Mike Woodson Gives Injury Updates On Several Indiana Guards

On Monday's Inside Indiana Basketball radio show, coach Mike Woodson commented on the injuries and health status of Indiana guards Kanaan Carlyle, Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway, Jakai Newton and Anthony Leal.

Indiana Hoosiers guard Kanaan Carlyle (9) passes against Eastern Illinois at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Mike Woodson appeared on the Inside Indiana Basketball radio show alongside play-by-play announcer Don Fischer Tuesday night at Hoosier Hank's.

Woodson and the Hoosiers are coming off a rough week in the Bahamas that featured an 89-61 loss to Louisville, an 89-73 loss to Gonzaga and an 89-73 win over Providence. Indiana dropped to 5-2 on the season and fell out of the AP Top 25 poll ahead of Tuesday's 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff against Sam Houston.

Fischer asked Woodson if he senses frustration from the team after going 1-2 in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

"Not at all, Don. I don't think it's – You make that comment sound like we're totally out of it. We're not. We're 5-2 and we still got a lot of basketball left," Woodson said. "Frustration shouldn't be set in. You should be frustrated how we played those two game, but we rebounded, we played well in the Providence game, we brought a win back home. Now we gotta get ready for Sam Houston. I mean, frustration shouldn't be set in. If you are frustrated, then take it out on the court. But no, I don't think that's the case. We got too many games left to play."

The Hoosiers will be shorthanded against Sam Houston, as Woodson said starting shooting guard Kanaan Carlyle will not play after missing the Providence game with an undisclosed injury. He also gave updates on several other Indiana guards who have been banged up this year.

"[Carlyle] didn't practice the last few days. He won't play tomorrow," Woodson said. "So we just gotta nurse him back, you know, and he's gonna continue to get treatment and hopefully he'll be back soon."

Carlyle was one of six transfers Indiana brought in this offseason in hopes of improving on last season, when it missed the NCAA Tournament. Carlyle, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, is averaging 4.5 points and shooting 27% from the field after averaging 11.5 points per game last season at Stanford.

Sophomore guard Gabe Cupps dressed for all three games in the Bahamas but played just 10 total minutes against Louisville and Providence. He was listed questionable on the Big Ten Availability report, and Woodson said his limited minutes are related to his health.

"He's struggling in terms of his health too, and he really hasn't practiced a lot here in the last week and a half," Woodson said of Cupps. "He's tried to come to the games dressed, ready to go. So we're gauging him as well. Again, if you can't play or practice, it's tough to just throw you into the game."

Redshirt freshman guard Jakai Newton missed the entire 2023-24 season with a knee injury, and he has played in just one game his season – eight minutes against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 10. Newton did not dress for any of Indiana's games in the Bahamas, but Woodson said he's been able to get on the court recently.

"We've gotten Jakai back practicing a little bit yesterday and a little today," Woodson said. "... He pulled his hamstring again. His knee has been feeling great for him. That's been – that was the big problem for him coming into last season and this season, and the knee has been great. But he's had these little nagging injuries like hamstrings, which is not a nagging injury, it's a tough injury because you gotta be able to run and cut and move."

Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway had knee surgery during the offseason and steadily worked his way back to full speed. After playing between 15 and 22 minutes during Indiana's first five games, Galloway played 29 minutes against Gonzaga and 30 minutes against Providence in back-to-back days. Woodson saw that as a step in the right direction.

"Gallo's been out, and he's finally come back and we played him back-to-back big minutes, which we couldn't do that because his body just wouldn't allow us to do it, " Woodson said. "He was kind of leading us along. I thought in the Providence game, we saw the old Gallo from last season, and we're gonna need that moving forward."

Galloway had the best game of his season against Providence, scoring 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including a trio of 3-pointers. He also five assists and five reboudnds. Galloway started in place of Carlyle against Providence, and that's likely to be the case against Sam Houston.

Fifth-year senior Anthony Leal played four minutes against Louisville and one minute against Gonzaga. That marked the first time he had played all season after suffering an injury during the exhibition game at Tennessee. Woodson said Leal is back practicing and "moving around pretty well."

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