Postgame Quotes: Purdue

Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. No. 13/14 Purdue
Feb. 23, 2025

MIKE WOODSON | HEAD COACH
Q. On the second half effort by his team…
WOODSON: It's a great second half. I mean, I didn't play very many people off the bench. I kind of rolled the seniors. We've been in a lot of close games over the last month and a half, and I just haven't been able to get over the hump. Tonight they refused to lose.

I thought the second half, we did everything from a defensive standpoint that we worked on these days that we had to practice. It was a nice carry over. We couldn't make a shot the first half. I thought we got some decent looks. We just couldn't make them, and they made shots.

I thought the second half, our defense really picked it up and we were able to get stops and we started to make shots.

Q. On the shuffled lineup…
WOODSON: In the long run, you know, we can't play those guys those many minutes. The rest of the way, still going to need guys to contribute off the bench. So you know, I'm not throwing in the towel on any of our players. I mean, I'm a big believer in guys, that's what you do when you get in the game and you make the most of it. Put us in the best position possible to win.

You know, it was seniors that carried us tonight and I refuse to change up anything much throughout the course of the second half. You know, they will be back in there and Mac will get an opportunity to possibly be back in there, as well.

Q. On the postgame moment when rallied around him…
WOODSON: This is my fourth year here. Gallo and Malik, who have been around me the longest, and they know truly what I'm about. The new guys have had a tough, probably, time figuring me out, and we've still got a lot of basketball still left to try to figure each other out.

You know, but it was special, I mean, any time your players rally around you, because I do love them, and I'm sure they love me, as well.

Q. On Anthony Leal's effort on defense…
WOODSON: You know, he's been huge. I mean, you expect that. Anthony has been around me awhile, and he's gone through a lot with me. We didn't play him a whole lot because I just didn't play him. But he never quit working, and that's a testament to him in terms of how he approaches the game and now he's getting an opportunity to play and he's making the most of it. You expect that from seniors. I mean, I wouldn't expect anything less.

So it's a good showing tonight, how we played in the second half. So I'm happy as hell.

Q. On Myles Rice defensive effort on Braden Smith…
WOODSON: I thought Myles' defense tonight was the best he's played since he's been here. You know, we had a few bodies, you know, guarding Smith. You can't just play that young man with one guy. He's really that good.

You know, Gallo had him some. Anthony had him some. But I thought Myles did a tremendous job in guarding him because he's a tough guard. I mean, when things break down, the ball gets back up into his hand and he's able to make plays with the basketball. I thought we did a good job with him tonight.

Q. On the post defense in the second half…
WOODSON: Yeah, their main two guys, along with Loyer, does not take anything away from the supporting cast. You know, they beat us up at West Lafayette. It was those three that got us. And you know, I just felt if we could cut one, maybe two, you know, put ourselves in a better position in the ballgame, we were fortunate enough to cut both of them, which a lot of teams don't do that.

Q. On the trio of Indiana kids and their performance in the second half…
WOODSON: It was tremendous. Like I said earlier, you know, they are seniors. This is their last go. They won't get another shot at Purdue unless it's in tournament play. Since we've been here, I believe the series now is 4-4. So that's something to smile about. Matt Painter is a hell of a coach, and he's had some nice players around his program that's helped him win a lot of games.

So this was a big win for our program.

Q. On winning his last Indiana-Purdue game as the head coach…
WOODSON: It's always special when you beat Purdue. You know, we had battles when I played here for Coach Knight. You know what I mean, I've had a history and a lot of experience dealing with Purdue over the years. The games are always tough, you know what I mean, regardless of how much talent each team has. Who has the most talent in those particular games are always pretty tough, and we always battled the first half and they were the better team the first half and the second half --

Q. On sitting in Coach Knight's chair on the bench and if it was a meaningful decision on the 40th anniversary of that…
WOODSON: You realize that is "the chair." I've had it a while. A lot of people say they have the chair -- (inaudible) -- tennis coach here, many years ago, he was the only one thinking out of the box that night when Knight threw that chair. That morning, he got up and he came to Assembly Hall and he got the chair and he got Sam Bell and Coach Knight and all to sign off on it, took pictures with it. Good friend of mine. His wife was Scott's daughter, and he passed away about a year ago. All the documentation, I happened to get my hands on it -- that's why it was special to have it here tonight. I wasn't going to throw the chair but I did want to sit in it.

Q. On Malik Reneau's game…
WOODSON: We have to keep him on the floor here and there. You get it, he had four fouls, I believe, coming down the stretch, but we were able to mix him and then give him some rest and get him back in there.

But Malik's been a solid player for us. Today, that's pretty special -- playing college basketball. Gentleman help but think if he continues to work and stay healthy, you know, he'll continue to do some wonderful things in college basketball.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

TREY GALLOWAY | SENIOR GUARD & MALIK RENEAU| JUNIOR FORWARD
Q. On the mindset coming out of halftime…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, we had a pretty good break there with games offer to kind of let our bodies recover. Obviously we really competed this week and got after each other because we're not satisfied with where we are at right now.

But I really like how we responded in the second half because that's what we've been doing all year is just fighting. We've been in these games and we've been in big-time games where we haven't closed them out. But we've continued to keep fighting and that's all you can ask for, and it's going to pay off. Just got to keep the momentum and keep moving forward.

Q. On Malik Reneau's effort…
GALLOWAY: He was great. And I think just him just being patient, because he knows he demands a double because of how good and how skilled he is. So by opening things up for himself and making the right reads out of the double, and he did that all night. We knew by watching film and prepping all week that he was going to get a double.

Like I said, nobody can guard him one-on-one. Just having that mindset of the willingness to pass shows the kind of teammate he is, and it's pretty special to see that. It's going to continue to happen. For us to continue to win, he's got to continue to do that for us and be big all the rest of the year.

Q. On playing all 20 minutes in the second half…
GALLOWAY: I think it really all started with Myles and his ball pressure. Obviously, Braden (Smith), when he's comfortable, he's one of the best in the country. So you've got to make it tough on him and he really good a great job of that by setting the tone in the second half.

We kind of followed his lead on that. I think just the intensity we had to get ourselves back into it, because I mean, that thing could have gone two ways. We were down 12. Just the little plays that Myles made and Anthony made early on in the half just defensively pushed us to get that start that we wanted.

Q. On if the rivalry was talked about before the game…
GALLOWAY: For sure. We know how much it means to Coach but it means a lot to all of us. It means so much to the state of Indiana. Everybody from Indiana knows about the rivalry and it's a blessing to be a part of it. I'm just happy that we had the chance to go out there and compete and have an amazing atmosphere and great crowd today.

I think it's just really cool to see that and be a part of it and for Coach to have a win at home against Purdue because he's been a part of it, too. And it's not just him; it's everybody who is a part of it. It's special.

Q. On the special moment with Mike Woodson after the game…
GALLOWAY: I thought it was great. I mean, we're a family, and we've been a family since we all got together in June, and through highs and lows, you've got to find ways to continue to stick together. That's one thing we've really tried to preach this last week, even with what we've been going through and the tough losses, we still have a chance to compete and make the tournament.

So our focus is just rallying around each other and really sticking together through thick and thin.
Q. On the message from coach before the game and at halftime…
RENEAU: I'd say the message was the way -- from the meeting last week, Monday, we knew coming in that this was a must-win game. Everybody had that feeling, and was ready to go for the game.

I mean, when we got down and we were at halftime, it was the same thing. Just go out there and put your all out on the floor and let's see the results, and it came out our way. So congrats to my teammates and me.

Q. On protecting the home court even after some tough losses earlier in the season…
RENEAU: Yeah, we had some tough losses at home but we bounced back bigger and better today, and just having the crowd behind us, when we started making our run, that felt good. I just do it for my teammates and Coach. That's all I can say.

Q. On the motivation for the team down the stretch…
GALLOWAY: Like I said earlier, we're all playing for each other because we're all in it together. And obviously this is Coach's last year, and we want to make it special for him. We want to make it special for everyone.

This team was assembled for a reason, and we have a chance to really keep competing down the stretch to win games and put ourselves in the right position.

So I wouldn't say just for him but like I said, it's a collective unit and it's all together, and we're trying to do it for each other, including Coach and the rest of the coaching staff and all the players, and everybody.

Q. On the three Indiana guys effort in the second half…
GALLOWAY: Yeah, it means a lot. For me, I grew up around the rivalry, and it's an important game.

But I think just keeping my body ready and knowing that I've got to be prepared to play whenever Coach needs me to play, whatever minutes he needs me to play.

Just continue to get better every day and practice and keep building good habits for us to be successful, and we've got to continue to get better as the season goes on.

Q. On the focus going into a matchup with Penn State on Wednesday…
RENEAU: Having two great practices Monday and Tuesday and going into the game Wednesday.

Q. On becoming the 55th player at Indiana to score 1,000 points…
RENEAU: It's super special. Thank the Lord. I don't know, it's just a big moment for me. That's all I can say pretty much. It's a special moment from me.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

MATT PAINTER| PURDUE HEAD COACH
Q. On the start to the second half…
PAINTER: Just a total lack of concentration, more than anything on our end. On that first play, we made (Indiana) miss, defensively, and they get an offensive rebound. They end up getting a three off of that, and then we just start turning the basketball over. We just played one half of basketball where their pressure didn't bother us at all. Purdue beat Purdue. You have to be able to execute and get good shots, even if you miss them.

You have to be able to get quality shots to set your defense, and you can't play in transition. (Indiana) didn't get many offensive rebounds, but to be able to get 44 points in the paint and score 23 points off of turnovers just killed us. We put ourselves in a great position, just to let it go away.

Q. On the lack of composure…
PAINTER: That's what's frustrating because we have been able to show poise, we've been able to have composure, especially getting on the road. Not always. I think it affects everybody at some point. To say we lost our composure is an understatement. We started dribbling into things we shouldn't, our ball movement wasn't good, but we have to do a better job.

To a man, we have to do a better job of concentrating and executing. Whatever we call and whatever we run, there is a purpose to it. It's not a free-for-all. What (Indiana) was doing to Trey Kaufman-Renn and how they were doing it is a pretty simple read. It's not a hard read. They are not going to let you get in (the paint and score). You pass the basketball, and someone else is going to shoot it. What we were doing to go against it to get open looks, he just had to make simple, fundamental plays.

We didn't make that, and we didn't get good point guard play. We turned the basketball over and we just have to have better leadership in those areas. Make simple plays, move the basketball, if they want to take something away you take whatever they give you. It's not a hard game. When you are the most talented team in the country, it doesn't matter sometimes what other people do. But when you're like the rest of us, the 98% of the teams, there is execution involved.

You have to be able to pass and catch. If they want to double the post, or they want to guard a ball screen a certain way, there's ways to go at it. I could write a dissertation on how to attack a post double. We have had some pretty good big guys. We have a pretty good feel for how to do that. Now, every coach in America could write a dissertation on how to attack ball screen actions. No matter what they do, just make the right reads, be fundamentally sound, move the basketball, trust your teammates, and play the game. Obviously, we didn't do that in the second half.

Indiana University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Anthony Leal

Malik Reneau

Myles Rice

Related Videos