INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 20, 2022

Mike Woodson

Postgame Media Conference

Indiana Hoosiers 86, Miami Redhawks 56

Q. I guess this is a question about tonight but also Friday. Just Trayce, how much better has he gotten playing through doubles, playing through traps, and navigating the traffic that he has to face being down low?

MIKE WOODSON: I mean, he has had enough opportunities at it. It's something that we go over every day based on where we think teams are going to trap him.

The last to games they came from the big and went big-to-big, and he is starting to figure it out and get the ball into the right areas where we can play offense. I mean, it comes out when he is doubled. Sometimes he is able to beat the double-team with his offensive play.

So, I mean, he is playing pretty good right now for us. We've got to keep him playing at a high level.

Q. With Tamar Bates and CJ Gunn, they got a little more run tonight. What did you see from them, and sort of kind of where are they at with progressing right now?

MIKE WOODSON: Well, I mean, they're fine. I have no gripes with neither one of them. They've done what we've asked them to do on and off the court.

We didn't play Gallo tonight. He got banged up in the game before or he would have been in the rotation. So my thing is, guys, listen, we've got enough bodies on this team. My theme is always going to be next man up if someone gets hurt and when you are called upon, be ready to play.

Q. When it comes to Jalen, his jumper isn't falling, but he is doing other productive things. What's your approach with him in terms of the patience that you want to have with the freshman versus the responsibility of his role? And, also, what is the nature of Trey's injury?

MIKE WOODSON: Well, again, Jalen, I mean, he is 5 for 12. I don't think that's too bad. He made some shots tonight, had good looks. It's just the other things that he does on the floor: He defends, he rebounds, he assists, he runs your ball club, and he and a freshman.

I'm not concerned about the shot-making. Hell, we scored 80 points tonight, 80-some points. We're averaging 90 points. Again, Jalen will be there when it counts. He is capable of making big shots, so that's not a big concern.

As far as Gallo, he is just banged up. He twisted his knee the other night at Xavier, and we're just being cautious to make sure he is okay.

Q. When it comes to Xavier Johnson, what does his leadership mean to the other young players on the team?

MIKE WOODSON: Well, it means a lot. Xavier is a senior. He is supposed to lead. That's his job, and I'm pushing him in that direction. I'm probably more hard on Xavier than anybody on the team, but at the end of the day he tasted success last year. He was a big part of that success in helping us get to the tournament, so I've got to stay on him to make sure that he continues to grow and do what's expected of him to help us win.

Q. How has CJ Gunn advanced since he arrived on campus, and what are the keys to him to advance further and see more minutes as the season goes on?

MIKE WOODSON: Guys, again, CJ is fine. He is in a good place. I'm not going to sit here and play guys because you guys probably think that this guy should play. If he is called upon, hey, I expect him to come out and play and give us positive minutes.

We've got a lot of players on this team. I'm not sitting here playing favoritism to anyone. I'm trying to win basketball games, and I'm going to play the guys that I think I can win with, and he has been a part of us winning.

Q. You've talked a lot about your love for Indianapolis being your home city. What was it like playing in front of this large Indiana crowd and kind of this assembly hall home game atmosphere?

MIKE WOODSON: Well, again, for me it's always great to come back home. I mean, when I played professionally, I lived to come home to play the Pacers. When I started coach, it was the same way.

This is home, man. I mean, all my family and friends are still here, and a lot of them came out tonight to show support. So, I mean, it's good to be back home for me. I've Benoit for a long time, but I've always dropped in to see my family and check on things in Bloomington. So it's good to be back in Indianapolis.

Q. Miller Kopp had ten points tonight. What have you thought about his run so far through the first four games?

MIKE WOODSON: He has been solid. He has had good looks. He has made some shots here and there. I'm comfortable based on where he is. I expect him to make shots when he has them.

I mean, he put the ball on the floor a couple of times tonight and made a couple of plays at the rim. So, hey, that's progress based on where he started when we first got him and where he is today.

Q. You're two games in 48 hours for your guys essentially. You were able to manage some minutes tonight. How do you think your guys handled a quick turnaround for the early part of the season here?

MIKE WOODSON: I thought it was a great job on our part in handling the short days to get prepared for this game.

The way the schedule is set up is set up like playing in the tournament, which I think is good for us. Every two, three days we're playing a ball game. We'll get a break here and there, but, hey, that's what the schedule is, man. I've just got to get these guys up and ready to play each and every time we step out on that floor.

Q. A lot has been made about the depth of your team, but off the bench tonight, 34 points. Malik Reneau had 10, of course, but it wasn't just him. You got 7 from Tamar, 6 from Geronimo, 6 from CJ, 6 from Kaleb Banks. Talk about the importance of those guys all coming off the bench and contributing.

MIKE WOODSON: Again, our bench is just as important as the guys that start the game. I can't say that loud enough.

And I've got faith and I believe in everybody that's wearing that uniform. They just have got to stay ready. You know, I mean, I am still trying to figure out rotations and who can do what and what combinations work, and that can be an ongoing process, you know, as we navigate this season.

So, hey, just stay ready. That's all I can tell our guys that are coming off the bench. Be ready to play.