Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. #24/23 Iowa
3/12/2022 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. #24/23 Iowa (Big Ten Tournament)
March 12, 2022
MIKE WOODSON: Tough loss, gentlemen. I mean, you've got to give Iowa credit, they kept banging away. And we had some miscues coming down the stretch defensively I think that cost us, but I'm so thrilled and happy with our ball club and the way we compete. Again, we've been in this position so much this season that, you know, these sting a little bit, but we'll get over this and get ready for tournament play if we are selected to play in the tournament.
Q. On the team's play…
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Well, like they said in the locker room, I don't think anyone wants to see us right now. I think we've proven not only to the Big Ten but to the country that we're also a team, a top team that can compete with anyone. So took the last-second three to beat us to the hottest team in the Big Ten right now and it stings, but at the same time I feel like we've got a lot of ball left.
Q. On the close games…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yes, all in all, we played our basket and we executed well, we listened to Coach's plan and we finally got over the hump. After that first game against Michigan, I think that's when we started to believe. I think when we got down to Iowa late, I still think that out team believed that we were going to win and then obviously they hit a tough shot and it happens. That's just basketball.
Q. On getting Jackson-Davis going…
XAVIER JOHNSON: We kept feeding and feeding. We made the right play feeding the ball out and we were able to knock down shots. Some shots we didn't knock down but we've got to go back to the lab and just keep working because if we get selected for tournament we got to be ready to knock them down.
Q. On the late 3-point shooting…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Just missed communications. Our defense relies heavy on talking and sometimes guys get confused and you've just got to talk it out. He got loose for a few and then Keegan got loose for a few and he was knocking shots down, so you've got to be aware where guys are.
Q. On the chemistry with Johnson…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Me and him just talked about it, we talked to Coach, trying to get more ball screen oriented. He's a great player, especially when he gets downhill, he's going to make the right reads. And playing with him, I love playing with him, that's my guy.
Q. On getting the program back…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It means a lot to me because I'm a Hoosier born and bred, and just coming back for my third year playing for this guy next to me, it's been an honor and a blessing. I'm just glad because we didn't have the year that wanted, but just showing people here at this tournament and just believing in what we're doing and how he's going to help us get to where we need to be. And I think this tournament has shown that we're still here and Indiana basketball is going to get back on top here soon.
Q. On importance of paint points…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, I liked it a lot. I thought they were going to send more doubles, but they didn't. I think they were worried about how well we were shooting the ball in this tournament. But as Coach says, if there's no one guarding you or there's one person guarding you, he thinks I'm the best player down low in the country and no one can stop me. I'm just using that confidence to our advantage. Obviously if they're going to double me, I know my teammates run enough shots down.
Q. On the flow of the offense…
JOHNSON: Just my coach giving me confidence. More ball screens with Trayce because I make good reads and finding my teammates because that's my main role for this team because we've got good shooters and it's proven.
Q. On the last shot…
JACKSON-DAVIS: So first off, I saw the shot clock and then I saw he was pretty well defended and he was almost like probably four, five feet away from half court, so I knew he was going to hoist one up. And then as the ball -- I saw -- I thought it was going to be long and then it banked in and sometimes that's what happens. It's March, so obviously March Madness, it's crazy, crazy time of year. But even the stadium and the electricity, just playing in that stadium was really cool. That last shot, the ball doesn't always bounce your way and obviously we're about one second away from going into overtime.
Q. On the close games…
WOODSON: Yeah, this team has made major strides this weekend. You know, again, we've been -- we're battled tested, we been in so many games and the games that we have come up short, it's been -- it's been tough, but our guys have always responded and we'll respond again after this one tonight. This stings a little bit because we played well enough to win the game. You know, what I kind of told our guys after the game was when you go up 10, you got to remember how you got the lead and not celebrate so soon. That's the whole part of trying to learn how to win, and we're still working in that, in that area.
Q. On Jackson-Davis' impact…
WOODSON: Well, it was huge. When I took the job, there were about seven, eight other players that didn't raise their hand that day to stay on board. So I had to do some damage control, start recruiting. I started at the top with our best player at the time, which was Trayce. After sitting down with him and watching film and he deciding to stay, that was the first big piece to the puzzle and we just started piecing around him.
Q. On the team's confidence…
WOODSON: Well, again, this team hadn't been in postseason play for a very long time, so these guys are excited about that, and they should be. I'm excited for them because they worked their butts off this year to put themselves in this position. But again, until the committee says Indiana's going to the tournament, we're still sitting here waiting to hear those words. But these guys are very excited about that if that possibly will happen.
Q. On defensive miscues…
WOODSON: Well, the biggest three was Bohannon making when he broke free at the top. He was wide open. It was Miller and X that just didn't communicate. They came together on the screen and both went to the guy that went low and left. Hell, one of the best shooters in the country wide open and he made us pay.
Q. On Keegan Murray…
WOODSON: He's the real deal. Indiana's going to love him. No, he's a load. I mean, there's just nothing he can't do with the basketball in his hand. He's a pretty good defender and he rebounds the ball in terms of his height and length, so I mean, I think the sky's the limit for him. I think he's going to be just fine and a good NBA team is going to really love him. He's played well.
Q. On the 3-point shooting…
WOODSON: That's kind of how we've been all year. Guys, we've had a lot of good looks from the perimeter. There were a lot of wide open looks tonight, we just didn't make them and that's a part of basketball. I mean, I got to keep positioning our guys. When Trayce is being double teamed, our guys have got to step up and make shots. I thought Iowa made shots when they had open looks and we struggled to make them tonight in that area.
Q. On Jackson-Davis…
WOODSON: Well, it's been huge. For him to come back home here in Indianapolis and play the way he's played, it's been great for not only him but for his teammates around him and the coaches and all that work with him. It's been great. I mean, when we going to need him to continue to play that way as we enter the tournament play if we're selected because, I mean, he's kind of been our horse all year in terms of playing inside-out basketball. It's been great. I think he's pretty pleased in terms of how he's played because he's played well.
Q. On Johnson's playmaking…
WOODSON: Well, I think he's comfortable now and maybe he wasn't too comfortable early on with me kind of in his ear a lot, but I was just trying to get him to play the right way and he's done that here the last eight to 10 games. He's really played his butt off. I'm so happy for him, man, because he's caught more from me than anybody on the team and we're benefiting from it, his teammates are benefiting from it. And we're playing the kind of basketball that I kind of envisioned playing and he's had a lot to do with it.
Q. On Keegan Murray's comp…
WOODSON: Oh, I don't really compare players. I think it wouldn't be fair to that young man. He has a pretty good all-around game himself already and I think the league, NBA guys kind of know that. I mean, he's kind of put himself out there this year in terms of players throughout the country. I mean, he's been consistent and solid all the way through their season. He's going to be a good NBA player, I know that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Indiana vs. #24/23 Iowa (Big Ten Tournament)
March 12, 2022
MIKE WOODSON: Tough loss, gentlemen. I mean, you've got to give Iowa credit, they kept banging away. And we had some miscues coming down the stretch defensively I think that cost us, but I'm so thrilled and happy with our ball club and the way we compete. Again, we've been in this position so much this season that, you know, these sting a little bit, but we'll get over this and get ready for tournament play if we are selected to play in the tournament.
Q. On the team's play…
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Well, like they said in the locker room, I don't think anyone wants to see us right now. I think we've proven not only to the Big Ten but to the country that we're also a team, a top team that can compete with anyone. So took the last-second three to beat us to the hottest team in the Big Ten right now and it stings, but at the same time I feel like we've got a lot of ball left.
Q. On the close games…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yes, all in all, we played our basket and we executed well, we listened to Coach's plan and we finally got over the hump. After that first game against Michigan, I think that's when we started to believe. I think when we got down to Iowa late, I still think that out team believed that we were going to win and then obviously they hit a tough shot and it happens. That's just basketball.
Q. On getting Jackson-Davis going…
XAVIER JOHNSON: We kept feeding and feeding. We made the right play feeding the ball out and we were able to knock down shots. Some shots we didn't knock down but we've got to go back to the lab and just keep working because if we get selected for tournament we got to be ready to knock them down.
Q. On the late 3-point shooting…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Just missed communications. Our defense relies heavy on talking and sometimes guys get confused and you've just got to talk it out. He got loose for a few and then Keegan got loose for a few and he was knocking shots down, so you've got to be aware where guys are.
Q. On the chemistry with Johnson…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Me and him just talked about it, we talked to Coach, trying to get more ball screen oriented. He's a great player, especially when he gets downhill, he's going to make the right reads. And playing with him, I love playing with him, that's my guy.
Q. On getting the program back…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It means a lot to me because I'm a Hoosier born and bred, and just coming back for my third year playing for this guy next to me, it's been an honor and a blessing. I'm just glad because we didn't have the year that wanted, but just showing people here at this tournament and just believing in what we're doing and how he's going to help us get to where we need to be. And I think this tournament has shown that we're still here and Indiana basketball is going to get back on top here soon.
Q. On importance of paint points…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, I liked it a lot. I thought they were going to send more doubles, but they didn't. I think they were worried about how well we were shooting the ball in this tournament. But as Coach says, if there's no one guarding you or there's one person guarding you, he thinks I'm the best player down low in the country and no one can stop me. I'm just using that confidence to our advantage. Obviously if they're going to double me, I know my teammates run enough shots down.
Q. On the flow of the offense…
JOHNSON: Just my coach giving me confidence. More ball screens with Trayce because I make good reads and finding my teammates because that's my main role for this team because we've got good shooters and it's proven.
Q. On the last shot…
JACKSON-DAVIS: So first off, I saw the shot clock and then I saw he was pretty well defended and he was almost like probably four, five feet away from half court, so I knew he was going to hoist one up. And then as the ball -- I saw -- I thought it was going to be long and then it banked in and sometimes that's what happens. It's March, so obviously March Madness, it's crazy, crazy time of year. But even the stadium and the electricity, just playing in that stadium was really cool. That last shot, the ball doesn't always bounce your way and obviously we're about one second away from going into overtime.
Q. On the close games…
WOODSON: Yeah, this team has made major strides this weekend. You know, again, we've been -- we're battled tested, we been in so many games and the games that we have come up short, it's been -- it's been tough, but our guys have always responded and we'll respond again after this one tonight. This stings a little bit because we played well enough to win the game. You know, what I kind of told our guys after the game was when you go up 10, you got to remember how you got the lead and not celebrate so soon. That's the whole part of trying to learn how to win, and we're still working in that, in that area.
Q. On Jackson-Davis' impact…
WOODSON: Well, it was huge. When I took the job, there were about seven, eight other players that didn't raise their hand that day to stay on board. So I had to do some damage control, start recruiting. I started at the top with our best player at the time, which was Trayce. After sitting down with him and watching film and he deciding to stay, that was the first big piece to the puzzle and we just started piecing around him.
Q. On the team's confidence…
WOODSON: Well, again, this team hadn't been in postseason play for a very long time, so these guys are excited about that, and they should be. I'm excited for them because they worked their butts off this year to put themselves in this position. But again, until the committee says Indiana's going to the tournament, we're still sitting here waiting to hear those words. But these guys are very excited about that if that possibly will happen.
Q. On defensive miscues…
WOODSON: Well, the biggest three was Bohannon making when he broke free at the top. He was wide open. It was Miller and X that just didn't communicate. They came together on the screen and both went to the guy that went low and left. Hell, one of the best shooters in the country wide open and he made us pay.
Q. On Keegan Murray…
WOODSON: He's the real deal. Indiana's going to love him. No, he's a load. I mean, there's just nothing he can't do with the basketball in his hand. He's a pretty good defender and he rebounds the ball in terms of his height and length, so I mean, I think the sky's the limit for him. I think he's going to be just fine and a good NBA team is going to really love him. He's played well.
Q. On the 3-point shooting…
WOODSON: That's kind of how we've been all year. Guys, we've had a lot of good looks from the perimeter. There were a lot of wide open looks tonight, we just didn't make them and that's a part of basketball. I mean, I got to keep positioning our guys. When Trayce is being double teamed, our guys have got to step up and make shots. I thought Iowa made shots when they had open looks and we struggled to make them tonight in that area.
Q. On Jackson-Davis…
WOODSON: Well, it's been huge. For him to come back home here in Indianapolis and play the way he's played, it's been great for not only him but for his teammates around him and the coaches and all that work with him. It's been great. I mean, when we going to need him to continue to play that way as we enter the tournament play if we're selected because, I mean, he's kind of been our horse all year in terms of playing inside-out basketball. It's been great. I think he's pretty pleased in terms of how he's played because he's played well.
Q. On Johnson's playmaking…
WOODSON: Well, I think he's comfortable now and maybe he wasn't too comfortable early on with me kind of in his ear a lot, but I was just trying to get him to play the right way and he's done that here the last eight to 10 games. He's really played his butt off. I'm so happy for him, man, because he's caught more from me than anybody on the team and we're benefiting from it, his teammates are benefiting from it. And we're playing the kind of basketball that I kind of envisioned playing and he's had a lot to do with it.
Q. On Keegan Murray's comp…
WOODSON: Oh, I don't really compare players. I think it wouldn't be fair to that young man. He has a pretty good all-around game himself already and I think the league, NBA guys kind of know that. I mean, he's kind of put himself out there this year in terms of players throughout the country. I mean, he's been consistent and solid all the way through their season. He's going to be a good NBA player, I know that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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