Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Miami (Ohio)
12/6/2024 8:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Miami (Ohio)
Dec. 6, 2024
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. On the lack of consistency…
WOODSON: Just got to keep working and grinding is all I could say. We did get off to a great start. We went to the bench, then they were able to get back in it. We couldn't find it. We had I think four turnovers coming down the stretch of that first half that gave them the opportunity to get back into the game.
You go in up three... You got to give them credit because, again, we controlled it early, but we let it slip away. These are growing pains, man. When you get a team down, you just got to keep stepping and building. We just didn't do that early on.
Q. On Oumar Ballo's dominance…
WOODSON: Well, I'm pleased with his play. This is really the first time Ballo in his career has been featured. I mean, he's such a big load. We had the size advantage tonight. I thought we took advantage of it, especially in that stretch where I think they went like six minutes without even scoring. Our defense was pretty good. We were able to get the ball inside to Ballo and Malik to make plays.
Q. On the turnovers…
WOODSON: Right before the half, I'm thinking time scoring situation. Our players are still thinking home run plays. I mean, we were just taking chances on passes that just weren't there and doing things with the ball off the dribble that just wasn't there.
So these are things that, man, you just got to fix. Moving forward, once we start playing Big Ten basketball, plays like that can really put you in the hole with these good teams.
Q. On the defensive identity…
WOODSON: We still got work to do, man. I mean, even though they went six minutes without scoring the ball, they still had good looks. The looks came on our inability to not switch correctly. You know what I mean? We screwed up so many switches tonight I thought.
Those are things that I just got to get us right. When you switch, that means you got a body on a body. Nobody's breaking free for easy shots. We got to clean that up. That's something that we got to continue to work on and practice to get better.
Q. On Myles Rice…
WOODSON: Well, again, his all came right before the half. When you got the ball in your hand, you got to make better decisions. I didn't think he did that right before the half. That was the difference in them cutting the lead, we going in up three at halftime.
Q. On Ballo's presence heading into Big Ten…
WOODSON: Sure. I mean, I think they've seen Ballo over the years. Yes, the Big Ten is big. Everybody's got big guys. Four and fives are huge in the Big Ten. It won't be a surprise when we play Big Ten schools that got the five and four that matches Ballo and Malik.
I mean, we just got to continue to get him better. Malik's got to continue to grow because it will be a challenge each and every night that we step out on that floor once we start the Big Ten.
Q. On Mackenzie Mgbako's defense…
WOODSON: Listen, it wasn't just Mackenzie. Our perimeter play from a defensive standpoint... Even though we got them to miss shots, I look at the big picture, man, in terms of how the ball is being moved, if we're switching, are we switching correctly. Once the ball goes up on the glass, are we in position to rebound the ball. I think we gave up 15, 16 offensive rebounds. That's way too much. These are things we got to fix.
Q. On Mackenzie Mgbako…
WOODSON: Again, he didn't have a good night. I ain't taking anything. Mack has been playing pretty good basketball for us. He had a tough night. Again, we'll bounce back. We'll start back on the practice floor tomorrow, get him back going, get him ready for Monday.
Q. On the second-half defensive effort…
WOODSON: I'll take it. I'll take that all day long. I know if we do that, we'll put ourselves in position to win basketball games.
TREY GALLOWAY | FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR GUARD & OUMAR BALLO | SIXTH-YEAR SENIOR CENTER
Q. On his shot confidence…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I would say a little bit. I'm making shots right now, so it's good. Just the same work I've been doing, just continuing to be consistent with it. But I think just trusting it and having confidence.
Q. On his passing…
BALLO: Yeah, for sure. Coach have a lot of trust in me to making the right play. That's why ball screen situation, the ball is in my hand a lot, to make the right read. Fortunately for us tonight the shots were falling, so happy with the result.
Q. On the defensive identity…
GALLOWAY: I think it's just continuing to get better. It is early. We got to learn quick. And we can't have those breakdowns. There was a lot tonight. I think it's just our attention to detail and really focusing and sticking to the game plan.
There's a lot of miscues that we had that we shouldn't have. If we clean those up, it takes away a lot of those buckets that they got. Overall just really kind of focusing on that and making sure we clean up everything with that. It's little things, but we got to make sure we take care of that.
Q. On urgency heading into Big Ten play…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I mean, it's here now. The Big Ten is real. Anybody can win on any given night. You got to be prepared and practice with urgency and with a purpose. I think that's our biggest focus, is getting back to work tomorrow and getting ready for Minnesota because that's our first game.
But we got to take it one game at a time because every team is a good opponent and you got to focus on each team.
Q. On confidence playing with Malik Reneau…
BALLO: Really good. Malik is not the first big that I play with. Malik is really easy to play with 'cause whenever he get the ball to him, I know he going to try to find me or find an open guy. I feel we have a really good flow together. I'm excited to see it for the rest of the season how it going to turn out to be.
Q. On having fun tonight…
BALLO: Oh, yeah, a little bit for sure (smiling). Whenever you play against guys you got a couple of pounds on, you have to take advantage of that.
Q. On level of aggression…
BALLO: Yeah, for sure. My teammates are doing a really good job trying to find me in early transition. I have to take advantage of trying to see my guy and get real easy, quick layups.
Q. On the halftime speech…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I mean, nothing specific. Just more urgency just because we shouldn't go into halftime only up three. We got to find ways to fix that. Obviously, we're a better team than that.
So just coming out with that sense of urgency in the second half, trying to extend the lead. I think, I mean, it's nothing specific being said. It's just, like I said, really focusing on what we need to do to make sure we can stop them.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TRAVIS STEELE | MIAMI (OHIO) HEAD COACH
Q. On coming back to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall…
STEELE: Growing up as a kid here in Indiana, man, this is what you dream of, right? Indiana University, it is God around here, so to speak. Obviously that is what I told our guys, what a great opportunity to play here in Assembly Hall, one of the most historic places in all college basketball, and obviously Indiana. Five national championship banners up there, the tradition. I had been fortunate to be able to work here for two years, which were two great years, I had a blast. I learned a lot during those two years, and always cheer for Indiana when they play. I didn't cheer for him tonight.
Q. On the biggest difference tonight…
STEELE: You know that we were able to stay in the game for a while. It was 55-50 kind of late in the second half, and they went on their run, and we slept around the rim. You know, just offensive rebounding. Second half, they could give up seven offensive rebounds. They scored 13 points, I thought, just around the rim. Ballo and Malik got their way. They had their way, just especially during that late run, when they went on their big run. And Coach Woodson puts them in a great position to be successful. You know, I've been really impressed with Malik, because we played Indiana two years ago when he was a freshman, and just his progress and developments have been impressive. So, he will be an all-league guy in the Big Ten, I would imagine, because of the way he's playing.
Indiana vs. Miami (Ohio)
Dec. 6, 2024
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. On the lack of consistency…
WOODSON: Just got to keep working and grinding is all I could say. We did get off to a great start. We went to the bench, then they were able to get back in it. We couldn't find it. We had I think four turnovers coming down the stretch of that first half that gave them the opportunity to get back into the game.
You go in up three... You got to give them credit because, again, we controlled it early, but we let it slip away. These are growing pains, man. When you get a team down, you just got to keep stepping and building. We just didn't do that early on.
Q. On Oumar Ballo's dominance…
WOODSON: Well, I'm pleased with his play. This is really the first time Ballo in his career has been featured. I mean, he's such a big load. We had the size advantage tonight. I thought we took advantage of it, especially in that stretch where I think they went like six minutes without even scoring. Our defense was pretty good. We were able to get the ball inside to Ballo and Malik to make plays.
Q. On the turnovers…
WOODSON: Right before the half, I'm thinking time scoring situation. Our players are still thinking home run plays. I mean, we were just taking chances on passes that just weren't there and doing things with the ball off the dribble that just wasn't there.
So these are things that, man, you just got to fix. Moving forward, once we start playing Big Ten basketball, plays like that can really put you in the hole with these good teams.
Q. On the defensive identity…
WOODSON: We still got work to do, man. I mean, even though they went six minutes without scoring the ball, they still had good looks. The looks came on our inability to not switch correctly. You know what I mean? We screwed up so many switches tonight I thought.
Those are things that I just got to get us right. When you switch, that means you got a body on a body. Nobody's breaking free for easy shots. We got to clean that up. That's something that we got to continue to work on and practice to get better.
Q. On Myles Rice…
WOODSON: Well, again, his all came right before the half. When you got the ball in your hand, you got to make better decisions. I didn't think he did that right before the half. That was the difference in them cutting the lead, we going in up three at halftime.
Q. On Ballo's presence heading into Big Ten…
WOODSON: Sure. I mean, I think they've seen Ballo over the years. Yes, the Big Ten is big. Everybody's got big guys. Four and fives are huge in the Big Ten. It won't be a surprise when we play Big Ten schools that got the five and four that matches Ballo and Malik.
I mean, we just got to continue to get him better. Malik's got to continue to grow because it will be a challenge each and every night that we step out on that floor once we start the Big Ten.
Q. On Mackenzie Mgbako's defense…
WOODSON: Listen, it wasn't just Mackenzie. Our perimeter play from a defensive standpoint... Even though we got them to miss shots, I look at the big picture, man, in terms of how the ball is being moved, if we're switching, are we switching correctly. Once the ball goes up on the glass, are we in position to rebound the ball. I think we gave up 15, 16 offensive rebounds. That's way too much. These are things we got to fix.
Q. On Mackenzie Mgbako…
WOODSON: Again, he didn't have a good night. I ain't taking anything. Mack has been playing pretty good basketball for us. He had a tough night. Again, we'll bounce back. We'll start back on the practice floor tomorrow, get him back going, get him ready for Monday.
Q. On the second-half defensive effort…
WOODSON: I'll take it. I'll take that all day long. I know if we do that, we'll put ourselves in position to win basketball games.
TREY GALLOWAY | FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR GUARD & OUMAR BALLO | SIXTH-YEAR SENIOR CENTER
Q. On his shot confidence…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I would say a little bit. I'm making shots right now, so it's good. Just the same work I've been doing, just continuing to be consistent with it. But I think just trusting it and having confidence.
Q. On his passing…
BALLO: Yeah, for sure. Coach have a lot of trust in me to making the right play. That's why ball screen situation, the ball is in my hand a lot, to make the right read. Fortunately for us tonight the shots were falling, so happy with the result.
Q. On the defensive identity…
GALLOWAY: I think it's just continuing to get better. It is early. We got to learn quick. And we can't have those breakdowns. There was a lot tonight. I think it's just our attention to detail and really focusing and sticking to the game plan.
There's a lot of miscues that we had that we shouldn't have. If we clean those up, it takes away a lot of those buckets that they got. Overall just really kind of focusing on that and making sure we clean up everything with that. It's little things, but we got to make sure we take care of that.
Q. On urgency heading into Big Ten play…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I mean, it's here now. The Big Ten is real. Anybody can win on any given night. You got to be prepared and practice with urgency and with a purpose. I think that's our biggest focus, is getting back to work tomorrow and getting ready for Minnesota because that's our first game.
But we got to take it one game at a time because every team is a good opponent and you got to focus on each team.
Q. On confidence playing with Malik Reneau…
BALLO: Really good. Malik is not the first big that I play with. Malik is really easy to play with 'cause whenever he get the ball to him, I know he going to try to find me or find an open guy. I feel we have a really good flow together. I'm excited to see it for the rest of the season how it going to turn out to be.
Q. On having fun tonight…
BALLO: Oh, yeah, a little bit for sure (smiling). Whenever you play against guys you got a couple of pounds on, you have to take advantage of that.
Q. On level of aggression…
BALLO: Yeah, for sure. My teammates are doing a really good job trying to find me in early transition. I have to take advantage of trying to see my guy and get real easy, quick layups.
Q. On the halftime speech…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, I mean, nothing specific. Just more urgency just because we shouldn't go into halftime only up three. We got to find ways to fix that. Obviously, we're a better team than that.
So just coming out with that sense of urgency in the second half, trying to extend the lead. I think, I mean, it's nothing specific being said. It's just, like I said, really focusing on what we need to do to make sure we can stop them.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TRAVIS STEELE | MIAMI (OHIO) HEAD COACH
Q. On coming back to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall…
STEELE: Growing up as a kid here in Indiana, man, this is what you dream of, right? Indiana University, it is God around here, so to speak. Obviously that is what I told our guys, what a great opportunity to play here in Assembly Hall, one of the most historic places in all college basketball, and obviously Indiana. Five national championship banners up there, the tradition. I had been fortunate to be able to work here for two years, which were two great years, I had a blast. I learned a lot during those two years, and always cheer for Indiana when they play. I didn't cheer for him tonight.
Q. On the biggest difference tonight…
STEELE: You know that we were able to stay in the game for a while. It was 55-50 kind of late in the second half, and they went on their run, and we slept around the rim. You know, just offensive rebounding. Second half, they could give up seven offensive rebounds. They scored 13 points, I thought, just around the rim. Ballo and Malik got their way. They had their way, just especially during that late run, when they went on their big run. And Coach Woodson puts them in a great position to be successful. You know, I've been really impressed with Malik, because we played Indiana two years ago when he was a freshman, and just his progress and developments have been impressive. So, he will be an all-league guy in the Big Ten, I would imagine, because of the way he's playing.
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