Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. Penn State
1/26/2022 11:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Gameday Duties
Indiana vs. Penn State
Jan. 26, 2022
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. Talk about the production on both ends of the floor…
WOODSON: It's probably our best game in terms of a half that we put together in the Big Ten. We had some earlier games this season when we started where we had halves where we were holding opponents to less than 20 points, but to do it against a Big Ten team, man, I thought our coverages, everybody was on par in terms of how we went into the game with a plan. That was on both ends of the floor, but our defense was really, really good the first half.
Q. What's the diagnosis on Rob Phinisee, and how does that look moving forward…
WOODSON: Don't know right now. He has to be evaluated probably sometime tomorrow, and somehow we've got to get Khristian ready because he is not able to play either. That's why he didn't play tonight, so we've got to get one of them back. I don't know when, but my theme has been all season it's the next man up. We've just got to mix and match based on who we got in uniform. It's kind of how I look at it.
Q. On Xavier Johnson and his composure…
WOODSON: I just think the game is starting to slow down a little bit for him. Big Ten is a little bit different than the league he came out. Not that that league is not good. They've got great players and coaches and teams in that league, but the Big Ten forces you to really think about what you are doing. Especially at the point guard spot. I think X is starting to slow down and see things ahead of him, and he is making guys a little bit better around him, which is kind of nice to see because I've always thought point guards, that's their job and what they are supposed to do, so he is starting to get a little bit better in that area.
Q. When asked about Khristian Lander…
WOODSON: It's strictly physical that's holding him back. He would have played tonight if I could have stuck him in there after Rob went down, but he can't play.
Q. How have you seen Xavier lead the team…
WOODSON: Well, it's still a work in progress, man, but he has gotten better. His last three ball games have been pretty positive and productive. I just need him to continue to grow, man, because we're going to need him as we this journey in the Big Ten.
Q. What changed in the second half when it comes to guarding the three…
WOODSON: I wasn't real happy about it. I don't think that they did anything differently from an offensive standpoint. They were still trying to execute just like they did the first half. I just thought the first half we were locked in. We had three to four times we had miscues on switches, and they made us pay for them. Again, you've got to stay with the game plan all the way through for 40. That's what you got to commit yourselves to for 40 minutes. I thought we played 20 good minutes tonight.
Q. How have you seen this team grow in the last couple of games…
WOODSON: Well, again, the road is what it is. We're playing Maryland on the road. They're playing a lot better. I just thought yesterday's practice was a gut check practice. It was a practice that we really kind of went at it a little bit and worked on some things that I thought we needed to work on preparing for this game, and now Penn State is behind us, and we've got to get ready for Maryland, which, like I said, they're playing great, man, and you're going to have to commit for 40. We'll put a game plan together, and we've got to commit ourselves for 40 minutes to go down there and get a win. It's not going to be easy, but we're capable of winning on the road. We proved that in Nebraska.
Q. What has changed in terms of shooting from the 3-point line…
WOODSON: Well, again, I thought the ball movement was great the first half. When Trayce was doubled and Race got doubled some, the ball was moving, and the defense really couldn't catch up, so we got good looks that way. We got some early in transition where we got stops and the ball came up, and we was able to get what we call quick strikes for threes. Hey, I've never told us not to shoot threes. We've bot to shoot them when you're open, and I thought Parker and Miller and X, everybody who shot them, they were in tune and knocked them down, and we're going to need them to continue to do that because we need the three ball. Ain't no doubt about that. We can't go 4 for 17 like we did against Michigan.
Q. When Rob actually got hurt in the first half, what did you see on that play…
WOODSON: I didn't see the play. I just saw him when he came up limping. He wasn't really moving, so I figured he had done something. Again, I don't know. I've got to go back in there and see what's going on. I'm sure he will be evaluated tomorrow.
RACE THOMPSON | INDIANA FORWARD & XAVIER JOHNSON | INDIANA GUARD
Q. Talk about the energy from the starters tonight…
THOMPSON: We have to bring every single game as starters. That's the main thing. We just talked about it for the past two days of getting off to better starts because I think Coach said we were, like, minus 47 over the past four games or something, or however many games, so I think we just talked about that as a unit, and we came out, we responded. That was good for us.
Q. Woodson said he challenged you. Did you take it personally? Was it about energy? Was it about tactics?
THOMPSON: Yeah, I think we took it personally. I think it really was just about energy, just calming down a little bit, playing with more energy, but at the same time being composed and really keying in on what they're doing. Again, it just starts for us on defense. If we can get some stops, we're feeling good about ourselves, and then our offense will come.
Q. Xavier, discuss your role tonight…
JOHNSON: My game is to get downhill first. Coach told me to get downhill, make plays, and that's what I did tonight, and I made the correct read. Going into Maryland, I do have a lot of family down there. It's only 45 minutes from being home. I know it's going to be a good environment overall. I'm still going to play with my team and go and win the game on the road, another one.
Q. How much is that defensive intensity that you showed early…
JOHNSON: That's a big part of who we are as Indiana. When we first came in, our number one thing was defense. That's the first thing we worked on, and that's what got us to this point in the season of winning as many games.
Q. Race, how has Xavier helped you guys this season…
THOMPSON: He is getting everybody involved and getting himself involved when he needs to. He really helps set the pace of the game, and then again, it starts for him on defense. I know if I see X playing defense and he is getting a steal, I know he is going down to finish or dish to somebody. Really, he is just getting everybody involved, making everybody feel good. I think he really helps our team. I think he will continue to do that.
Q. What has been this calming influence for you all of a sudden…
JOHNSON: Like I said, I know my level of play wasn't as good at first. I just knew I was in a slump, and I knew I was going to come out of it, and I was going to keep playing and keep getting better. I know when my dad came up here, my family came up here, I needed that because I haven't seen them for a long time, and my teammates always pick me up. We're just going to keep getting better, and I'm going to keep playing with my teammates and keep believing in them because I know they believe in me.
MICAH SHREWSBERRY | PENN STATE HEAD COACH
Opening Statement:
SHREWSBERRY: Hats off to those guys. They played great. They were a hungry team. They were a gritty team. They were a tougher team and that's what you saw to start the game. That's what you saw to end the game. All credit goes to them in terms of how they played, what they did. They were ready to go from the start, and they dominated from start to finish.
Q. On what he saw at the start of the game…
SHREWSBERRY: We didn't have the same presence defensively. They make shots. People are going to make shots at home, but they are making shots, uncontested. They were getting whatever they wanted offensively. We weren't in their area code. We impact the ball a little bit, maybe the shots are tougher, and we make them take tough shots, but what they did was too easy. But credit to them. They've got good players, and these are guys that just lost a game. They've got a lot of pride. They've got a lot of older guys that have kind of been in this situation before, and they responded the right way, and that's what you're supposed to do. I thought they were great.
Q. On the slow start offensively…
SHREWSBERRY: Their defense was more aggressive. You've got to be able to run through. If guys are holding you, you've got to run through it. They let us off ball screens. They pressured us. We couldn't get off ball screens. Our guards weren't very good setting them up and coming off them. We need to be a tougher team then the next time. But like I said, credit to them. They were great. They've been playing like this at home except for the last game. They had one blip where they didn't play like this at home. But this is what they do. They really shut people down. Their defense has been fantastic. Trace (Jackson Davis) and Race (Thompson) are dominant at the rim which allows those guards to get up and pressure you a lot more. And that's what they did. That's what they did to us. Totally took us out of what we wanted to do. And then once it got going like that, we were aa little bit shell shocked and that's what happens.
Indiana vs. Penn State
Jan. 26, 2022
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. Talk about the production on both ends of the floor…
WOODSON: It's probably our best game in terms of a half that we put together in the Big Ten. We had some earlier games this season when we started where we had halves where we were holding opponents to less than 20 points, but to do it against a Big Ten team, man, I thought our coverages, everybody was on par in terms of how we went into the game with a plan. That was on both ends of the floor, but our defense was really, really good the first half.
Q. What's the diagnosis on Rob Phinisee, and how does that look moving forward…
WOODSON: Don't know right now. He has to be evaluated probably sometime tomorrow, and somehow we've got to get Khristian ready because he is not able to play either. That's why he didn't play tonight, so we've got to get one of them back. I don't know when, but my theme has been all season it's the next man up. We've just got to mix and match based on who we got in uniform. It's kind of how I look at it.
Q. On Xavier Johnson and his composure…
WOODSON: I just think the game is starting to slow down a little bit for him. Big Ten is a little bit different than the league he came out. Not that that league is not good. They've got great players and coaches and teams in that league, but the Big Ten forces you to really think about what you are doing. Especially at the point guard spot. I think X is starting to slow down and see things ahead of him, and he is making guys a little bit better around him, which is kind of nice to see because I've always thought point guards, that's their job and what they are supposed to do, so he is starting to get a little bit better in that area.
Q. When asked about Khristian Lander…
WOODSON: It's strictly physical that's holding him back. He would have played tonight if I could have stuck him in there after Rob went down, but he can't play.
Q. How have you seen Xavier lead the team…
WOODSON: Well, it's still a work in progress, man, but he has gotten better. His last three ball games have been pretty positive and productive. I just need him to continue to grow, man, because we're going to need him as we this journey in the Big Ten.
Q. What changed in the second half when it comes to guarding the three…
WOODSON: I wasn't real happy about it. I don't think that they did anything differently from an offensive standpoint. They were still trying to execute just like they did the first half. I just thought the first half we were locked in. We had three to four times we had miscues on switches, and they made us pay for them. Again, you've got to stay with the game plan all the way through for 40. That's what you got to commit yourselves to for 40 minutes. I thought we played 20 good minutes tonight.
Q. How have you seen this team grow in the last couple of games…
WOODSON: Well, again, the road is what it is. We're playing Maryland on the road. They're playing a lot better. I just thought yesterday's practice was a gut check practice. It was a practice that we really kind of went at it a little bit and worked on some things that I thought we needed to work on preparing for this game, and now Penn State is behind us, and we've got to get ready for Maryland, which, like I said, they're playing great, man, and you're going to have to commit for 40. We'll put a game plan together, and we've got to commit ourselves for 40 minutes to go down there and get a win. It's not going to be easy, but we're capable of winning on the road. We proved that in Nebraska.
Q. What has changed in terms of shooting from the 3-point line…
WOODSON: Well, again, I thought the ball movement was great the first half. When Trayce was doubled and Race got doubled some, the ball was moving, and the defense really couldn't catch up, so we got good looks that way. We got some early in transition where we got stops and the ball came up, and we was able to get what we call quick strikes for threes. Hey, I've never told us not to shoot threes. We've bot to shoot them when you're open, and I thought Parker and Miller and X, everybody who shot them, they were in tune and knocked them down, and we're going to need them to continue to do that because we need the three ball. Ain't no doubt about that. We can't go 4 for 17 like we did against Michigan.
Q. When Rob actually got hurt in the first half, what did you see on that play…
WOODSON: I didn't see the play. I just saw him when he came up limping. He wasn't really moving, so I figured he had done something. Again, I don't know. I've got to go back in there and see what's going on. I'm sure he will be evaluated tomorrow.
RACE THOMPSON | INDIANA FORWARD & XAVIER JOHNSON | INDIANA GUARD
Q. Talk about the energy from the starters tonight…
THOMPSON: We have to bring every single game as starters. That's the main thing. We just talked about it for the past two days of getting off to better starts because I think Coach said we were, like, minus 47 over the past four games or something, or however many games, so I think we just talked about that as a unit, and we came out, we responded. That was good for us.
Q. Woodson said he challenged you. Did you take it personally? Was it about energy? Was it about tactics?
THOMPSON: Yeah, I think we took it personally. I think it really was just about energy, just calming down a little bit, playing with more energy, but at the same time being composed and really keying in on what they're doing. Again, it just starts for us on defense. If we can get some stops, we're feeling good about ourselves, and then our offense will come.
Q. Xavier, discuss your role tonight…
JOHNSON: My game is to get downhill first. Coach told me to get downhill, make plays, and that's what I did tonight, and I made the correct read. Going into Maryland, I do have a lot of family down there. It's only 45 minutes from being home. I know it's going to be a good environment overall. I'm still going to play with my team and go and win the game on the road, another one.
Q. How much is that defensive intensity that you showed early…
JOHNSON: That's a big part of who we are as Indiana. When we first came in, our number one thing was defense. That's the first thing we worked on, and that's what got us to this point in the season of winning as many games.
Q. Race, how has Xavier helped you guys this season…
THOMPSON: He is getting everybody involved and getting himself involved when he needs to. He really helps set the pace of the game, and then again, it starts for him on defense. I know if I see X playing defense and he is getting a steal, I know he is going down to finish or dish to somebody. Really, he is just getting everybody involved, making everybody feel good. I think he really helps our team. I think he will continue to do that.
Q. What has been this calming influence for you all of a sudden…
JOHNSON: Like I said, I know my level of play wasn't as good at first. I just knew I was in a slump, and I knew I was going to come out of it, and I was going to keep playing and keep getting better. I know when my dad came up here, my family came up here, I needed that because I haven't seen them for a long time, and my teammates always pick me up. We're just going to keep getting better, and I'm going to keep playing with my teammates and keep believing in them because I know they believe in me.
MICAH SHREWSBERRY | PENN STATE HEAD COACH
Opening Statement:
SHREWSBERRY: Hats off to those guys. They played great. They were a hungry team. They were a gritty team. They were a tougher team and that's what you saw to start the game. That's what you saw to end the game. All credit goes to them in terms of how they played, what they did. They were ready to go from the start, and they dominated from start to finish.
Q. On what he saw at the start of the game…
SHREWSBERRY: We didn't have the same presence defensively. They make shots. People are going to make shots at home, but they are making shots, uncontested. They were getting whatever they wanted offensively. We weren't in their area code. We impact the ball a little bit, maybe the shots are tougher, and we make them take tough shots, but what they did was too easy. But credit to them. They've got good players, and these are guys that just lost a game. They've got a lot of pride. They've got a lot of older guys that have kind of been in this situation before, and they responded the right way, and that's what you're supposed to do. I thought they were great.
Q. On the slow start offensively…
SHREWSBERRY: Their defense was more aggressive. You've got to be able to run through. If guys are holding you, you've got to run through it. They let us off ball screens. They pressured us. We couldn't get off ball screens. Our guards weren't very good setting them up and coming off them. We need to be a tougher team then the next time. But like I said, credit to them. They were great. They've been playing like this at home except for the last game. They had one blip where they didn't play like this at home. But this is what they do. They really shut people down. Their defense has been fantastic. Trace (Jackson Davis) and Race (Thompson) are dominant at the rim which allows those guards to get up and pressure you a lot more. And that's what they did. That's what they did to us. Totally took us out of what we wanted to do. And then once it got going like that, we were aa little bit shell shocked and that's what happens.
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