Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. Florida Gulf Coast
11/7/2023 9:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Florida Gulf Coast
Nov. 7, 2023
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. On Gabe Cupps' impact…
WOODSON: He's a winner. That's the first time I've had an opportunity to play he and X (Xavier Johnson) some extended minutes. Especially in crunch time you don't expect that, but I felt comfortable enough with Gabe in the game. I've seen him enough plays.
He's capable of hanging in there and making basketball plays. I thought he was tremendous on both ends.
Q. On breaking down that game…
WOODSON: Again, I mean, the things I look at is from a defensive standpoint, we held them to 63 points, and that's kind of in the ballpark where we want to be from a defensive standpoint.
It was all the missed cues on the backside of our defense that we just weren't executing. I got to get that fixed and clean it up.
We were pretty good the last two years in that regard. And, you know, free throws. I mean, we just got to step up to the line and make them.
I mean, that's the difference in winning and losing games a lot of nights. We weren't very good tonight shooting them.
Q. On Malik Reneau staying out of foul trouble…
WOODSON: That's where Payton, becomes valuable to us as well. Not having him gives you another center, another big body that you can play.
But Malik has to be smarter. I think he's a lot better than he was last season. Hell, he came in the game and he looked at somebody and get a foul.
So in that regard they're letting him play a little bit this year. He's just got to be smart, especially coming down the stretch, not getting silly fouls.
Q. On the second half timeout that led to a 14-0 run…
WOODSON: I had no choice but to call a timeout. They had gone on a nice little run, and I drew up a play, we came out of the timeout, got a bucket, and then our defense just -- you know, we got a double team on the side of the floor over by their bench, which was a big steal and converted that into a bucket as well.
But make no mistake, it was our defense coming down the stretch that got us back. The fans got into it and that was very helpful getting us on a roll. That was enough just to bring it home for us.
Q. On running the three-guard set down the stretch…
WOODSON: Again, they were small, too, you know. I mean, I was basically looking at it from a defensive standpoint, and it's always good. I feel good with all three of those guys handling the basketball. If we run a pick and role offense they all three are capable of making plays out of the pick and roll.
You got to give them credit. Their defense was I thought solid as hell. Their rotations were right on and they stymied the ball in our pick and rolls to the point we couldn't get it out quick enough to that pass leading to something good.
And that's something we just got to get better at.
Q. On getting more from CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks and Mackenzie Mgbako…
WOODSON: Well, we're a lot better, but my concern is CJ and Kaleb and Mackenzie. All three of those guys are capable of scoring too, so when they're in the game I got to get them comfortable number one, and they got to figure out what the hell we're doing from a defensive standpoint. A lot of that was missed cues on their part.
I got a lot of work to do, put it that way.
Q. On Xavier and Trey stepping up when it counted…
WOODSON: Well, X and Trey are seniors; they're supposed to step up. You know, the freshman, he's a freshman, but didn't play like a freshman. He's capable of making plays. I mean, I followed this kid for some time now. That's why he's wearing an Indiana uniform. He's a winner. He's not going to get it right all the time, but he does a lot of winning plays that help you win games.
That excites me.
Q. On defensive rotation issues…
WOODSON: Reps, reps, over and over reps. You know, that's the only way you are going to learn it and then demonstrate it once you get to the games.
Then once you figure it out, it becomes natural. Right now we're guessing, thinking too much. That's on me.
Q. On what Kel'el Ware showed tonight…
WOODSON: Well, he played a lot of minutes tonight, but he plugged the hole up for us and got a few blocks, rebounded the ball for us. I don't need him to do much more. Just continue to do that. When he's around the bucket I expect him to finish and make his damn free throws. That's what it's all about.
TREY GALLOWAY | INDIANA GUARD & KEL'EL WARE | INDIANA CENTER
Q. On Trey's thoughts on the three-guard lineup…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I think it was a good job down the stretch of finding ways to get stops. It's got to be the whole game. No matter what lineup it is, we got to do a better job on the defensive end and know our coverages and what we need to do on the backside.
So, I think just whatever lineup it is, finding ways to be better and get better. Obviously they made a lot of threes and we got to be able to limit that more.
Q. On what Gabe Cupps offered in crunch time…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I thought he did a great job coming in, stepping up in a big time moment. I think he was really good at talking and kind of just staying poised.
So good to see that, and know we can rely on him and trust him in crunch time. I think just him staying ready and being ready off the bench was good.
Q. On Kel'el's fast start…
WARE: Every night it's just going to be a night that not even just me, but the whole team just come out and play hard and just going to have to try our best to win the game and show the fans what this team is capable of.
Q. On staying involved in the game in different ways…
WARE: Well, it's a 40-minute game, so no matter what it is, if I can just get a block at one point or even just get a rebound and run at the end and get a fast break, it's like I said a 40-minute game, so we can just score throughout the whole game.
On what this game showed about the team…
GALLOWAY: I mean, obviously we wanted to be up more because we're capable of that. But I liked our fight when we got down six late in the second half, because you could easily break there and kind of fall apart.
We made that run and got back in it with our intensity and defensive energy and our stance. So, I think just knowing that we got guys willing to fight when things aren't going well, I like to see that.
Obviously, we got to be better and not put ourselves in that position, but to be able to climb out of that and come out with a win was huge for us.
Q. On breaking down on rotations…
WARE: I feel like it's just miscommunication. Once we get the communication down I feel like we'll be well, even just when, you know, off the ball and getting back to our minutes.
Q. On the veterans stepping up when needed…
GALLOWAY: It's huge. Like you said, we have the time and time spent here the longest and we know what it takes to win at the highest level.
I think just pulling guys along and knowing that it's not going to be easy like it was tonight. That's the big thing for us really, just focus on the task at hand, one possession at a time, and try to fight for the win.
Q. On the team's struggle guarding the perimeter…
GALLOWAY: I think just missed communication and knowing our spots, knowing where we need to be. They made a lot of shots, but a lot of the those we could have affected more. I think just going back and watching film and knowing what they need to do next time to prevent that from happening.
I think just going back and watching it and really getting a look at it. I can't really tell right now, but a lot of missed communication and not being in our spots at the right time. We'll work on it and get better.
Q. On Malik's foul trouble…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, our biggest thing is we want him on the floor. I think in the off-season telling him we need you on the floor and you can't foul. Obviously last year he had a lot of times where he got in foul trouble and a lot of the dumb fouls.
So, him being disciplined and not gambling, because he had that one, got him the third foul. So, I think just knowing we need him out there and to not gamble will be huge for him to stay on the floor because we need him.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
PAT CHAMBERS | FLORIDA GULF COAST HEAD COACH
OPENING STATEMENT: That stretch just got us. We go up six, they came out and really turned up the pressure. We knew they would do that. We tried to practice that, but with the environment and how loud it got in there, what a great opportunity for growth for us it was to get better in this situation. I thought our guys competed as hard as they could, and I'm grateful for their effort. We will watch the film and we will get better from this. That's what I'm excited for. I can't wait to get my hands on this film. Watch it, study it, and see the little things that we need to do to flip this 'L' to a 'W'. Probably took too many threes for my liking, but that's the way coach Woodson's defense is. They really protect the paint. I was hopeful for more paint touches, but our fives were in foul trouble. 34 threes is just too many. I'm grateful that we were able to play here in Assembly Hall, it was great to be back. I really enjoyed every minute of it, and I know our guys did too. This will prepare us for conference play and that's the goal here.
On how he expected Indiana to come out and play...
CHAMBERS: I expected it to be a one-possession game with two teams fighting and clawing for the lead. Run after run, a chance to tie, it was mayhem, it was chaos, and I expected chaos.
On what Indiana did to allow them to shoot from the perimeter...
CHAMBERS: Well Xavier Johnson is one of the better on-ball defenders. It's great to see him back. I recruited him many, many years ago. He's a pest on defense, and so is (Gabe) Cupps. They did a great job of speeding up our guards. Once they're out that far, we need to do a better job of getting in the paint and taking advantage of that. Now, you've got the big fella Ware (Kel'el) waiting for you. I give coach Woodson credit; his defense is really sound and solid.
Indiana vs. Florida Gulf Coast
Nov. 7, 2023
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. On Gabe Cupps' impact…
WOODSON: He's a winner. That's the first time I've had an opportunity to play he and X (Xavier Johnson) some extended minutes. Especially in crunch time you don't expect that, but I felt comfortable enough with Gabe in the game. I've seen him enough plays.
He's capable of hanging in there and making basketball plays. I thought he was tremendous on both ends.
Q. On breaking down that game…
WOODSON: Again, I mean, the things I look at is from a defensive standpoint, we held them to 63 points, and that's kind of in the ballpark where we want to be from a defensive standpoint.
It was all the missed cues on the backside of our defense that we just weren't executing. I got to get that fixed and clean it up.
We were pretty good the last two years in that regard. And, you know, free throws. I mean, we just got to step up to the line and make them.
I mean, that's the difference in winning and losing games a lot of nights. We weren't very good tonight shooting them.
Q. On Malik Reneau staying out of foul trouble…
WOODSON: That's where Payton, becomes valuable to us as well. Not having him gives you another center, another big body that you can play.
But Malik has to be smarter. I think he's a lot better than he was last season. Hell, he came in the game and he looked at somebody and get a foul.
So in that regard they're letting him play a little bit this year. He's just got to be smart, especially coming down the stretch, not getting silly fouls.
Q. On the second half timeout that led to a 14-0 run…
WOODSON: I had no choice but to call a timeout. They had gone on a nice little run, and I drew up a play, we came out of the timeout, got a bucket, and then our defense just -- you know, we got a double team on the side of the floor over by their bench, which was a big steal and converted that into a bucket as well.
But make no mistake, it was our defense coming down the stretch that got us back. The fans got into it and that was very helpful getting us on a roll. That was enough just to bring it home for us.
Q. On running the three-guard set down the stretch…
WOODSON: Again, they were small, too, you know. I mean, I was basically looking at it from a defensive standpoint, and it's always good. I feel good with all three of those guys handling the basketball. If we run a pick and role offense they all three are capable of making plays out of the pick and roll.
You got to give them credit. Their defense was I thought solid as hell. Their rotations were right on and they stymied the ball in our pick and rolls to the point we couldn't get it out quick enough to that pass leading to something good.
And that's something we just got to get better at.
Q. On getting more from CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks and Mackenzie Mgbako…
WOODSON: Well, we're a lot better, but my concern is CJ and Kaleb and Mackenzie. All three of those guys are capable of scoring too, so when they're in the game I got to get them comfortable number one, and they got to figure out what the hell we're doing from a defensive standpoint. A lot of that was missed cues on their part.
I got a lot of work to do, put it that way.
Q. On Xavier and Trey stepping up when it counted…
WOODSON: Well, X and Trey are seniors; they're supposed to step up. You know, the freshman, he's a freshman, but didn't play like a freshman. He's capable of making plays. I mean, I followed this kid for some time now. That's why he's wearing an Indiana uniform. He's a winner. He's not going to get it right all the time, but he does a lot of winning plays that help you win games.
That excites me.
Q. On defensive rotation issues…
WOODSON: Reps, reps, over and over reps. You know, that's the only way you are going to learn it and then demonstrate it once you get to the games.
Then once you figure it out, it becomes natural. Right now we're guessing, thinking too much. That's on me.
Q. On what Kel'el Ware showed tonight…
WOODSON: Well, he played a lot of minutes tonight, but he plugged the hole up for us and got a few blocks, rebounded the ball for us. I don't need him to do much more. Just continue to do that. When he's around the bucket I expect him to finish and make his damn free throws. That's what it's all about.
TREY GALLOWAY | INDIANA GUARD & KEL'EL WARE | INDIANA CENTER
Q. On Trey's thoughts on the three-guard lineup…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I think it was a good job down the stretch of finding ways to get stops. It's got to be the whole game. No matter what lineup it is, we got to do a better job on the defensive end and know our coverages and what we need to do on the backside.
So, I think just whatever lineup it is, finding ways to be better and get better. Obviously they made a lot of threes and we got to be able to limit that more.
Q. On what Gabe Cupps offered in crunch time…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I thought he did a great job coming in, stepping up in a big time moment. I think he was really good at talking and kind of just staying poised.
So good to see that, and know we can rely on him and trust him in crunch time. I think just him staying ready and being ready off the bench was good.
Q. On Kel'el's fast start…
WARE: Every night it's just going to be a night that not even just me, but the whole team just come out and play hard and just going to have to try our best to win the game and show the fans what this team is capable of.
Q. On staying involved in the game in different ways…
WARE: Well, it's a 40-minute game, so no matter what it is, if I can just get a block at one point or even just get a rebound and run at the end and get a fast break, it's like I said a 40-minute game, so we can just score throughout the whole game.
On what this game showed about the team…
GALLOWAY: I mean, obviously we wanted to be up more because we're capable of that. But I liked our fight when we got down six late in the second half, because you could easily break there and kind of fall apart.
We made that run and got back in it with our intensity and defensive energy and our stance. So, I think just knowing that we got guys willing to fight when things aren't going well, I like to see that.
Obviously, we got to be better and not put ourselves in that position, but to be able to climb out of that and come out with a win was huge for us.
Q. On breaking down on rotations…
WARE: I feel like it's just miscommunication. Once we get the communication down I feel like we'll be well, even just when, you know, off the ball and getting back to our minutes.
Q. On the veterans stepping up when needed…
GALLOWAY: It's huge. Like you said, we have the time and time spent here the longest and we know what it takes to win at the highest level.
I think just pulling guys along and knowing that it's not going to be easy like it was tonight. That's the big thing for us really, just focus on the task at hand, one possession at a time, and try to fight for the win.
Q. On the team's struggle guarding the perimeter…
GALLOWAY: I think just missed communication and knowing our spots, knowing where we need to be. They made a lot of shots, but a lot of the those we could have affected more. I think just going back and watching film and knowing what they need to do next time to prevent that from happening.
I think just going back and watching it and really getting a look at it. I can't really tell right now, but a lot of missed communication and not being in our spots at the right time. We'll work on it and get better.
Q. On Malik's foul trouble…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, our biggest thing is we want him on the floor. I think in the off-season telling him we need you on the floor and you can't foul. Obviously last year he had a lot of times where he got in foul trouble and a lot of the dumb fouls.
So, him being disciplined and not gambling, because he had that one, got him the third foul. So, I think just knowing we need him out there and to not gamble will be huge for him to stay on the floor because we need him.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
PAT CHAMBERS | FLORIDA GULF COAST HEAD COACH
OPENING STATEMENT: That stretch just got us. We go up six, they came out and really turned up the pressure. We knew they would do that. We tried to practice that, but with the environment and how loud it got in there, what a great opportunity for growth for us it was to get better in this situation. I thought our guys competed as hard as they could, and I'm grateful for their effort. We will watch the film and we will get better from this. That's what I'm excited for. I can't wait to get my hands on this film. Watch it, study it, and see the little things that we need to do to flip this 'L' to a 'W'. Probably took too many threes for my liking, but that's the way coach Woodson's defense is. They really protect the paint. I was hopeful for more paint touches, but our fives were in foul trouble. 34 threes is just too many. I'm grateful that we were able to play here in Assembly Hall, it was great to be back. I really enjoyed every minute of it, and I know our guys did too. This will prepare us for conference play and that's the goal here.
On how he expected Indiana to come out and play...
CHAMBERS: I expected it to be a one-possession game with two teams fighting and clawing for the lead. Run after run, a chance to tie, it was mayhem, it was chaos, and I expected chaos.
On what Indiana did to allow them to shoot from the perimeter...
CHAMBERS: Well Xavier Johnson is one of the better on-ball defenders. It's great to see him back. I recruited him many, many years ago. He's a pest on defense, and so is (Gabe) Cupps. They did a great job of speeding up our guards. Once they're out that far, we need to do a better job of getting in the paint and taking advantage of that. Now, you've got the big fella Ware (Kel'el) waiting for you. I give coach Woodson credit; his defense is really sound and solid.
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