Indiana University Athletics
Tuesday, March 15
Dayton, Ohio
9:10 PM
Indiana University
vs
Wyoming
Bringing the Light – IU Set for NCAA Tourney Challenge
3/15/2022 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
DAYTON, Ohio – It's here at last, this NCAA tourney opportunity, this moment that Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson so badly wanted.
Now that Indiana is back in the tournament after a six-year absence, now that these Hoosier veterans and all their teammates get their first March Madness shot, emotion flows.
"When I was a little kid," Jackson-Davis says, "I always dreamed of playing in the championship game and hitting free throws for the win."
For the record, the team wasn't Indiana, but that misses the point.
"It's always been a dream playing in the tournament," he says. "And finally getting that opportunity is really cool.
"After we got selected, I was relieved because I was really anxious leading up to it, especially going through it. Not seeing our name until the final bracket was nerve racking.
"But finally having that pressure off your shoulders and you're finally playing for something, playing for a national title, is really cool."
Yes, Jackson-Davis says "national title." IU (20-13) isn't at Dayton as part of the First Four for a one-and-done experience. Six victories will deliver a national championship, starting Tuesday night against Wyoming (25-8).
"My whole life I've watched the NCAA Tournament," Thompson says. "I dreamed of playing in for a national championship."
This dream has a strong Mike Woodson influence. The Hoosiers' head coach returned last spring to the program in which he became a 2,000-point All-America to restore its title-winning ways.
A title wasn't won, but a foundation was set, Jackson-Davis says.
"Coach Woodson has brought a light. I feel like Indiana basketball has been in the darkness for so long now, a five-year drought. No tournament. Not even competing.
"Just him coming in and in his first year, doing the things that he's done like beating Purdue, which had beat us (nine) straight times. Beating Michigan (which had beaten IU nine straight times).
"And then making the tournament. It's huge not only for him, but for the state and for everyone that roots for us.
"He's given this program hope. I can't wait to see what happens in the future."
Thompson shares that optimism.
"The program has been in the dark for a while," he says. "Coming in, that was one of (Woodson's) main messages, that's what we're going to do. We're not going to set our goals any shorter than the Big Ten championship and the national championship. That's what we'll set out to do every year.
"We fell short of the Big Ten championship, but we made the NCAA Tournament. We have a chance to play for the national championship. He brings that light to Indiana basketball."
The light comes with a grueling scheduling challenge. Indiana, a No. 12 seed in the East Regional, played three straight days in the Big Ten tourney, ending with Saturday's 80-77 semifinal loss to eventual champ Iowa.
Now IU faces a Wyoming team making its first NCAA tourney appearance since 2015. A victory would send the Hoosiers to Portland, Ore., to play No. 5 Saint Mary's (25-7) on Thursday night. Another victory would mean a Saturday game with, barring an upset, No. 4 seed UCLA (25-7), the Pac-12 runner-up.
The Bruins, by the way, reach the Final Four last season after starting in the First Four.
Johnson finds motivation in the draw, as he has in so many things to fuel his late-season rise to, what Wyoming coach Jeff Linder calls, "One of the best guards in the country."
"Once I saw our name called," Johnson says, "I think a lot of people saw my reaction. I was happy that we made, it but I was disappointed where we fell at. But I'm happy to be playing and ready to compete."
Indiana and Wyoming were the last teams to make the field. In Johnson's view, somebody will pay.
"It is going to make us play with a chip on our shoulders," he says. "I'm not disappointed we didn't make it -- we made it. We came ready to play. And with (Jackson-Davis and Thompson), we're going to get the team ready to play as well.
"It didn't put a chip on just my shoulder; it put one on the whole team's shoulders."
Fatigue won't slow the Hoosiers, Jackson-Davis says. They have trained under strength coach Clif Marshall for this.
"I don't think fatigue is big when you're trying to win a championship."
Adds Woodson: "We haven't grinded as much based on all the games that has come at us. But I still always get conditioning in. Our conditioning is fun, and it's with the basketball. That's every day."
IU faces a Wyoming team that finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference.
The Cowboys are led by Ike Graham, a 6-9, 252-pound forward who averages 19.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. Hunter Maldonado, a 6-7 guard, averages 18.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. Drake Jeffries, a 6-5 guard, averages 10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds.
As far as Graham, Jackson-Davis says, "He's a great player, a lefty. He likes to back down, go to the basket.
"They also have a point guard (Maldonado) who's 6-7 and he likes to back down, as well.
"We've got to be locked in on defense, take away the stuff they want to do and just communicate with each other.
"I think we have the best defense in the Big Ten, and one of the best in the country. We're just going to have to show it."
The 6-3 Johnson might match up with Maldonado.
"He's a good player, playing in the Midwest, averaging 18 points, six assists," Johnson says. "That's big-time.
"But I don't think he's played against the type of guard that's actually going to pressure him a lot up the floor. I'm ready to compete against him."
Adds Woodson: "They're a very well-coached team. A big team. They start 6-7, 6-6 and 6-7 at guard. That should tell you a lot.
"Hunter is as good as they come at point guard. They've got a big presence inside with Ike.
"They're well-balanced. You don't win 25 games not being well-balanced. We've got to commit for 40 minutes."
Speaking of commitments, Jackson-Davis committed to Woodson and IU to return for a third college season to experience moments like this.
"Even just what happened in the Big Ten Tournament solidified me about coming back and how it was such a great decision. Just the joy that brought me, doing that with my teammates and experiencing that was huge.
"But, again, you can't get too high, because we still have a lot of work to do. We're ready to go."
Woodson certainly is. This is his first NCAA Tournament as a coach, although he played in it as a Hoosier 42 years ago.
"The play is so intense. And that's how it should be. It's like NBA playoff. The play just goes to a different level."
IUHoosiers.com
DAYTON, Ohio – It's here at last, this NCAA tourney opportunity, this moment that Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson so badly wanted.
Now that Indiana is back in the tournament after a six-year absence, now that these Hoosier veterans and all their teammates get their first March Madness shot, emotion flows.
"When I was a little kid," Jackson-Davis says, "I always dreamed of playing in the championship game and hitting free throws for the win."
For the record, the team wasn't Indiana, but that misses the point.
"It's always been a dream playing in the tournament," he says. "And finally getting that opportunity is really cool.
"After we got selected, I was relieved because I was really anxious leading up to it, especially going through it. Not seeing our name until the final bracket was nerve racking.
"But finally having that pressure off your shoulders and you're finally playing for something, playing for a national title, is really cool."
Yes, Jackson-Davis says "national title." IU (20-13) isn't at Dayton as part of the First Four for a one-and-done experience. Six victories will deliver a national championship, starting Tuesday night against Wyoming (25-8).
"My whole life I've watched the NCAA Tournament," Thompson says. "I dreamed of playing in for a national championship."
This dream has a strong Mike Woodson influence. The Hoosiers' head coach returned last spring to the program in which he became a 2,000-point All-America to restore its title-winning ways.
A title wasn't won, but a foundation was set, Jackson-Davis says.
"Coach Woodson has brought a light. I feel like Indiana basketball has been in the darkness for so long now, a five-year drought. No tournament. Not even competing.
"Just him coming in and in his first year, doing the things that he's done like beating Purdue, which had beat us (nine) straight times. Beating Michigan (which had beaten IU nine straight times).
"And then making the tournament. It's huge not only for him, but for the state and for everyone that roots for us.
"He's given this program hope. I can't wait to see what happens in the future."
Thompson shares that optimism.
"The program has been in the dark for a while," he says. "Coming in, that was one of (Woodson's) main messages, that's what we're going to do. We're not going to set our goals any shorter than the Big Ten championship and the national championship. That's what we'll set out to do every year.
"We fell short of the Big Ten championship, but we made the NCAA Tournament. We have a chance to play for the national championship. He brings that light to Indiana basketball."
The light comes with a grueling scheduling challenge. Indiana, a No. 12 seed in the East Regional, played three straight days in the Big Ten tourney, ending with Saturday's 80-77 semifinal loss to eventual champ Iowa.
Now IU faces a Wyoming team making its first NCAA tourney appearance since 2015. A victory would send the Hoosiers to Portland, Ore., to play No. 5 Saint Mary's (25-7) on Thursday night. Another victory would mean a Saturday game with, barring an upset, No. 4 seed UCLA (25-7), the Pac-12 runner-up.
The Bruins, by the way, reach the Final Four last season after starting in the First Four.
Johnson finds motivation in the draw, as he has in so many things to fuel his late-season rise to, what Wyoming coach Jeff Linder calls, "One of the best guards in the country."
"Once I saw our name called," Johnson says, "I think a lot of people saw my reaction. I was happy that we made, it but I was disappointed where we fell at. But I'm happy to be playing and ready to compete."
Indiana and Wyoming were the last teams to make the field. In Johnson's view, somebody will pay.
"It is going to make us play with a chip on our shoulders," he says. "I'm not disappointed we didn't make it -- we made it. We came ready to play. And with (Jackson-Davis and Thompson), we're going to get the team ready to play as well.
"It didn't put a chip on just my shoulder; it put one on the whole team's shoulders."
Fatigue won't slow the Hoosiers, Jackson-Davis says. They have trained under strength coach Clif Marshall for this.
"I don't think fatigue is big when you're trying to win a championship."
Adds Woodson: "We haven't grinded as much based on all the games that has come at us. But I still always get conditioning in. Our conditioning is fun, and it's with the basketball. That's every day."
IU faces a Wyoming team that finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference.
The Cowboys are led by Ike Graham, a 6-9, 252-pound forward who averages 19.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. Hunter Maldonado, a 6-7 guard, averages 18.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. Drake Jeffries, a 6-5 guard, averages 10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds.
As far as Graham, Jackson-Davis says, "He's a great player, a lefty. He likes to back down, go to the basket.
"They also have a point guard (Maldonado) who's 6-7 and he likes to back down, as well.
"We've got to be locked in on defense, take away the stuff they want to do and just communicate with each other.
"I think we have the best defense in the Big Ten, and one of the best in the country. We're just going to have to show it."
The 6-3 Johnson might match up with Maldonado.
"He's a good player, playing in the Midwest, averaging 18 points, six assists," Johnson says. "That's big-time.
"But I don't think he's played against the type of guard that's actually going to pressure him a lot up the floor. I'm ready to compete against him."
Adds Woodson: "They're a very well-coached team. A big team. They start 6-7, 6-6 and 6-7 at guard. That should tell you a lot.
"Hunter is as good as they come at point guard. They've got a big presence inside with Ike.
"They're well-balanced. You don't win 25 games not being well-balanced. We've got to commit for 40 minutes."
Speaking of commitments, Jackson-Davis committed to Woodson and IU to return for a third college season to experience moments like this.
"Even just what happened in the Big Ten Tournament solidified me about coming back and how it was such a great decision. Just the joy that brought me, doing that with my teammates and experiencing that was huge.
"But, again, you can't get too high, because we still have a lot of work to do. We're ready to go."
Woodson certainly is. This is his first NCAA Tournament as a coach, although he played in it as a Hoosier 42 years ago.
"The play is so intense. And that's how it should be. It's like NBA playoff. The play just goes to a different level."
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