Indiana University Athletics
‘Hungry’ Hoosiers Embrace Lofty Basketball Expectations
9/26/2022 7:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This is why Trayce Jackson-Davis is a Hoosier. To play under lofty basketball team expectations. To feel the excitement that a new championship banner could be raised in Assembly Hall by the spring of 2023. To look at the national rankings and see a strong Cream 'n Crimson presence.
It took four years, but it's here now. IU projects as a top-15 program and Big Ten title favorite. The pieces seem in place for a long NCAA tourney run.
"Coming in here my freshman year and not having really any expectations, even my sophomore year, and then junior year just having a new team," the senior forward says. "Finally coming to this historic program and having an expectation to do something big I think is huge."
Huge is an understatement given the Hoosiers have been stuck on five national championships since 1987.
Let others doubt a sixth is on the way given IU hasn't won a Big Ten title or made a March Madness run since 2016, when it reached the NCAA tourney Sweet 16.
The Hoosiers see something special coming.
"We're going to carry that with a chip on our shoulder," Jackson-Davis says, "but I think our team is hungry, and we're ready to get out there and play."
This is exactly what coach Mike Woodson wants to hear.
"I've always felt as a coach, every season that I've gone in as a head coach, expectations are always high, no matter what. I think that's a good thing.
"We can't run from it. It's what it is."
Woodson puts the heat on himself. For the Hoosiers to play at a championship caliber, he has to coach better.
"I've gotta get better. I always put pressure on myself. Not the players. I have to be better at finishing games. There were games I left out there. The Iowa game (in the Big Ten tourney semifinals), we up nine (with five minutes left) and we can't close it out."
Ask Woodson how he defines success, and he makes it clear second isn't good enough.
"I came back to win Big Ten and national titles. That's all I want. I won't push the team in any other direction. If they are scared of that challenge, they shouldn't be here.
"We have to show we can win a Big Ten title. The only way to do that is to get better every day."
A strong non-conference schedule will give IU an early chance to flex national-title-potential muscle. Games against North Carolina, a preseason No. 1 choice, and top-20-ranked Kansas, Arizona and Xavier represent major challenges.
Woodson calls it "really stiff competition" to go along with the Big Ten, "which is stiff every year."
These Hoosiers seem built to handle it with the return of Jackson-Davis and his All-America game (career totals of 1,588 points, 797 rebounds and 178 blocks) along key veterans such as Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson combined with a top-10 recruiting class.
"Expectations are always going to be high," Woodson says. "When I came in here and took the job, expectations were high. This program is built that way, and it should be that way.
"It's what it is, man. I'm not going to run from it. I'm not going to let my players run from it.
"There's a lot of big things that has got to happen this year, and I'm going to coach them up and push them in that direction."
IU's top-15 status leaves Woodson reflecting on his senior season at IU. The Hoosiers were a top-ranked team before his back injury and inconsistent play ended those national title hopes, although they did manage a Big Ten championship.
"Rankings are a part of college basketball, and all sports in college," Woodson says. "You can't get from under that. Hell, my senior year we were ranked No. 1. It didn't work out that well for me. I mean, we didn't win the national title.
"Rankings are what they are. You've still got to play the game. That's what's important -- what happens between these two lines.
"It's my job to get this team to play at a level every night and put them in a position to win every time they step out on the floor. That's what it's all about to me."
Major IU keys are improved three-point and free throw shooting. Last season that often-negated dominant defense.
"That was a big problem last year," Woodson says. "I thought we got a lot of good looks. We were in the top 5 in college basketball in terms of open threes that we just didn't knock down."
Knock-down potential comes from veterans such as Johnson, Thompson, Miller Kopp, Tamar Bates, Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal, as well as freshmen C.J. Gunn and Jalen Hood-Schino.
"I'd like to think Miller having a taste of what Indiana basketball is all about now will be a lot better this season," says Woodson, a reference to Kopp transferring from Northwestern to IU in 2021. "I think he'll be a lot better this season. Xavier showed that he could make them.
"I think some of the freshmen that we're bringing in will be able to knock some of those down.
"Race picked it up from previous years, from being a guy who really wasn't allowed to shoot them. He made some for us last year."
Much has been made of Jackson-Davis' three-point-shooting reluctance. He's only taken three three-pointers in his IU career, and missed them all.
But if he's to reach his full potential, in his final Hoosier season, and all the seasons after that, he has to find some perimeter success.
"I won't stop him from doing it," Woodson says. "He'll be in position to shoot it. If he shoots it, fine.
"Everybody looks at this thing that he has to be a 3-pointer shooter. If he makes the 15-to-17-foot shot, that is just as effective. This summer, the work he has put in has to carry over to the games.
"One thing I will tell you, the coach is not telling him not to shoot."
Last season, Iowa led the Big Ten in three-point shooting (38.6%) and three-pointers taken (780) en route to the conference tourney championship. IU was 11th in 3-point shooting (32.4%) and last in three-pointers taken (488). It was 12th in free-throw shooting (66.5%).
Woodson expects better.
"I think we'll be okay in that regard this year. It's not like we're not working on threes. We shoot them every day. We shoot free throws every day. It's just when you get to a game situation, you've got to feel comfortable and ready to knock them down.
"That's my job, to relax them and get them in that position."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This is why Trayce Jackson-Davis is a Hoosier. To play under lofty basketball team expectations. To feel the excitement that a new championship banner could be raised in Assembly Hall by the spring of 2023. To look at the national rankings and see a strong Cream 'n Crimson presence.
It took four years, but it's here now. IU projects as a top-15 program and Big Ten title favorite. The pieces seem in place for a long NCAA tourney run.
"Coming in here my freshman year and not having really any expectations, even my sophomore year, and then junior year just having a new team," the senior forward says. "Finally coming to this historic program and having an expectation to do something big I think is huge."
Huge is an understatement given the Hoosiers have been stuck on five national championships since 1987.
Let others doubt a sixth is on the way given IU hasn't won a Big Ten title or made a March Madness run since 2016, when it reached the NCAA tourney Sweet 16.
The Hoosiers see something special coming.
"We're going to carry that with a chip on our shoulder," Jackson-Davis says, "but I think our team is hungry, and we're ready to get out there and play."
This is exactly what coach Mike Woodson wants to hear.
"I've always felt as a coach, every season that I've gone in as a head coach, expectations are always high, no matter what. I think that's a good thing.
"We can't run from it. It's what it is."
Woodson puts the heat on himself. For the Hoosiers to play at a championship caliber, he has to coach better.
"I've gotta get better. I always put pressure on myself. Not the players. I have to be better at finishing games. There were games I left out there. The Iowa game (in the Big Ten tourney semifinals), we up nine (with five minutes left) and we can't close it out."
Ask Woodson how he defines success, and he makes it clear second isn't good enough.
"I came back to win Big Ten and national titles. That's all I want. I won't push the team in any other direction. If they are scared of that challenge, they shouldn't be here.
"We have to show we can win a Big Ten title. The only way to do that is to get better every day."
A strong non-conference schedule will give IU an early chance to flex national-title-potential muscle. Games against North Carolina, a preseason No. 1 choice, and top-20-ranked Kansas, Arizona and Xavier represent major challenges.
Woodson calls it "really stiff competition" to go along with the Big Ten, "which is stiff every year."
These Hoosiers seem built to handle it with the return of Jackson-Davis and his All-America game (career totals of 1,588 points, 797 rebounds and 178 blocks) along key veterans such as Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson combined with a top-10 recruiting class.
"Expectations are always going to be high," Woodson says. "When I came in here and took the job, expectations were high. This program is built that way, and it should be that way.
"It's what it is, man. I'm not going to run from it. I'm not going to let my players run from it.
"There's a lot of big things that has got to happen this year, and I'm going to coach them up and push them in that direction."
IU's top-15 status leaves Woodson reflecting on his senior season at IU. The Hoosiers were a top-ranked team before his back injury and inconsistent play ended those national title hopes, although they did manage a Big Ten championship.
"Rankings are a part of college basketball, and all sports in college," Woodson says. "You can't get from under that. Hell, my senior year we were ranked No. 1. It didn't work out that well for me. I mean, we didn't win the national title.
"Rankings are what they are. You've still got to play the game. That's what's important -- what happens between these two lines.
"It's my job to get this team to play at a level every night and put them in a position to win every time they step out on the floor. That's what it's all about to me."
Major IU keys are improved three-point and free throw shooting. Last season that often-negated dominant defense.
"That was a big problem last year," Woodson says. "I thought we got a lot of good looks. We were in the top 5 in college basketball in terms of open threes that we just didn't knock down."
Knock-down potential comes from veterans such as Johnson, Thompson, Miller Kopp, Tamar Bates, Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal, as well as freshmen C.J. Gunn and Jalen Hood-Schino.
"I'd like to think Miller having a taste of what Indiana basketball is all about now will be a lot better this season," says Woodson, a reference to Kopp transferring from Northwestern to IU in 2021. "I think he'll be a lot better this season. Xavier showed that he could make them.
"I think some of the freshmen that we're bringing in will be able to knock some of those down.
"Race picked it up from previous years, from being a guy who really wasn't allowed to shoot them. He made some for us last year."
Much has been made of Jackson-Davis' three-point-shooting reluctance. He's only taken three three-pointers in his IU career, and missed them all.
But if he's to reach his full potential, in his final Hoosier season, and all the seasons after that, he has to find some perimeter success.
"I won't stop him from doing it," Woodson says. "He'll be in position to shoot it. If he shoots it, fine.
"Everybody looks at this thing that he has to be a 3-pointer shooter. If he makes the 15-to-17-foot shot, that is just as effective. This summer, the work he has put in has to carry over to the games.
"One thing I will tell you, the coach is not telling him not to shoot."
Last season, Iowa led the Big Ten in three-point shooting (38.6%) and three-pointers taken (780) en route to the conference tourney championship. IU was 11th in 3-point shooting (32.4%) and last in three-pointers taken (488). It was 12th in free-throw shooting (66.5%).
Woodson expects better.
"I think we'll be okay in that regard this year. It's not like we're not working on threes. We shoot them every day. We shoot free throws every day. It's just when you get to a game situation, you've got to feel comfortable and ready to knock them down.
"That's my job, to relax them and get them in that position."
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