Indiana coach Mike Woodson met with the media following Saturday's 70-62 loss to Illinois. He praised young stars Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako, but bemoaned missing 10 free throws and going 0-for-9 from three-points as the reason for the defeat.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Coach, obviously a lot of good things today.
00:03 McKenzie, Malik, in your eyes, not making any threes in the free throws.
00:08 How big of a factor was that just down the stretch?
00:10 Or did you see something else?
00:11 >> That was the difference.
00:12 I mean, close games on the road, anywhere, you gotta make free throws.
00:17 We were 12 for 22, so that was not good for our ball club.
00:22 And we missed them at critical times when we needed them.
00:25 So, but I was pleased with the way we had a week to work and prepare for this team.
00:30 This is a pretty good team.
00:32 And I thought defensively we played a great defensive game.
00:36 But when you're on the road,
00:38 you gotta do almost everything right to come out with the win.
00:43 >> Mike, go ahead.
00:44 >> Mike, I recognize the results not what you want, but
00:47 especially after Purdue, after Wisconsin.
00:49 Then having that week to maybe kind of dig into some things.
00:52 I think you even described it as soul searching.
00:54 Just how do you feel about, I guess, the fight,
00:56 the stubbornness in your team's performance?
00:59 >> No, I mean, it was, listen, I'm about winning, man.
01:02 I wanna win at all costs.
01:04 But again, when you go through a Purdue game like we played in Wisconsin,
01:09 where we played in spurts, I thought we were solid all the way through.
01:12 We just didn't make the plays coming down the stretch.
01:16 And so that's promising.
01:19 Hopefully when we get big fella back,
01:21 I don't know if he's gonna be back for Iowa game or not.
01:24 But we're gonna try to get him going tomorrow if we can.
01:27 And hopefully that can be some of the difference.
01:30 Because we are, I think, a better team when we got him in there clogging it up
01:34 a little bit.
01:35 >> Mike, what do you think was the biggest thing that McKenzie got out of this game?
01:38 A little bit of a step in the right direction for him?
01:42 >> Well, again, I mean, he's been solid, man.
01:44 You think back to when he started and where he was when we first started with him.
01:49 He struggled and a lot of young players that come in this league and
01:54 in the college game, man, from high school, it's not as easy as you think.
02:01 And the Big Ten surely is not that easy.
02:03 So I think Mac has come a long way in terms of where he started and
02:08 where he is today.
02:09 He's just trying to do the right things on the floor.
02:12 He's still learning.
02:13 I mean, he's in that learning stage, man, from a defensive standpoint.
02:17 He still has a way to go, but he's gotten better.
02:20 >> Mike, you were able to hold Illinois about 20 points below their average
02:24 defensively, how were you able to do that?
02:26 >> Well, again, I mean, we had a week to prepare.
02:28 I thought they followed the game plan tonight.
02:32 Our switches, we didn't get burned as much when we switched.
02:37 We switched up and made the correct defensive effort and
02:42 plays that we needed to make.
02:44 But again, it's a fine line in winning on the road, man.
02:47 I mean, you gotta do almost everything right, like make your free throws.
02:51 Don't go over nine from shooting the three point ball.
02:54 We had good looks, I mean, we just didn't make them.
02:57 >> Mike, you got a lot out of X tonight and you needed that.
03:01 You've been talking about how you just needed to get him rolling.
03:04 He did a lot of good things tonight, obviously, free throws late hurt.
03:06 But what do you think about his performance tonight?
03:09 >> Well, again, I mean, it's promising.
03:11 I mean, at the end of the day, if we're gonna go anywhere, X and Gallo,
03:17 played Walker a lot tonight.
03:18 I thought he had his moments, did a pretty good job for us.
03:22 Our seniors are gonna have to lead.
03:24 I mean, our young freshmen and our sophomores,
03:27 they're still trying to figure it out.
03:29 And you can't lay it all on those guys because they haven't done it
03:33 long as these guys have done it.
03:35 So I'm gonna put it where it lies and try to get these guys,
03:40 get them to help them win cuz they gotta be a big part of it.
03:44 >> Your thoughts on Malik's game tonight?
03:47 >> Malik's been solid, man.
03:48 I mean, what can you say?
03:49 He's a sophomore that's starting to figure it out.
03:52 He's improved from the time he came in here as a freshman.
03:56 And I can't help but think he'll continue to grow if he continues to work,
04:01 which he does.
04:01 So I'm pleased with Malik.
04:03 We just gotta get everybody involved that's playing.
04:08 We gotta get them playing at a higher level as well to help us win basketball.
04:13 >> Coach, that smaller defensive lineup, did you like what you got out of it?
04:17 Is that something you think we could see more down the line?
04:19 >> Well, again, I mean, when teams force you to do that,
04:21 all big teams are not small playing like that.
04:24 Illinois pretty much is the only team that plays like that.
04:28 So they force your hand.
04:29 It would've been interesting to see if Bigfella did play,
04:33 where I could fit him in.
04:34 Because again, I could just put him at the rim like they do, and
04:39 you just protect the rim and we figure it out from there.
04:41 But I didn't have to do that tonight.
04:44 I thought our guys pretty much played a solid game based on the scouting report.
04:49 >> Last question, Zach.
04:51 >> You talked about McKenzie earlier, and I recognize without Colell, and
04:54 against Dillon, you're gonna play a little bit smaller, but 12 rebounds.
04:57 I mean, is that in your mind kind of evidence of just his engagement,
05:00 the way he's reading the game, his effort?
05:02 >> Yeah, I mean, listen, man,
05:04 you think back to when we started with him, really.
05:08 And it was a struggle.
05:11 I mean, he didn't know any defensive rotations.
05:14 He's still struggling to guard his man when he's in a one-on-one position off
05:19 the bounce, and that'll come, man.
05:21 I just think he needs more reps at it.
05:24 Sometimes you gotta fail to be successful, man.
05:27 And I like his work ethic.
05:29 When he's in practice, he gives you what he's got.
05:33 But tonight, you saw a guy that was relentless on the board.
05:36 He rebounded for us when we needed it.
05:39 And he made tough shots inside.
05:41 So I mean, I'm happy with Mac, man.
05:44 I just think he's gonna continue to grow and
05:47 get better as the games go along.
05:51 >> Thanks, Coach.
05:52 >> Thanks, Mike. >> All right, guys, thank you.