BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Mike Woodson and players met the media to talk IU's ... Maryland.
Above are the full Q&As.
Woodson Transcript
MIKE WOODSON: Before we get started, I want to send a shoutout to our new coach. First off, just want to say welcome to Bloomington. Couldn't have picked a better place to come.
That being said, let's go.
Q. Anything in particular in that first half, felt like you were able to bully them a little bit, Kel'el, double figures, Mackenzie Zi, Trey in particular getting points around the rim. Was it your aggressiveness or something you saw in maybe being able to leverage your size?
MIKE WOODSON: No. I just thought our wings, our perimeter play, was really good tonight from a defensive standpoint. I mean, you know, held this team to 53 points, I'd say you've done a pretty good job defensively. I've got to do a better job helping this team offensively because I didn't think we executed the last seven, eight minutes of this ballgame, and that's on me.
Q. That last stretch, you guys got a little sloppy as well with the turnovers. Does that take away some of the -- you run the lead up to 23, and you're happy about that, but what is that last seven minutes going to do for you?
MIKE WOODSON: It's a learning tool for me. I've got to be better in helping them. They didn't do anything any differently than they did in the first half. I thought their press the first half slowed us down a little bit. But we were still able to execute the press, and they were matching defense in the halfcourt and we were still able to still get points and move the ball.
I just thought we got so stagnant the last seven, eight minutes where we didn't move the ball, bodies weren't moving, and that's something that can be corrected and I've got to help them correct it.
Q. I know you've been concerned about the rebounding situation so far but tonight, 46 to 30, outrebound by 16, Mackenzie with seven, Trey with 6, perimeter guys helping on the boards. How much difference did that make in the first half?
MIKE WOODSON: It makes a big difference. That's something we talked about in pregame that our wings and perimeter guys had to get in and mix it up a little bit and get rebounds, and I thought we did a great job in that regard.
We've got to continue to do that. We can't put all the pressure on Ware and Malik and big Payt and Walker to get all the rebounds.
Q. The rebounds had a lot to do with it but it seemed like Maryland when they came out wanted to put their physical stamp on the game, and your guys responded well to that. Was that something that you were happy to see early in the game when Maryland tried to be physical with you, you kind of punched them back?
MIKE WOODSON: Again, it's the Big Ten in general. I mean, it's going to be this way every night you jumping up in the Big Ten. It won't be any easier when we go to Michigan next week. I mean, the Big Ten is tough. They let you play.
So if you don't come and meet the challenge, then you'll be exposed as a team. I thought tonight we were the more aggressive team tonight.
Q. Without Xavier tonight, what did you think of Trey and Gabe Cupps' play in his absence?
MIKE WOODSON: I thought they handled it very well. I mean, we can't -- you know, we can't -- I wish X was in uniform but he's not here. He's just going to have to continue to rehab. The guys that are in uniform, they have to just pick it up and play. I thought our perimeter play was pretty decent tonight. I just thought we didn't execute from an offensive standpoint bringing it in the down home stretch.
Q. You mentioned allowing 53 tonight, I think they had 25 in the second half which is a season low for you guys. You mentioned the wings earlier. What clicked for you guys overall on that side of the ball?
MIKE WOODSON: I thought we were connected tonight. We didn't give up a lot of threes. I thought our switching was right on par.
You know, we had a few miscues but we didn't let this team get into the teeth of our defense very much. And then early on, we kind of had our way from an offensive standpoint in the paint where Malik and big Ware were able to make buckets for us.
I just thought defensively, we were solid tonight for 40 minutes.
Q. Trey has had some offensive struggles early on but tonight before he started to score, he already had an impact on the game on the rebounds and in the passing game, as well. Is there a value to him still being able to stay locked in before he's able to put the ball in the basket?
MIKE WOODSON: Well, he knows we're a little shorthanded not having his running mate with X out. He's going to have to do more and give us more, and he's a senior; that's what he's supposed to do.
So I was pleased with his play from the beginning to the end, you know what I mean. We've just got to execute better offensively, and I've got to help this team do that.
Q. Going back to the physicality point, Maryland seemed to want to push Kel'el off the block. He seemed to respond to it pretty well. How would you assess his play with the physicality of the Big Ten?
MIKE WOODSON: Well, he's been smacked around a little bit this early season. Hey, it's part of the game, man. You've got to get in the fight. I thought he did a great job in holding his own and demanding the ball and making plays when he got the ball.
Galloway, Ware Transcript
Q. Trey, six rebounds tonight, Coach Woodson said the wings played a big part in winning the rebound battle tonight. Has that improvement, especially from the perimeter guys, come from drills, film, focus? Where does that come from the last few games?
TREY GALLOWAY: Yeah, I think just a little bit of everything. I mean, early in the season, we were getting killed on the offensive glass in every aspect. We wanted to clean that up and make sure we're finding guys and boxing out, and also getting the offensive glass. I think we have got a good amount of those tonight. We've got guys that are athletic enough to go get rebounds. We just have to stick our head in there and go get them, and we did a good job of that.
Q. Kel'el, you guys in your first three home games struggled to get the wins but you got them. How important was it tonight to come out and just get off to that good, quick start and just hitting on all cylinders early?
KEL'EL WARE: I felt like it was good us as a team to get that start early, just to show the team that we came here to play today and just complete the mission to win the game.
Q. Kel'el, what did it mean to you, I think the first time you caught the ball they sent three defenders at you, hard, but the team kind of responded to that physical challenge that Maryland posed early and imposed your own will on that. What did that mean to you to be able to do that in this game?
KEL'EL WARE: Now that I know that I can do that, even if they keep sending people at me, I can find the open guys and get them open shots, like I said, yeah.
Q. For both you guys, this is the first game that you out-shot your opponent from behind the arc in both halves, actually. You limited them to one of nine in the first half, and one of, I think, seven in the second half. Was that something you guys consciously did that changed to affect the perimeter defense?
TREY GALLOWAY: I think with such two post presents out there like Kel'el and Malik down there teams are going to start doubling now. So we know and we've got to be ready to knock it down and it comes out of the post and just shoot it with confidence.
So I think just it's going to keep happening and they are going to keep coming. So we've got to be ready to shoot it.
Q. The way they got the schedule set now, this wasn't always like this. Do you guys like having two Big Ten games during the December part of the schedule, and then waiting to play the rest of them in January?
TREY GALLOWAY: It's a little different. I mean, but I think it's good, just to get a feel what the Big Ten is like. It's physical every night. You've got to be ready to go out there and compete. So I think getting a little taste of it is good, and then refocusing back in January is good.
KEL'EL WARE: Well, this is my first year in the Big Ten, so I don't really know too much but just going off what Trey said, like I said, we can get a feel of what the Big Ten is like right now and then play other games and then get back to the Big Ten, we're going to already be prepared.
Q. You've gotten off so some slow starts this year but came out strong both halves. Was that a point of emphasis or did it just turn out that way?
TREY GALLOWAY: Yeah, I think any time you're at home or on the road, you want to get off to a good start to kind of set the tone. And it just wasn't offensively; it was defensively, too. We were able to go out there and with high intensity and we knew our coverages, and we executed well early and often, so it was good.
Q. With X out, what was the staff's message to you in terms of what you needed to do and bring to this game, especially with your Jahmir Young matchup?
TREY GALLOWAY: We've got two freshmen starting, so we've got to kind of pull those guys along. It starts with me being the most experienced guy, so I've got to do a great job and do better in practice and come -- leading into games, to help lead and we get into game time just be ready to go and play hard.
But I mean, obviously Jahmir Young is a good player and he's quick and he can really score. But it's all five of us guarding collectively.
Q. Obviously a lot of your game is predicated on the guards being able to get the ball to you down low. Kind of what did you see from Trey and then both from Gabe in the backcourt tonight?
KEL'EL WARE: I would say they were more active tonight. Even when they were sending guys, trapping me, they were cutting just attacking the basket, leaving other teammates open, and I feel like, yeah, we just keep doing that, we're going to be good.
Q. With X out, all four of the regular starters were in double figures. Do you feel like it adds something extra to your game when it's balanced out the way it was today?
TREY GALLOWAY: I think so, because we've got a lot of guys that can score. They are going to take certain things away front of us and we've got to be ready to go to all our other options.
The main thing is we're not really worried about who is scoring. We want to get the win. I think all five guys knowing, whatever it takes to get the win, and the bench, it's going to play a big role in us and the rest of the season.
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