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What Mike Woodson said following Indiana’s First Four win over Wyoming
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It didn’t take Mike Woodson long to notch his first NCAA Tournament victory as the head coach at Indiana.
Tuesday night, the Hoosiers fought off a pesky Wyoming team to score a 66-58 victory in the First Four round of this year’s tournament. Trayce Jackson-Davis had a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds while Xavier Johnson added 10 points and 7 assists.
Jordan Geronimo provided a spark off the bench for the Hoosiers, scoring 15 points and grabbing 7 boards in the victory.
Now, Indiana will have to shift its focus quickly. The Hoosiers are off to Portland to take on No. 5 seed St. Mary’s in the Round of 64. But there’s no question Tuesday night’s win was significant.
Indiana hadn’t appeared in an NCAA Tournament game since 2016 — a five-year absence for one of college basketball’s premier programs. For Woodson to get a win in his first appearance was a significant accomplishment.
After the game, Woodson met with reporters to talk about Tuesday’s outcome. Here’s what the first-year head coach had to say:
Woodson: "Great effort on everybody's part."
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) March 16, 2022
Woodson: "I thought Trayce and Geronimo had their way, which we needed because we were having a hard time getting points."
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) March 16, 2022
IU coach Mike Woodson told his team early on during a timeout, "It's going to be a grind, an ugly game." Needed to find ways to push through despite little offense outside TJD.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) March 16, 2022
Woodson on Geronimo: "In tournament play you find the guy who steps up for you. He was that guy tonight."
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) March 16, 2022
IU's Mike Woodson on Jordan Geronimo: "It's a big stage for everybody. It's a big stage for me, my first go-round. I just thought sometimes, I call it playoff basketball, you find a guy who steps up for you. He was that guy tonight. … We needed the 15 points he gave us."
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) March 16, 2022
"We'll find a gym, do some work, and get ready for Thursday," Woodson said. #iubb
— Keegan Nickoson (@Knickoson42) March 16, 2022
Woodson said his staff planned ahead in terms of a scout for St. Mary's. #iubb
— Keegan Nickoson (@Knickoson42) March 16, 2022
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB