch and see who's coming instead of when he was posting up and trying to dribble. That's on us, and we made that mistake, and he made us pay for it.
Q. What happened at the start of both halves…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It's honestly on us. That falls on us. It's our home court, and the starting five, we need to regroup, and we need to figure that out because it's unacceptable honestly to come out with no emotion and no drive, and like when we were at the Purdue game, that second unit really helped us and got us going with Trey and all of them blowing up ball screens and stuff like that on defense. Our starting five is our starting five for a reason, so we've got to figure that out.
Q. On the issues with some rotations…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, so obviously with Hunter shooting the ball like that and then our guards getting drilled on screens, we were supposed to switch or veer if they died on the ball screen, so basically, I take the guy and then our guard stays up, but they kept thinking that he was rolling but he was popping, so he was getting right open shots at the top of the key. That's just something we're going to have to watch on film and then go back over. Then obviously in the double-team, like I explained how he was crabbing, he didn't crab, so he was just turning and looking and seeing the whole floor, and he's watching that double come, so he's just passing to the guy that's doubling.
Q. Talk about Michigan's 3-point shooting…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I think it's a little bit of both. Obviously, they came in here clawing, scratching for a win, and they needed this one bad. They honestly played harder than us, and we didn't defend the line well at all, and that's something that we usually hang our hats on. It's something that we're going to have to watch on film and obviously get better at it for Penn State.
JUWAN HOWARD | MICHIGAN HEAD COACH
Q. Do you feel like the team is finally playing up to the fullest potential…
HOWARD: I'm just so proud of how our team competed today, they have been competing all year. It's nothing like coming in on the road and getting a road victory in a tough environment. We got to continue to go back in the gym each and every practice and see how we can grow. It was beautiful to see all the contribution coming from everyone that touched that floor.
Q. On being on the road so much and coming off COVID pause…
HOWARD: Enjoy what you're doing, because don't get into coaching right now during a pandemic, it's very challenging. Every coach, every player, is getting uncomfortable during this stretch for the last couple years. I'm proud how our young men have really band together despite a lot of the uncomfortable moments, finding ways to stay together, stay positive, and to enjoy this college experience the best way they can. What's best about it all is that playing basketball is something they love to do, is a nice therapy and very therapeutic for each and every one of us. Coaching is beautiful, seeing these young men enjoying the process
Q. Talk about the 3-point efficiency…
HOWARD: Defensively. Our defense is really getting the job done for us. Defense sometimes creates good offense. It's great when you see a ball go through the net, it definitely builds confidence for the players. It also helps on the road when the ball goes through the net because it takes the some of the energy out of the crowd. We had some runs that were thrown at us, and the beautiful part about it was we were able to respond after those runs that Indiana had.
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