Tuesday, February 27
Bloomington, Ind.
7:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Wisconsin
‘No Slippage’ – IU Keeps Working for Strong Finish
2/27/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The work ethic and drive remain. Mike Woodson is adamant about that. Mounting Indiana basketball losses haven't diminished the Hoosiers' will to win.
"There is never any slippage," the IU coach says. "We work. We put in a good two to two-and-a-half hours every day. That's the only way I know."
IU has lost four straight and eight of 10 to fall to 14-13 overall, 6-10 in the Big Ten. It seeks a turnaround Tuesday night when Wisconsin (18-9, 10-6) comes to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are down, Woodson insists, but not out.
"My staff and I watch a lot of film together and with the team. That's how I was taught, and that's not ever going to change. You've got to work on the basketball floor and watch film to get better."
Woodson says Indiana's recent struggles, which have jeopardized its postseason prospects, start with him.
"Every year I've coached, when things don't go well, I point the finger at me. A lot of coaches won't do that, but at the end of the day, when things go well, I point the fingers at the players.
"That's been my nature of how I've coached. I know how it was when I played, and I played for coaches that had success with me and I played for coaches that didn't have success.
"Sometimes, coaches don't want to take the blame and want to put it all on the players. I'm not that type of coach. Even though I don't miss jump shots, wide open shots, and don't miss free throws, I'm still a big part of it and I take a lot of responsibility.
"All I can do is continue to work with my team and try to put them in the best position to be successful. Hopefully, they'll come through."
While IU's best chance to make the NCAA tourney for a third-straight season centers on winning the Big Ten tourney title with its automatic bid, Woodson hasn't given up hope for an at-large bid with a strong finish and a deep conference tourney run. It has four regular season games remaining -- at home against Wisconsin and Michigan State, road games at Maryland and Minnesota.
"We've got to win all four games to even have a shot," Woodson says. "Once we get into Big Ten Tournament play, we've got to win some games, if not win it, to probably make the NCAA Tournament, but I'm not looking that far down the road."
For now, beating Wisconsin takes top priority. IU has won only two of the last 13 meetings with the Badgers.
"The only thing I'm looking at is Wisconsin. We've got to take little steps right now based on where we are, and Wisconsin is staring us in the face. They've had their struggles, so that's all I'm thinking about right now, one game at a time."
In this era of parity, rough stretches are common everywhere you look. Nationally, every team this season has at least three losses. Seven top-10 squads have six defeats. Overcoming it, Woodson says, always comes down to work and preparation.
"You can't take off from practice. You can't stop watching film and studying your opponent. You can't do that, or you don't put yourself in a position to win.
"As a player, when you struggle, you go to the gym and you work and you continue to watch film. You've got to think positive and have strong beliefs that you can come out of a slump.
"That's the battle that I'm having right now with our team. I'm trying to get them in a good place mentally so when they step on the floor, they feel good about themselves. Hopefully, that will click and you get a win under your belt, now you start to feel good about yourself.
"We went through this a little bit a couple years ago where I think we lost four or five in a row. It's tough. Somebody has to pick us up. When you're out on the floor, players just got step up and make plays and feel good about themselves, and I got to help them do that."
For the second time, forward Mackenzie Mgbako has won Big Ten Freshman of the Week. In games against Nebraska and Penn State last week, he averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Guard Xavier Johnson, who has missed six -traight games with an elbow injury, has resumed light practicing. Woodson says Johnson wants to play, but the coach won't use him unless he's healthy and ready. He says he'll continue talking with team trainer Tim Garl to get a better sense of Johnson's status.
"I know he wants to play in the worst way," Woodson says. "Time is running out on him. I feel for him in that regard.
"I'm going to follow his lead and see how he feels after running around. I don't like playing players when they don't practice and don't have some kind of contact. That's all we can do."
Wisconsin (18-9, 10-6) has struggled since its 91-79 January victory over IU at the Kohl Center. At one point, it lost five of six games, and has lost four straight on the road. It's coming off a 74-70 home victory over Maryland.
In the first meeting, forward Malik Reneau led the Hoosiers with 28 points and eight rebounds. Despite center Kel'el Ware not playing because of an injury, they shot 53.8% from the field, were 17-for-21 from the line and scored 53 second-half points to the Badgers' 52.
Wisconsin is led by guard AJ Storr (16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds), forward Tyler Wahl (11.6, 5.8), forward Steven Crowl (11.2, 7.7), and guard Chucky Hepburn (8.3 points, 56 steals, 100 assists against 32 turnovers).
"We've got to defend," Woodson says. "They scored 91 points; we scored 79 points.
"We shot great from the twos, great from the threes, made our free throws, but they were better in those categories. You're not going to beat anybody in the Big Ten like that.
"Defensively, we've got to come with it to beat them because they're a good offensive team. They play inside out.
"We've got to find some kind of defensive presence. That's what we've been working on. See if that can keep us in the game until we can start making our threes and free throws."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The work ethic and drive remain. Mike Woodson is adamant about that. Mounting Indiana basketball losses haven't diminished the Hoosiers' will to win.
"There is never any slippage," the IU coach says. "We work. We put in a good two to two-and-a-half hours every day. That's the only way I know."
IU has lost four straight and eight of 10 to fall to 14-13 overall, 6-10 in the Big Ten. It seeks a turnaround Tuesday night when Wisconsin (18-9, 10-6) comes to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are down, Woodson insists, but not out.
"My staff and I watch a lot of film together and with the team. That's how I was taught, and that's not ever going to change. You've got to work on the basketball floor and watch film to get better."
Woodson says Indiana's recent struggles, which have jeopardized its postseason prospects, start with him.
"Every year I've coached, when things don't go well, I point the finger at me. A lot of coaches won't do that, but at the end of the day, when things go well, I point the fingers at the players.
"That's been my nature of how I've coached. I know how it was when I played, and I played for coaches that had success with me and I played for coaches that didn't have success.
"Sometimes, coaches don't want to take the blame and want to put it all on the players. I'm not that type of coach. Even though I don't miss jump shots, wide open shots, and don't miss free throws, I'm still a big part of it and I take a lot of responsibility.
"All I can do is continue to work with my team and try to put them in the best position to be successful. Hopefully, they'll come through."
While IU's best chance to make the NCAA tourney for a third-straight season centers on winning the Big Ten tourney title with its automatic bid, Woodson hasn't given up hope for an at-large bid with a strong finish and a deep conference tourney run. It has four regular season games remaining -- at home against Wisconsin and Michigan State, road games at Maryland and Minnesota.
"We've got to win all four games to even have a shot," Woodson says. "Once we get into Big Ten Tournament play, we've got to win some games, if not win it, to probably make the NCAA Tournament, but I'm not looking that far down the road."
For now, beating Wisconsin takes top priority. IU has won only two of the last 13 meetings with the Badgers.
"The only thing I'm looking at is Wisconsin. We've got to take little steps right now based on where we are, and Wisconsin is staring us in the face. They've had their struggles, so that's all I'm thinking about right now, one game at a time."
In this era of parity, rough stretches are common everywhere you look. Nationally, every team this season has at least three losses. Seven top-10 squads have six defeats. Overcoming it, Woodson says, always comes down to work and preparation.
"You can't take off from practice. You can't stop watching film and studying your opponent. You can't do that, or you don't put yourself in a position to win.
"As a player, when you struggle, you go to the gym and you work and you continue to watch film. You've got to think positive and have strong beliefs that you can come out of a slump.
"That's the battle that I'm having right now with our team. I'm trying to get them in a good place mentally so when they step on the floor, they feel good about themselves. Hopefully, that will click and you get a win under your belt, now you start to feel good about yourself.
"We went through this a little bit a couple years ago where I think we lost four or five in a row. It's tough. Somebody has to pick us up. When you're out on the floor, players just got step up and make plays and feel good about themselves, and I got to help them do that."
For the second time, forward Mackenzie Mgbako has won Big Ten Freshman of the Week. In games against Nebraska and Penn State last week, he averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Guard Xavier Johnson, who has missed six -traight games with an elbow injury, has resumed light practicing. Woodson says Johnson wants to play, but the coach won't use him unless he's healthy and ready. He says he'll continue talking with team trainer Tim Garl to get a better sense of Johnson's status.
"I know he wants to play in the worst way," Woodson says. "Time is running out on him. I feel for him in that regard.
"I'm going to follow his lead and see how he feels after running around. I don't like playing players when they don't practice and don't have some kind of contact. That's all we can do."
Wisconsin (18-9, 10-6) has struggled since its 91-79 January victory over IU at the Kohl Center. At one point, it lost five of six games, and has lost four straight on the road. It's coming off a 74-70 home victory over Maryland.
In the first meeting, forward Malik Reneau led the Hoosiers with 28 points and eight rebounds. Despite center Kel'el Ware not playing because of an injury, they shot 53.8% from the field, were 17-for-21 from the line and scored 53 second-half points to the Badgers' 52.
Wisconsin is led by guard AJ Storr (16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds), forward Tyler Wahl (11.6, 5.8), forward Steven Crowl (11.2, 7.7), and guard Chucky Hepburn (8.3 points, 56 steals, 100 assists against 32 turnovers).
"We've got to defend," Woodson says. "They scored 91 points; we scored 79 points.
"We shot great from the twos, great from the threes, made our free throws, but they were better in those categories. You're not going to beat anybody in the Big Ten like that.
"Defensively, we've got to come with it to beat them because they're a good offensive team. They play inside out.
"We've got to find some kind of defensive presence. That's what we've been working on. See if that can keep us in the game until we can start making our threes and free throws."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Center
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