“Inside Indiana Basketball with Mike Woodson” had its fourth edition of the 2024-25 season Monday night. Woodson and Don Fischer spoke at Hoosier Hank’s in Bloomington.
Here’s what Woodson had to say after starting 1-1 in Big Ten play, most recently a 17-point drubbing to Nebraska last Friday:
• Woodson said he was very pleased with the team’s performance against Minnesota, particularly noting impressive showings from the bench and the defense throughout the contest. “For 40 minutes we competed… the second half we just stretched out and did everything we needed to do to secure the win. It was truly a total team effort,” he said.
• Against Nebraska, Woodson highlighted an inability to knock down open shots. “We couldn’t make shots coming down the stretch, which just hasn’t happened to our team very often. Especially, we had good shots that we couldn’t make.”
• Woodson was pleased with the defensive performance despite the loss, saying it was “pretty good” despite some lapses and that Nebraska made tough, contested shots.
• Woodson said IU charted 24 of its 35 3-point attempts versus Nebraska as “really open” and they just didn’t fall but is pleased with the ability to create open looks and will “take his chances.”
• After Fischer pointed out a combined three points between Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau in the second half, Woodson said they did the “right thing” by sacrificing the ball to pass out of double teams. “Nebraska chose to take those guys out and not let them play and they benefitted from it.”
• Woodson said Myles Rice “helped us make the run to get back” when he scored 13 consecutive points in the second half, but he could have taken a better shot the next possession shortly before Nebraska started its game-ending run.
• Woodson on Bryson Tucker against Minnesota: “I thought he came off the bench and did a hell of a job.”
• Woodson on Mackenzie Mgbako against the Cornhuskers: “We’ve got to have him on the floor. He came out trying to be too aggressive… that’s something that we saw early in his freshman year. We’ve got to get him back going because he’s a big piece to what we’re doing.”
// More content for each point made by Woodson…
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