Indiana coach Mike Woodson joined the CBS Sports activities Eye of Faculty Basketball podcast from Huge Ten media day in Chicago.
The podcast was additionally launched in video format, which you’ll be able to watch right here. We’ve additionally transcribed every thing Woodson stated, which is out there under:
On how sick he’s about being requested about how good the crew’s 3-point capturing goes to be:
“It’s all the time a priority. However let me make it clear. I’m not dumbfounded to capturing 3s. I imply in case you return to my Knick crew, we led the league in 3s taken and made and was third in discipline aim share. And we had been placing up 30 at the moment and the NBA now’s placing up 40 to 45.
“So the sport has modified. However you’ve gotta have gamers that may make them, too. And I believe we’ve struggled in that space over time that I’ve been right here. We simply haven’t had sufficient guys to have the ability to take that many, however I believe the truth that we’ve gone out into the portal this summer time and revamped our complete crew, we’ve put ourselves in a special place now that possibly I can please some folks about making 3s and capturing them.”
On what it’s prefer to reside day-to-day in command of the IU program:
“It’s been my complete life. You concentrate on it, I imply I grew up in Indianapolis watching Indiana College basketball, Purdue basketball, Notre Dame basketball, Indiana State, Butler, I imply it goes on for days, the basketball a part of it. However there’s nothing like Indiana basketball. Expectations are all the time excessive. It was that means once I performed for Coach (Bob) Knight and it hasn’t modified.
“Our fanbase might be among the best fanbases in all of sports activities. So, I don’t take that very flippantly. I knew taking the job there was loads of work that got here behind it. After I took over, they hadn’t made the (NCAA) match in, I believe, six years and we had been capable of get them within the first two years and we had some slippage final 12 months, which is unacceptable, I believe. I take full accountability of that. In order that’s why we needed to exit and retool and revamp our crew this summer time to place ourselves in one of the best place potential shifting ahead this season.”
On why this system took an surprising step again in 12 months three:
“Effectively once more, I don’t name it an enormous step again. We didn’t make the match. We gained 19 video games and I don’t actually like speaking about it however you’re not going to win loads of school basketball video games with out your place to begin guard who solely performed half the season, Xavier Johnson.
“However once more, followers and the media shops, they don’t need to hear that. They need you to win and I get that. However I’m a realist relating to basketball. I take accountability of us not making the match. That’s on me and that’s why after the season I had a protracted speak with the entire gamers that I used to be going to exit and revamp our crew and ensure we put ourselves, this season, in one of the best place potential to win basketball video games.”
On what he put priorities on when recruiting from the switch portal:
“We sat down and we put one of the best group of gamers that Mike Woodson appreciated, together with the employees, and we watched movie. And as soon as we got here up with the gamers that we appreciated that we thought match what we had been attempting to get achieved… that means we wanted frontcourt gamers, which, you realize, we received caught, we put Gabe Cupps in a foul place final 12 months simply having one different level guard in Xavier Johnson. We transformed Gallo (Trey Galloway) final 12 months and he made an enormous bounce from simply an off-guard to dealing with the basketball and making basketball performs for us. So we knew we needed to tackle that.
“And we did with Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle after which getting Bryson Tucker. We needed to tackle some capturing. Getting Luke Goode has been an incredible aid. We haven’t performed any video games however he’s been every thing that I believed he could be. Myles and Kanaan can each make the lengthy ball. Tucker’s proven he can shoot the lengthy ball. And we already had Mackenzie (Mgbako) who shot it fairly nicely. And we get Gallo again to kind how he shot it two years in the past at a 40 % clip, I believe we tackle the entire capturing half. We needed to get higher from our perimeter standpoint, particularly out entrance. I believe we addressed these points.”
On why he’s unsure about how a lot Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau will play collectively:
“Effectively proper now we’re nonetheless tinkering with completely different lineups. I do know I can play two bigs collectively. I’ve carried out that previously. Race Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Malik and (Kel’el) Ware. I do know that I can try this. I do know Ballo and Malik can co-exist unquestionably. I’m attempting to interrupt it up and do one thing a bit of bit completely different. That’s form of how I performed in New York a bit of bit. Malik, I do know, can play some 5. We received LT (Langdon Hatton) who can even play 5 for us. So I actually received a 3 massive man rotation if I want to make use of that.
“So I received other ways to go however I’m nonetheless in tinkering mode attempting to determine it out. This summer time I didn’t experiment with that a lot as a result of I wished these guys to kinda develop collectively and simply kinda get to know one another on the ground. And it’s been a pleasant transition now over into official follow to the purpose now I can, you realize, combine and match and we’ve been doing that a bit of bit which is kinda good.”
On how a lot of his playbook attracts upon his time within the skilled ranks versus how a lot has been stuff he’s introduced in or discovered from different school coaches:
“I’ve modified lots over time. My coaches assume I’m form of like a mad scientist, they name me, as a result of I’m all the time looking for methods from an offensive standpoint to attain the basketball. There are issues that I introduced from the NBA, there are issues that I’ve taken from school and simply form of flipped it and twisted it a bit of bit to form of match my personnel that we’ve got.
“However I’m all the time trying to make modifications. The three-point deal has all the time been on my thoughts as a result of I’ve been there and I’ve carried out that. However I’d be silly with Trayce Jackson-Davis and that crew to jack up 30 3s once you’re not making them. And also you don’t have the personnel to make them. To me, it’s a wasted possession once I can in all probability punch it inside or run a pick-and-roll and get a dunk or one thing for Trayce. I’ve modified, I’ll change some this 12 months based mostly on personnel however loads of it’s personnel-driven as nicely, too, by way of type of play and the issues that you just do. I believe I can do loads of issues with this crew based mostly on what I’ve.”
On if he feels he has one of the best crew within the Huge Ten:
“I don’t know. I don’t know. As a result of I’d by no means say that we’ve got one of the best crew. You’ve nonetheless gotta play the video games. You guys, you are expecting who’s going to win the Huge Ten and who may probably win the nationwide title. I don’t know the way you try this however you continue to gotta play the video games. And once I have a look at the 18 groups which might be within the Huge Ten, they’re all nicely coached, the expertise degree is off the charts. You gotta be in your A-game every evening you step out on the ground to win at a excessive degree so it’s large open.”
On the stress of the IU job and expectations:
“Effectively once more, I don’t actually concern myself with the media that a lot. Even the fanbase, there are some followers that really just like the course of the place we’re going. It’s solely 4 years that I’ve been in. They hadn’t made the match within the six earlier years and we lastly received them into the match. It ain’t nearly making the match, it’s about profitable Huge Ten titles and nationwide titles. And that’s the one motive why I got here again.
“So expectations are excessive and it needs to be that means. I’m good with that. I can’t fear about, you realize, I respect our followers, I respect the media, you realize and we attempt to do one of the best we will from a training standpoint however we’re nonetheless early on this. I don’t need no one to panic. You’re simply 4 years in and we’ve nonetheless received a protracted option to go and we’re going to maintain pushing our guys to get higher and I believe we’ve made a pleasant run within the portal, now we’ve gotta put all of it collectively and make it work on the court docket.”
Filed to: Mike Woodson
