“Coach Woodson, I just want to thank you so much for believing in me all these years,” IU guard Trey Galloway said to the microphone on Senior Day in March.
“I wouldn’t want to have any other coach than you.”
Galloway then stated that he would return to Indiana for a fifth season. And those remarks came just seconds after his long-time teammate Anthony Leal stated, “There’s no other coach in the country that I would trust with anything in my life than Coach Woodson.”
That day, both Leal and Galloway threw their whole support behind Indiana University head coach Mike Woodson.
Prior to their words, there was a message board-fueled myth that a major evacuation was imminent. However, that scenario did not play out this offseason, nor has it since Woodson took over in 2021.
That doesn’t imply everything is fine in Bloomington. There is no one inside the program who is satisfied right now.
Every time I’ve seen a staff member in passing and complimented them on their offseason accomplishment in collecting a good group for the 2024-25 season, they’ve responded with some form of “Thanks, but we’ve got to win.”
But whatever success the Hoosiers achieve this winter will be built on the steadiness provided by a core of returning players. Galloway, Leal, Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako, Gabe Cupps, and Jakai Newton all had alternatives — as everyone does — and they all returned. And the stability given by their return served to cement Indiana’s reputation as a place where players want to come and stay.
On a recent podcast, assistant coach Brian Walsh explained why, despite the highs and lows of the previous three years, the players Indiana wants to bring back keep returning year after year.
“His (Woodson’s) personality man, he’s contagious, he gives you confidence, he’s easy going, fun to be around, great energy,” Walsh remarked during the Rising Coaches podcast. “And I believe the men, the players, see a difference. Everyone thinks Coach Woodson is a players’ coach; what does that mean?The guys adore him. Guys enjoy being around him. He’s funny. He’s loose. He’ll come to practice wearing a headband and a cutoff. He’s really secure with himself. I believe that many people in college basketball are insecure about who they are as individuals. He is comfortable with who he is. He’ll do what he’s going to do, that’s all. He isn’t bothered about what others may say. I’m working on this myself, but
That’s something I absolutely love about Coach Woodson.
Woodson has been difficult to judge in terms of X’s and O’s during the last three seasons. Year one is a struggle for any new college coach, yet he led the Hoosiers to their first NCAA Tournament in five years. Indiana improved later in the season, particularly point guard Xavier Johnson.
Year two had great expectations, similar to the upcoming season, and the outcomes were mixed. Despite a season-ending injury to Johnson, IU likely performed worse than expected, finishing second in the Big Ten and earning a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Woodson’s season was clearly a disaster, finishing 19-14. He has stated a lot in public.
“I’m sick to my stomach this summer knowing we didn’t make the tournament last year,” Woodson told an audience at an alumni event last week. “We didn’t come here for that.”
However, Woodson and his team’s failures in year three appeared to be primarily due to roster design rather than on-court coaching. Indiana had backcourt restrictions that few, if any, coaches could overcome, especially when Johnson sustained additional injuries and Jakai Newton missed the entire season.
Walsh thinks Woodson has made a strong impression on him and the rest of the staff as a coach on the floor.
“His (Woodson’s) basketball mind, when Thad Matta was on staff with us his first year I remember this like yesterday because it stuck with me,” Walsh stated. “He stated, ‘Coach Woodson and the NBA are talking chess, while college is talking checkers.'”
“Just a different game and way of thinking. Different rotations result in different schemes. Just being able to pick his brain, and Coach Woodson involves everyone in everything he does. We have major staff meetings, and in my three years with him, I’ve learned so much basketball that I’ll have with me forever.”
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