INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 9, 2021

Xavier Johnson

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Postgame Media Conference

Indiana - 68, Eastern Michigan - 62

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Trayce Jackson-Davis Xavier Johnson.

Q. Trayce, it's early, but are there things that you kind of connect the disconnect to -- offense/defense in the second half or you just couldn't quite get some things come into place on both ends of the floor?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: I really think it was just big big -- Farrakhan, down the stretch, started hitting shots and sometimes a player gets hot. We were up by 20 with about 12, 10 minutes left. We just didn't step on their throats when we should have.

Just simple things we've got to fix, like just switching and stuff of that nature. But it's just good to get a dub. First dub, so we'll take it.

Q. Xavier, one of the big questions coming in was shooting the 3. Do you feel like tonight's an aberration or do you look for 4-for-24 and go, hey, man, we've still got work to do in that area?

XAVIER JOHNSON: We've still got work to do. I ain't going to lie. Our last practice on Sunday, our last scrimmage, that little set up, we shot the same percentage, 4-for-24. Coach said you've got to get in the gym. And that's what we're going to do, keep grinding and get back in the gym tomorrow.

Q. Trayce, you talked about yesterday how you were in the best shape of your life. Got a double-double tonight. Is that something you can see yourself doing night in and night out this season?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, that's one of the biggest thing that Woody told me coming in, Coach Woodson. He said I'll have to be one of the leaders on the team, bring it every night because if I don't bring it we're not going to go.

I'm going to take that do what I can but I felt like I played pretty good. Missed some free throws but at the same time they're not always going to fall.

But I think I played the whole second half. So that's just another thing with my conditioning just be able to stay on the floor because my team needs me.

Q. Xavier, I think Farrakhan had zero points in the first half and then 18 or so in the second half. What do you feel the difference was between the first half and second half? Was he doing something different or was it the way you guys were guarding him?

XAVIER JOHNSON: I mean, I think he shot 5-for-21. He just heated up. You take 21 shots I hope you're gonna make one. That's what he did.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about the atmosphere tonight of playing in front of people again? And also what it was like to give Coach Woodson his first victory at IU for him?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Most definitely, just having the fans back. I know dang near more than half of our team has never experienced an Assembly Hall crowd. So, just being able to be in front of people in front of fans again, it really helped us and I think they got them out of their rhythm, too, in certain stages of the game, like when we needed a bucket or stop they started getting loud. It's something that's going to help us and they're our 6 man. So, thank you, to the fans, honestly.

Q. Trayce, Farrakhan cuts it to one, and then you really demanded the ball with two minutes to go. Was that something you should have done earlier? And you found Race twice in a row there.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Most definitely. I think in the first half I was a little bit stagnant, letting it come to me and not just trying to take over.

I feel like in the second half, from the get-go, Coach Woody and Coach Hun in the locker room told me, you need to get it rolling. That's what I did. Especially down the stretch I was looking for my teammates or get an easy buckets. I saw Race twice, and he did what he had to do to get the necessary shots to score.

Q. Trayce, that one play where you had the block on one end, sprinted down and then had the dunk, is that sort of a good symbol for that extra conditioning and the extra work you've put in to do something on both ends to get down on the floor beat a couple guys down?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: Most definitely. That's a big thing. Those are called energy plays for our team. Especially when you're at home just getting the block and seeing X run and I know he's going to throw it up to me if I get open.

Sprinting the floor as hard as I can, just doing that trying to get the crowd and everyone amped up. I thought he made a great pass. And the rest is the rest, I guess. But I feel like my conditioning has really helped with that.

Q. You took 24 of your 62 field goal tips from 3. Is that what you guys want? Is that what Coach Woodson wanted you guys to do?

XAVIER JOHNSON: We have shooters. Parker still is a great shooter. Miller Kopp is a great shooter. We just gotta find them shots. Every guard coming off the bench, Scoot, Rob everybody coming off the bench is a good shooter. Just gotta knock down shots.

Q. You had three early turnovers. How did you settle in after that stretch? You went to the bench and you came back in, and what kind of calmed you down, do you think?

XAVIER JOHNSON: I mean, just Coach told me stop being so cool with the ball. That's what I did. In the second half, when I went back in, that's what I did. I just played my game and just went to work.