NASSAU PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas - One exhibition game is a small sample size to evaluate the effectiveness of Indiana's defense. But if the defense can continue to force as many turnovers against opponents as they did to BC Mega in the first game, IU has a chance to win every upcoming clash.
"If we can put ourselves in [a] position to defend every night, I know we'll be in every game," coach Woodson said in a press conference after the game. "That gives us hope and a chance to win."
Players Trayce Jackson-Davis, Miller Kopp and Tamar Bates led the offense with a combined 49 points. But in a way, the defense itself was another massive form of offense, forcing 24 turnovers, leading to 33 points. That's nearly 41% of the 79 total points scored.
A few minutes into the second half, BC Mega cut IU's nine-point lead to five. Yet, the defense did not falter nor did it crumble; it held firm. Parker Stewart came up with a crucial steal which later in the possession resulted in two converted free throws by Race Thompson to make it a seven-point game.
IU finished the game with 12 steals, with five in the first half and seven in the second. The hustle from the players never left the court.
Freshman Tamar Bates had one of the 12 steals and talked about the mindset in the locker room before going on to the court.
"That (defense) was the main reason for the win," Bates said after the game. "That's what we stressed in the locker room, that we have to get stops. The ball's not gonna always go in, but we can always rely on our defense to get stops."
Trayce Jackson-Davis, who led in points, also contributed on defense with one steal, two blocks and four defensive rebounds, tied for the most on the team with Jordan Geronimo.
"Coach Woodson, he's big on defense," Jackson-Davis said after the game. "We work hard on defense and then offense is the fun part, so that's what he always tells us."
And Jackson-Davis is right; Woodson's coaching strategy is to focus more on the defensive side of the floor.
"Early on, ... we put our defensive system in; it was so far ahead of our offense because I wasn't thinking offense, I was thinking defense and rebounding the basketball," Woodson said.
And although there were times when players did not switch correctly, or an opposing player got open on the backside, those are things that the team can clean up with time, Woodson said.
It's only one game, but IU's defense has come out of the gate strong. Its next test will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET during the second and last exhibition game against BC Mega.
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