Indiana University Athletics
#IUBB Media Availability – Jan. 15
1/15/2024 11:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Below is a full transcript of the Zoom press conference with Indiana head coach Mike Woodson on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.
Mike Woodson
Q. On rebounding…
WOODSON: Well, you've got to block out. That's just basic basketball. When the shot goes up, we've got to put bodies on people.
I don't think our guards have done a great job this year in getting back in. We challenge three-point shots, we're trying to head up the floor, and a lot of times when those long shots are taken, they're long rebounds, and we're just not picking some of those up.
I think Malik has got to get better and Mack has got to get better in terms of helping us rebound. I think Ware's done a hell of a job rebounding the basketball, and he can't do it by himself. We've got to do it as a team and as a unit. We're going to have to do it tomorrow night because they've got a big team and they're scrappy and they rebound the ball.
Q. On Payton Sparks…
WOODSON: I'm not going to -- when I substitute, put people in the game, I get questioned about how I sub. I'm not even going to discuss the rotations in terms of how -- if there's foul trouble, sure, you have to play him. He's a big body that bangs.
Until we get into the game and see how it's flowing, I'm hoping I can keep Malik and big fella Ware out of foul trouble. He's a load. If they are, then it's next man up, Payton's got to play some, if that happens.
Q. On Purdue's guard play…
WOODSON: I think they shot low 30s from the three. They're shooting 39 this year. That's the biggest challenge. You're going to have to guard the three-point line and still deal with Edey.
He's getting more touches, probably more than he got last season. He's a load. I mean, I don't even know how to explain it. He's a big guy that's very skilled and tough to deal with.
So we've got to go in there and battle, guys, for 40 minutes and see what happens.
Q. On this game meaning more…
WOODSON: It does. They want to beat us as badly as we want to beat them. It's been that way. I think it's great for college basketball. They have their fan base, and we have our fan base. When you go there, it's the same way. When they come here, our fans are unbelievable.
It doesn't matter who we put in, our fans have been great all these years, and that's not going to change.
Q. On preparing for this game as a coach…
WOODSON: We take each game one game at a time, and we prepare pretty much the same way in terms of who we're playing. That won't change.
We know we've got a hell of an opponent coming in here tomorrow, and we've got to do all the necessary things to win. We've got to rebound the ball, not turn it over, and you've got to share it and get shots, and it helps if you can put the ball in the hole.
All those things tie in together in terms of you winning basketball games.
Q. On Trey Galloway…
WOODSON: Nobody really has -- the way we play, everybody handles the basketball. With Gabe and him and X, they probably handle that with our perimeter play more than anybody because we pretty much put them in pick-and-roll. So they shine a little bit more when they're doing all the necessary things, when you're running pick-and-rolls or when you're feeding the post or getting in the passing lane and getting steals and things of that nature.
No, I was happy and pleased with how he played. He had a great floor game and got the ball where it needed to go, and he made some shots.
Q. On Kel'el Ware…
WOODSON: Well, it's the second effort. When we first got him, that didn't even exist in terms of him making second and third efforts to try to go get the basketball. A lot of it was he just hadn't been taught and pushed to do it.
I mean, it's like night and day from the time we got him to where he is today in terms of going hard and understanding that you just can't take possessions off.
From where he was, man, he's come a long way, and it's kind of nice to see because a lot of people just didn't expect that because he hadn't played.
I just think there's a lot of room for growth. He's a young, talented 7-footer that does a lot of good things for you.
Q. On the message to the team…
WOODSON: Every game is important, that's how I approach it. It's not just this game. We take it one game at a time, we prepare. Yes, we are a young team, hadn't been together, and a lot of these guys hadn't been in big games like this. It's my job to get them ready and calm them down if they come out not ready, and see where it leads us, man.
You can't ask for bigger games than this. Like I said, this is what fans like to see. It's good for college basketball. We'll just see what happens tomorrow night.
Q. On Galloway's shooting numbers…
WOODSON: I wish I could really answer that and tell you why he's not shooting it like he did last year. It's hard to explain. I think as a coach all you can do is to keep encouraging and pat him on the butt and say, hey, the next one is going to go in. That's all you can do and continue to work and practice.
Q. On Purdue's bigs…
WOODSON: I just think the shooters have allowed them to do a lot of that in terms of playing two bigs. Both bigs are very demanding on the block. Kaufman is tough on his block when he catches the ball. He's very aggressive in terms of scoring the basketball, and he's a hell of an offensive rebounder.
So it hasn't hurt them at all because they've got some guys on the perimeter that make some shots for them. That's the key to any team. You make shots in life, you look good. Life is great if you can make them.
We've had our ups and downs this year in terms of making them, but when we do make them, we're a pretty good basketball team.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sport
Mike Woodson
Q. On rebounding…
WOODSON: Well, you've got to block out. That's just basic basketball. When the shot goes up, we've got to put bodies on people.
I don't think our guards have done a great job this year in getting back in. We challenge three-point shots, we're trying to head up the floor, and a lot of times when those long shots are taken, they're long rebounds, and we're just not picking some of those up.
I think Malik has got to get better and Mack has got to get better in terms of helping us rebound. I think Ware's done a hell of a job rebounding the basketball, and he can't do it by himself. We've got to do it as a team and as a unit. We're going to have to do it tomorrow night because they've got a big team and they're scrappy and they rebound the ball.
Q. On Payton Sparks…
WOODSON: I'm not going to -- when I substitute, put people in the game, I get questioned about how I sub. I'm not even going to discuss the rotations in terms of how -- if there's foul trouble, sure, you have to play him. He's a big body that bangs.
Until we get into the game and see how it's flowing, I'm hoping I can keep Malik and big fella Ware out of foul trouble. He's a load. If they are, then it's next man up, Payton's got to play some, if that happens.
Q. On Purdue's guard play…
WOODSON: I think they shot low 30s from the three. They're shooting 39 this year. That's the biggest challenge. You're going to have to guard the three-point line and still deal with Edey.
He's getting more touches, probably more than he got last season. He's a load. I mean, I don't even know how to explain it. He's a big guy that's very skilled and tough to deal with.
So we've got to go in there and battle, guys, for 40 minutes and see what happens.
Q. On this game meaning more…
WOODSON: It does. They want to beat us as badly as we want to beat them. It's been that way. I think it's great for college basketball. They have their fan base, and we have our fan base. When you go there, it's the same way. When they come here, our fans are unbelievable.
It doesn't matter who we put in, our fans have been great all these years, and that's not going to change.
Q. On preparing for this game as a coach…
WOODSON: We take each game one game at a time, and we prepare pretty much the same way in terms of who we're playing. That won't change.
We know we've got a hell of an opponent coming in here tomorrow, and we've got to do all the necessary things to win. We've got to rebound the ball, not turn it over, and you've got to share it and get shots, and it helps if you can put the ball in the hole.
All those things tie in together in terms of you winning basketball games.
Q. On Trey Galloway…
WOODSON: Nobody really has -- the way we play, everybody handles the basketball. With Gabe and him and X, they probably handle that with our perimeter play more than anybody because we pretty much put them in pick-and-roll. So they shine a little bit more when they're doing all the necessary things, when you're running pick-and-rolls or when you're feeding the post or getting in the passing lane and getting steals and things of that nature.
No, I was happy and pleased with how he played. He had a great floor game and got the ball where it needed to go, and he made some shots.
Q. On Kel'el Ware…
WOODSON: Well, it's the second effort. When we first got him, that didn't even exist in terms of him making second and third efforts to try to go get the basketball. A lot of it was he just hadn't been taught and pushed to do it.
I mean, it's like night and day from the time we got him to where he is today in terms of going hard and understanding that you just can't take possessions off.
From where he was, man, he's come a long way, and it's kind of nice to see because a lot of people just didn't expect that because he hadn't played.
I just think there's a lot of room for growth. He's a young, talented 7-footer that does a lot of good things for you.
Q. On the message to the team…
WOODSON: Every game is important, that's how I approach it. It's not just this game. We take it one game at a time, we prepare. Yes, we are a young team, hadn't been together, and a lot of these guys hadn't been in big games like this. It's my job to get them ready and calm them down if they come out not ready, and see where it leads us, man.
You can't ask for bigger games than this. Like I said, this is what fans like to see. It's good for college basketball. We'll just see what happens tomorrow night.
Q. On Galloway's shooting numbers…
WOODSON: I wish I could really answer that and tell you why he's not shooting it like he did last year. It's hard to explain. I think as a coach all you can do is to keep encouraging and pat him on the butt and say, hey, the next one is going to go in. That's all you can do and continue to work and practice.
Q. On Purdue's bigs…
WOODSON: I just think the shooters have allowed them to do a lot of that in terms of playing two bigs. Both bigs are very demanding on the block. Kaufman is tough on his block when he catches the ball. He's very aggressive in terms of scoring the basketball, and he's a hell of an offensive rebounder.
So it hasn't hurt them at all because they've got some guys on the perimeter that make some shots for them. That's the key to any team. You make shots in life, you look good. Life is great if you can make them.
We've had our ups and downs this year in terms of making them, but when we do make them, we're a pretty good basketball team.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sport
Players Mentioned
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Forward
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