INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 6, 2021

Rob Phinisee

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Race Thompson

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. (Question about the six new guys.)

ROB PHINISEE: X, super quick with the ball, super crafty. He can really pass. He's actually a really good defender, too. Him bringing his leadership and him being from Pitt, experienced, he's really going to help our team.

Then scoop, Tamar Bates, he's a really talented freshman. Comes in, works hard every day. Always brings energy. He's really going to be a good piece for us.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Miller, seen him at Northwestern. He makes a lot of shots. He's a team guy. He's in the locker room always being funny on social media and doing stuff of that nature. Just another energy-bringer in the locker room.

Then Logan, he just got in here. He's really raw but he's going to be a really good player for us. He's playing really well. He's learning really fast. I'm just curious to see what his development is looking like. Right now it's looking really, really good.

RACE THOMPSON: Michael Durr, he's like a really good, big body we needed. Got a lot of post moves, strong defender. He can make shots outside, too. I'm excited to play with him, really let you guys see what he can do.

Q. Rob, coach mentioned basically he said like you've changed your game a lot this summer. Do you think that's true? How do you think you've changed your game? How do you think confidence has helped? You were reading the book the 'Intentional Mindset'. How has that changed the way you look at the game?

ROB PHINISEE: Really I feel like Coach Woodson, just his style of play is a lot different. It's a lot more spread out, so I feel like I'm to do more within the offense and create for others.

Like you said, that book really is a thing that helps me with my mindset every day. I really take it day by day. Just waking up in the morning, really setting your goals out to win each day.

Q. Having worked with Coach Woodson over the last month or two, how would you describe his coaching style? What do you like about it, the advantage that he brings?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Coach Woodson, from the moment he got here really just brought like the family aspect. That's the big thing with him, he's a family guy. He's a player's coach.

So him coming out the first day and telling us how things are going to be, how it's going to be a family atmosphere, how you can go to him for anything, I think that was the biggest element for all of us.

Then just being on the court with him for the last two, three months, he gives you confidence. He wants you to be the best player you can be. He has a vision for each and every one of us on this team. He loves all of us. We break it down with family every day.

I think he truly means that.

Q. Trayce, Coach Woodson mentioned you made a little bit of a leap even this off-season in terms of your game, looked like you were the best offensive player out there. What have you worked on in the spring and summer? How do you think that's going to carry over?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: I think the biggest thing I worked on this summer from last summer is definitely my conditioning. I felt like last summer I wasn't in the best shape I could be like my freshman year. I thought my freshman year I was in shape for the most part. But this year I've gotten a lot better.

Then just being able to space the floor out a little bit more because our offense is going to be mostly position-less basketball. Just being able to just make plays for my teammates and be able to hit open shots is really big for me this coming season.

Q. Trayce and Race, the offense this year is much more free flowing, a lot less structure. What has that done to both of your games? How is this offense feeling as far as flowing differently now that you've improved your games?

RACE THOMPSON: Like Rob said earlier, it's a lot more spaced out, a lot more free flowing. I'm able to get a rebound, push it up the court, initiate the offense. Just like one through five can do that.

Having that really opens up people's games. Really you get to see every aspect of everybody's game, strength, weakness, everything.

I think that's helped a lot. A lot more just being able to do what you want to do on the floor.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, basically agree with what Race is saying. It really helps, like, with our games and all that. Then at the same time it's also, like, being able to show what we can do. It's less structure, more free flowing. We have to make plays, everyone is a play-maker on the floor. That's big for us, just being able to showcase that.

Q. Trayce, coach mentioned that Michael Durr has helped you in practice going up against that size every day. Could you talk a little bit about the value you're getting from that.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Most definitely. With Mike, he's a really, really big body. He also just brings a lot of physicality. He's a Big Ten big. Playing against him I've noticed that from the get-go. He's able to space the floor, so I get to work on my defense as well.

He is a really great player. He is going to help us a lot this year. Playing against him, being able to work on my moves. Playing against someone that's an actual seven-footer, not being able to have that last year, I really have to work on my jump hooks, all that stuff, getting the ball up, touch around the rim, not being able to just force things up. I think it's been really good for both of us honestly.

Q. Rob, Coach Woodson talked about your improvement, mentioned improved confidence. Has that been a little bit of a reset for you? Speak to what you think he's referring to.

ROB PHINISEE: Really I feel like obviously last year I didn't have the season I wanted to. I feel like a lot of people counted me out, forgot about how good I was, I feel like.

Just being able to be confident, having the open floor, being able to play my game, really just show my talents like I did earlier in my career.

I feel like I have improved my jump shot. Just getting to the basket and finishing over guys, I feel like I've done that, too.

New coaching staff and everything, new offense, just instilled the confidence for me, helped me to continue to be a leader, continue to get better each day.

Q. Woodson is installing what he described as four-out, one-in offensively. What does that look like? Four practices in, it's early, but what does that look like? How do you think the offense is actually going to function differently this year? Do you think it will be more productive and keep you from some of those scoring droughts that were problems last year?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Our four-out, one-in offense, it's basically four-out, one-in, but at the same time it's not. I can start on the block, set an up screen for Rob, play out on the perimeter and such. Race can do the same thing. Me and Race are interchangeable at the four and five. Means basically one through five are playing all places on the floor.

There's a lot of different types of cuts, dribble handoff actions, back-cuts on the backside, the backdoor. It's just really playing free-flowing basketball, just taking what the defense gives you basically.

ROB PHINISEE: Yeah, like he said, there's not really any set positions. Anybody can be in any position and create from anywhere. I feel like in the past it wasn't like that so guys, like Race said, showcase all their talents and abilities.

I feel like on the offensive end, super free-flowing. There's no, like, system to it. Guys are just creating and being creative.

I feel like guys are going to do well in it.

Q. Trayce, how do you feel about just taking a trip to The Bahamas and playing somebody else, kind of seeing where you're at after a couple games with the a team there that's got pretty good talent?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Most definitely. Going to The Bahamas, being able to get away with my teammates, that's going to be good because we've been going at it the last three months. It's been a long summer. Playing against another good team in Serbia. They're going to bring a challenge for us. It's really going to test ourselves to see where we are, what we need to work at, what we're good at.

I think it's going to be good for us, so... I just can't wait to get out there and play, honestly.

Q. Rob, you talk about just feeling more confident. What is the effect of having Xavier Johnson? How has going up against him or playing with him changed your game? Do you think you can both play on the floor at the same time?

ROB PHINISEE: Yeah, I feel like bringing him in is really good for the team. I feel like it's going to push both of us. Just being able to guard him at practice, he's super dynamic, super quick. I feel like there's not a lot of Big Ten guards like him once we get to playing.

Yeah, pretty much that's it.

Q. Trayce, earlier you talked about Michael Durr, how he's helped you. Is he someone that you can see being I don't want to say an impact player, but contributing to this team this year immediately? How have you benefited him?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Most definitely. Mike I think is going to be an impact player for us. Shoots the ball really well from everywhere on the court. He's a good free-throw shooter. He knows how to get fouls, he knows where to pick his spots on the floor. He has a go-to move in the post. He's complete, all-around player. I think he's going to be really good for us. Defensively, too, seven-foot wingspan. That's going to really help us a lot as well. Mike, he's going to help us a lot this year.

Q. Race, as a guy that's been around for a while, what does this trip do for the team, especially those extra practices? Where do you think you've advanced the most since last season?

RACE THOMPSON: A trip like this to The Bahamas is good team chemistry. Just being able to spend time and the coaches away from IU I think will be good for everybody to get to know each other a little bit better because we still need to do that.

Then this year for me, Coach Woodson has really put his trust in me, really wants me to be really aggressive, just do what I have been doing and more I guess.

So I'm just really excited. Excited to play for Coach Woodson, be able to showcase what everybody has been working on.