Indiana
My Two Cents: Handling Lofty Expectations Next Big Challenge For Woodson, Hoosiers
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — There are Indiana basketball followers who’ve already booked lodge rooms in Houston for the Remaining 4 in April. That is how far — and how briskly — this runaway practice of expectations is rolling down the tracks already.
On paper, that is the most effective Indiana basketball workforce since 2016, a gaggle that surprisingly received a Huge Ten title for Tom Crean and acquired him one other 12 months at Indiana.
This workforce is best.
Each the 2016 Hoosiers and the 2023 workforce have/had nice freshmen, each have/had a standout veteran level guard (Yogi Ferrell, Xavier Johnson), however this present workforce has the higher famous person in Trayce Jackson-Davis, and that is not even shut.
They have been picked to win the Huge Ten this 12 months, one thing that hasn’t occurred actually since 2013, these lofty preseason expectations. That was Indiana’s greatest workforce previously 30 years, going all the best way again to the nice groups in 1992 and 1993. There have been nationwide championship aspirations for that workforce, which included a number of weeks start ranked No. 1 within the nation with Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo and the gang.
That form of discuss is coming again. However right here in mid-October, lofty expectations are simply that. They’re simply discuss.
However is not it beautiful, fantastic discuss to have? We have all missed it for a lot too lengthy.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson, who can snort now that he isn’t a ”rookie coach” anymore regardless of 30 years of NBA expertise, is aware of all about lofty expectations. He can keep in mind again to his senior 12 months at Indiana in 1980, which was my senior 12 months, too. The Hoosiers have been preseason No. 1 in Sports activities Illustrated that season, and received the Huge Ten in dramatic vogue, however misplaced within the NCAA regional semifinals to, all all folks, Purdue.
So he is aware of all about expectations.
“Nicely, it’s what it’s. It’s part of the sport,” Woodson mentioned Tuesday at Huge Ten Media Days in Minneapolis. “Once I was at school as a participant, I by no means purchased into the rankings, what the media would say about our ballclub. You continue to received to exit and play the sport.
“Hell, my senior 12 months we have been ranked No. 1 and we didn’t get it finished. So on the finish of the day I assume it’s form of good for our gamers who haven’t skilled that. Once more, you have to exit and play. You have to show it on the basketball flooring. That’s when it counts.”
Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson addresses the media throughout Huge Ten Basketball Media Days on Tuesday in Minneapolis. He’s in his second 12 months as the pinnacle coach of his alma mater. (USA TODAY Sports activities)
Everyone knows that, after all. No NCAA or Huge Ten titles have ever been received in October. However for Indiana, mainly a university basketball non-factor for a dozen or so years now, this season is large. They have been the prohibitive favourite to win the Huge Ten within the preseason media ballot, garnering 19 of the 28 first-place votes.
Preseason Huge Ten media ballot
(first-place votes in parenthesis)
- Indiana, 43 (19)
- Illinois, 81 (6)
- Michigan, 92 (1)
- Michigan State, 139
- Purdue, 141 (1)
- Ohio State, 167
- Iowa, 185 (1)
- Rutgers, 218
- Wisconsin, 229
- Maryland, 267
- Penn State, 304
- Minnesota, 334
- Northwestern, 362
- Nebraska, 378
That is an Indiana workforce, thoughts you, that went simply 21-14 a 12 months in the past and performed effectively late within the season to sneak into the NCAA Match. They received a play-in recreation, however then received thumped by 29 factors of their first full-bracket match recreation in six years. It is not like they received 30 video games or something.
However they’ve a ton of expertise coming again AND an awesome recruiting class coming in, which is a uncommon mixture in school basketball. Trayce Jackson-Davis determined to run it again for yet one more 12 months, and that modified the whole lot. He is an All-American candidate for positive, and he is surrounded by a number of veteran depth.
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He is additionally surrounded by Indiana’s greatest recruiting class in years, led by five-star guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard C.J. Gunn and ahead Malik Reneau and Kaleb Banks. All 4 of them have been very spectacular all summer time, and can make Indiana higher instantly.
We’ll be taught lots about these expectations in November and December in a much-tougher nonconference schedule that features true street video games at Xavier (Nov. 18) and Kansas (Dec. 17), a house assembly on Nov. 30 with North Carolina within the Huge Ten/ACC Problem and a Las Vegas get-together with Arizona on Dec. 10
That is a lofty problem.
“Once more, I feel competitors is nice, man. I imply, it’s good on your program,” Woodson mentioned. “I assumed final season we made a serious step. My complete workforce, that was the primary time they skilled the Huge Dance. I keep in mind again within the day we used to at all times expertise the Huge Dance. So I used to be very excited for our ballclub.
“We thought coming into this season, not even understanding if we have been going to get Trayce again, Race had dedicated to return again, we had already put our schedule in play with North Carolina and Kansas and Arizona. Which I feel is nice. It offers us the chance to play among the greatest groups within the nation, simply see the place you might be as a ballclub.”
With expectations comes stress as effectively. For a fan base ravenous for fulfillment, that is the 12 months Woodson and his workforce can ship on that. It is the subsequent step.
However it’s additionally a really large step.
“Nicely, once more, it’s me and my workers, we have got a giant activity forward of us,” Woodson mentioned. “That’s what I signed up for, which is OK. I be ok with what I do as a coach.
“However on the finish of the day, we have got to get 17 gamers taking part in at a excessive degree as a way to win the Huge Ten or a nationwide title. The Huge Ten is nice, man. You have received a number of nice coaches, a number of nice groups. Then our schedule early may be very aggressive. We have a number of work to do that season, man. However you possibly can’t run from it or be petrified of competitors. That is what school basketball is about. I got here right here, I signed up for this, so I’m trying to push these guys to the max and see what occurs.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis has scored 1,588 factors at Indiana in three years, and ranks No. 15 at school historical past. (USA TODAY Sports activities)
Jackson-Davis, who has scored 1,588 factors at Indiana and is already ranked No. 15 all-time in scoring, firmly embraces the preseason hype, too. He desires it, as a result of being a middle-of-the-pack man is not his factor.
He desires to win. That is why he got here again. And it isn’t simply to win video games. He desires some trophies.
“You have simply received to deal with it with a grain of salt. We have to return to follow on daily basis and compete,” Jackson-Davis mentioned whereas sporting his new candy-striped blazer at Media Days. “We now have to take it recreation by recreation. It is nice to have aspirations and it is nice to see the media speaking like to us, nevertheless it places a goal on our again. We have to play with a chip on our shoulder.”
He is actually wanting ahead to all these preseason assessments. North Carolina will most likely be preseason No. 1, Kansas, the defending nationwide champions, are a top-5 workforce and Arizona, like Indiana, is a top-15 workforce for positive.
“It was nice for me, as a result of Coach Woodson at all times tells me that competitors is wholesome,” he mentioned. “Getting into there, I feel it is actually going to get us prepared for March, taking part in on this large video games and never having them at house, touring somewhat bit. I feel it will be a number of enjoyable.”
“We had Hoosier Hysteria final week and that was the most individuals I’ve seen there in a very long time. Simply being on the market and compete in entrance of them goes to be a number of enjoyable.”
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