Indiana University Athletics
No Myth – Woodson Wants Hoosiers to Make Most of Opportunity
10/29/2022 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Today's lesson in basketball positioning comes courtesy of Mike Woodson.
Indiana's basketball coach contemplates Saturday's exhibition debut against Marian University -- an NAIA power out of Indianapolis coming off a 26-win season -- and of junior Jordan Geronimo playing the 3, which is another name for small forward.
Except in Woodson's perspective, there is no 3, just as there's no 1, 2, 4 or 5.
"I have basketball players," he says.
Woodson has some very good basketball players, which is why the Hoosiers project as a top-15 team and Big Ten title favorites. But understanding how he will use them means understanding his player approach.
Numbers, it seems, aren't part of it.
"That's a myth of having a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5," he says. "I've just got players. When you get minutes, make the most of them."
With a rotation that projects 13 deep -- anchored by All-America forward Trayce Jackson Daviss and veteran standouts Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson -- minutes must be maximized.
"If you want to call it the 4, 3, 2, whatever, I don't look at it in that regard," Woodson says. "I put five guys on the floor. Whatever spot you're in, you've got to make the most of it."
Woodson says he approaches this season as he always has:
"To win."
Then he reflects back to the final game of last season. He understands why last March's 82-53 NCAA tourney loss to St. Mary's was so lopsided. An exhausting seven-day combination of travel and play – three grueling Big Ten tourney games, then a trip to Dayton for a First-Four win over Wyoming and then a cross-country trip to Portland to face a rested St. Mary's team -- was physically, mentally and emotionally too much.
Still …
"The way we ended last season," he says, "it left a nasty taste in my mouth. I know our team was better. I'm not taking anything away from St. Mary's. They were great. They played an unbelievable game, but we didn't show up. I don't like that."
Woodson wants to coach better, get his team "over the hump" better. It starts against Marian. The goal is for it to end with an April Final Four trip to New Orleans.
"We've still got a lot of work to do," Woodson says. "That's how I look at it. That's my only approach when I start a season."
A month-plus of practice has left the Hoosiers banged up, especially Jackson-Davis and guard Tamar Bates. As a result, the lineup and rotation used Saturday might not resemble what Woodson will use for Thursday's final exhibition against Saint Francis or the Nov. 7 season opener against Morehead State.
"We've been going at each other," Woodson says, "and it's been a long run from the summer. Now it's time to see where we are against an opponent.
"I don't know how many minutes guys will play. I've got to get a rotation in play before we open. I'll be using these two (exhibitions) to look at different combinations and see where we are."
Much is expected from IU's talented freshman class of Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau, C.J. Gunn and Kaleb Banks. So far, Woodson says, they have impressed.
"I like the way they compete. That's been probably the most surprising thing.
"The quicker they can pick up things, the better off we're going to be, because I'm going to need them to play."
Not just play, but excel.
"With freshmen, you never know what you get," Woodson says. "They come in based on how they performed in high school, but this is another level.
"I'm constantly on them about being a sponge and trying to learn what we're teaching."
Practice shows progress. Woodson divides his team into units -- starting unit and reserve unit. Early on, the veterans got the best of the reserves in scrimmages. Since then, Woodson says, "It's been back and forth."
That's exactly what he hoped to see.
"I don't like it to be one way. If we've got a second unit, I want that second unit to have a chance and do what's expected of them to compete and win games against the first unit, and they've done that."
Beyond the freshmen, Bates, a promising sophomore guard, also has shown significant improvement.
"He's starting to figure it out," Woodson says. "That's nice to see because he had a lot of things going (on). He had a baby, and that's a major, major responsibility for an 18-, 19-year-old kid.
"He's figured that part of it out. He's comfortable in his own skin and where he is with that. He's come back with a different attitude.
"You see it in his body and where he's developed his body. He's benefitted from it. We've benefitted from it. He's playing better."
The exhibition goal, Woodson says, is to see what the players have absorbed from all the summer and fall work.
"We want to see if that can carry over to a game," Woodson says. "We want to see if they are able to execute."
After that, he adds, "We've just got to play the game and see how it plays out. I'm anxious to get to see where we are."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Today's lesson in basketball positioning comes courtesy of Mike Woodson.
Indiana's basketball coach contemplates Saturday's exhibition debut against Marian University -- an NAIA power out of Indianapolis coming off a 26-win season -- and of junior Jordan Geronimo playing the 3, which is another name for small forward.
Except in Woodson's perspective, there is no 3, just as there's no 1, 2, 4 or 5.
"I have basketball players," he says.
Woodson has some very good basketball players, which is why the Hoosiers project as a top-15 team and Big Ten title favorites. But understanding how he will use them means understanding his player approach.
Numbers, it seems, aren't part of it.
"That's a myth of having a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5," he says. "I've just got players. When you get minutes, make the most of them."
With a rotation that projects 13 deep -- anchored by All-America forward Trayce Jackson Daviss and veteran standouts Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson -- minutes must be maximized.
"If you want to call it the 4, 3, 2, whatever, I don't look at it in that regard," Woodson says. "I put five guys on the floor. Whatever spot you're in, you've got to make the most of it."
Woodson says he approaches this season as he always has:
"To win."
Then he reflects back to the final game of last season. He understands why last March's 82-53 NCAA tourney loss to St. Mary's was so lopsided. An exhausting seven-day combination of travel and play – three grueling Big Ten tourney games, then a trip to Dayton for a First-Four win over Wyoming and then a cross-country trip to Portland to face a rested St. Mary's team -- was physically, mentally and emotionally too much.
Still …
"The way we ended last season," he says, "it left a nasty taste in my mouth. I know our team was better. I'm not taking anything away from St. Mary's. They were great. They played an unbelievable game, but we didn't show up. I don't like that."
Woodson wants to coach better, get his team "over the hump" better. It starts against Marian. The goal is for it to end with an April Final Four trip to New Orleans.
"We've still got a lot of work to do," Woodson says. "That's how I look at it. That's my only approach when I start a season."
A month-plus of practice has left the Hoosiers banged up, especially Jackson-Davis and guard Tamar Bates. As a result, the lineup and rotation used Saturday might not resemble what Woodson will use for Thursday's final exhibition against Saint Francis or the Nov. 7 season opener against Morehead State.
"We've been going at each other," Woodson says, "and it's been a long run from the summer. Now it's time to see where we are against an opponent.
"I don't know how many minutes guys will play. I've got to get a rotation in play before we open. I'll be using these two (exhibitions) to look at different combinations and see where we are."
Much is expected from IU's talented freshman class of Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau, C.J. Gunn and Kaleb Banks. So far, Woodson says, they have impressed.
"I like the way they compete. That's been probably the most surprising thing.
"The quicker they can pick up things, the better off we're going to be, because I'm going to need them to play."
Not just play, but excel.
"With freshmen, you never know what you get," Woodson says. "They come in based on how they performed in high school, but this is another level.
"I'm constantly on them about being a sponge and trying to learn what we're teaching."
Practice shows progress. Woodson divides his team into units -- starting unit and reserve unit. Early on, the veterans got the best of the reserves in scrimmages. Since then, Woodson says, "It's been back and forth."
That's exactly what he hoped to see.
"I don't like it to be one way. If we've got a second unit, I want that second unit to have a chance and do what's expected of them to compete and win games against the first unit, and they've done that."
Beyond the freshmen, Bates, a promising sophomore guard, also has shown significant improvement.
"He's starting to figure it out," Woodson says. "That's nice to see because he had a lot of things going (on). He had a baby, and that's a major, major responsibility for an 18-, 19-year-old kid.
"He's figured that part of it out. He's comfortable in his own skin and where he is with that. He's come back with a different attitude.
"You see it in his body and where he's developed his body. He's benefitted from it. We've benefitted from it. He's playing better."
The exhibition goal, Woodson says, is to see what the players have absorbed from all the summer and fall work.
"We want to see if that can carry over to a game," Woodson says. "We want to see if they are able to execute."
After that, he adds, "We've just got to play the game and see how it plays out. I'm anxious to get to see where we are."
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Forward
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Guard
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Forward
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Forward
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