Indiana University Athletics
Keep It Simple – IU Focused on Beating Kent State
3/17/2023 7:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- NCAA tourney upsets have started -- can you say No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 4 Virginia? -- and the Indiana Hoosiers stay focused.
Some pick No. 13-seed Kent State (28-6) to upset No. 4 IU (22-11) in Friday night's Midwest Regional opener and the Hoosiers stay focused.
"It doesn't really matter," senior forward Race Thompson says. "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.
"It doesn't matter whether people pick us or not. We think we can win any game."
Senior forward Miller Kopp has the same thoughts.
"Like Race said, everybody makes a bracket and picks whatever team they think is going to win. 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.
"For us, it's about handling what we can control and going from there."
IU seeks control against a Kent State team that has won 10 of its last 11 games behind pressure defense.
"Kent State is a really good team," Kopp said. "They're in the tournament for a reason. They've got some guards that are really good off the bounce who can dribble and score.
"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.
"At the end of the day, it's about our principles. If we stick to our principles, we think we're going to be in a good spot."
That spot means handling the one-and-done pressure.
"It's like do or die," coach Mike Woodson says. "You can't get around it.
"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."
While IU has one of the nation's best players in All-America forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, one of the nation's best freshmen in guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and plenty of supporting talent, defense remains its biggest weapon.
"We've won a lot of games with our defense," Woodson says. "When we've added some good offense with our defense, we've really, really been good. That's not going to change.
"We're playing a good basketball team. We've got to come ready and committed. 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 should have done to extend your season.
"I'm not ready to go home. I hope the players feel the same way."
Woodson wants more contributions from Kopp, Tamar Bates, Trey Galloway, Malik Reneau and Jordan Geronimo.
"They've got to give us more," he says. "This tournament over the years has been driven by teams that have three and four scorers, and two or three guys that can make the long ball consistently.
"We've been good at times in those areas because when Tamar, Gallo, Geronimo and Malik are playing well and scoring, it's a deadly combination with our defense. We've been a darn good when we've been doing that.
"Everybody's got to do his part. That's how you advance."
Kent State is led by senior guards Sincere Carry (17.6 points, 165 assists) and Malique Jacobs (13.0 points, 5.2 rebounds). Jacobs was the Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year. Carry made the MAC all-defensive team.
"They've got weapons all over the court," Woodson says. "We've got to be solid.
"Carry drives this team. He does a lot of good things offensively in terms of getting the ball where it needs to go, and he can score."
The Golden Flashes have five players with at least 24 three-pointers. Their attack defense has produced 303 steals and forced 544 turnovers.
"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," Woodson says. "And then we've got to make them play us."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- NCAA tourney upsets have started -- can you say No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 4 Virginia? -- and the Indiana Hoosiers stay focused.
Some pick No. 13-seed Kent State (28-6) to upset No. 4 IU (22-11) in Friday night's Midwest Regional opener and the Hoosiers stay focused.
"It doesn't really matter," senior forward Race Thompson says. "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.
"It doesn't matter whether people pick us or not. We think we can win any game."
Senior forward Miller Kopp has the same thoughts.
"Like Race said, everybody makes a bracket and picks whatever team they think is going to win. 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.
"For us, it's about handling what we can control and going from there."
IU seeks control against a Kent State team that has won 10 of its last 11 games behind pressure defense.
"Kent State is a really good team," Kopp said. "They're in the tournament for a reason. They've got some guards that are really good off the bounce who can dribble and score.
"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.
"At the end of the day, it's about our principles. If we stick to our principles, we think we're going to be in a good spot."
That spot means handling the one-and-done pressure.
"It's like do or die," coach Mike Woodson says. "You can't get around it.
"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."
While IU has one of the nation's best players in All-America forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, one of the nation's best freshmen in guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and plenty of supporting talent, defense remains its biggest weapon.
"We've won a lot of games with our defense," Woodson says. "When we've added some good offense with our defense, we've really, really been good. That's not going to change.
"We're playing a good basketball team. We've got to come ready and committed. 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 should have done to extend your season.
"I'm not ready to go home. I hope the players feel the same way."
Woodson wants more contributions from Kopp, Tamar Bates, Trey Galloway, Malik Reneau and Jordan Geronimo.
"They've got to give us more," he says. "This tournament over the years has been driven by teams that have three and four scorers, and two or three guys that can make the long ball consistently.
"We've been good at times in those areas because when Tamar, Gallo, Geronimo and Malik are playing well and scoring, it's a deadly combination with our defense. We've been a darn good when we've been doing that.
"Everybody's got to do his part. That's how you advance."
Kent State is led by senior guards Sincere Carry (17.6 points, 165 assists) and Malique Jacobs (13.0 points, 5.2 rebounds). Jacobs was the Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year. Carry made the MAC all-defensive team.
"They've got weapons all over the court," Woodson says. "We've got to be solid.
"Carry drives this team. He does a lot of good things offensively in terms of getting the ball where it needs to go, and he can score."
The Golden Flashes have five players with at least 24 three-pointers. Their attack defense has produced 303 steals and forced 544 turnovers.
"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," Woodson says. "And then we've got to make them play us."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballThursday, August 13
Thursday, August 13
Wednesday, August 12
Wednesday, August 12