How the NBA Has Prepped Coach Mike Woodson for Success at Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana head basketball coach Mike Woodson has been prepped and primed for such a time as this, utilizing his collegiate and NBA profession to land him in his second season as Indiana’s head coach.

“The NBA was nice for me, however coming again house to teach school basketball right here at Indiana, I have been in a position to actually be across the gamers and actually be…in a position to coach,” Woodson stated. “I can put together and train all of the basketball ground issues that I love to do.”

Final season, Woodson led the Hoosiers to their first NCAA Match since 2016 in his first 12 months on the helm after the group completed with a 21-14 total file.

The Indiana native can relate to his group on many ranges, provided that he too has worn the cream and crimson and noticed his dream of taking part in and training within the NBA come to life.

Woodson was recruited by legendary coach Bob Knight in 1976. As a sophomore, Woodson and the Hoosiers superior to the Candy 16 however have been stopped of their tracks by Villanova.

The subsequent season, Woodson was the main scorer in Indiana’s NIT title win over Purdue. In his senior 12 months, the Hoosiers made it again to the NCAA Match following a Huge Ten common season championship (13-5), however Purdue obtained its revenge knocking the Hoosiers out within the Candy 16 spherical.

The large leagues known as, and Woodson was drafted because the twelfth total choose by the New York Knicks within the 1980 NBA draft. He performed there for 2 seasons earlier than hopping across the league between 5 different groups together with the New Jersey Nets, the Kansas Metropolis/Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Maybe the perfect second in Woodson’s basketball profession got here when he began teaching. He began off as assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and at last the Detroit Pistons, the place he received the 2004 NBA Championship with head coach Larry Brown.

Woodson noticed a head teaching alternative with the Atlanta Hawks the next season the place he stayed for six years. After brief stints with numerous different groups, Woodson accepted his first collegiate teaching job with Indiana forward of final season, and boy is it completely different.

“The one factor that I’ve discovered, being within the NBA all these years and training, there’s actually not sufficient time to organize and train and actually be part of a participant’s life since you’ve obtained three, 4 video games coming at you per week within the NBA,” Woodson stated. “There’s simply not sufficient time within the day.”

That half was irritating for him, he stated. Nevertheless, he had a stupendous run within the NBA and has translated his years of data again to the faculty degree.

For example, Woodson was identified for getting essentially the most out of his gamers defensively within the NBA. Each him and Coach Brown restricted the Pistons’ opponents to simply below 42 p.c taking pictures one season. 

Final season at Indiana, these ways formed the Hoosiers right into a defensive-minded group that ranked third (virtually second) within the Huge Ten permitting their opponents to attain a median 66.2 factors per sport.

“He treats us like adults,” Kopp stated. “He treats us like professionals, however he’s additionally on us after we mess up. He’s very particular about what he desires. It makes it straightforward for us as gamers to know and get what he desires us to do as a result of he’s very clear about it.”

Woodson’s readability is at all times current. He stated he is there to win Huge Ten titles and a nationwide championship. Interval. If the problem to win an NCAA banner for the primary time since 1987 scares the group, then they should not be there, Woodson stated.

“I am not fearful of it,” he stated. “You should not be fearful of it. We have to do that collectively as a unit. Once more, I do know expectations are excessive. I get that. That is factor. However we have to exit and do it on the ground and present that we are able to win a Huge Ten title and a nationwide title.”

Final season was total fairly shiny for the ball membership as Woodson typically refers to them as, however there definitely have been dim spots. Indiana had a dropping September 11 convention file tormented by a 10-ranked offense out of 14 groups within the convention.

Woodson loves to make use of the phrase “have to get my group over the hump” when referring to not ending a job. He takes full accountability for the downsides and stated he places a whole lot of stress on himself.

“I have a look at the Iowa sport, coming down the stretch, 4 and a half minutes and we’re up 9 and we will not shut that sport out,” he stated. “For me, that is robust to swallow as a coach.”

Woodson additionally acknowledges school ball may be very completely different from the NBA having performed in each leagues. In school, there’s a number of pick-and-rolls, three-point photographs and groups on the prime that can get after you defensively.

“I feel we have to have the ability to do all these issues to have the ability to compete at a excessive degree and beat the big-time groups,” Woodson stated. “I imply, that is what it will take this season as a result of that is just about how the faculty sport is being performed.”

One other profit to having an ex-NBA coach for the Hoosiers is that he is aware of all in regards to the drafting course of. Indiana will host its first NBA Professional Day in program historical past on Oct. 7 the place 30 NBA groups will probably be invited to observe the Hoosiers work out in a combine-style exercise.

“I feel whenever you’ve obtained excessive expectations and you have a number of gamers that may have a crack at taking part in on the subsequent degree, it is okay to ask the NBA world into your life,” Woodson stated.

“Hell, it would improve them to play more durable and higher.”

Woodson stated he is obtained a number of buddies on the huge degree, and he is excited for them to observe his athletes play.

As soon as Professional Day concludes, Woodson’s 4 returning starters, his prime 10 recruiting class and a pair different notable bench gamers with alternatives for breakout seasons will set their eyes on a giant season. 

Come Nov. 7, Woodson will hold climbing the collegiate teaching ladder with the Hoosiers. He is already climbed at each different degree. 

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