Tuesday, January 9
Piscataway, N.J.
7:00 PM
Indiana University
at
Rutgers
‘Fearless’ Gunn Starting to Find Comfort Zone
1/9/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – CJ Gunn has to smile.
The question -- about how hard Indiana coach Mike Woodson was on senior guard Xavier Johnson after the Nebraska defeat -- equally applies to him.
Woodson has always demanded more from point guards -- and guards in general -- than any other position.
"Shoot, that's every day," Johnson says to laughter.
"Boy, every day," Gunn adds.
Demands come with perspective. A recent social media video shows Woodson entering the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall locker room following Saturday night's Ohio State victory. He holds two basketballs. He bounces one to Gunn, the other to Johnson. He has awarded game balls to both after they combined for 28 points and two steals.
Woodson tells them he will continue to be hard on them. He also tells them he loves them, and his team, but love still comes with coaching. He wants to see Saturday's intensity every night.
If it happens, look out, perhaps as soon as Tuesday night when IU (11-4 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten) plays at Rutgers (8-6, 0-3).
Gunn, a 6-6 sophomore, scored a Big Ten career-high 10 points (plus a steal) against Ohio State, one off the overall career high he had against Elon as a freshman. Given the quality of the opponent, it was likely the best game of his career.
Gunn says the performance was the result of all the work he's done, both in the days leading to the game as well as since he's arrived on campus.
"I think it's just how much I watch the game and study the game. Coach made an emphasis that I need to be more in tune with what we're doing on both sides of the floor. Being upstairs with (assistant coach Brian Walsh) and (team and recruiting coordinator) Jordan Hulls, just going over film consistently, that obviously brings me more comfort in the game."
At the college level, and beyond that, scouting reports are critical to victory. Just working on your game isn't enough.
Johnson is well aware that Gunn puts in the extra time.
"CJ is in the gym all the time and now you're seeing the results," he says. "He's a guy that has high confidence in himself and fears nothing."
Fearlessness is a huge plus in the ultra-competitive Big Ten, which can rock every player and program, even accomplished, perennial national powers.
For much of the season, Gunn has been behind seniors Johnson and Trey Galloway as well as freshman Gabe Cupps in the guard rotation. Because of recent strong practices, senior guard Anthony Leal also got extra playing time, although he didn't play against Ohio State.
Against the Buckeyes, Gunn played a season-high 24 minutes in keeping with Woodson's philosophy that hard work in practice will earn you playing opportunity.
That work was especially impressive after the Nebraska game, when Woodson ramped up the practice intensity after describing IU's guard play as "awful."
"His last few days of practice were tremendous," Woodson says. "I'm telling all these guys, it's how you practice that carries over into a real game.
"If you don't bring it in practice, you're not going to bring it in the game. I've always believed that. (Thursday and Friday) practices were tough because I wasn't happy about the Nebraska play. But CJ had two good days, and he deserved to play. He responded. He stepped up and gave us some important minutes."
Gunn has struggled with consistency as a Hoosier, but has had his moments, totaling eight points, four steals, and two rebounds at Michigan, and seven points and four steals against Connecticut. For the season, he averages 3.5 points. His 19 steals lead the team by five even though his minutes played rank ninth. While he's just 5-for-15 from 3-point range, he's made two of his last three attempts.
Finding that consistency, Woodson says, especially with young players, starts with the mental approach.
"A lot of it is knowing exactly what we're doing when we go into a game setting and putting the game plan together. Your mental approach has to be on par."
Woodson first has to see that in practice.
"If I don't see that, then how can I have confidence in playing you?"
Johnson, Gunn, and Trey Galloway responded to Woodson's challenges. Can forward Malik Reneau and center Kel'el Ware do the same after Woodson challenged them after IU's poor rebounding effort against Ohio State?
Reneau and Ware combined for 13 rebounds, which wasn't a disaster, but the Hoosiers were outrebounded 49-28.
Woodson blamed his front court.
"We were so awful rebounding," he says. "I told Ware and Malik they were awful in rebounding. (Ohio State's) bigs kicked our butts in terms of going to the glass."
That has to change Tuesday night.
IU is 8-8 against Rutgers all-time but has lost six of the last seven meetings, including four straight at Jersey Mike Arena. The Scarlet Knights are 7-1 at home this season. They are coming off last week's road losses to Ohio State and Iowa. They are last in the Big Ten in scoring (68.5 points) and shooting (39.7%), but second in scoring defense (64.2 points allowed) and opponents field goal percentage (38.8%).
They only shoot 29.1% from 3-point range.
Rutgers is led by 6-6 forward Aundre Hyatt (11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds), 6-11 center Clifford Omoruyi (10.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 blocked shots), 6-7 forward Mawot Mag (10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds), and 6-3 guard Derek Simpson (9.7 points, 2.8 assists).
Mag is coming off his first career double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) against Iowa. Omoruyi leads the Big Ten with 47 blocks.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – CJ Gunn has to smile.
The question -- about how hard Indiana coach Mike Woodson was on senior guard Xavier Johnson after the Nebraska defeat -- equally applies to him.
Woodson has always demanded more from point guards -- and guards in general -- than any other position.
"Shoot, that's every day," Johnson says to laughter.
"Boy, every day," Gunn adds.
Demands come with perspective. A recent social media video shows Woodson entering the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall locker room following Saturday night's Ohio State victory. He holds two basketballs. He bounces one to Gunn, the other to Johnson. He has awarded game balls to both after they combined for 28 points and two steals.
Woodson tells them he will continue to be hard on them. He also tells them he loves them, and his team, but love still comes with coaching. He wants to see Saturday's intensity every night.
If it happens, look out, perhaps as soon as Tuesday night when IU (11-4 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten) plays at Rutgers (8-6, 0-3).
Gunn, a 6-6 sophomore, scored a Big Ten career-high 10 points (plus a steal) against Ohio State, one off the overall career high he had against Elon as a freshman. Given the quality of the opponent, it was likely the best game of his career.
Gunn says the performance was the result of all the work he's done, both in the days leading to the game as well as since he's arrived on campus.
"I think it's just how much I watch the game and study the game. Coach made an emphasis that I need to be more in tune with what we're doing on both sides of the floor. Being upstairs with (assistant coach Brian Walsh) and (team and recruiting coordinator) Jordan Hulls, just going over film consistently, that obviously brings me more comfort in the game."
At the college level, and beyond that, scouting reports are critical to victory. Just working on your game isn't enough.
Johnson is well aware that Gunn puts in the extra time.
"CJ is in the gym all the time and now you're seeing the results," he says. "He's a guy that has high confidence in himself and fears nothing."
Fearlessness is a huge plus in the ultra-competitive Big Ten, which can rock every player and program, even accomplished, perennial national powers.
For much of the season, Gunn has been behind seniors Johnson and Trey Galloway as well as freshman Gabe Cupps in the guard rotation. Because of recent strong practices, senior guard Anthony Leal also got extra playing time, although he didn't play against Ohio State.
Against the Buckeyes, Gunn played a season-high 24 minutes in keeping with Woodson's philosophy that hard work in practice will earn you playing opportunity.
That work was especially impressive after the Nebraska game, when Woodson ramped up the practice intensity after describing IU's guard play as "awful."
"His last few days of practice were tremendous," Woodson says. "I'm telling all these guys, it's how you practice that carries over into a real game.
"If you don't bring it in practice, you're not going to bring it in the game. I've always believed that. (Thursday and Friday) practices were tough because I wasn't happy about the Nebraska play. But CJ had two good days, and he deserved to play. He responded. He stepped up and gave us some important minutes."
Gunn has struggled with consistency as a Hoosier, but has had his moments, totaling eight points, four steals, and two rebounds at Michigan, and seven points and four steals against Connecticut. For the season, he averages 3.5 points. His 19 steals lead the team by five even though his minutes played rank ninth. While he's just 5-for-15 from 3-point range, he's made two of his last three attempts.
Finding that consistency, Woodson says, especially with young players, starts with the mental approach.
"A lot of it is knowing exactly what we're doing when we go into a game setting and putting the game plan together. Your mental approach has to be on par."
Woodson first has to see that in practice.
"If I don't see that, then how can I have confidence in playing you?"
Johnson, Gunn, and Trey Galloway responded to Woodson's challenges. Can forward Malik Reneau and center Kel'el Ware do the same after Woodson challenged them after IU's poor rebounding effort against Ohio State?
Reneau and Ware combined for 13 rebounds, which wasn't a disaster, but the Hoosiers were outrebounded 49-28.
Woodson blamed his front court.
"We were so awful rebounding," he says. "I told Ware and Malik they were awful in rebounding. (Ohio State's) bigs kicked our butts in terms of going to the glass."
That has to change Tuesday night.
IU is 8-8 against Rutgers all-time but has lost six of the last seven meetings, including four straight at Jersey Mike Arena. The Scarlet Knights are 7-1 at home this season. They are coming off last week's road losses to Ohio State and Iowa. They are last in the Big Ten in scoring (68.5 points) and shooting (39.7%), but second in scoring defense (64.2 points allowed) and opponents field goal percentage (38.8%).
They only shoot 29.1% from 3-point range.
Rutgers is led by 6-6 forward Aundre Hyatt (11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds), 6-11 center Clifford Omoruyi (10.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 blocked shots), 6-7 forward Mawot Mag (10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds), and 6-3 guard Derek Simpson (9.7 points, 2.8 assists).
Mag is coming off his first career double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) against Iowa. Omoruyi leads the Big Ten with 47 blocks.
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