Trayce Jackson-Davis identifies what Indiana needs to correct for NCAA Tournament run
Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Indiana Hoosiers have to regroup on a quick turnaround. Indiana exited the Big Ten Tournament with a 77-73 loss to Penn State on Saturday.
Jackson-Davis was upset to lose, but said the Hoosiers are ready to move on to the NCAA Tournament.
“Obviously, you’re upset, but at the same time, we still got the NCAA Tournament,” the star forward said after the game. “We’re not sweating like we were prior years. We know that we’re in. We’re going to go back, fix what we did wrong in this game, and then focus on whoever we got to play after Selection Sunday.”
Jackson-Davis identified Indiana’s approach as the biggest thing that needs fixing for the Hooisers to make a run in the Big Dance.
“I think that just our intensity,” Jackson-Davis said. “We’ve got to be more intense on the ball. I thought that late in the second half we had that, and if we would have had that during the whole game, I think it would have been a different outcome.”
Indiana had a “lackadaisical” stretches, according to Jackson-Davis. Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson said Sunday’s loss serves as a reminder that tournament games require full commitment.
“Somehow I’ve got to get them to understand that you’re going to have to commit for 40 minutes because it can be 1 minute, 2 seconds, a second that can cost you a tournament victory,” Woodson told reporters.
“The fact that they tasted a little bit last season, I think they know what’s in front of us, but we still got a long way to go.”
Indiana will learn its tournament draw on Sunday.