PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – No. 14 Indiana suffered one other large loss within the Battle 4 Atlantis, this time falling 89-73 Thursday towards No. 3 Gonzaga.
This is what Indiana coach Mike Woodson stated in his postgame press convention.
On how he fixes Indiana’s defensive struggles in a decent turnaround…
Woodson: “Nicely, we don’t have time to apply to attempt to get it fastened. We play tomorrow at 11, and we’ll rise up early tomorrow and watch some movie and put together for whoever we’re gonna play. I imply, we’re not related proper now, defensively, and I believed the primary half it confirmed once more. The second half, we performed loads higher from a defensive standpoint, and I believed defensively we related a bit bit higher. However good groups like Gonzaga and Louisville, you possibly can’t spot them like we did, and that’s laborious to come back again towards good groups like that. However our guys didn’t give up. They competed the second half, and hopefully we will construct on that and prepare for tomorrow at 11 o’clock.”
On what he’d say to followers who’re involved concerning the large image of this system…
Woodson: “Nicely once more, proper now my focus is on our group and a brand new group that’s acquired seven new gamers that we’re nonetheless attempting to work issues out and work via it. I’m gonna maintain dishing it ‘til I get this group the place I feel it needs to be.”
On what the final 24 hours have been like when it comes to his message to the group…
Woodson: “Nicely, the primary message – we needed to play tougher than what we did yesterday. I believed we got here out and competed early. Then we hit that dry spot proper earlier than the half that gave them the cushion. Second half, I believed we competed. However once more, sadly, you gotta play two halves and we weren’t in a position to put two halves collectively tonight.”
On what has precipitated opponents to go on large runs the final two video games…
Woodson: “Nicely once more, I received’t name it conditioning. We have been in foul – Malik didn’t play hardly any within the first half with the foul troubles. I don’t wish to second guess, however perhaps we gotta begin serious about taking part in Malik with two fouls early to see if he can get via it. The previous couple of years we struggled with that when he acquired into foul bother. We tried that earlier than, and he’d choose up a 3rd one or a fourth foul and now you actually gotta sit him. So we simply gotta maintain working, attempt to work via it. We acquired another sport earlier than we depart the Bahamas, and my focus is on attempting to get a win earlier than we head again to Bloomington.”
On why Gonzaga had a 42-27 rebounding benefit, and the way he can repair that…
Woodson: “Nicely once more, it’s a significant drawback that we’ve had. Loads of it’s we’re not placing our bodies on our bodies to dam out, and that’s gotta cease. We gotta get our guys competing from a rebounding standpoint. I believed we rebounded towards Louisville fairly nicely, however you then go in tonight’s sport and also you don’t rebound. That was in all probability the distinction within the ballgame tonight.”
On what the group’s identification is defensively and what particulars are being missed in that space…
Woodson: “Nicely once more, I believed we have been on level from a defensive standpoint heading out right here to the Bahamas. I believed our protection was sort of the place we needed it to be, and these final two video games our perimeter play has gotten uncovered. I gotta repair that. We gotta get guys sitting down and never having miscues when it comes to our defensive coverages. That’s one thing that we gotta return to apply and proceed to work on and see if we will enhance it and get it higher.”
On what he attributes Gonzaga’s 36-14 benefit in factors within the paint to…
Woodson: “Once more, a whole lot of it’s our believing in each other and believing in our rotations and being within the areas the place we’ve performed to guard the paint and to get out [to the 3-point line]. And we’ve been very terrible in that class the final two video games. We’ve been fairly good this 12 months in defending the paint, after which we scrambled out to protect the 3-point line and we’re not giving ourselves an opportunity there, as a result of we’re not in place to guard the paint and guys have misplaced a bit confidence in that space and I gotta get it again.”
On if protection was why he pulled Myles Rice early and his message to Rice after struggles…
Woodson: “Nicely, he has struggled, and I gotta one way or the other assist him get again. You recognize, get his confidence again, and get him again to the place he feels snug to guarding the ball, as a result of that’s the place it begins defensively. And I simply assume the 2 guards we’ve performed out entrance these two video games have sort of had their method in controlling the sport. I believed Kanaan did an excellent job early on, however we gotta have that from Myles as nicely. We gotta get higher guard play, as a result of if we plan on making a run or making an excellent run within the Huge Ten, then our guard play has gotta choose up.”
On Oumar Ballo’s enhancements and efficiency towards Gonzaga…
Woodson: “No, he’s gotten higher since we’ve gotten him. I’ve no complaints with large fella. He’s doing all the things that’s been requested of him. We simply gotta get the supporting forged clicking on all cylinders. We’ve performed some fairly good basketball, and I do know you have a look at our opponents we’ve performed – it’s not the Gonzagas and the Louisvilles, and that’s no knock towards the groups that we’ve performed, however we gotta get the place we’re competing towards top-notch groups just like the Gonzagas and Louisvilles. And we’ll get there, we simply gotta maintain working at it.”