Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. Kent State
3/18/2023 4:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Kent State (NCAA Tournament First Round)
March 17, 2023
MIKE WOODSON | HEAD COACH
OPENING STATEMENT: These three seniors up here were pretty damn good tonight. We played a tough team in Kent State. To hold that team to 60 points, our defense was pretty damn good, and these three guys had a lot to do with it.
Q. On the size of the Hoosiers…
WOODSON: We knew going in that we were a little bit bigger than Kent State. So, I thought the game plan offensively was to go inside. I mean, that's where we've been pretty good all season.
Race got off to such a great start. We were able to milk him some. And Trayce had his usual game.
I just thought it was a total team effort tonight against this team because this team could really score the basketball, and the defense set the tone, I thought.
Q. On Race Thompson…
WOODSON: Well, tonight should mean a great deal to him because last season you could have easily said he could have been our MVP based on how he played. Unfortunately, he's had some injuries this season that has kind of put him behind.
To see him come out tonight and play a game like he did is special. I mean, it could not have happened to a better person because he's a really good young man. So, I was happy for him, and we needed all of it.
Q. On preparing during March Madness…
WOODSON: I think our guys know. They watch. I watch games, but my focus is on who we're playing and my team, our team. That's where my focus is.
I mean, you can't worry about other teams. You've got to worry about what's in front of you, what you're facing. Kent State was the team that we were facing tonight, and that's where my focus was, how we were going to come out and perform.
Now we have Miami, who's a well-coached team, who's had a helluva season. We got them on Sunday. So, we've got to go back and start to work and prepare for them.
Q. On Trayce Jackson-Davis' ability to wreck a game on both ends…
WOODSON: Again, we're not trying to hide how we play. He's been the focal point of our offense, and he's kind of anchored our defense by rebounding and blocking shots for us.
You know, he missed -- his first two shots around the bucket were point blank that he just missed. Or he probably would have got off to a better start. I thought he hung in there, and he just kind of let the game come to him because they were basically trying to keep the ball out of his hands. And when he caught it, they came on the bounce.
Things just started to open up a little bit more once we opened the floor up and got out and got some easy buckets. And then he brought it home for us down the stretch because I thought he made about three or four plays down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
Q. On Coach Bob Knight's influence on the defensive system…
WOODSON: It's got a lot to do with it. He made it very clear when we played for him, and all the years that I've watched him coach, that defense wins championships. What better person to know that? He won three.
I've seen it done at the highest level in the NBA, when we were at the Pistons, when we won it that year. So, I know defense wins championships. I know if you commit yourself and you rebound the ball along with the defensive end, you'll put yourself in position to be in every game and have an opportunity to win.
We knew coming in tonight we had to defend this team because they could score the ball. I thought for the most part we were solid all the way through, and we're going to need that the rest of the way.
Q. On bringing Jalen Hood-Schifino back in with the fouls…
WOODSON: When I look at it like that, he had two, and I'm always thinking ahead. You know, it's a long game. You've still got another half. He picks up three, then you're kicking yourself. After we made the 6-0 run, I pulled him right before the half and got him ready for the second half.
But it is a judgment call. I threw him back in because we were struggling to get the ball moved, and I thought we had some empty possessions offensively that I thought maybe he could come back in and jump start us a little bit, which he did.
Again, from a coaching standpoint, you're kind of rolling the dice. It worked out for us.
RACE THOMPSON | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On his performance…
THOMPSON: Really, I'm just thankful for my teammates always keeping me locked in. I've been banged up a lot this season, and if I can't practice, they always tell me it's going to be all right, just stick with it.
I just give credit to my teammates and coaches for keeping me confident, keeping me locked in even when my body isn't feeling great.
Q. On the hot start…
THOMPSON: Starting out like that, it just kind of settles you in personally. You're feeling good about yourselves, and that carries over to both sides of the ball on defense. Again, I think it just gets our team going as well.
So, getting easy buckets like that kind of sparks our offense, sparks our defense. So, I think it's good to start like that.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On answering the mini run from Kent State…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Coach Woodson, he's always trying to put me in position to score. I finally got a little bit of a groove and had a big play, an energy play. Whenever that happens, my teammates try to get me the ball and they put me in great positions.
I knew Miller threw me a great pass, we got offensive rebounds and tips. I just try do whatever to help my team win because I know they feed off my energy. So, it was big, and then after that, I feel like everything was kind of smooth from there on out.
Q. On the defensive effort…
JACKSON-DAVIS: We had a great scouting report. I think we followed it beautifully. We kind of knew their tendencies and the plays they were going to run.
We were in the get out, and we challenged almost every three-pointer they shot. They hit some tough shots, and sometimes that's going to happen, especially March. But overall, I thought our defensiveness and our connectedness as a group was really good tonight.
Q. On a potential injury…
JACKSON-DAVIS: No, it was just a physical game. Kind of got a little hip pointer in the first two minutes of the game, but it's just something you've got to play with. It's not very much bothering me. I feel like I was fine out there.
Q. On getting out of Big Ten play…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Absolutely. Big Ten's a growing league, but at the same time, Kent State is a great basketball team, and they play really physical like a Big Ten team. So still credit to them because they're a great team. They won their conference tournament, so they're winners, they know how to win.
But at the end of the day, it was us against them, and someone's got to go home. We kind of shut them down, and that's what we had to do.
Q. On Race Thompson…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It's not only huge for me, but it's huge for our whole team because we've got so many weapons, and I think sometimes people forget that. But anyone can go off on any given night.
Especially when you get into this tournament, everyone's got to be clicking. Miller's hitting shots. Race was doing really, really well, hitting shots and doing everything. Our team, we're not selfish. We'll find guys and get whoever's hot the ball.
That's what happened tonight. We were all clicking, and we really fed off him at the beginning of the game.
MILLER KOPP | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On the madness of March…
KOPP: Our preparation stays the same. In every game -- like I said before, we've learned from our losses in the season and conference play. So those are enough to wake us up and keep us locked in.
Of course, we watch all the games. We're hoop junkies. So, we see all the games and upsets and stuff. But really, it's just about our preparation and doing the same stuff.
Q. On the headband…
KOPP: I just think of myself as a fashionable guy.
JACKSON-DAVIS: Really?
KOPP: No, I haven't worn one in five years of college, so I thought why not for the NCAA Tournament? That's it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Indiana vs. Kent State (NCAA Tournament First Round)
March 17, 2023
MIKE WOODSON | HEAD COACH
OPENING STATEMENT: These three seniors up here were pretty damn good tonight. We played a tough team in Kent State. To hold that team to 60 points, our defense was pretty damn good, and these three guys had a lot to do with it.
Q. On the size of the Hoosiers…
WOODSON: We knew going in that we were a little bit bigger than Kent State. So, I thought the game plan offensively was to go inside. I mean, that's where we've been pretty good all season.
Race got off to such a great start. We were able to milk him some. And Trayce had his usual game.
I just thought it was a total team effort tonight against this team because this team could really score the basketball, and the defense set the tone, I thought.
Q. On Race Thompson…
WOODSON: Well, tonight should mean a great deal to him because last season you could have easily said he could have been our MVP based on how he played. Unfortunately, he's had some injuries this season that has kind of put him behind.
To see him come out tonight and play a game like he did is special. I mean, it could not have happened to a better person because he's a really good young man. So, I was happy for him, and we needed all of it.
Q. On preparing during March Madness…
WOODSON: I think our guys know. They watch. I watch games, but my focus is on who we're playing and my team, our team. That's where my focus is.
I mean, you can't worry about other teams. You've got to worry about what's in front of you, what you're facing. Kent State was the team that we were facing tonight, and that's where my focus was, how we were going to come out and perform.
Now we have Miami, who's a well-coached team, who's had a helluva season. We got them on Sunday. So, we've got to go back and start to work and prepare for them.
Q. On Trayce Jackson-Davis' ability to wreck a game on both ends…
WOODSON: Again, we're not trying to hide how we play. He's been the focal point of our offense, and he's kind of anchored our defense by rebounding and blocking shots for us.
You know, he missed -- his first two shots around the bucket were point blank that he just missed. Or he probably would have got off to a better start. I thought he hung in there, and he just kind of let the game come to him because they were basically trying to keep the ball out of his hands. And when he caught it, they came on the bounce.
Things just started to open up a little bit more once we opened the floor up and got out and got some easy buckets. And then he brought it home for us down the stretch because I thought he made about three or four plays down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
Q. On Coach Bob Knight's influence on the defensive system…
WOODSON: It's got a lot to do with it. He made it very clear when we played for him, and all the years that I've watched him coach, that defense wins championships. What better person to know that? He won three.
I've seen it done at the highest level in the NBA, when we were at the Pistons, when we won it that year. So, I know defense wins championships. I know if you commit yourself and you rebound the ball along with the defensive end, you'll put yourself in position to be in every game and have an opportunity to win.
We knew coming in tonight we had to defend this team because they could score the ball. I thought for the most part we were solid all the way through, and we're going to need that the rest of the way.
Q. On bringing Jalen Hood-Schifino back in with the fouls…
WOODSON: When I look at it like that, he had two, and I'm always thinking ahead. You know, it's a long game. You've still got another half. He picks up three, then you're kicking yourself. After we made the 6-0 run, I pulled him right before the half and got him ready for the second half.
But it is a judgment call. I threw him back in because we were struggling to get the ball moved, and I thought we had some empty possessions offensively that I thought maybe he could come back in and jump start us a little bit, which he did.
Again, from a coaching standpoint, you're kind of rolling the dice. It worked out for us.
RACE THOMPSON | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On his performance…
THOMPSON: Really, I'm just thankful for my teammates always keeping me locked in. I've been banged up a lot this season, and if I can't practice, they always tell me it's going to be all right, just stick with it.
I just give credit to my teammates and coaches for keeping me confident, keeping me locked in even when my body isn't feeling great.
Q. On the hot start…
THOMPSON: Starting out like that, it just kind of settles you in personally. You're feeling good about yourselves, and that carries over to both sides of the ball on defense. Again, I think it just gets our team going as well.
So, getting easy buckets like that kind of sparks our offense, sparks our defense. So, I think it's good to start like that.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On answering the mini run from Kent State…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Coach Woodson, he's always trying to put me in position to score. I finally got a little bit of a groove and had a big play, an energy play. Whenever that happens, my teammates try to get me the ball and they put me in great positions.
I knew Miller threw me a great pass, we got offensive rebounds and tips. I just try do whatever to help my team win because I know they feed off my energy. So, it was big, and then after that, I feel like everything was kind of smooth from there on out.
Q. On the defensive effort…
JACKSON-DAVIS: We had a great scouting report. I think we followed it beautifully. We kind of knew their tendencies and the plays they were going to run.
We were in the get out, and we challenged almost every three-pointer they shot. They hit some tough shots, and sometimes that's going to happen, especially March. But overall, I thought our defensiveness and our connectedness as a group was really good tonight.
Q. On a potential injury…
JACKSON-DAVIS: No, it was just a physical game. Kind of got a little hip pointer in the first two minutes of the game, but it's just something you've got to play with. It's not very much bothering me. I feel like I was fine out there.
Q. On getting out of Big Ten play…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Absolutely. Big Ten's a growing league, but at the same time, Kent State is a great basketball team, and they play really physical like a Big Ten team. So still credit to them because they're a great team. They won their conference tournament, so they're winners, they know how to win.
But at the end of the day, it was us against them, and someone's got to go home. We kind of shut them down, and that's what we had to do.
Q. On Race Thompson…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It's not only huge for me, but it's huge for our whole team because we've got so many weapons, and I think sometimes people forget that. But anyone can go off on any given night.
Especially when you get into this tournament, everyone's got to be clicking. Miller's hitting shots. Race was doing really, really well, hitting shots and doing everything. Our team, we're not selfish. We'll find guys and get whoever's hot the ball.
That's what happened tonight. We were all clicking, and we really fed off him at the beginning of the game.
MILLER KOPP | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On the madness of March…
KOPP: Our preparation stays the same. In every game -- like I said before, we've learned from our losses in the season and conference play. So those are enough to wake us up and keep us locked in.
Of course, we watch all the games. We're hoop junkies. So, we see all the games and upsets and stuff. But really, it's just about our preparation and doing the same stuff.
Q. On the headband…
KOPP: I just think of myself as a fashionable guy.
JACKSON-DAVIS: Really?
KOPP: No, I haven't worn one in five years of college, so I thought why not for the NCAA Tournament? That's it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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