What Mike Woodson Said After Indiana Was Beaten 94-69 At Home By Illinois

Mike Woodson faced the media after Indiana suffered its second straight 25-point defeat in Big Ten play.

Todd Golden | Jan 15, 2025

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson instructs his team as Indiana Hoosiers forward Luke Goode (10) and Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) check in to the game during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana men's basketball Mike Woodson did his best to describe to the media the bad state of affairs that the Hoosiers' program finds itself in.

Indiana lost its second game by a 25-point margin as No. 19 Illinois defeated Indiana 94-69 on Tuesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. This heavy loss came in the wake of the Hoosiers' 85-60 defeat at Iowa Saturday.

Woodson spoke to the media after the heavy loss. Here's everything the fourth-year coach had to say.

What do you say to a team after a loss like that ...

Mike Woodson: Long season, man. I mean, you can't throw in the towel. You know, I mean, we didn't play well the first half. We were awful.

I thought we came out the second half and we competed and played a lot better, but the damage was already done in the first half. Got to give Illinois a lot of credit, their coaching staff. They played great.

On being 1-5 in quad one games, 15-34 in quad one games over the last three years, and why the team is inconsistent against the better opponents ...

Mike Woodson: We've had some good games against big time opponents over the three years. The record doesn't indicate that.

It's tough. You know, I mean, when you prepare and you work, because we work in practice, we do all the things that you are supposed to do going into the game. Guys just didn't step up tonight and didn't step up in the Iowa game.

I can't go back to past years. I got to coach what's staring me in the face right now. We just got to continue to work. I mean, still a long season. Hopefully we'll get Malik (Reneau) back soon. He's a big piece to what we do and we can get guys back playing the way I expect us to play.

On fans booing, chanting "Fire Woodson" and what Woodson can do to reassure the fans ...

Mike Woodson: Again, I love our fans and I respect our fans, but it's up to me to get our players to play at a high level. That's my job and I'm going to continue to work in that area and hope that our fans will hang in there with us.

On how to help the young guys and what soul searching he does on his own ...

Mike Woodson: You got to continue to work. I got to make some changes. We haven't been getting off to a good start in terms of who we been starting. Sure, we do miss Malik. He's a big piece to the puzzle. But I got to put guys in there that I think is going to get us off to a good start and see if we can maintain it over a 40-minute ballgame.

We can't let two games, and these were embarrassing games for us, determine our season. We still got a long way to go, a lot of Big Ten games left. I just got to get us better prepared and ready to play.

On the 60 points Illinois scored in the first half and how he can explain that ...

Mike Woodson: I wish I knew. You know, I mean, I thought we played better the second half. They scored what, 34 points the second half. 60 points is just way too many.

I just thought our defense and our intensity just wasn't there and they exploited it.

On what happened with Oumar Ballo at the end of the game and what Woodson intends to do about it ...

Mike Woodson: There is not a whole lot I can do. You know being until I can back and review it. I'm sure the commissioner and everybody will take a look at what happens and make a decision on what they plan on doing.

I just hope Ballo is with us our next game as we travel over to Ohio (State).

On accountability, hoping Ballo can play the next game, and what's going on with the program ...

Mike Woodson: Well, they're taking up for each other. I get that. In the heat of the battle anything is liable to happen. I don't condone players pushing players or their player got into our player's face. It went back and forth, two guys pushing and shoving.

I don't condone that by any means. In the heat of the battle I'm not right there in the situation where I can stop it. Sometimes things get out of hand and they happen.

You know, Ballo and I will sit and talk, along with Myles (Rice), because he was assessed a technical, too, and see where we go from there.

On what needs to change from the team's response to the Iowa game and what needs to change from that ...

Mike Woodson: Again, we can't let this be a snowball effect. Like I said, we got a long way to go in this Big Ten.

Do I think we're good enough to win? Yeah, I do. I just got to get us to believe that and keep pushing these guys in the right direction.

On saying this was the most talented roster Indiana has had and why it hasn't clicked yet ...

Mike Woodson: Again, you're missing your leading scorer the last five, six games. I mean, that doesn't help.

I mean, again, I've always said we won games without Malik. It's next man up. The last two games we haven't fared well without him. Hopefully get him back soon and I can get guys playing back at a high level so we can get back on the winning track.

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