Mike Woodson Previews Indiana Basketball Senior Day Game Against Michigan State
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00:00 >> Yeah, Mike, with senior day on Sunday,
00:02 happy that Xavier gets to get a proper send off and play in that game.
00:06 And also, have you talked to Trey Galloway and Anthony Lill?
00:10 Will they be participating in that?
00:12 And have you had conversations about their future yet?
00:14 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:17 >> I don't know.
00:20 I haven't had a chance to sit down and see what they're gonna do in terms of
00:24 senior night.
00:25 So I'll know more today when I sit down with them about that.
00:30 I know X is gonna go through senior, you don't have a choice.
00:34 But Galloway and Anthony, they do have choices.
00:41 They could come back another year.
00:43 So I don't know what they're gonna do.
00:45 So we'll have to sit down and discuss that and see what they're gonna do.
00:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:51 >> Jack, then Zach Asterman.
00:52 >> Mike, I guess over the last three games,
00:55 team has shot the ball a lot better on this winning streak,
00:59 especially compared to the four game losing streak.
01:02 Why do you think that is?
01:03 Is that better looks, confidence, better offense as a whole?
01:07 What do you see as kind of the root of that?
01:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:13 >> We could just continue to work.
01:15 And guys are starting to feel good about themselves.
01:18 Having X back helps a lot.
01:21 It speeds us up a little bit and we're getting a lot more transition
01:26 buckets where we're getting the ball up the floor and
01:29 guys are benefiting from it on the backside of passes.
01:34 I mean, that's what normally happens when you make shots.
01:40 Offense looks good and not hurting that we're playing pretty good defense and
01:46 rebounding the ball with our opponents.
01:48 So that helps a lot as well.
01:49 >> Zach, then Alex.
01:52 >> Mike, sorry, you had 28 assists on 30 made baskets the other night.
01:59 You've talked about the impact of having X back.
02:02 You've talked about sort of trace individual improvement running the point.
02:05 But just what does it do for your offense having two guys that are so
02:10 experienced and obviously, when you look at their assist numbers,
02:13 the way they can pass the ball, they can both kind of be primary offensive
02:17 outlets for you in terms of getting you into your stuff,
02:19 whether it's transition or have.
02:20 >> Well, I've been screaming all alone about having Xavier back.
02:25 I think we're like 40 and 22 with Xavier playing basketball for
02:31 us in an Indiana uniform, which is a pretty good, not bad record.
02:35 He's missed a lot of basketball since he's been here.
02:40 And we didn't bring him in here to be on the sideline.
02:44 And unfortunately for him, he's had the injuries and
02:48 we've suffered somewhat from it because he is a veteran point guard.
02:53 Gallo is just starting to come into his own.
02:58 I mean, it's what you expect because he's a senior.
03:03 He's not a freshman or sophomore anymore.
03:05 He's a senior.
03:05 So I've been harping, I expect that from him.
03:09 I want him to do that.
03:10 And he's been playing extremely well here as of late.
03:14 But it helps a lot when you're making shots on the back end of passes.
03:20 That's what offense is.
03:22 You don't pass the ball to somebody for them to miss shots, or
03:26 miss layups, or miss free throws.
03:28 I mean, it all goes hand in hand in being a good offensive team.
03:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]
03:35 >> Alex and Mike Schuman.
03:36 >> Thanks for the time, appreciate it.
03:39 >> I know you guys as a program put a lot of time and effort into recruiting.
03:43 I mean, how concerned are you at this point just in terms of how 2024,
03:48 how the class has turned out to this point?
03:50 >> Well, again, I'm not even gonna talk about recruiting with you guys.
03:55 I'm just not.
03:56 It's not something we gotta do.
04:01 And this is gonna be a big summer for us.
04:03 We gotta go out and get field players.
04:06 Cuz we can lose players, you just never know.
04:08 That's what the portal presents.
04:09 So that's just kinda how I feel about it at this point.
04:13 >> Mike Demason.
04:16 >> Yeah, Coach, do you have any update on the status of Anthony Walker?
04:19 >> Well, his MRI checked out pretty well.
04:25 I don't know the status of him being able to practice today.
04:29 As of yesterday, he was pretty sore coming out of the MRI.
04:36 So I'll know more the day when I get down on the practice floor
04:40 to see where he is in terms of being able to play.
04:43 >> Mason, Mike, at the beginning of this little three game win streak you guys are
04:49 on, you guys talked a lot about needing to validate the defensive effort that you
04:53 guys have been putting together.
04:55 As this last game comes up and then heading into the Big Ten tournament,
04:58 what's the key for you guys to continue playing the way you guys have been?
05:03 >> Just gotta keep working, man, and believe in what we're doing.
05:08 In this three game stretch,
05:12 when you look at our stat line across the board, it's kinda scary.
05:15 It's nice, I mean, we've gone through stretches since I've been here
05:21 where we've played like that.
05:22 But it's kinda nice to see because guys, they haven't quit.
05:29 They're continuing to work and practice and trying to get better as a group, man.
05:35 And that's kinda nice to see from a coaching standpoint.
05:38 So we just gotta keep doing what we're doing and
05:43 doing it at a high level and doing it for 40 minutes.
05:47 I mean, that's the key.
05:49 We've just been out playing our opponents these last three games.
05:52 We've been playing harder than those guys.
05:55 And that's why we've won the last three, I think.
05:59 >> Zion and then back to Mike Niz.
06:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]
06:04 >> Yeah, Mike, when you look at this Michigan State team,
06:06 they played really well just defensively.
06:08 And I know you guys did a good job scoring against Maryland that second half
06:11 last week.
06:11 Just when you go against these teams that don't allow a lot of buckets,
06:14 what's the easiest way for you guys to get good shots?
06:17 >> Well, again, I mean, we just gotta just keep executing and
06:22 doing what we've been doing here as of late.
06:26 We gotta let our defense create offense for us.
06:30 I mean, that's something that we've done too here of late.
06:32 Michigan State is a good basketball team.
06:37 They're well coached.
06:38 They play hard.
06:39 And we gotta go out and commit ourselves for 40 minutes knowing that
06:45 we gotta play just as hard as they play and see what happens.
06:49 >> All right, Mike, last one.
06:51 >> Yeah, you missed the first part of my question at the start.
06:55 Just in terms of Xavier, how happy are you that he actually gets to be on the floor
06:59 for senior day of play?
07:01 And given what he's went through the kind of last two years,
07:05 just to have a moment here in front of Assembly Hall.
07:08 >> No, it's special, it should be special for him.
07:11 I mean, when you put four years, he's been what, five,
07:15 six years in college, a long time playing this sport, man.
07:19 And now you wind down and come to the end of your college career, man.
07:25 It's a special night for him.
07:26 And I couldn't be more proud and more happier for
07:30 X because X has gone through a lot, man.
07:33 I mean, from the time I got him, I coached him hard.
07:38 I was tough on X, man.
07:41 And X, he wanted to give you all he could give you.
07:45 And the injuries just set in and he just wasn't able to be on the floor a lot.
07:50 And so this should be a special night for him and his family, man.
07:55 Because now he's gotta figure out once he leaves here, what's next?
08:01 I mean, that's the beauty about playing sports and getting an education.
08:08 You still gotta go out in the workplace and figure out the rest of your life.
08:11 And I'm gonna always be there for him if he needs me.
08:15 I'm gonna do whatever I can to help him do whatever he wants to do.
08:20 And in the next phase of his life, for me, that's what coaching is all about.
08:25 So, but it should be a special night for he and his family, man.