Mike Woodson Reacts To Indiana Basketball's 66-57 Loss at Rutgers
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 Yeah, Coach, obviously a lot of different things in this game.
00:26 Points off turnovers, turnovers, offensive rebounding,
00:30 the run they went on early in the first half.
00:33 What stands out to you as the most definitive things that led to this loss for
00:37 you guys?
00:39 >> When you say the run that they went on in the first half,
00:41 I mean we were down three on the road.
00:44 So you feel pretty good about that.
00:45 But you don't expect your senior guard to get kicked out.
00:50 We came into the game knowing that this team is a great offensive
00:56 rebounding team.
00:57 So that hurt us.
00:59 And then the turnover was hurt us again.
01:02 And you're not gonna be teams on the road doing that.
01:07 And I thought we had a good game plan coming out, couldn't make shots.
01:11 I mean, when I look at the stat line, we were just awful.
01:14 I mean, 11 free throws we missed.
01:17 We missed a lot of wide open threes.
01:22 I mean, taking threes is what it is, but you gotta make them.
01:28 And we didn't make them.
01:30 So with the turnovers and the offensive rebounds,
01:35 I'm surprised we were even that close when you look at the stat sheet.
01:41 >> What was the biggest problem with the free throws?
01:45 I mean, sometimes threes don't go in, that's in the flow of the game.
01:48 Everybody understands sometimes that's hit or miss, but
01:50 what's the deal with the free throws?
01:52 >> If I had a magic pill that I could give them about making free throws,
01:57 I would.
01:57 That's all mental.
01:59 You played sports or played basketball.
02:03 When you get fouled and you gotta go to the line, they're free.
02:07 So you should feel good about yourself and go up and knock them down.
02:12 And punish them for fouling you.
02:18 And we didn't do that tonight.
02:20 I mean, that's unacceptable.
02:22 We gotta get better at making free.
02:24 You're not gonna beat teams in the Big Ten doing that.
02:26 We're just not.
02:27 >> What goes into it when you guys were down and then you went up seven and
02:33 then you, I think you pulled four starters.
02:37 What goes into pulling the starters and then putting the-
02:40 >> Guys, you can't play everybody,
02:42 George, 40 minutes.
02:44 That whole stretch, it went a good 10 to 11, 12 minutes.
02:49 And I thought they needed a blow.
02:51 So that's why I substitute.
02:54 And I feel good about our bench.
02:56 I need our bench to give us more.
03:01 So that's why I went to the bench.
03:03 And we didn't get it.
03:05 They called up, but the game was back and forth.
03:07 I think when you're on the road,
03:09 you gotta feel good being down three on the road, or up three.
03:14 I mean, it could have been a tied game.
03:15 The guy hits a big time shot at the buzzer, to go up three.
03:22 So I mean, I'm not feeling bad, but I just didn't like the way we were playing.
03:26 I mean, we weren't sacrificing the basketball.
03:29 Guys were open.
03:29 We were trying to penetrate.
03:31 When nothing was there and losing the ball, I mean, that's just losing basketball.
03:36 We gotta get better in that area.
03:37 >> But I think what George was,
03:42 one of the biggest questions that fans were asking tonight on social media was,
03:45 why were four starters out at the same time versus sort of like maybe rolling
03:49 them through if you had to- >> I'm not gonna sit here and
03:52 answer that question when it comes to the fans or you.
03:56 I elected to go to my bench, which I've done this season, and
04:01 I've gotten some good results here and there.
04:05 And tonight, they didn't kill us, but they let them back in the game.
04:11 And I thought we withstood it.
04:14 The big shot at the half I thought gave them momentum going in, but
04:21 the game was still back and forth.
04:22 Then X has his little fiasco where he gets kicked out, and
04:28 that changed the game a little bit.
04:30 So I mean, at the two minute mark, we were down six, two possessions, and we foul.
04:38 And then we come back, and we'd get an intentional foul.
04:42 So that's the game pretty much.
04:44 Now you're scrambling trying to win down the stretch.
04:46 We just gotta be more solid.
04:48 Like we play at home, that's how we gotta play on the road.
04:51 And I gotta get us to that point.
04:52 >> And my last question for me was the offensive rebounds that they got.
04:57 Is that a high level concern at this point?
04:59 Or do you look at that and say, hey, this is fixable with effort?
05:01 Sort of how do you approach that?
05:02 >> It's always a problem.
05:05 I mean, we won a game against Ohio State losing the glass by 20 rebounds.
05:11 And you say, how in the hell can you win a game like that?
05:14 But it was the other areas where we were pretty good at.
05:19 And you're not gonna do that with most teams in the Big Ten.
05:22 And it's something we gotta clean up,
05:24 because it's been a problem for our ball club this year.
05:27 >> Coach, you scored 48 points last year in this building, 57 this year,
05:32 five straight losses in this building.
05:33 How much is it this building or just life on the road in the Big Ten?
05:37 >> Well, I'm two of those five, I know that.
05:40 And we haven't played well here.
05:43 And my thought process was if we kept it close and give ourselves a chance.
05:48 But when you turn it over and give up offensive rebounds like we did and
05:52 can't make free throws, it's hard to win on the road.
05:55 So those are things that are fixable.
05:57 We just gotta go back home and go to work and see if we can fix them.
06:01 >> Coach, to the Zoom here with Seth Powell.
06:04 >> Can't hear you.
06:07 >> Can you hear me?
06:09 >> Yeah.
06:09 >> Just from game to game, obviously, especially home on the road, but
06:15 just game to game in general, what can you do to kind of develop more for
06:18 consistency and start getting more consistent performances from game to game
06:21 from your guys?
06:22 >> Work, continue to work.
06:24 That's all you can do.
06:28 You gotta continue to work.
06:30 So we go home and go to practice tomorrow and get ready for Minnesota.
06:35 We have to continue to work to get better.
06:37 And I gotta get them over the hump.
06:39 I gotta figure that out.
06:40 >> Last question on the Zoom, Mike Dennis.
06:43 >> Yeah, Coach, how did you feel about the leadership on the floor,
06:48 especially down the stretch?
06:50 I mean, you talked about losing Xavier.
06:52 Did you feel like guys stepped up and kind of had a voice?
06:56 Or are you still searching for that guy to sort of steady the ship a little bit
07:01 when things get tough, especially on the road?
07:03 >> Well, I expect our seniors, Walker, X, and Gallo.
07:09 Anthony Lill has been great, no complaints there.
07:13 Those three guys are seniors, they gotta help lead.
07:16 And the road is different than playing at home, there's no doubt about that.
07:21 And I thought we came out with good intentions.
07:24 We played hard doing the spurts of the ball game.
07:28 But again, missed free throws, 19 offensive rebounds.
07:34 Terrible from the three-point line.
07:39 And I don't know how many turnovers we had.
07:41 We had a lot of turnovers, 18 turnovers.
07:46 So I mean, that's all losing basketball, and I gotta fix it.
07:50 >> Thanks, Coach.
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