What Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Hood-Schifino Said After Indiana's Win Over UNC
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana claimed its biggest win of the 2022-23 season on Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, defeating North Carolina 77-65.
Indiana's preseason All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with a game-high 21 points, and freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino scored a career-high 14. Here's what Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino said after the game, with video attached.
On Indiana's dominance in the paint...
Jackson-Davis: I think it's huge for us honestly. That's Coach Woodson, since he got the job, he always said play inside-out. We knew North Carolina was going to ice ball screens. Guys like X and Fino getting them downhill in situations where they can make plays was huge for us. They made big plays all night.
On why Trayce Jackson-Davis outplayed Armando Bacot...
Hood-Schifino: Because he's a big-time player and that's what big-time players do.
On how big of a win this was...
Jackson-Davis: It was huge for us, really. You got to beat the best to be the best. That's what Coach Woodson always says. He was not afraid of competition. That's why we put teams like North Carolina, Kansas, Arizona on our schedule because you got to go toe-to-toe with those teams. We're going to fight and battle. That's what we're going to do. We go at each other every day just to put on a show in front of these fans. I thought the crowd was electric. It was a great atmosphere to play in, so.
On Indiana's defense...
Jackson-Davis: Yeah, I thought our defense was very constrictive, like an anaconda. It was very, very constrictive. We just really sucked the life out of UNC early and they couldn't get any big shots, honestly. Obviously they're a really good team, so shots started eventually falling. But by that time we had an 8- to 10-point lead and kind of rode it out till the end of the game.
On how Jackson-Davis is feeling physically after dealing with injuries...
Jackson-Davis: First physically, I'm okay. I got a shot before the game, so I don't really feel anything right now. It is what it is. Probably feel it tomorrow a little bit.
On Jalen Hood-Schifino's strong start...
Jackson-Davis: Secondly, Jalen came out and he was really our spark to start the game. He had like our first 10 to 12 points. It was ridiculous. He was hitting big shot after big shot. I think our team fed off of that. Him being a freshman coming into this environment against that team, doing that, it's really special.
Hood-Schifino: Yeah, it was a big-time game. North Carolina is coming off losing two games. I knew they were going to come in, bring energy, try to knock us off our feet. For me, I just came in confident, just shot my shot. I feel like I was a spark. When I was hitting my shots, everyone else followed along, brought their energy, just built it up from there.
On what this team is capable of...
Jackson-Davis: What we're capable of is playing our next game, which is at Rutgers. I haven't beat Rutgers since I've been here. The RAC has always been a very hostile environment. They've had our number there. That's really where we see as the biggest test. That's what I said to our guys this week, I said, UNC is going to be a great team and a great game. Obviously with this crowd, I liked our chances. But the real test is what we're going to do on Saturday with that game because they're a good team and they're very well-coached.
On Trey Galloway...
Jackson-Davis: Trey brings so much energy to our team, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He just thrives off of it. He always guards their best guard. He's always in their head trying to get them to make mistakes. We call him Crazy Man because that's how he is on the defensive end of the floor. He really thrives off of that, getting steals, out in transition, running. He's a big play-maker.
On how coach Mike Woodson gets Indiana to defend so well...
Jackson-Davis: We just listen to what he has to say. He always talks about the 'nail, slot, rim'. Those are really big keys for him. He says if we got guys in those positions, everyone is on a body, we can get stops on anybody. That's what we've been preached and taught to do.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- GAME STORY: Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 21 points and guards Jalen Hood-Schifino and Xavier Johnson book-ended an emphatic 77-65 win over preseason No. 1 North Carolina on Wednesday night, leading the Hoosiers to their seventh straight win. CLICK HERE
- CALEB LOVE FRUSTRATED AFTER LOSS: North Carolina shot 33.9 percent during its 77-65 loss at Indiana on Wednesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. For Caleb Love and coach Hubert Davis, there's plenty of frustrations and plenty to fix, but a lot of time to do so. CLICK HERE
- WHAT WOODSON SAID: Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson thought the Hoosiers' 77-65 win over North Carolina on Wednesday was a total team effort. Here's the full transcript from his postgame press conference, with video attached. CLICK HERE
- PHOTO GALLERY: Indiana took on North Carolina on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, winning 77-65 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Here is a collection of some of the best photos from the game. CLICK HERE
- WATCH KOPP'S LAYUP: North Carolina coach Hubert Davis needed a timeout after this Miller Kopp layup, which gave Indiana a 13-point lead in the second half. CLICK HERE
- WATCH HOOD-SCHIFINO'S JUMPER: Indiana freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino opened the scoring with a smooth mid-range jumper on Wednesday night against North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. CLICK HERE
- WATCH JOHNSON'S LAYUP: Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson faked out the North Carolina defense for an easy bucket in the first half of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. CLICK HERE
- WATCH GALLOWAY'S DUNK: Indiana guard Trey Galloway's fast-break dunk gave Indiana an eight-point lead and got the Assembly Hall crowd on its feet on Wednesday against North Carolina. CLICK HERE
