“Inside Indiana Basketball with Mike Woodson” returned Monday evening for its first episode of the 2024-25 season. Woodson sat down with the voice of the Hoosiers, Don Fischer, at Hoosier Hank’s in Bloomington.
Right here’s a recap of what Woodson needed to say on this week’s episode of Inside Indiana Basketball:
• Woodson advised Fischer he was “actually happy” with Indiana’s efficiency on Sunday afternoon at Tennessee.
• Woodson mentioned he all the time tells his group that “protection has gotta be there” once you play on the street. “It’s gotta be there each evening, however on the street particularly as a way to keep in a ball recreation and provides your self an opportunity down the stretch to win.”
• Woodson: “I feel the largest shot of the evening was Malik’s 3 that he hit on the prime of the important thing. As soon as he made that shot, we by no means appeared again.”
• Woodson mentioned he believes that the sport will assist IU shifting ahead. “They pushed us to the restrict. And we didn’t have some key items.” Woodson mentioned Bryson Tucker and Trey Galloway are each items to the puzzle for Indiana.
• Woodson mentioned that Jakai Newton has scrimmaged a few occasions and has performed extraordinarily nicely. However he mentioned IU can’t appear to maintain Newton wholesome to the place he can observe day-after-day. “The occasions he’s been on the market, it’s been some shiny spots.”
• Woodson mentioned Newton has overcome a hamstring harm, however it’s “primarily nonetheless the knee” that’s bothering him. “We’ve been cautious with him and Galloway each. We’ve been attempting to sluggish stroll them again.”
• Trey Galloway practiced at present (Monday) and Woodson is hopeful he will probably be in uniform for Friday’s exhibition in opposition to Marian College at Meeting Corridor.
• Woodson mentioned IU was “actually good” defensively in opposition to Tennessee. He added that Malik Reneau “stood out” within the exhibition win. “Malik made a significant soar final yr from his freshman yr. So that you gotta count on him to make one other soar this yr together with Mackenzie (Mgbako) as nicely. He made a helluva soar as a freshman.”
• Woodson added that Ballo will probably be a “double-double” man for the Hoosiers. He mentioned he noticed what he anticipated out of Ballo. “I’m asking him to zone up and block photographs and issues of that nature. Which bigs ought to be capable of try this.”
• Woodson famous that he has to get Kanaan Carlyle “extra comfy” and that Myles Rice was nearly as good as everybody anticipated him to be on Sunday. “We need to play in a different way this yr when it comes to enjoying sooner. In doing that, you sort of open your self up for turnovers, which we had 10 the primary half, however we had three the second half. In order that’s promising when it comes to how we actually need to play.”
• Woodson mentioned he isn’t positive who will play all the minutes and he has to get a “consolation stage” for the roster to find out that.
• Woodson mentioned that the Hoosiers have been taking pictures the ball nicely in all the scrimmages IU has charted. “We’ve been taking pictures 37 p.c (on 3s). Tennessee will power you to overlook photographs primarily based on how they play.” Woodson mentioned IU put up between 27 and 30 3s in every of its prior scrimmages. He additionally talked about that IU had eight wide-open 3s it missed in opposition to Tennessee.
• Woodson mentioned that “popping out of the field on Sunday, no person was comfy.” He mentioned that had a lot to do with how each groups defended.
• Woodson on Myles Rice: “He’s studying. He’s a great younger man that’s keen to simply accept teaching. We’ve been difficult him. That place is a tricky place. It truly is as a result of everyone is crying for the basketball offensively.”
• Extra on Rice: “I assumed final evening, he picked his spots when it comes to how he needed to go rating the basketball. He did a terrific job of getting downhill and ending on the rim. He hit a number of jumpshots that had been big coming down the stretch. I like all the things about Myles as a result of he’s very coachable and he’s keen to be taught and get higher.”
• Woodson on Carlyle: “I feel he’s nonetheless looking for himself. He’s simply kinda choosing his spot. I simply gotta get him extra comfy. He had a great ground recreation final evening. He defended his butt off. On the finish of the day, he’s able to having massive nights. I simply gotta get him comfy when it comes to his position and what’s anticipated of him as a result of he can actually defend the ball and he’s able to placing the ball within the bucket as nicely.”
• Woodson on Gabe Cupps: “I feel his ground recreation, his general recreation is best now.” Additionally on Cuppps: “I feel he spent this summer season watching plenty of movie.”
• Woodson on Friday’s exhibition in opposition to Marian College and Pat Knight: “It’s particular. Pat was with the Pacers and Steve Downing, the AD at Marian, gave Pat a possibility to return in and coach. That claims lots about our Hoosier household. We’ve caught collectively all these years.”
• Woodson mentioned Anthony Leal and Kanaan Carlyle obtained damage “a little bit bit” in opposition to Tennessee. He talked about Carlyle sat out of shape at present.
• Woodson on Malik Reneau: “He has gotten higher. Generally it’d take a yr or two to determine it out mentally when it comes to your method to the sport. He’s consuming proper and actually caring for his physique now. That’s the important thing to longevity on this sport. I’m pleased with him.”
• Woodson factors out that Luke Goode has “been within the trenches and is aware of what it takes.” Woodson mentioned IU expects Goode to guide and “put the ball within the gap.”
Filed to: Mike Woodson
