Final Crossroads Classic Gives Mike Woodson Chance to Go Home Again

New Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson takes a lot of pride in being an Indianapolis native, and he's looking forward to coaching his team there on Saturday against Notre Dame in the 11th and final rendition of the Crossroads Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Tom Brew | Dec 16, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It's over. For the 11th and final time, the Crossroads Classic will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday. The annual doubleheader with Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame and Butler has been a holiday tradition for a while, but it's worn out its welcome for many, and will be no more after this year.

Indiana will take on Notre Dame in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, starting at around 2:30 p.m. ET. No. 3 Purdue and Butler will play first at Noon ET.

For first-year coach Mike Woodson, he's looking forward to playing a game in his hometown. It means a lot to him — as does finding a way to keep doing it after this year. He'd like to schedule future games in the city.

"It's very important. I mean, that's home for me, man. That's where I grew up,'' said the former Broad Ripple High School star. "It gives my family and friends an opportunity to come out and see us play, not that they don't come down the road to see us here in Bloomington.

"For me, it's sentimental. I love Indianapolis and everything that it has to offer. It would be nice if we could get a game here in the future. I don't know how that's going to pan out, but we're working on some things. So we'll just have to wait it out and see where we go after we finish this weekend.''

Indiana (8-2) has already replaced this event on its post-finals weeks schedule. They announced a two-year home and home series with Kansas this will start in Lawrence next December and finish in Bloomington in December of 2023. It's great to have a high-profile game on campus, but playing in Indianapolis will matter, too.

Woodson wants a stronger nonconference schedule, and he said they are working on that down the road. He would love to see a revival of the Kentucky series, he said, or even something out west with UCLA.

He wants those marquee matchups to better test his team.

"Well, look at both programs. Kansas has got great tradition, got a great coach in Bill (Self) down there,'' Woodson said. "I just think fans want to see games like that. It used to be that way here. Somehow, if I can get the Kentucky series back, I would love to get that back with (Kentucky coach John Calipari) because I just think that's what fans want to see. Maybe we get a game with UCLA or somebody out west, too.

"I think, as you build your program, you've got to put teams in play just to test your team, just to see what your program is about. That's important moving forward. Coach (Bob Knight) always did it, and it didn't hurt. After you did that two or three times, you had to run into the tough Big Ten, so it all goes hand in hand. I think you've got to challenge your team as you move forward. As we're building this, we've got to challenge ourselves with big-time programs, and Kansas sits right at the top.''

Indiana has fared well in the Crossroads Classic through the years. The Hoosiers have a 7-3 record, the best of the four schools, and are 4-1 in the event against the Irish.

Notre Dame (4-4) is a perimeter-oriented team, and even their bigs are three-point threats. It will put pressure on Indiana forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson to cover more ground, but Woodson isn't worried about that. They are athletic enough, and they've played well defensively so far this season.

For instance, Nate Laszewski, Notre Dame's 6-foot-10 forward, has hit 12 three-pointers already this season.

"I think they've done a good job in that regard,'' Woodson said of his bigs covering the perimeter. "We don't switch a whole lot, and when they do switch, there's some times they get caught in a bad way, and they have to switch out on a smaller guy. That's just basketball. You can't play a 40-minute game and that not happen. It can happen in transition where you didn't get back and you might have to play somebody that's smaller than what you're accustomed to playing.

"That's the whole beauty about our ball club when I took over. Those are things that I try to teach. It isn't going to be perfect every time down the floor, so do you just say, 'well, I'll take this possession off because I'm not guarding my man. I'll make up the next possession." It doesn't work like that. You're going to get caught in bad situations, and you're going to have to just man up and play. But I think, for the most part, they've done a pretty good job in that area. I have no complaints there.''

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