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Despite the fact last season was just the first year of Mike Woodson's tenure as head coach at Indiana, it took little time for his team to establish an identity on the floor.

Featuring an intense defense-first approach, IU found many of their 21 wins last year in low scoring contests. However, physically taxing yourself on one end of the floor while struggling to score on the other can sometimes lead to a couple of losses in games that otherwise feel winnable. Instantly, both Wisconsin matchups and the meeting in West Lafayette with Purdue come to mind.

Unsurprisingly, the offense was a hot topic of discussion as Woodson addressed the media at Huber's Farm, part of On the Road with the Hoosiers. The event returned this year after a two-year hiatus due to complications with COVID-19.

"I think you've got to balance it out," Woodson said Wednesday evening. "You know, defense is what won us a lot of games last season. I put the defense in early because I knew we had the two games in the Bahamas, so the offense pretty much had to wait because the system had to be put in play for us to even be competitive.

"I would never get away from our defensive system and how hard I push guys to defend. I just think offensively, we've just got to get a better flow and get guys confident in making shots."

Over years past, Indiana's relative success on the inside paired with their struggles from outside are somewhat unique. What isn't unique, however, is the shooting woes that Indiana has experienced for the last half-decade, with last season being the latest to fall in line. It's not for lack of effort, though, as the Hoosiers excelled in creating looks for their shooters.

"We got a lot of good looks last season," Woodson said. "Statistically, it shows that we're in the top five of getting open threes.

"I'm just hoping the summer work that these guys are putting in, it pays off for us, because we are going to need everybody that shoots on the perimeter to be able to make that shot."

IU shot just 33 percent from 3-point range over the course of the season, so it's easy to understand why Woodson is looking to the entire team for improvement instead of just one or two players in that area.

"If you play minutes and you take those shots, I'm counting on you to make them," Woodson said. "The Galloway's, the Xavier's, Kaleb Banks if he comes in and plays, C.J., Jalen, Geronimo, Tamar Bates. We've got enough guys that are putting in time this summer that I feel good about when they lace it up next year, they can make it.

"That's the way I feel, they have to make shots. I'm not putting pressure on them, but that's just the nature of the game when you talk about competing at a high level."

With Trayce Jackson-Davis recently making his return to Bloomington official, Indiana retains its strong post presence on both sides of the floor. Of course, the return of your biggest contributor on offense certainly makes a difference, both in scoring his own points and creating open looks for others.

"Getting Trayce back is huge for us," Woodson said. "Now we've just got to build on it and see where it takes us."

For Jackson-Davis and Woodson alike, the most important aspect of Trayce's development this offseason is his ability to be a consistent threat from outside of the paint.

"I just got to get Trayce in a better place because his shot is not that bad, guys, when he shoots it," Woodson said. "I've just got to get him there mentally where he's okay [with shooting], because it's okay with me. If the coach says it's okay, it should be okay with you.

"I've got to get him more confident and I don't think it's going to take away from what he does on the low block -- I really don't because he's going to have opportunities to handle the ball. He's just got to be able to make plays when he has it in his hands."

With an increased focus on not only creating, but making more shots on the offensive end, Indiana will look to be a more legitimate threat with the ball in their hands on the perimeter this year. Should current results hold, Indiana's defense alone could still anchor them to wins over lesser teams on their slate.

But when you start talking about winning the Big Ten and making a splash in the conference and NCAA Tournament, the offensive output must match the defensive input.

Only time will tell if the desired changes are to come to fruition, but of all the elements of college basketball that have and continue to change, one thing remains the same.

Sure, defense wins championships, but you have to score to win.

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