Indiana University Athletics
#IUBB Media Availability – March 16
3/16/2023 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Below are full transcripts of the press conferences with Indiana head coach Mike Woodson, senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, sixth-year senior Race Thompson, and fifth-year senior Miller Kopp on Thursday, March 16, 2023 in Albany, N.Y.
MIKE WOODSON | HEAD COACH
Q. On Trayce Jackson-Davis coming back…
WOODSON: All I can say to you, it's been everything to our program. Had he left, to me, it would have been just like starting all over again, being a first-time coach. For him to make the commitment to come back, it really set the stage for where we are today because he didn't have to do that. He could have left and went and did his own thing.
But it put us in a better position from a program standpoint, and he and I have been able to develop this relationship and help each other. Yes, it hasn't been pretty all the time, but that's a part of coaching.
I would be stupid to sit here and say that I don't want the best for my players because I don't think there's a coach in the world that doesn't want the best for his players. I only coach one way, and it's hard for me to change. I push players to play at a high level. That's important to me.
In doing that, you learn how to be a better basketball player. I have a track record for that. So I thought last season was a great season for him, and this season he's kind of knocked it out of the park because we've rode him all the way to this point.
Q. On taking care of the ball…
WOODSON: Well, every night that we play, even when we step on the practice floor, I'm always stressing take care of the basketball. The key to winning and beating any team, you have to defend and rebound the ball, and you can't turn it over. If you do those three things, you're going to put yourself in position to win. I don't care who you play.
Kent State is a great team. They're well coached. They've had a great season up until this point, just like we have. I don't want to go home, and I'm sure his coach is saying the same thing, he doesn't want to go home. I want to extend this season as long as we can for Trayce Jackson-Davis and the surrounding pieces because I think that they deserve that.
So, in order to get that done, we've got to commit for 40 minutes when we step out on that floor tomorrow night and see what happens.
Q. On preparing for one-and-done type games…
WOODSON: It's like do or die. You can't get around it. And it's the little things. I put on the board every game, "simple plays win basketball games", and they do. You can't over complicate things. You can't change who you are.
We've won a lot of games with our defense this year, and when we've added some good offense with our defense, we've really, really been good. So tomorrow night, it's not going to change. We're playing a damn good basketball team, and we've got to come ready and committed, you know what I mean? Because you win, you go on, you lose, you go home, and have to deal with it over the summer and think about all the things you probably should have done to extend your season.
I'm not ready to go home, and I hope the players feel the same way.
Q. On the demands of building a program like Indiana…
WOODSON: Again, this is not my first go-around. I built a couple of teams -- the Hawks, the Knicks -- and it's no different here. Yes, expectations are high, and I knew that coming in. Hell, I played here. They should be high, and it's okay.
I'm not a coach that's ever run from a challenge. Yeah, there are always naysayers around you, but if I listen to that, man, I can't do my job.
Indiana is a big-time program. It's been that way for years. I'm just trying to get them back on top, man. That's all I care about. It's not about Mike Woodson. It's about the players that I coach and this program. That's what means more to me than anything.
I don't know how long I'm going to do this, but while I'm doing it, I've got to try to put my best foot forward to make sure that we can get back on top.
Q. On defending Sincere Carry…
WOODSON: Again, it's Carry, it's Jacobs, it's Thomas. They've got weapons all over the court. We've just got to be solid in what we do. Carry is kind of the guy that drives this team, and he does a lot of good things offensively in terms of getting the ball where it's got to go, and he can score the basketball.
I don't think you go into this game saying, hey, you're just going to stop Carry -- I mean, they've got some pieces that everybody's got to be aware of, key matchups all over the floor that we've got to commit for 40 minutes to defend. And then we've got to make them play us.
Q. On getting a third and fourth option going offensively…
WOODSON: It's very important. I think, as we continue this journey tomorrow, and Bates and Miller Kopp and Gallo and Geronimo, the guys that play, Malik, they've got to give us more. This tournament over the years has been driven by teams that three and four scorers, two or three guys that can make the long ball consistently.
We've been good at times in those areas because when Tamar Bates and Gallo and Geronimo and Malik are playing well and scoring the ball, it's a deadly combination with our defense, and we've been damn good when we've been doing that.
So that's how we've got to think going into this tournament. Everybody's got to do their part. That's how you advance. Only time will tell.
Q. ON NIL changing the coaching game…
WOODSON: Again, we didn't have this when I was in school. So, for me, me being new at this, there's a lot of moving pieces that I'm still trying to figure out as a coach.
But the NIL is what it is. It's very challenging. I don't deal with the NIL. We have outside people that run our NIL. And I like to think we're sitting at the top when it comes to the NIL. Based on our support from our Indiana base, which is pretty damn good.
So by me saying we're sitting at the top, it puts a lot of athletes in a good position when making a decision to come to Indiana University to play basketball or football or whatever sport it may be.
But that's not what's driving me. These players understand how I feel about the NIL. You're going to come play for Mike Woodson, you're going to have to come to school and get an education and play basketball, and NIL takes care of itself.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On the mindset of the team…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I think the biggest thing for us is just preparation. We've had a lot of time to prepare, and you've just got to take it one game at a time. Obviously, it's a win or go home, so we've just got to play as hard as we can each and every game.
It starts with Kent State, and that's all we're worried about right now.
Q. On balancing personal accomplishments with team goals…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I really don't think about it that much honestly. I always just think about being there for my teammates, just taking it all in, and just taking it one game at a time.
Right now, we have to focus on Kent State, and if we lose, yes, it is our last game. So that's all we've got to focus on. We can't focus on anything else past that. They're a great team, and we're ready to get to work.
Q. On expectations from the Kent State defense…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I expect it all honestly. I think that just depends on where I catch the ball at. They do heavy digs a lot. They might double from the weak side, but I feel like my passing has gotten so good that they really just can't come out and just double me and send a guy up because I see it coming, I already know where the ball's going to go.
So, I just think that they'll mix it up, try to do different things, and hopefully they'll try to find something that works for them. I'm going to do the same thing. I'm going to try to be aggressive and attack whenever I can. So that's basically what I think.
Q. On the difference between the last two tournament experiences…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Absolutely. I think last year was just kind of just a cluster. It was like very, very rushed, as in a sense we were in the Big Ten Tournament and then we just had to get on the road, drive to Dayton, play a game the next day, then fly out that night at 4:00 a.m., get there at 9:00 a.m., do what we're doing right now, then play a game.
It was just kind of everything was so on top of each other. We didn't even get a chance to enjoy what being in this tournament and what it's truly about. So, I think just getting here four days early, having preparation, having rest, I think it's huge for us and our team. I think it will help us for this game.
Q. On the pressure of playing for a team like Indiana…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I wouldn't necessarily think of it as a pressure, but I do take great pride in what I've accomplished here and what I've been able to do and just the growth of this program in the last four years from where I started as a freshman to where I am now.
I think I can speak for the two next to me as well. It's been a long time coming and a long time to get to this moment, but just being here, making the tournament for the second straight time, second time in four or five years, we've accomplished a lot. But our story is not finished yet, so we've just got to take it game by game, and it starts with Kent State.
Like we said, they're a great team, and it's going to be a battle Friday.
RACE THOMPSON | SIXTH-YEAR SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On bracketologists picking Kent State to win…
THOMPSON: It doesn't really matter. We've still got to go out there and play the game. People make brackets for fun, so it's all fun. But we're going out there to win the game. That's the goal at the end of the day.
It doesn't matter whether people pick us or not. We think we can win any game.
Q. On Sincere Carry…
THOMPSON: I think he's a very good player. Their team goes as he goes a little bit. We know that. We know he's an aggressive guard and he can get down and score from all three levels, like Miller said earlier.
I think that one of our best attributes is playing team defense, and if we can get our team defense clicking, I think we'll be in a good spot.
Q. On the pressure of playing for a team like Indiana…
THOMPSON: I would say just pretty much the same thing. We take pride in it. I wouldn't say there's pressure. I mean, we love playing basketball, and it's what we love to do. So, we go out there, we just try to give it all we've got. This year's been on our side. So, I think we just take great pride in it.
MILLER KOPP | FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On bracketologists picking Kent State to win…
KOPP: Like Race said, everybody makes a bracket and picks whatever team they think is going to win, whatever it is. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. All that goes out the window when the ball goes up to start the game.
So, for us, it's about handling what we can control and going from there.
Q. On challenges will Kent State will present…
KOPP: Kent State is obviously a really good team. They're obviously in the tournament for a reason. They've got some guards that are really good off the bounce and can dribble and score, and our threat, kind of three levels.
Defensively they're good as well. They junk it up. They run around. They trap. A lot of it seems a little chaotic at times, but it looks like they have a sense of how they're rotating and stuff.
They're a good overall team, but at the end of the day, it's about our principles, and if we stick to our principles, we think we're going to be in a good spot.
Q. On problems guard-oriented teams have caused this season…
KOPP: I think one of our best attributes as a team and staff is learning from our losses, taking them as lessons, and applying them all to now, I think is the biggest thing.
We've played and put ourselves in a position right now to be in this spot, and so we're going to take every lesson, every loss, and use it now and hopefully use it as a culminated type of deal to where that other stuff doesn't hurt us like it did before.
Q. On the difference between the last two tournament experiences…
KOPP: Obviously we're in a different spot physically and mentally. We've had some time off from the Big Ten Tournament. It hasn't been such a quick turnaround. Mentally also, there wasn't the question marks of if we would get in at all, so that's kind of given us a boost of energy in terms of our preparation too. So, it's definitely a better spot to be in.
Q. On limiting the turnovers…
KOPP: They're just super active. They fly around. They usually switch one through four. So, in the half-court, I think that's when they're at their best defensively when all five guys are kind of connected and moving on a string and flying around.
So, they create a lot of turnovers because they come and attack the ball and are kind of unrelenting in terms of how they trap and rotate and defend.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
MIKE WOODSON | HEAD COACH
Q. On Trayce Jackson-Davis coming back…
WOODSON: All I can say to you, it's been everything to our program. Had he left, to me, it would have been just like starting all over again, being a first-time coach. For him to make the commitment to come back, it really set the stage for where we are today because he didn't have to do that. He could have left and went and did his own thing.
But it put us in a better position from a program standpoint, and he and I have been able to develop this relationship and help each other. Yes, it hasn't been pretty all the time, but that's a part of coaching.
I would be stupid to sit here and say that I don't want the best for my players because I don't think there's a coach in the world that doesn't want the best for his players. I only coach one way, and it's hard for me to change. I push players to play at a high level. That's important to me.
In doing that, you learn how to be a better basketball player. I have a track record for that. So I thought last season was a great season for him, and this season he's kind of knocked it out of the park because we've rode him all the way to this point.
Q. On taking care of the ball…
WOODSON: Well, every night that we play, even when we step on the practice floor, I'm always stressing take care of the basketball. The key to winning and beating any team, you have to defend and rebound the ball, and you can't turn it over. If you do those three things, you're going to put yourself in position to win. I don't care who you play.
Kent State is a great team. They're well coached. They've had a great season up until this point, just like we have. I don't want to go home, and I'm sure his coach is saying the same thing, he doesn't want to go home. I want to extend this season as long as we can for Trayce Jackson-Davis and the surrounding pieces because I think that they deserve that.
So, in order to get that done, we've got to commit for 40 minutes when we step out on that floor tomorrow night and see what happens.
Q. On preparing for one-and-done type games…
WOODSON: It's like do or die. You can't get around it. And it's the little things. I put on the board every game, "simple plays win basketball games", and they do. You can't over complicate things. You can't change who you are.
We've won a lot of games with our defense this year, and when we've added some good offense with our defense, we've really, really been good. So tomorrow night, it's not going to change. We're playing a damn good basketball team, and we've got to come ready and committed, you know what I mean? Because you win, you go on, you lose, you go home, and have to deal with it over the summer and think about all the things you probably should have done to extend your season.
I'm not ready to go home, and I hope the players feel the same way.
Q. On the demands of building a program like Indiana…
WOODSON: Again, this is not my first go-around. I built a couple of teams -- the Hawks, the Knicks -- and it's no different here. Yes, expectations are high, and I knew that coming in. Hell, I played here. They should be high, and it's okay.
I'm not a coach that's ever run from a challenge. Yeah, there are always naysayers around you, but if I listen to that, man, I can't do my job.
Indiana is a big-time program. It's been that way for years. I'm just trying to get them back on top, man. That's all I care about. It's not about Mike Woodson. It's about the players that I coach and this program. That's what means more to me than anything.
I don't know how long I'm going to do this, but while I'm doing it, I've got to try to put my best foot forward to make sure that we can get back on top.
Q. On defending Sincere Carry…
WOODSON: Again, it's Carry, it's Jacobs, it's Thomas. They've got weapons all over the court. We've just got to be solid in what we do. Carry is kind of the guy that drives this team, and he does a lot of good things offensively in terms of getting the ball where it's got to go, and he can score the basketball.
I don't think you go into this game saying, hey, you're just going to stop Carry -- I mean, they've got some pieces that everybody's got to be aware of, key matchups all over the floor that we've got to commit for 40 minutes to defend. And then we've got to make them play us.
Q. On getting a third and fourth option going offensively…
WOODSON: It's very important. I think, as we continue this journey tomorrow, and Bates and Miller Kopp and Gallo and Geronimo, the guys that play, Malik, they've got to give us more. This tournament over the years has been driven by teams that three and four scorers, two or three guys that can make the long ball consistently.
We've been good at times in those areas because when Tamar Bates and Gallo and Geronimo and Malik are playing well and scoring the ball, it's a deadly combination with our defense, and we've been damn good when we've been doing that.
So that's how we've got to think going into this tournament. Everybody's got to do their part. That's how you advance. Only time will tell.
Q. ON NIL changing the coaching game…
WOODSON: Again, we didn't have this when I was in school. So, for me, me being new at this, there's a lot of moving pieces that I'm still trying to figure out as a coach.
But the NIL is what it is. It's very challenging. I don't deal with the NIL. We have outside people that run our NIL. And I like to think we're sitting at the top when it comes to the NIL. Based on our support from our Indiana base, which is pretty damn good.
So by me saying we're sitting at the top, it puts a lot of athletes in a good position when making a decision to come to Indiana University to play basketball or football or whatever sport it may be.
But that's not what's driving me. These players understand how I feel about the NIL. You're going to come play for Mike Woodson, you're going to have to come to school and get an education and play basketball, and NIL takes care of itself.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On the mindset of the team…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I think the biggest thing for us is just preparation. We've had a lot of time to prepare, and you've just got to take it one game at a time. Obviously, it's a win or go home, so we've just got to play as hard as we can each and every game.
It starts with Kent State, and that's all we're worried about right now.
Q. On balancing personal accomplishments with team goals…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I really don't think about it that much honestly. I always just think about being there for my teammates, just taking it all in, and just taking it one game at a time.
Right now, we have to focus on Kent State, and if we lose, yes, it is our last game. So that's all we've got to focus on. We can't focus on anything else past that. They're a great team, and we're ready to get to work.
Q. On expectations from the Kent State defense…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I expect it all honestly. I think that just depends on where I catch the ball at. They do heavy digs a lot. They might double from the weak side, but I feel like my passing has gotten so good that they really just can't come out and just double me and send a guy up because I see it coming, I already know where the ball's going to go.
So, I just think that they'll mix it up, try to do different things, and hopefully they'll try to find something that works for them. I'm going to do the same thing. I'm going to try to be aggressive and attack whenever I can. So that's basically what I think.
Q. On the difference between the last two tournament experiences…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Absolutely. I think last year was just kind of just a cluster. It was like very, very rushed, as in a sense we were in the Big Ten Tournament and then we just had to get on the road, drive to Dayton, play a game the next day, then fly out that night at 4:00 a.m., get there at 9:00 a.m., do what we're doing right now, then play a game.
It was just kind of everything was so on top of each other. We didn't even get a chance to enjoy what being in this tournament and what it's truly about. So, I think just getting here four days early, having preparation, having rest, I think it's huge for us and our team. I think it will help us for this game.
Q. On the pressure of playing for a team like Indiana…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I wouldn't necessarily think of it as a pressure, but I do take great pride in what I've accomplished here and what I've been able to do and just the growth of this program in the last four years from where I started as a freshman to where I am now.
I think I can speak for the two next to me as well. It's been a long time coming and a long time to get to this moment, but just being here, making the tournament for the second straight time, second time in four or five years, we've accomplished a lot. But our story is not finished yet, so we've just got to take it game by game, and it starts with Kent State.
Like we said, they're a great team, and it's going to be a battle Friday.
RACE THOMPSON | SIXTH-YEAR SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On bracketologists picking Kent State to win…
THOMPSON: It doesn't really matter. We've still got to go out there and play the game. People make brackets for fun, so it's all fun. But we're going out there to win the game. That's the goal at the end of the day.
It doesn't matter whether people pick us or not. We think we can win any game.
Q. On Sincere Carry…
THOMPSON: I think he's a very good player. Their team goes as he goes a little bit. We know that. We know he's an aggressive guard and he can get down and score from all three levels, like Miller said earlier.
I think that one of our best attributes is playing team defense, and if we can get our team defense clicking, I think we'll be in a good spot.
Q. On the pressure of playing for a team like Indiana…
THOMPSON: I would say just pretty much the same thing. We take pride in it. I wouldn't say there's pressure. I mean, we love playing basketball, and it's what we love to do. So, we go out there, we just try to give it all we've got. This year's been on our side. So, I think we just take great pride in it.
MILLER KOPP | FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On bracketologists picking Kent State to win…
KOPP: Like Race said, everybody makes a bracket and picks whatever team they think is going to win, whatever it is. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. All that goes out the window when the ball goes up to start the game.
So, for us, it's about handling what we can control and going from there.
Q. On challenges will Kent State will present…
KOPP: Kent State is obviously a really good team. They're obviously in the tournament for a reason. They've got some guards that are really good off the bounce and can dribble and score, and our threat, kind of three levels.
Defensively they're good as well. They junk it up. They run around. They trap. A lot of it seems a little chaotic at times, but it looks like they have a sense of how they're rotating and stuff.
They're a good overall team, but at the end of the day, it's about our principles, and if we stick to our principles, we think we're going to be in a good spot.
Q. On problems guard-oriented teams have caused this season…
KOPP: I think one of our best attributes as a team and staff is learning from our losses, taking them as lessons, and applying them all to now, I think is the biggest thing.
We've played and put ourselves in a position right now to be in this spot, and so we're going to take every lesson, every loss, and use it now and hopefully use it as a culminated type of deal to where that other stuff doesn't hurt us like it did before.
Q. On the difference between the last two tournament experiences…
KOPP: Obviously we're in a different spot physically and mentally. We've had some time off from the Big Ten Tournament. It hasn't been such a quick turnaround. Mentally also, there wasn't the question marks of if we would get in at all, so that's kind of given us a boost of energy in terms of our preparation too. So, it's definitely a better spot to be in.
Q. On limiting the turnovers…
KOPP: They're just super active. They fly around. They usually switch one through four. So, in the half-court, I think that's when they're at their best defensively when all five guys are kind of connected and moving on a string and flying around.
So, they create a lot of turnovers because they come and attack the ball and are kind of unrelenting in terms of how they trap and rotate and defend.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballFB: Lee Beebe Jr. - Spring Practice No. 3
Wednesday, April 01
FB: Carter Smith - Spring Practice No. 3
Wednesday, April 01
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference (3/26/26)
Thursday, March 26
Indiana Football: The Standard Episode 1 - Back to Square One
Tuesday, March 24