Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: vs. Michigan
3/5/2023 9:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Michigan
March 5, 2023
MIKE WOODSON | HEAD COACH
Q. On Indiana's ability to pull out win despite Michigan's run…
WOODSON: They have got a lot of fight in them. You know, I didn't know how we would respond after the Iowa game, and I thought we came out and defensively, we were as good as we've been all year. And then right before the half, they made I think a 10-0 run that cut our lead to two, and you know, kind of knocked us for a loop a little bit.
And we came back the second half and they were clicking on all cylinders, man. We just kept grinding. I was shuffling guys. You know, we were in foul trouble with (Trey Galloway) and eventually foul out.
But I thought everybody that played kept making plays, and I thought the two plays that Race (Thompson) made down the stretch from a defensive standpoint, the two steals, were the two biggest plays of the game.
Q. On if six-straight stops got team back on track…
WOODSON: Well, again, it's been our defense all year, man. When we are clicking defensively and getting stops, and then if we are making shots because if we started to make some shots throughout that run, I mean, we were a pretty good team when we were doing that. We were getting stops. After the stops, then we had no choice. They were playing extremely well. You know, once we took the lead, then it was back and forth.
I thought the steal that Race had and the layup that he missed, that really could have iced it for us, I thought. But (it) took us overtime to go get it.
Q. On Trayce Jackson-Davis' Senior Night performance…
WOODSON: Well, there was a lot at stake, you know what I mean. It's the last game at home, you know, playing for the double-bye, something that we didn't do last year. Hell, we had to play our way into tournament play last year.
So, I mean, it kind of eases the mind a little bit, but they still had to step and make plays to help us win this game because Michigan was playing for something as well.
I can't say enough about Trayce Jackson-Davis. He's had a stellar, stellar career here at Indiana, but he's still got a lot of basketball left.
Q. On bench's contributions…
WOODSON: Well, Miller (Kopp) and Race were struggling when I took them out of the game, so I was searching, too, as a coach. I thought Tamar (Bates) came in and Kaleb (Banks) came in and Malik (Reneau), they gave us some positive minutes down the stretch.
But coming down the stretch, make no mistake about it, I was going out with my seniors, and that's why I made the push to put in Race and Miller to bring it back home.
Q. On Kopp, Thompson and Jackson-Davis deciding to return to IU this season…
WOODSON: Means a lot, you know, because again, this being my first go around and coming into a situation where everybody was in a disarray, was talking about leaving. Hell, I didn't know what we were going to do to be honest with you, until they started to make the decision to come back, and us getting Miller.
You know, it's been a good run for all three of those guys because they have experienced something that they had not experienced in college basketball, and that was last year playing in tournament play in the NCAA. Miller had never been there, and neither Race or Trayce had been there. They have done a lot in short period of time. But we still got a long way to go.
Q. On if he reflected on his own IU playing career during Sunday's game…
WOODSON: Hey, it was my last game here on this floor, you know, playing for the Big Ten title. Everything was at stake, man. To win the Big Ten title in overtime on your own floor in front of your own fan base, man, that was the biggest, one of the biggest thrills of my life playing here, and it was on Senior Night, so it made it even better.
Those are the things I was thinking. I wanted these guys to win in the worst way, man, because it's a good feeling to be home, back here in your last game on Senior Night in front of your fan base and winning basketball games, and they were able to pull it out, so I'm so proud of them.
Q. On clinching double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament…
WOODSON: Well, it's very important. I think back to last season when […] we played three straight games three straight nights. Man, that's tough, physically, as well as mentally. And, you know, our guys were right there at the end fighting, man. You know, they were playing for something and because they had never tasted the NCAA play, and this year, it will be a little different. But Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there's still a lot of basketball, there really is. We have to take it one game at a time, one day at a time and see where it leaves us. But I'm happy that we are playing three games versus four.
Q. On Tamar Bates stepping up in key moments…
WOODSON: He did. They came in, said, "Who are you going with?" Well, I've got to go with the next senior guy. I can't rely on freshmen to bail us out. You know, Tamar has had some big games for us, especially here in this building.
So, I elected to go with him, and he brought it on. He played well down the stretch, made a big shot. So, I couldn't be more proud of the kid. He stepped up and did what he needed to do to help us win.
Q. On Bates' defensive performance against Michigan sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin…
WOODSON: He earned his stripes tonight. (Bufkin) has […] been playing extremely well, and I thought Tamar did a tremendous job in terms of trying to keep him in front and making him make tough shots, and we are going to need that the rest of the way. I mean, everybody has got to be on board and committed, and see what happens.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On how team was able to come away with a win…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I just think that's the story of how our team has been this year. We have had some ups and downs, and it's been a roller coaster, but we fight. There's been a lot of fight from this group of guys. We could have easily quit when we were down ten early in the second half. They were hitting shots, but instead we dug in on defense, and we counteracted their runs, and we just played hard and played for each other. You do that, you go on a little run, you get this crowd engaged. We have the best fans in college basketball, so we ride that.
Q. After what happened Tuesday night and the way things were turning today, what was the mindset like? Was there any time where any heads starting to hang or where were you at mentally?
JACKSON-DAVIS: No, we knew what was at stake. Obviously, we saw the games that happened before we started playing with Penn State and Maryland and Iowa, Nebraska, and we watched both of those so we knew that double-bye was at stake, and we had to play hard.
Obviously, we knew they were going to go on a run. It's basketball. Nothing is ever perfect. They are going to hit some shots, and they did, and you have to credit to them because they are a great team that has a great record in the Big Ten. Their overall record doesn't show it, but they played a lot of good ball at the end of the year so credit to them. We fought, and that's all you can ask from our guys is we never quit.
Q. On Thompson's clutch moments in final time playing at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It's huge because he's a huge part of what we do. He says he's good and all this stuff, but he's been really battling. He's been with (head athletic trainer Tim Garl) doing stuff of that nature just to get his body right to be out here, and he's giving it his all every time he's out here, and I know he was down after the Iowa game. And he said he got me, and this game, he had me.
He played really, really well down the stretch, and we needed every single basket that he got, every steal that he got to get that win. It was props to him, and we need that the rest of the way.
Q. On senior contributions to the comeback…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It was great. I know Miller was down on himself a little bit after he missed a few shots, and I told him that big one was coming, and I saw him in the corner and he hit a huge one for us that we really needed.
So, I know that kind of got his mind off of that, but it was just awesome to see. Coach (Woodson) kind of put us in that situation, too, where he was basically telling us that the seniors are going to have to lead. He told that to us in practice. And so just going out on the court and just leading and doing what we do, obviously the other guys really helped us along, Trey, Malik, Tamar came in and did some good things as well. But just down the stretch, leaders got to lead, and that's what we did.
Q. On interacting with the home crowd…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Absolutely. Just knowing that it's my last time in this building, playing in front of these fans in Assembly Hall is bittersweet. (I) wish I could play here forever.
But at the same time, we have the best fans in the country. We have the best student section in the country, and it's been an honor and a privilege to play in front of them and to put on this uniform every day. I'm going to cherish every second that I have in it from here on out and hopefully we get to play for a little bit longer. That's the plan.
RACE THOMPSON | REDSHIRT SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On friendship with Jackson-Davis…
THOMPSON: I would say just knowing each other. We know when one of us is having a rough day, and not really knowing, you just kind of go up to him and just try to make him laugh and try to say something funny and try to lighten up the mood. Knowing somebody as well as we know each other, you can tell when someone is not having their best day. You try to make light of it and know that it's going to be all right.
I've battled injuries, and he's battled injuries earlier in the year, and on those days we make each other laugh. It just makes it so much easier to come in every day and get that treatment even though you can't go out and compete on the court with your teammates every time. Just having each other's back I think is really what it is.
Q. On what helped him settle into the game…
THOMPSON: Really, Coach Woodson. I got it in the paint one time and tried to pass it to Trayce, and I ended up turning it over, and he got on me about that. He told me to go score the ball. I was like, I just (told Jalen Hood-Schifino), I'm like, "I'm not losing this game. I can't lose this game." It was really just playing desperate, and I think that's really what it was.
And then I mean, again, I think practice this week, too, helped a lot, too. We played a lot in practice, and I think that helped us go out there and perform.
Q. On forcing crucial turnovers late…
THOMPSON: I was just sitting on the back side. I was guarding (Tarris Reed, Jr.) who is a good player, but he's not known as much of a three-point shooter, so I was just kind of thinking, I'm going to sit a little deeper, I'm just watching him. He was on Trayce one time. I think I was kind of playing the game. I mean, I play against Trayce all the time in practice. So, you get to practice against good post players like that, and when he put the ball on, I just kind of ran in there and, not got lucky, but I reached my hand in there and got the steal, so that was good.
Q. On how team was able to pull off comeback…
THOMPSON: Yeah, I think the Iowa game, I wouldn't say it's good thing that this happened, but, I mean, we learned a lot from it. We know that we can't go out there and expect to win every game. You have to go out there and play when you're playing in the Big Ten.
I think that today everybody was trying to win it for each other. The way that the game ended last year here on Senior Night was something that I'll never forget and part of the reason I came back, really. We talked about it and just there's no way we are losing this game. We are leaving everything we got on the court, and I think just going off that, knowing that almost the next couple games could be the last games of our career, we are just going to play desperate. And I don't think we'll lay an egg like that ever again.
JUWAN HOWARD | HEAD COACH
Q. On the importance of Kobe Bufkin…
HOWARD: Kobe has always been a big part of our team. What he's done from the beginning and arriving on campus, he's been great as far as representing the University of Michigan. I'm so proud to have an opportunity to coach him and I will continue to keep growing him as a player because with his work ethic and his passion for the game of basketball, he's going to always improve. That's the type of mindset he has. That's why he puts in so much work, and when I see that, and his teammates see that, they just trust him.
On how to handle postseason play…
HOWARD: We are in a great position to now start a new, second part of our season. There's no other way but to now have another opportunity to hold up the trophy, and it's going to take one game at a time. We don't look ahead. We'll find out tonight, as far as who will be our next opponent, and we'll be preparing to go to Chicago and compete.
On the toughness of the Big Ten…
HOWARD: it goes to show you, our league is just a very competitive league with a lot of really good teams. I would say all of them are good, and it's going to be interesting to see which one's going to be the last one standing, because now you're playing in a neutral site. I know that Michigan, we travel well. We're going to need our Michigan fans in Chicago, and then also Michigan fans traveling to Chicago. Our guys are going to be leaning on that support, and hopefully we'll have it. I trust we will.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Indiana vs. Michigan
March 5, 2023
MIKE WOODSON | HEAD COACH
Q. On Indiana's ability to pull out win despite Michigan's run…
WOODSON: They have got a lot of fight in them. You know, I didn't know how we would respond after the Iowa game, and I thought we came out and defensively, we were as good as we've been all year. And then right before the half, they made I think a 10-0 run that cut our lead to two, and you know, kind of knocked us for a loop a little bit.
And we came back the second half and they were clicking on all cylinders, man. We just kept grinding. I was shuffling guys. You know, we were in foul trouble with (Trey Galloway) and eventually foul out.
But I thought everybody that played kept making plays, and I thought the two plays that Race (Thompson) made down the stretch from a defensive standpoint, the two steals, were the two biggest plays of the game.
Q. On if six-straight stops got team back on track…
WOODSON: Well, again, it's been our defense all year, man. When we are clicking defensively and getting stops, and then if we are making shots because if we started to make some shots throughout that run, I mean, we were a pretty good team when we were doing that. We were getting stops. After the stops, then we had no choice. They were playing extremely well. You know, once we took the lead, then it was back and forth.
I thought the steal that Race had and the layup that he missed, that really could have iced it for us, I thought. But (it) took us overtime to go get it.
Q. On Trayce Jackson-Davis' Senior Night performance…
WOODSON: Well, there was a lot at stake, you know what I mean. It's the last game at home, you know, playing for the double-bye, something that we didn't do last year. Hell, we had to play our way into tournament play last year.
So, I mean, it kind of eases the mind a little bit, but they still had to step and make plays to help us win this game because Michigan was playing for something as well.
I can't say enough about Trayce Jackson-Davis. He's had a stellar, stellar career here at Indiana, but he's still got a lot of basketball left.
Q. On bench's contributions…
WOODSON: Well, Miller (Kopp) and Race were struggling when I took them out of the game, so I was searching, too, as a coach. I thought Tamar (Bates) came in and Kaleb (Banks) came in and Malik (Reneau), they gave us some positive minutes down the stretch.
But coming down the stretch, make no mistake about it, I was going out with my seniors, and that's why I made the push to put in Race and Miller to bring it back home.
Q. On Kopp, Thompson and Jackson-Davis deciding to return to IU this season…
WOODSON: Means a lot, you know, because again, this being my first go around and coming into a situation where everybody was in a disarray, was talking about leaving. Hell, I didn't know what we were going to do to be honest with you, until they started to make the decision to come back, and us getting Miller.
You know, it's been a good run for all three of those guys because they have experienced something that they had not experienced in college basketball, and that was last year playing in tournament play in the NCAA. Miller had never been there, and neither Race or Trayce had been there. They have done a lot in short period of time. But we still got a long way to go.
Q. On if he reflected on his own IU playing career during Sunday's game…
WOODSON: Hey, it was my last game here on this floor, you know, playing for the Big Ten title. Everything was at stake, man. To win the Big Ten title in overtime on your own floor in front of your own fan base, man, that was the biggest, one of the biggest thrills of my life playing here, and it was on Senior Night, so it made it even better.
Those are the things I was thinking. I wanted these guys to win in the worst way, man, because it's a good feeling to be home, back here in your last game on Senior Night in front of your fan base and winning basketball games, and they were able to pull it out, so I'm so proud of them.
Q. On clinching double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament…
WOODSON: Well, it's very important. I think back to last season when […] we played three straight games three straight nights. Man, that's tough, physically, as well as mentally. And, you know, our guys were right there at the end fighting, man. You know, they were playing for something and because they had never tasted the NCAA play, and this year, it will be a little different. But Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there's still a lot of basketball, there really is. We have to take it one game at a time, one day at a time and see where it leaves us. But I'm happy that we are playing three games versus four.
Q. On Tamar Bates stepping up in key moments…
WOODSON: He did. They came in, said, "Who are you going with?" Well, I've got to go with the next senior guy. I can't rely on freshmen to bail us out. You know, Tamar has had some big games for us, especially here in this building.
So, I elected to go with him, and he brought it on. He played well down the stretch, made a big shot. So, I couldn't be more proud of the kid. He stepped up and did what he needed to do to help us win.
Q. On Bates' defensive performance against Michigan sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin…
WOODSON: He earned his stripes tonight. (Bufkin) has […] been playing extremely well, and I thought Tamar did a tremendous job in terms of trying to keep him in front and making him make tough shots, and we are going to need that the rest of the way. I mean, everybody has got to be on board and committed, and see what happens.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS | SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On how team was able to come away with a win…
JACKSON-DAVIS: I just think that's the story of how our team has been this year. We have had some ups and downs, and it's been a roller coaster, but we fight. There's been a lot of fight from this group of guys. We could have easily quit when we were down ten early in the second half. They were hitting shots, but instead we dug in on defense, and we counteracted their runs, and we just played hard and played for each other. You do that, you go on a little run, you get this crowd engaged. We have the best fans in college basketball, so we ride that.
Q. After what happened Tuesday night and the way things were turning today, what was the mindset like? Was there any time where any heads starting to hang or where were you at mentally?
JACKSON-DAVIS: No, we knew what was at stake. Obviously, we saw the games that happened before we started playing with Penn State and Maryland and Iowa, Nebraska, and we watched both of those so we knew that double-bye was at stake, and we had to play hard.
Obviously, we knew they were going to go on a run. It's basketball. Nothing is ever perfect. They are going to hit some shots, and they did, and you have to credit to them because they are a great team that has a great record in the Big Ten. Their overall record doesn't show it, but they played a lot of good ball at the end of the year so credit to them. We fought, and that's all you can ask from our guys is we never quit.
Q. On Thompson's clutch moments in final time playing at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It's huge because he's a huge part of what we do. He says he's good and all this stuff, but he's been really battling. He's been with (head athletic trainer Tim Garl) doing stuff of that nature just to get his body right to be out here, and he's giving it his all every time he's out here, and I know he was down after the Iowa game. And he said he got me, and this game, he had me.
He played really, really well down the stretch, and we needed every single basket that he got, every steal that he got to get that win. It was props to him, and we need that the rest of the way.
Q. On senior contributions to the comeback…
JACKSON-DAVIS: It was great. I know Miller was down on himself a little bit after he missed a few shots, and I told him that big one was coming, and I saw him in the corner and he hit a huge one for us that we really needed.
So, I know that kind of got his mind off of that, but it was just awesome to see. Coach (Woodson) kind of put us in that situation, too, where he was basically telling us that the seniors are going to have to lead. He told that to us in practice. And so just going out on the court and just leading and doing what we do, obviously the other guys really helped us along, Trey, Malik, Tamar came in and did some good things as well. But just down the stretch, leaders got to lead, and that's what we did.
Q. On interacting with the home crowd…
JACKSON-DAVIS: Absolutely. Just knowing that it's my last time in this building, playing in front of these fans in Assembly Hall is bittersweet. (I) wish I could play here forever.
But at the same time, we have the best fans in the country. We have the best student section in the country, and it's been an honor and a privilege to play in front of them and to put on this uniform every day. I'm going to cherish every second that I have in it from here on out and hopefully we get to play for a little bit longer. That's the plan.
RACE THOMPSON | REDSHIRT SENIOR FORWARD
Q. On friendship with Jackson-Davis…
THOMPSON: I would say just knowing each other. We know when one of us is having a rough day, and not really knowing, you just kind of go up to him and just try to make him laugh and try to say something funny and try to lighten up the mood. Knowing somebody as well as we know each other, you can tell when someone is not having their best day. You try to make light of it and know that it's going to be all right.
I've battled injuries, and he's battled injuries earlier in the year, and on those days we make each other laugh. It just makes it so much easier to come in every day and get that treatment even though you can't go out and compete on the court with your teammates every time. Just having each other's back I think is really what it is.
Q. On what helped him settle into the game…
THOMPSON: Really, Coach Woodson. I got it in the paint one time and tried to pass it to Trayce, and I ended up turning it over, and he got on me about that. He told me to go score the ball. I was like, I just (told Jalen Hood-Schifino), I'm like, "I'm not losing this game. I can't lose this game." It was really just playing desperate, and I think that's really what it was.
And then I mean, again, I think practice this week, too, helped a lot, too. We played a lot in practice, and I think that helped us go out there and perform.
Q. On forcing crucial turnovers late…
THOMPSON: I was just sitting on the back side. I was guarding (Tarris Reed, Jr.) who is a good player, but he's not known as much of a three-point shooter, so I was just kind of thinking, I'm going to sit a little deeper, I'm just watching him. He was on Trayce one time. I think I was kind of playing the game. I mean, I play against Trayce all the time in practice. So, you get to practice against good post players like that, and when he put the ball on, I just kind of ran in there and, not got lucky, but I reached my hand in there and got the steal, so that was good.
Q. On how team was able to pull off comeback…
THOMPSON: Yeah, I think the Iowa game, I wouldn't say it's good thing that this happened, but, I mean, we learned a lot from it. We know that we can't go out there and expect to win every game. You have to go out there and play when you're playing in the Big Ten.
I think that today everybody was trying to win it for each other. The way that the game ended last year here on Senior Night was something that I'll never forget and part of the reason I came back, really. We talked about it and just there's no way we are losing this game. We are leaving everything we got on the court, and I think just going off that, knowing that almost the next couple games could be the last games of our career, we are just going to play desperate. And I don't think we'll lay an egg like that ever again.
JUWAN HOWARD | HEAD COACH
Q. On the importance of Kobe Bufkin…
HOWARD: Kobe has always been a big part of our team. What he's done from the beginning and arriving on campus, he's been great as far as representing the University of Michigan. I'm so proud to have an opportunity to coach him and I will continue to keep growing him as a player because with his work ethic and his passion for the game of basketball, he's going to always improve. That's the type of mindset he has. That's why he puts in so much work, and when I see that, and his teammates see that, they just trust him.
On how to handle postseason play…
HOWARD: We are in a great position to now start a new, second part of our season. There's no other way but to now have another opportunity to hold up the trophy, and it's going to take one game at a time. We don't look ahead. We'll find out tonight, as far as who will be our next opponent, and we'll be preparing to go to Chicago and compete.
On the toughness of the Big Ten…
HOWARD: it goes to show you, our league is just a very competitive league with a lot of really good teams. I would say all of them are good, and it's going to be interesting to see which one's going to be the last one standing, because now you're playing in a neutral site. I know that Michigan, we travel well. We're going to need our Michigan fans in Chicago, and then also Michigan fans traveling to Chicago. Our guys are going to be leaning on that support, and hopefully we'll have it. I trust we will.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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