Highlights From Coach Mike Woodson on 'Inside Indiana Basketball' Radio Show

Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson appeared on his weekly radio show "Inside Indiana Basketball" with play-by-play announcer Don Fischer on Monday night. They discussed Indiana's loss at Kansas, Xavier Johnson's injury and previews Tuesday's game against Elon.

Jack Ankony | Dec 19, 2022

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Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Coach Mike Woodson sat down with play-by-play announcer Don Fischer on Monday night for the weekly "Inside Indiana Basketball" radio show at Southern Stone Restaurant.

They discussed Indiana's recent loss to Kansas, point guard Xavier Johnson's injury, the upcoming game against Elon and what Indiana can do to bounce back from losses in three of the last four games.

Here are the highlights of what Woodson said on Monday.

On Allen Fieldhouse...

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been there so I was in awe a little bit in terms of the surroundings."
“It reminded me of Hoosiers and Hinkle Fieldhouse”
“It was nice to be there, but it wasn’t nice to be there.”
Don Fischer said Kansas fans told him they’d never seen that many away fans at Allen Fieldhouse
“Our fanbase is tremendous, and I applaud them.”
“I tip my hat to our fans. I love them and appreciate what they’ve done all these years ... I want to bring a winner to these fans in the worst way”

On Indiana's 84-62 loss at Kansas...

“I haven’t gone into many ball games where I’ve felt so good.” Woodson said Indiana and Kansas were even in a lot of statistical categories and had a good week of practice, which made him feel this way.
“I felt like, man, this is going to be a hell of a game, and we didn’t show up, which was disappointing”
"I’ll take the heat for that ... I gotta get 'em comfortable when we go on the road and we play top tier teams.”
“We did’t play Indiana basketball, and that’s something I’ve got to fix.”
“When you go on the road, you have to have a different mindset, and I have to find that with our team.
Woodson said he saw this mentality at Xavier, but not at Rutgers, against Arizona in Las Vegas or at Kansas.
Woodson was frustrated with Indiana's 23 turnovers. “Eight of those I thought we were playing together. We were giving them the ball.”
“We were throwing the ball all over the gym when I first started. and we became one of the best teams at not turning it over.”
Woodson said he told Kansas coach Bill Self after the game, “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a better game.”
“We stunk that night.”
“[Kansas] kind of did what we did to North Carolina ... Our defense was so stifling in the North Carolina game they couldn’t move the ball and get in their sets."
“When you get smacked like that, that team showed why they won the national title last year and our team is still figuring out how to win."
“[Kansas] had a nice game plan. and it wasn’t nothing surprising ... We worked on some things we thought they’d do and we didn’t execute.” Woodson said Indiana has to make shots around Trayce Jackson-Davis and not throw the ball away.
“I take pride every time we step out on the floor from a defensive standpoint and our rotations were short. The shots would go up and we were never in positions to put bodies on people to block out.” Woodson said the 23 turnovers led to a lot of easy buckets for Kansas.

On Xavier Johnson's foot injury...

“Well right now we’re still evaluating him," Woodson said. "He’s kind of day-to-day to just to kind of see where he is right now. I think we'll know more probably – he won’t play tomorrow [against Elon] – so we’ll know more probably Wednesday to see exactly where we are with him."
“We’ll wait on X if he ever gets the chance to come back based on where he is right now, and we’ll know more Wednesday. We'll take him back, but right now we've got to move forward with what we've got and give other guys an opportunity to play."
“He’s frustrated because I’ve been there in those shoes, man, as a senior when you go down. This is kind of like his last go around. I mean, he can't be redshirted, he can't come back because of a covid year. He's put his time in, and so he's very frustrated. But it’s my job, it’s his family’s job to keep his head, keep him upbeat, man that's what it's all about because eventually in time everything heals and he’ll be back on the basketball floor playing. But right now the uncertainty in terms of where he is is the problem.”
"I’ve always thought next man up, man. That's why I tell players all the time, you've got to always stay ready because you don't know the unknown. He's out, next man has got to step up and play. I just got to figure out a different rotation. That's all we can do, and keep grinding in practice to get better."
“Nothing changes. I still feel good about our team and where we’re going."
For the full Xavier Johnson injury update article, CLICK HERE.

On Indiana's rotations...

“I still think we’re learning a little bit. I’ve got to figure out [Jordan] Geronimo and Malik [Reneau] more in our rotations because I think they can help us.”
“Kansas wasn't a really big team, and that’s why I thought we matched up so well against them.” Woodson said Geronimo didn’t matchup well against the Xavier and Arizona forwards.
“I think [Reneau] is still searching and trying to find himself, and I’ve been on him a lot lately.” Woodson said the Kansas game taught Indiana the level you have to play at.
"[Reneau] is a talented kid that can do a lot of things on the floor, but I’ve got to get his motor going higher than it is right now ... We out played [UNC] because we played harder."

On Indiana's leadership...

“I can’t really complain, I just think I’ve got to get more from a playing standpoint. You always turn to your veterans to give you more.”
Woodson said he told the freshmen they have to learn a lot quicker than most freshmen. “They were really good high school players, but this is a different game. The game is faster, the guys are bigger and there’s a lot of things we’re throwing at them from a basketball standpoint.”

On Indiana's game against Elon on Tuesday...

"[Elon coach Billy Taylor] knows us well, and they have a young ball club that’s smart and play both ends of the floor” Taylor was most recently an assistant coach at Iowa under Fran McCaffrey.
“I treat it one game at a time ... I’m just pushing our guys to come out and perform”
Woodson said the rotations might change, “A little bit, I do. The fact that Xavier’s not going to play, I’ve got to tinker with a different starting lineup for sure and then where I go with our rotation.”
“I’m anxious to see where we are with our ball club.”
“I base things on practice. If you show me in practice that you can play, then I’ll play you.”
“X is not going to be there, so it give another player an opportunity to step in and play a part."

On doctor Henry Feuer, who gave Woodson back surgery in college...

Woodson was all smiles when Fischer noted that doctor Henry Feuer was at Southern Stone restaurant on Monday night for the radio show. Feuer gave Woodson back surgery during his senior season in 1979-80.
Indiana was No. 1 in the preseason AP poll, led by Woodson, Butch Carter, Ray Tolbert and freshman Isiah Thomas. Woodson missed a chunk of his senior year after requiring back surgery, but he returned to lead Indiana to a Big Ten title. Averaging 19.3 points per game, Woodson was named Big Ten Player of the Year despite playing just 14 games.
“I thank him every time I see him. No really, I didn’t know doctor when I was sent to him when everything seemed to fail for me at the time, and I was in desperate mode."
“I was in there for 20 minutes, and he told me I needed back surgery. Woodson said his response was, “Man, you’re crazy as hell ... And he was right.”
"He’s a gifted man with his hands because he’s helped a lot of people."
“I’m a living witness to it because I came back in 8 weeks.”
"I was a desperate young players, and that was 42 years ago, and hell, you still look you’re 42, doctor.”
“It was a good run, but I ran out of juice. I just didn’t have much at the end.”

On how Indiana is handling an extended break over Christmas...

After a home game against Kennesaw State on Dec. 23, Indiana has a break until a road game at Iowa on Jan. 5, which signals Big Ten play the rest of the way.
“If I could kidnap them the whole time and never let them go home, that’s what I would do.”
Woodson said he talked to Quinn Buckner about how they never got a break for Christmas when they were players.
“We spent Christmas together."
“If it was up to me they would be spending Christmas with me and practicing.”
Woodson said the papers have three or four days off then it's back to work.
In a typical week, the team has one day off per week. "That another thing we never got…which is crazy.”
Woodson said he and the strength coach will send players a plan with exercises to do over the break, and they’ll have a conditioning test when they return to Bloomington.
“I’ll be here, i’m not going anywhere.”

On what it takes for Indiana to get it's confidence back...

“You gotta win. That gives you all the confidence in the world.”
“The big ten is what it is, man ... Our team knows it’s there, and we’ve got to get through Elon.