Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson, guard Trey Galloway and forward Malik Reneau spoke with the media following Indiana's Sunday afternoon win over Purdue.
Below are their full Q&As, as well as a full transcript for each of their conversations—once they become available.
Q. Down 12 at halftime in both cases, the team could have easily packed it in. What can you say about that second half, and how that happened?
MIKE WOODSON: It's a great second half. I mean, I didn't play very many people off the bench. I kind of rolled the seniors. We've been in a lot of close games over the last month and a half, and I just haven't been able to get over the hump. Tonight they refused to lose.
I thought the second half, we did everything from a defensive standpoint that we worked on these days that we had to practice. It was a nice carry over. We couldn't make a shot the first half. I thought we got some decent looks. We just couldn't make them, and they made shots.
I thought the second half, our defense really picked it up and we were able to get stops and we started to make shots.
Q. Two guards with similar strengths, what led you to want to shuffle the lineup a little bit, and two, how do you sort of, I guess, as a coach, evaluate a performance from the guys that didn't come off the floor in the second half, Luke, Anthony, Trey, and Kanaan?
MIKE WOODSON: In the long run, you know, we can't play those guys those many minutes. The rest of the way, still going to need guys to contribute off the bench. So you know, I'm not throwing in the towel on any of our players. I mean, I'm a big believer in guys, that's what you do when you get in the game and you make the most of it. Put us in the best position possible to win.
You know, it was seniors that carried us tonight and I refuse to change up anything much throughout the course of the second half. You know, they will be back in there and Mac will get an opportunity to possibly be back in there, as well.
Q. After the game, everyone kind of rallied around you, how much did that moment, that love, really mean to you?
MIKE WOODSON: This is my fourth year here. Gallo and Malik, who have been around me the longest, and they know truly what I'm about. The new guys have had a tough, probably, time figuring me out, and we've still got a lot of basketball still left to try to figure each other out.
You know, but it was special, I mean, any time your players rally around you, because I do love them, and I'm sure they love me, as well.
Q. How important, Anthony's effort on defense?
MIKE WOODSON: You know, he's been huge. I mean, you expect that. Anthony has been around me awhile, and he's gone through a lot with me. We didn't play him a whole lot because I just didn't play him. But he never quit working, and that's a testament to him in terms of how he approaches the game and now he's getting an opportunity to play and he's making the most of it. You expect that from seniors. I mean, I wouldn't expect anything less.
So it's a good showing tonight, how we played in the second half. So I'm happy as hell.
Q. Myles Rice defense on Braden Smith, Braden Smith had five turnovers and even when he didn't turn it over he was able to slow them down quite a bit. Can you illustrate how important Myles' defense was at kind of the head of the snake?
MIKE WOODSON: I thought Myles' defense tonight was the best he's played since he's been here. You know, we had a few bodies, you know, guarding Smith. You can't just play that young man with one guy. He's really that good.
You know, Gallo had him some. Anthony had him some. But I thought Myles did a tremendous job in guarding him because he's a tough guard. I mean, when things break down, the ball gets back up into his hand and he's able to make plays with the basketball. I thought we did a good job with him tonight.
Q. Following up on that, Smith and Colvin in the second half combined for two points, eight turnovers; what was the key? Why were you so effective "guarding them"?
MIKE WOODSON: Yeah, their main two guys, along with Loyer, does not take anything away from the supporting cast. You know, they beat us up at West Lafayette. It was those three that got us. And you know, I just felt if we could cut one, maybe two, you know, put ourselves in a better position in the ballgame, we were fortunate enough to cut both of them, which a lot of teams don't do that.
Q. What can you say about your trio of Indiana kids and their performance in the second half?
MIKE WOODSON: It was tremendous. Like I said earlier, you know, they are seniors. This is their last go. They won't get another shot at Purdue unless it's in tournament play. Since we've been here, I believe the series now is 4-4. So that's something to smile about. Matt Painter is a hell of a coach, and he's had some nice players around his program that's helped him win a lot of games.
So this was a big win for our program.
Q. Just kind of follow up on that for you personally, if it is your last time against Purdue, as well, how gratifying is it to go out on a game like this?
MIKE WOODSON: It's always special when you beat Purdue. You know, we had battles when I played here for Coach Knight. You know what I mean, I've had a history and a lot of experience dealing with Purdue over the years. The games are always tough, you know what I mean, regardless of how much talent each team has. Who has the most talent in those particular games are always pretty tough, and we always battled the first half and they were the better team the first half and the second half --
Q. We all saw that you used Coach Knight's chair on the bench. Why was that a meaningful decision for you on the 40th anniversary of that names chair?
MIKE WOODSON: You realize that is "the chair." I've had it a while. A lot of people say they have the chair -- (inaudible) -- tennis coach here, many years ago, he was the only one thinking out of the box that night when Knight threw that chair. That morning he got up and he came to Assembly Hall and he got the chair and he got Sam Bell and Coach Knight and all to sign off on it, took pictures with it. Good friend of mine. His wife was Scott's daughter, and he passed away about a year ago. All the documentation, I happened to get my hands on it -- that's why it was special to have it here tonight. I wasn't going to throw the chair but I did want to sit in it.
Q. Wanted to get your thoughts on Malik's game tonight, the scoring, what led to him playing this well, this consistency? Didn't even miss a shot from the field.
MIKE WOODSON: We have to keep him on the floor here and there. You get it, he had four fouls, I believe, coming down the stretch, but we were able to mix him and then give him some rest and get him back in there.
But Malik's been a solid player for us. Today, that's pretty special -- playing college basketball. Gentleman help but think if he continues to work and stay healthy, you know, he'll continue to do some wonderful things in college basketball.
Q. Trey or both of you, you guys had nine days between games. It would have been easy to pack it in. You were down 12 at halftime. Would have been easy to pack it in. Can you talk about the mindset coming out and playing probably the best half of basketball all year?
TREY GALLOWAY: Yeah, we had a pretty good break there with games offer to kind of let our bodies recover. Obviously we really competed this week and got after each other because we're not satisfied with where we are at right now.
But I really like how we responded in the second half because that's what we've been doing all year is just fighting. We've been in these games and we've been in big-time games where we haven't closed them out. But we've continued to keep fighting and that's all you can ask for, and it's going to pay off. Just got to keep the momentum and keep moving forward.
Q. Trey, wanted to get your thoughts on the way Malik played today, 15 points, perfect from the field, six rebounds, four assists, the whole thing. How good was he?
TREY GALLOWAY: He was great. And I think just him just being patient, because he knows he demands a double because of how good and how skilled he is. So by opening things up for himself and making the right reads out of the double, and he did that all night. We knew by watching film and prepping all week that he was going to get a double.
Like I said, nobody can guard him one-on-one. Just having that mindset of the willingness to pass shows the kind of teammate he is, and it's pretty special to see that. It's going to continue to happen. For us to continue to win, he's got to continue to do that for us and be big all the rest of the year.
Q. You, Myles and Anthony didn't come off the floor in the second half. Was there a moment where you felt like the three of you just kind of had a connection that almost just sort of said, we're going to set the terms for this game in the second half?
TREY GALLOWAY: I think it really all started with Myles and his ball pressure. Obviously, Braden (Smith), when he's comfortable, he's one of the best in the country. So you've got to make it tough on him and he really good a great job of that by setting the tone in the second half.
We kind of followed his lead on that. I think just the intensity we had to get ourselves back into it, because I mean, that thing could have gone two ways. We were down 12. Just the little plays that Myles made and Anthony made early on in the half just defensively pushed us to get that start that we wanted.
Q. The rivalry, was that on your mind, and was a team, was that ever mentioned beforehand?
TREY GALLOWAY: For sure. We know how much it means to Coach but it means a lot to all of us. It means so much to the state of Indiana. Everybody from Indiana knows about the rivalry and it's a blessing to be a part of it. I'm just happy that we had the chance to go out there and compete and have an amazing atmosphere and great crowd today.
I think it's just really cool to see that and be a part of it and for Coach to have a win at home against Purdue because he's been a part of it, too. And it's not just him; it's everybody who is a part of it. It's special.
Q. On that note, I want to say, Woodson came in and he said that was really special afterwards how everyone rallied around him. What sparked that, and what was that like for you guys?
TREY GALLOWAY: I thought it was great. I mean, we're a family, and we've been a family since we all got together in June, and through highs and lows, you've got to find ways to continue to stick together. That's one thing we've really tried to preach this last week, even with what we've been going through and the tough losses, we still have a chance to compete and make the tournament.
So our focus is just rallying around each other and really sticking together through thick and thin.
Q. Was there any particular message coming into today? And then was it the same message at halftime and was there something that changed?
MALIK RENEAU: I'd say the message was the way -- from the meeting last week, Monday, we knew coming in that this was a must-win game. Everybody had that feeling, and was ready to go for the game.
I mean, when we got down and we were at halftime, it was the same thing. Just go out there and put your all out on the floor and let's see the results, and it came out our way. So congrats to my teammates and me.
Q. It's been tough at home this year, a lot of tough losses, and at halftime, you know, we said amongst the students, there are with some boos when you didn't finish the first half. Does it say to the fans that you can put a performance like that together, but also protect the home court which has been difficult this season?
MALIK RENEAU: Yeah, we had some tough losses at home but we bounced back bigger and better today, and just having the crowd behind us, when we started making our run, that felt good. I just do it for my teammates and Coach. That's all I can say.
Q. For both of you guys, we haven't had much of a chance to talk to you guys since all the news broke with Coach Woodson. Would it be fair to say you guys are playing for him right now and what have been some of the conversations amongst the players?
TREY GALLOWAY: Like I said earlier, we're all playing for each other because we're all in it together. And obviously this is Coach's last year, and we want to make it special for him. We want to make it special for everyone.
This team was assembled for a reason, and we have a chance to really keep competing down the stretch to win games and put ourselves in the right position.
So I wouldn't say just for him but like I said, it's a collective unit and it's all together, and we're trying to do it for each other, including Coach and the rest of the coaching staff and all the players, and everybody.
Q. What has it meant to you, seems like Woodson has really been riding on the three Indiana guys down the stretch. What has it been like for you to get a big win for those guys?
TREY GALLOWAY: Yeah, it means a lot. For me, I grew up around the rivalry, and it's an important game.
But I think just keeping my body ready and knowing that I've got to be prepared to play whenever Coach needs me to play, whatever minutes he needs me to play.
Just continue to get better every day and practice and keep building good habits for us to be successful, and we've got to continue to get better as the season goes on.
Q. You guys have a goal in mind of making the NCAA Tournament, but how does that carry over to Wednesday and Penn State?
MALIK RENEAU: Having two great practices Monday and Tuesday and going into the game Wednesday.
Q. You're the 55th person here at Indiana to score a thousand points. You're now on that list, and your name stays on it forever. What does it mean to cross that milestone?
MALIK RENEAU: It's super special. Thank the Lord. I don't know, it's just a big moment for me. That's all I can say pretty much. It's a special moment from me.
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