Here's What Jordan Geronimo and Race Thompson Said After Indiana's First Road Win of the Season Over Nebraska
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana gets its first road game win of the season defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers 78-71 in Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Redshirt senior forward Race Thompson scored 12 points and had seven rebounds while sophomore forward Jordan Geronimo tallied 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
Here's what Thompson and Geronimo had to say in the post game press conference. Read the transcript, or watch the attached video.
Q: On Geronimo's rebounding...
GERONIMO: I do what I can. My mom played basketball at UNC for the girls' team when she was in college. She was a big defensive player, and just growing up, she was constantly telling me, 'Jordan, rebound the ball. Box out.' She'd always tell me to box out even when I'd box out all game. 'Jordan, box out.'
She was a big rebounder back in the day. I guess I just kind of took it up and got her genes.
Q: On earning your spot...
GERONIMO: Really, I give it all to my teammates and my coaching staff. You know what I'm saying, when I'm frustrated, my coaches know. My teammates know, and they tell me to just be patient. Be patient. Your time will come.
Race, redshirt senior, you know it's his fifth year in college, and he's earned his spot you know what I'm saying. He's an efficient player. He's a great player, but when Race goes down or something happens where I have to play, they told me to stay ready cause you know you have to get ready to stay ready.
Q: On Geronimo's mid range shot...
GERONIMO: My mid range game just kind of improved when I got into college because high school like you said, I did shoot a lot of three's, but one thing Coach Woodson says a lot is like you don't have to always shoot a three.
Like you know what I mean coming off a screen I guess...just get to your midrange shot going, and my trainer back home that I know — he always emphasizes trying to get the midrange shot going because that's how you know people get their money. That's where the game's at nowadays I feel like.
Q: On Geronimo's confidence...
GERONIMO: I guess in the beginning of the year or my freshman year I guess you could say, I was just trying to find my footing really in this college basketball stuff, just trying to see where my role is at, and each day I've been trying to get to where I know I can play at.
As the days went by, my confidence really grew because I knew I could hang with these people, and once I realized I could hang with these people, that really gave me a boost in my mentality and in my confidence level and you know, every time I go for a shot I think I'm going to make the shot, you know what I mean?
That's really all it is is just a positive mentality, and I can't really have that without my teammates because my teammates always know, telling me, 'JG, I know you can shoot like JG I know you can do this, I know you can do that.'
Even when I doubt myself sometimes, they always lift me up.
Q: On Geronimo's strong suits...
THOMPSON: His offense is coming slowly but surely. I mean you've seen him hit a couple jump shots today. You see him hit three's. He's getting better in the post every single day. He's working at it.
I think overall his best part is his defensive rebounding. He's going to keep getting better at helping us out.
Q: On Geronimo's game tonight...
THOMPSON: I think it's a self confidence boost for him. He's going to be able to keep getting these touches. Warmup shot — he makes them every single day in practice, so like I said for us on the bench, it's no surprise.
I mean for you guys it's probably a little bit of a surprise when he's shooting them, but I mean we all think it's going in because he makes them all in practice, so just really proud of him. He played really well today.
Q: On playing Purdue Thursday...
THOMPSON: Got to protect home court. That's really all it is. We can beat anybody when we play well, so at the end of the day, that's what it's about. Just protect home court and try to get a W Thursday.
Q: On Thompson and Geronimo's relationship...
THOMPSON: Me and Jordan got a good relationship off the court. I see him everyday in practice. He deserves to be on that court, and he's finding his minutes, and he's going to keep finding his minutes if he keeps playing the way he's playing so it's no surprise to me.
Every time he comes into the game, he's making plays and I mean he's going to keep getting better and better and better, and he's going to be able to help us a lot.
Q: On winning a road game...
THOMPSON: Yeah, it feels good. We figured it out on the road. It was about time definitely. I think we just found a way to really come together.
We talked about it all week in practice, that we really got to figure it out on the road. We've been in every game on the road, and we had chances to win all these games, so I think today, we found a way to win it.
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- HERE'S WHAT MIKE WOODSON SAID AFTER INDIANA'S WIN OVER NEBRASKA: Indiana defeats Nebraska 78-71 for its first road win of the season. Coach Mike Woodson hit the podium for a press conference following the win. Read the full transcript, or just watch the attached video. CLICK HERE.
- HOOSIERS DEFEAT NEBRASKA ON THE ROAD: After four straight near-misses on the road this season, Indiana finally got the job done on Monday night at Nebraska, beating the Cornhuskers 78-71 for its first road win of the season. Trayce Jackson-Davis led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Jordan Geronimo was perfect off the bench. CLICK HERE.
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