Indiana coach Mike Woodson met with the media following the Hoosiers' 83-74 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions in State College, Pa. on Saturday. He talked about the team's recurring shooting woes and his struggles as a coach to get his team over the hump.
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00:00 >> In that 8-0 run right near the end of the first half there,
00:03 Ace Baldwin was on the floor, scored all eight of those points.
00:06 Curious, we've asked you this before about sitting guys with two fouls and such, but
00:10 he had two out there, and you chose to set McKenzie that whole time.
00:13 How much of a decision is that for you,
00:16 kind of game by game basis in regards to keeping him sitting down?
00:20 >> Well, I elected to go elsewhere with CJ, and I thought CJ could come in and
00:24 give us a lift.
00:26 Eventually we gotta look at our bench too and see if they can give us something off
00:31 the bench.
00:31 And where I had two fouls as well, I took him out.
00:36 It was still a long game.
00:37 The game wasn't out of hand at that particular time.
00:40 We just didn't make plays coming down the whole stretch of the first half
00:44 to keep us right there.
00:45 But that wasn't the difference in the game.
00:47 I thought we battled.
00:48 When I look at the stat sheet, look at the free throws and
00:54 the missed opportunities to make threes, I thought that was the difference.
00:58 >> Zach and Reidy, you might forgive it, hear me out.
01:00 >> I can still hear you.
01:03 >> Go ahead.
01:04 >> I know it's becoming probably a bit of a frustrating refrain, but
01:07 three point shooting, just kind of what isn't working,
01:09 whether it's the way you're getting the shots, whether it's guys form,
01:13 whether it's putting them in the right mental space,
01:15 just what's kind of not getting them going behind the arc in your mind?
01:19 >> Well, we're getting good looks.
01:21 I mean, we're getting a lot of good looks.
01:25 I just think it's from a mental standpoint,
01:27 I gotta get them where they're comfortable and just make them.
01:30 Cuz we haven't made them this season.
01:32 We've got our ups and downs and stretches where some nights we have made them, but
01:38 for the most part, we have not made them.
01:41 The free throws is another big problem.
01:43 Just have struggled to make free throws.
01:45 Something we work on every day and shoot threes every day.
01:50 Guys just gotta come in and feel good about themselves and make them.
01:54 >> Go ahead, Robbie.
01:55 >> Yeah, cuz it's just big picture.
01:57 You guys are 0 and 5 this season against Northwestern, Nebraska and Penn State.
02:00 Something that really hasn't happened much for Indiana.
02:03 What's your reaction to that this season?
02:05 >> Well, again, I'm upset with the way we played,
02:09 the way I've coached this team this whole season.
02:14 I mean, we've lost more games at home than we've lost in the last two years,
02:19 and that's just not good.
02:22 I've always felt I can take any team and go win with it.
02:25 We've had our struggles this year, but we gotta try to finish this season out on
02:30 a high note.
02:30 We got Wisconsin coming in next, and they're playing pretty well,
02:34 sitting at the top.
02:35 We gotta see what we're made of.
02:39 >> When you say you're upset with the way you've coached,
02:41 what are the things that you have to model your team?
02:43 >> I think all coaches, when they coach, they think they can win.
02:47 And I've struggled with this team this year.
02:50 I won't blame my players.
02:51 I'll always put it on Mike Winston, and that's how it should be.
02:57 And I'm a big boy, and we'll try to continue to grow this thing and
03:00 figure it out.
03:02 We still got a lot of work on our hands when it comes to our basketball team.
03:05 >> Tom, do you wanna- >> I'm good.
03:09 >> All right, thanks, Coach.
03:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]