What Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jordan Geronimo Said After Indiana's Win
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After Indiana's 63-45 win over No. 18 Wisconsin, forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jordan Geronimo addressed the media.
Jackson-Davis finished with an 18-point 12-rebound double-double while Geronimo totaled a 12-point, 11-rebound night.
Read their full transcript, or just watch the attached video of the press conference.
QUESTION: Jordan, if you could just touch a little bit on what's been going on between your ears in the last couple weeks? I know you had a couple games where things didn't go your way but tonight you seemed engaged and where you needed to be and doing a lot of good things tonight. What's that been like mentally for you and fighting your way through all this?
JORDAN GERONIMO: Going through those games, just where I didn't produce as much has made me realize like, you know, I have to put more into preparation, watching more film with the coaches and being more focused on what's happening on the court.
Also just being able to play more free without worrying about the extras, you know what I mean. So when I just have that in mind and keep that in mind throughout the game, just playing hard and not worrying about all the other intangibles, I was able to play like myself.
Q: Trayce, Coach said he's never going to go totally away from the nail, slot, rim principles but you guys didn't have to overhelp today. What was most impactful for you?
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: I don't think that we overhelp honestly. I think that we just were not in our right spots to begin with, so when you're not in your right spots and you're running in and then back out, then it hurt you because you can't get out quick enough.
When we're in our right spots and we do the defense right, which we've been preaching this whole time is nail, slot rim and you're in your spot, to get in and get out, it's a lot different and that's what you saw today.
Q: You mentioned being able to play more, is there anything mental that you have to do get yourself in position and able to play clear like that?
GERONIMO: I guess it's not really something I do mentally. I just play without worrying about being subbed out or that I missed a shot and take it into the next play with me. I just have a short memory. Play hard, play physical and make the right play. So I know when I have those possessions where I don't play well, I'm just like, hey, next possession, let's do it, you know what I mean, let's keep going.
Q: Trayce, you guys meshed and were connected today in a way that you probably haven't been in the last three games. As a player, how do you process the fact that it was so difficult the last three games, and then it comes together. Just trying to zero in on that connectivity, talk about how you were able to do that but also how difficult it is so just get that square circled right?
JACKSON-DAVIS: Yeah, our backs were against the wall, dropping three straight. Especially two of them by one and two points, it's demoralizing, and then going into Penn State and that happening.
So your backs are against the wall and we play Wisconsin, a team that I have not beat since I've been here, and obviously they are a little short-handed but we are shorthanded too. So it was a dogfight and we knew it was going to happen on the defensive end and that's what we preached all week in getting ready and prepared for them. I also thank the crowd because the crowd was a huge piece as well.
Q: What was about it your game plan that allowed to you dominate the paint today?
JACKSON-DAVIS: I think that's just Coach Woodson in general. It's inside-out and once you get them, kind of our inside position established and get our bigs going and run ball screens and get Reneau going, get Trey going, it wears down bigs and that's what we did and I thought we did a good job with it.
Q: Trayce, as a leader of this team with Jordan the last couple weeks, what's your message to him when things haven't been going his way?
JACKSON-DAVIS: Just telling him it's going to take a little bit of time. He's not used to being in the position that he's in. He got thrown into the fire a little bit. I know he's capable of doing big things because last year in the Big Ten Tournament, he was our second best or third best player in most of the games.
So just props to him for keeping his head down and grinding and things didn't go his way the last three games, but he came out and played really well tonight. I'm proud of him.
Q: Having a game like tonight with so much success and you talk about just trying to play without thinking about mistakes, how is having a game like this giving you confidence to go forward, game after game, to play like you did tonight, freely and open? And Trayce, how does it impact your game having Jordan have games like that?
GERONIMO: Yeah, having games like this helps my confidence a lot, you know what I mean. Like playing well like this helps me, what's the word -- scratch that.
Basically I'm trying to say that having the games like this helps me because in the future, I have more confidence in my abilities and have the impact on the floor and help my teammates get a W.
JACKSON-DAVIS: Building off that and what he said, just continuing to build. Obviously in this league, you lose three games in a row but you can also win three games in a row. The Big Ten is the Big Ten. Every night is going to be a grind and we have to build off of this. Wisconsin is a great team, and we're going to play a great team tomorrow (Thursday) in Illinois that has struggled and found success recently. It's going to be a dogfight and it's on their home court, and that's what we've got to get ready for.
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