Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: UCLA
2/14/2025 11:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. UCLA
Feb. 14, 2025
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. On getting this team through adversity…
WOODSON: It's a tough loss. We executed, but we just didn't finish. I thought, after they missed the one and one, we came back and got a good look, Mack got an offensive rebound, point blank layup, and we don't get it. Then we get a wide open three.
We got exactly what we were looking for on the play, and that's a shot that he normally makes. He just didn't make it.
Q. On Myles Rice…
WOODSON: Again, the play wasn't -- we didn't execute that particular play because that's not the play I drew up in timeout. So that was a botched play, but the ball ended up in his hands. You tell guys, you're in the penalty, you've got to take advantage of your speed or whatever in terms of getting downhill, and he settled.
But that didn't beat us. I look at the five points that we gave up within two possessions, an out of bounds play and then a point blank-straight drive where the guy got hit and he made the bucket. Those were two critical defensive stops that we couldn't come up with and still had a chance to win the game.
Q. On the late-game execution…
WOODSON: I wish I had the answer. I go back to the Northwestern game, the Maryland game, Purdue game, Michigan game -- all winnable games. If you win one or two of them, you're feeling good about yourself when you're in close games. Nine out of ten times, you make the plays that you need to make. The fact that we've lost them, it's been guys are searching.
I'm searching as the coach in terms of trying to get them over the finish line. I'll never put it on the player. I'll take the responsibility. Even though I don't make the shots or miss the defensive assignments, it's still my job to get them over the hump.
Q. On UCLA's defense…
WOODSON: They are a good defensive team. They're one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten, and they get after you. With all of that being said, I still thought we made the plays from a defensive standpoint. We just played so poorly the first half and spotted them 10 points, and they had a lot to do with that.
But I thought we played Indiana basketball the second half and made plays coming down the homestretch, made free throws. They miss two front ends of a one and one that kept us right where we needed to be. Then we get a great look from Mack based on a good executed play on underneath out of bounds, and he just didn't make it.
Q. On the zone defense…
WOODSON: Again, I thought there were times it didn't help -- we just didn't play it right, and they exposed us some early on, and we got away from it. I thought our rotations tonight were off based on how we played at Michigan State.
Two, they have big time shooters around the horn, so you've got to pick and choose when you're playing teams that can shoot the ball from the perimeter when you're zoning up.
Q. On the sting of the losses…
WOODSON: Any loss stings. Any time you lose, it hurts. After coming off the Michigan State game, which was a great game for our young team and the ball club, and then to come in and not finish tonight, it hurts.
We've got a week to put this behind us and get ready for Purdue.
Q. On the upcoming game against Purdue…
WOODSON: Again, we battled our butts off at West Lafayette, and they're sitting at the top of the Big Ten for a reason. We've got a week to work and get ready for them because they're playing well.
We've had our ups and downs, but we've got a week to see where we are and get ready to toss it up next weekend.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
MICK CRONIN | UCLA HEAD COACH
Opening Statement
CRONIN: Well, we make it interesting. We've had this happen to us a couple of times. I'm complaining about free throws, missing the front ends of the one-and-one, and I look down and those are the only three we missed, I think, I know two for sure were the front end. Dylan and Sebastian, I'm not sure if two of Dylan's were. But, you know, they got some kids that I got a lot of respect for. They've been through a lot obviously, with some tough close losses, a brutal schedule for their last eight games, just I mean crazy. Everybody they play is Top-25 in the KenPom. That's tough to do eight times in a row. But Galloway and Goode, you can just see those kids have a lot of character man, so I got a lot of respect for them man. And then obviously with the coaching situation they continue to compete. I think I saw them close on the next four out or something like that. So a lot of respect for their kids continue to fight under the situation. We just uncharacteristically turned the ball over in the second half, we don't do that. So we give them credit, they're at home, they're kids like I said kept fighting, they caused it. We had nine second half turnovers, we don't turn the ball over nine times in the game, we just don't. We turn the ball over six or less times usually here lately, so that almost got us. We finally out-rebounded somebody, we needed to tonight, because we didn't turn them over, but you know they just don't turn the ball over. It's not who they are. They keep it simple and they're pretty strong with the ball.
On what he takes away from the win…
CRONIN: Every game I'm the same, Ben. I know some games, you know, because I'm honest people think I'm miserable or upset, but I go through the same thing every game. We try to win, and we evaluate the film. What do we need to do to get better? Because for us it's about the NCAA Tournament. That's just the way it is. I told you that when I got the job. People thought I was crazy but we're 9-3 in the NCAA Tournament since I got the job. So that's what I told these guys for the last two days, even if we had came back and beat Illinois, it was good practice for us to be down and execute trying to make a comeback for when you're in that situation in March. We did a great job at that, we didn't get the dub but did a great job. Tonight we have to learn how to play with the lead. You can watch film on both of those, when we get home, and you try to learn and grow. But I told the guys, if we keep getting out-rebounded we aren't going anywhere in March. Cause we're eventually going to play somebody like Indiana that just doesn't turn the ball over. So you can't be plus-eight in the turnover margin to make up for the rebounding. And obviously they went to the four guards a lot tonight. Ballo is a load for us.
Indiana vs. UCLA
Feb. 14, 2025
MIKE WOODSON | INDIANA HEAD COACH
Q. On getting this team through adversity…
WOODSON: It's a tough loss. We executed, but we just didn't finish. I thought, after they missed the one and one, we came back and got a good look, Mack got an offensive rebound, point blank layup, and we don't get it. Then we get a wide open three.
We got exactly what we were looking for on the play, and that's a shot that he normally makes. He just didn't make it.
Q. On Myles Rice…
WOODSON: Again, the play wasn't -- we didn't execute that particular play because that's not the play I drew up in timeout. So that was a botched play, but the ball ended up in his hands. You tell guys, you're in the penalty, you've got to take advantage of your speed or whatever in terms of getting downhill, and he settled.
But that didn't beat us. I look at the five points that we gave up within two possessions, an out of bounds play and then a point blank-straight drive where the guy got hit and he made the bucket. Those were two critical defensive stops that we couldn't come up with and still had a chance to win the game.
Q. On the late-game execution…
WOODSON: I wish I had the answer. I go back to the Northwestern game, the Maryland game, Purdue game, Michigan game -- all winnable games. If you win one or two of them, you're feeling good about yourself when you're in close games. Nine out of ten times, you make the plays that you need to make. The fact that we've lost them, it's been guys are searching.
I'm searching as the coach in terms of trying to get them over the finish line. I'll never put it on the player. I'll take the responsibility. Even though I don't make the shots or miss the defensive assignments, it's still my job to get them over the hump.
Q. On UCLA's defense…
WOODSON: They are a good defensive team. They're one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten, and they get after you. With all of that being said, I still thought we made the plays from a defensive standpoint. We just played so poorly the first half and spotted them 10 points, and they had a lot to do with that.
But I thought we played Indiana basketball the second half and made plays coming down the homestretch, made free throws. They miss two front ends of a one and one that kept us right where we needed to be. Then we get a great look from Mack based on a good executed play on underneath out of bounds, and he just didn't make it.
Q. On the zone defense…
WOODSON: Again, I thought there were times it didn't help -- we just didn't play it right, and they exposed us some early on, and we got away from it. I thought our rotations tonight were off based on how we played at Michigan State.
Two, they have big time shooters around the horn, so you've got to pick and choose when you're playing teams that can shoot the ball from the perimeter when you're zoning up.
Q. On the sting of the losses…
WOODSON: Any loss stings. Any time you lose, it hurts. After coming off the Michigan State game, which was a great game for our young team and the ball club, and then to come in and not finish tonight, it hurts.
We've got a week to put this behind us and get ready for Purdue.
Q. On the upcoming game against Purdue…
WOODSON: Again, we battled our butts off at West Lafayette, and they're sitting at the top of the Big Ten for a reason. We've got a week to work and get ready for them because they're playing well.
We've had our ups and downs, but we've got a week to see where we are and get ready to toss it up next weekend.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
MICK CRONIN | UCLA HEAD COACH
Opening Statement
CRONIN: Well, we make it interesting. We've had this happen to us a couple of times. I'm complaining about free throws, missing the front ends of the one-and-one, and I look down and those are the only three we missed, I think, I know two for sure were the front end. Dylan and Sebastian, I'm not sure if two of Dylan's were. But, you know, they got some kids that I got a lot of respect for. They've been through a lot obviously, with some tough close losses, a brutal schedule for their last eight games, just I mean crazy. Everybody they play is Top-25 in the KenPom. That's tough to do eight times in a row. But Galloway and Goode, you can just see those kids have a lot of character man, so I got a lot of respect for them man. And then obviously with the coaching situation they continue to compete. I think I saw them close on the next four out or something like that. So a lot of respect for their kids continue to fight under the situation. We just uncharacteristically turned the ball over in the second half, we don't do that. So we give them credit, they're at home, they're kids like I said kept fighting, they caused it. We had nine second half turnovers, we don't turn the ball over nine times in the game, we just don't. We turn the ball over six or less times usually here lately, so that almost got us. We finally out-rebounded somebody, we needed to tonight, because we didn't turn them over, but you know they just don't turn the ball over. It's not who they are. They keep it simple and they're pretty strong with the ball.
On what he takes away from the win…
CRONIN: Every game I'm the same, Ben. I know some games, you know, because I'm honest people think I'm miserable or upset, but I go through the same thing every game. We try to win, and we evaluate the film. What do we need to do to get better? Because for us it's about the NCAA Tournament. That's just the way it is. I told you that when I got the job. People thought I was crazy but we're 9-3 in the NCAA Tournament since I got the job. So that's what I told these guys for the last two days, even if we had came back and beat Illinois, it was good practice for us to be down and execute trying to make a comeback for when you're in that situation in March. We did a great job at that, we didn't get the dub but did a great job. Tonight we have to learn how to play with the lead. You can watch film on both of those, when we get home, and you try to learn and grow. But I told the guys, if we keep getting out-rebounded we aren't going anywhere in March. Cause we're eventually going to play somebody like Indiana that just doesn't turn the ball over. So you can't be plus-eight in the turnover margin to make up for the rebounding. And obviously they went to the four guards a lot tonight. Ballo is a load for us.
Players Mentioned
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