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Opposing View: What Miami is saying about Indiana

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Indiana is set to face off against Miami (Fla.) in the Round of 32 on Sunday night, with a chance to get back to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2016.

Miami won the ACC and are 26-7 overall on the season. Jim Larrañaga is in his 12th season for Miami and is looking to get to his fourth Sweet Sixteen in his Miami career. The Hurricanes have won 10 of their last 12 games.

Here are some of the key quotes from Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga and players Norchad Omier, Bensley Joseph and Harlond Beverly ahead of Sunday night’s matchup.

SEE ALSO: Everything Indiana basketball said previewing Miami

Q. If all three of you could talk about the specific challenges that IU pose. You’ve had a chance now a little bit to switch over to your new opponent. What is it? And specifically also for Norchad, having to cover a guy like Trayce Jackson-Davis, what do you think that’s going to be like?

NORCHAD OMIER: Indiana is a really good team. We know they’ve got Trayce Jackson-Davis. We know they come to him most every possession, and he’s going to be a big challenge for me.

I’m excited for it, if I’m being honest. I’m waiting for it. He’s a great player. That’s all I can say about it.

BENSLEY JOSEPH: I see a lot of their play style is unique. They like to give it to Trayce a lot, and they have perimeter shooters as well. So I feel like the challenge is taking away that paint and forcing them to do a lot of their weaknesses. I’m excited for this game tomorrow.

HARLOND BEVERLY: Like they said, they’re a really good team, great all around, good guards, great big man. So we have to be ready for tomorrow.

Q. Norchad, I was just curious how you got through last night’s game health-wise. I know you had some question marks coming into it. Secondly, what you’ve seen so far on film with Trayce Jackson-Davis and the biggest challenges he presents for you.

NORCHAD OMIER: How I mentioned before, he’s a great player. I think, not just me, but my teammates know that Indiana runs offense through him, and we’ve got to pack the paint. They have great shooters also. It’s not just Trayce Jackson-Davis. They have a lot of good players.

So we’ve just got to play our defense, play our identity, pack the paint, and do what we do.

Q. This could be for any of you guys. I’m just curious, of what you’ve seen of Indiana so far, is there any team you’ve played along the way this season that they kind of remind you of?

BENSLEY JOSEPH: I’ve seen a lot, but really the focus is Trayce Jackson-Davis and not letting him be so comfortable at what he does so great. Then looking out and closing out on their shooters from the perimeter and their freshman point guard, Jalen Hood, he’s really good. So applying pressure and making forced mistakes.

We’ve been here before. We’ve battled teams like this. So I feel like it’s just another day, another game to battle as hard as we can and try to advance.

Q. I wanted to ask a followup about Jalen. What about him and what about Indiana’s guards really stand out to you?

BENSLEY JOSEPH: Jalen’s really good. He likes to get to his spots. He’s crafty. He’s a big guard. He’s about 6’6″. And he’s strong.

So just applying a lot of pressure and making him feel uncomfortable, making him do his weaknesses, like I said, and hopefully we can shut him down the whole 40 game minutes to get a victory.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much, guys. Good luck tomorrow.

Q. Just your thoughts on Trayce Jackson-Davis, your first looks at him after last night’s game.

JIM LARRANAGA: He’s great. He’s a first-team All-American. Obviously he’s earned that by averaging a double-double, scoring in an assortment of ways, helping his teammates play well. He’s just a great player.

Q. Jim, what do you think your team learned from the game last night that they would carry over to the game against Indiana?

JIM LARRANAGA: Well, the first thing I would say is they learned how good every team in this tournament is, even if you don’t know them, don’t know their personnel, you don’t know their style of play until you get selected for the tournament.

We were very impressed with Drake, very impressed with their defense, and I thought our guys’ defense stepped up. That’s what we’ve kind of shared with them all season long. The offense will take care of itself, but we have to defend, we have to rebound. If we do those two things at the defensive end of the floor, we should be competitive. But if we don’t defend, if we don’t rebound, we’re in trouble.

Q. In addition to scoring and rebounding, Jackson-Davis is very good at passing and blocks. Do you debate in your mind the positives and negatives of double-teaming him as you get ready to face Indiana tomorrow?

JIM LARRANAGA: Yeah, you have to debate that. I’ve watched tape on what other teams have tried to do. He’s an outstanding passer. I think he’s averaging like six assists a game. He’s a great rebounder. He’s averaging double-figure rebounds. He’s averaging 20 or more points in the Tournament. I think in his last few games he’s averaging 25. So he’s a great player.

As a coach who has to defend him, we’ve got to have plan A, plan B, and plan C. So we’re going to be doing that. We did a little bit this morning with the team. We’ll do it again tonight and then tomorrow at our shootaround.

Q. What stands out to you about Jalen Hood-Schifino and the rest of Indiana’s guards?

JIM LARRANAGA: Jalen, I tried to recruit him. I loved his game. He’s 6’6″. He plays the point. He can score off the bounce. He can shoot the three. He uses ball screens very effectively. He’s just a very good big guard, Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten, and he’s just much bigger than our guards. So he’ll be a handful for us tomorrow.

Follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of University of Indiana athletics. 

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Indiana women’s basketball and head coach Teri Moren agree to contract extension

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The Indiana women's basketball program and head coach Teri Moren have agreed to a contract extension. (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK)

The Indiana women’s basketball program and head coach Teri Moren have agreed to a contract extension, announced on Friday.

Moren, who is the reigning AP National Coach of the Year and the program’s all-time winningest coach, received an extension through the 2028-29 season.

Moren led the Indiana women’s basketball program to its first Big Ten regular season championship in 40 years.

Below is the full release from Indiana.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University and IU head women’s basketball coach Teri Moren have agreed to an extended contract that will make her among the highest paid women’s basketball coaches in the country.

Moren’s deal features an average annual compensation of more than $1.3 million, which ranks second in the Big Ten and among the top coaches nationally. The contract has also been extended by two years thru the 2028-29 season and includes more significant performance bonuses that can enhance the deal, including the following:

  • Big Ten regular and postseason championships;
  • Top three Big Ten regular season finishes;
  • NCAA Tournament participation and victories; and
  • conference and/or national coach of the year accolades.

“Teri Moren has clearly established herself as one of the nation’s best basketball coaches, and in doing so has elevated Indiana Women’s Basketball to an unprecedented level in our program’s history,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. “The decision to modify her contract not only recognizes the tremendous successes she has enjoyed during her nine years here, but also Indiana University’s commitment to continuing to elevate IU Women’s Basketball into one of the best programs in the sport.”

“I am honored and humbled to receive a contract extension from Indiana University,” said Moren. “I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to build during our time at IU which is a direct reflection of our student-athletes, coaches, support staff and fans who have all played a big part in our success. I am excited for what’s happening in the future of our program. A very heartfelt thank you to President Whitten and Scott Dolson for their support and their trust in me to lead this program for the long term. I am proud to be a Hoosier.”

The reigning AP National Coach of the Year and the IU program’s all-time winningest coach, Moren has compiled a 200-93 record (99-57 Big Ten) during her nine seasons in Bloomington. She’s enjoyed eight straight 20-win seasons, doubling the number of 20-win seasons that the program enjoyed in the previous 41 years.

She’s coming off a 2022-23 season where she guided the program to a 28-4 overall record, its first Big Ten regular season championship in 40 years, and its first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  Her IU teams have earned invitations to each of the last four NCAA Tournaments and five overall during her tenure. Each of her NCAA-bound IU teams have won at least one NCAA Tournament game, while the 2020-21 team advanced to the Elite Eight and the 2021-22 team to the Sweet 16. In addition to the NCAA berths the team earned two WNIT invitations, highlighted by the 2018 WNIT Championship.

The program’s successes have also helped produce exponential growth in attendance at IU’s women’s basketball games. After averaging 2,708/game in the year prior to Moren’s arrival, average home attendance as Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall reached an all-time best of 8,104/game in 2022-23, a 199% increase compared to 2013-14. After previously ranking near the bottom of the Big Ten in attendance, IU ranked second in the Big Ten and in the top 10 nationally last season.

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Mike Woodson ‘always looking to better’ Indiana basketball with final available scholarship

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The Indiana basketball program has one available scholarship for next season and Mike Woodson is 'always looking to better' the roster. (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK)

As Mike Woodson and the Indiana basketball program approach the first segment of summer workouts, its roster is still not full.

Currently, the Hoosiers have one open scholarship for the upcoming season.

On Wednesday, Woodson made it clear — in order to compete at the top of the Big Ten and around the country, he’s ‘always looking to better’ Indiana basketball.

“We’re always looking,” Woodson said of his final scholarship spot. “Based on a lot of the players tonight that might pull out (of the NBA draft), there might be a player that falls through the cracks. I’m watching it closely and I’m always looking to better our team and if we can pick up someone, based on who falls through the cracks, then we will.”

The NBA Draft withdrawal deadline was May 31 at 11:59 pm and while there were some big names announcing their intentions on returning to college, Woodson isn’t going to go for just anybody.

With six new players coming in next season as of now, including three transfers, chemistry, role and fit are incredibly important.

“I mean I got really seven new players and I gotta figure it out in terms of how we gonna play, who can do what,” Woodson said. “So I’m kinda anxious to see this next week. A lot of the guys are coming back this weekend and getting them in the gym and see who can do what.”

The role that Indiana needs to fill is on the perimeter. The Hoosiers are lacking the consistent knockdown shooting it needs in order to raise their ceiling this year. As of now, a lot is being put on the untapped potential of the roster … mainly the young pieces.

Indiana has five-star newcomers in Mackenzie Mgbako and Kel’el Ware. It also has core pieces returning in Xavier Johnson, Trey Galloway and Malik Reneau.

But, Reneau, Mgbako and Ware have combined to start just seven games at the college level.

The talent level is there, as is the versatility — something Indiana hasn’t had from top to bottom on its roster since Woodson took the program over.

When it came down to assembling the roster that is currently constructed, while the Indiana basketball staff had full control of the players incoming, there will be a taste of what Xavier Johnson wanted as well.

“Yeah, he asked me who I was interested in and I told him and we got a couple of the guys that I actually liked,” Johnson said. “We built a solid, solid team coming in.

“I would say from my watch, I think we have a pretty — a pretty unique, unique team. We’ll be more athletic than last year.”

So, as Woodson and the rest of the Indiana basketball staff look at its final scholarship spot, it’s one that is 100 percent open for use, but not one that will just be tossed around unless the specific skillset arises.

SEE ALSO: ‘It’s going to be my job to bridge the gap’: Mike Woodson’s vision for Indiana basketball is coming to life

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Indiana basketball senior guard Xavier Johnson gives update on his health: ‘I’m 100 (percent)’

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Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Xavier Johnson (0) reacts after a three point score against the Arizona Wildcats during the second half at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Besides the additions of Oregon transfer center Kel’el Ware and the commitment of 2023 five-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako, the biggest offseason win for Indiana basketball was the return of senior guard Xavier Johnson.

Last season, Johnson played and started in just 11 games before he suffered a broken foot on Dec. 17 after playing only nine minutes against Kanas. He would go on to miss the reminder of the season.

Towards the end of last season however, there were rumblings that Johnson and Indiana would seek a medical hardship waiver, which they opted to do, with the senior guard running out of chances to realistically get back into the rotation and contribute.

Going into the offseason, the potential return of Xavier Johnson quickly became one of the bigger storylines for the Indiana basketball program and on April 26th, it was announced that Johnson’s medical hardship waiver was approved by the NCAA. 

Mike Woodson and Indiana basketball had their starting point guard back.

“It’s been a long process, honestly,” said Xavier Johnson when speaking to the media on Wednesday night. “I had to see it all through, talked to my coach (Woodson) and my family. The best option was to come back to school just for the benefit of my health. I would say I thought I was gonna come back in February, late February, but I think it was best for the team just to keep competing (last year) without me and I’ll just be there to support.”

During the process of the medical hardship waiver application, there is not much that a college athlete can do but just wait and see what the NCAA decides based on the facts.

Waiting is exactly what Xavier Johnson did.

“I really just had to wait, honestly, I mean there’s nothing right to the process, but waiting,” Johnson added.

As a senior and the elite competitor that Xavier Johnson is, it certainly was hard for him to have to sit on the sidelines and watch his teammates at Indiana play without him for the second half of last season. When Johnson went down, the keys were given to freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino as the primary ball handler for the Hoosiers, who used that opportunity to play his way into a potential lottery pick in the NBA Draft.

Even though there was a chance that Xavier Johnson could have returned late last year, the best thing for Johnson in the long term was to sit out and have a better chance at coming back this season and playing a full senior campaign.

When Johnson got the word that his wavier was approved by the NCAA, you can say the wait was well worth it.

“It was a long process of getting my waiver, but once I got it, that weight was off my shoulders.” said Johnson.

“Coach (Woodson) called me and asked me if I wanted to transfer. I was like ‘what you mean do I want to transfer? Did I not get my waiver?’ He was like ‘yeah you got your waiver. Do you want to come back and play for me?’ I was like ‘yeah!’ (laughter).”

Besides Johnson, there might not be a happier and more excited person on this earth to know that his starting point guard, his senior leader, is returning to help captain the 2023-24 Indiana Hoosiers than Mike Woodson.

The coach-player relationship that Mike Woodson and Xavier Johnson have built these past few seasons is truly special. Woodson has a special connection with his point guards and really understands the value of having a great one like Johnson.

And as far as Xavier Johnson’s health heading into the summer portion of the Indiana offseason?

“I’m 100 (percent),” Johnson simply and confidently said.

SEE ALSO: ‘I think we are getting into more of what coach Woodson wants’: Former IU basketball player Christian Watford discusses Hoosiers offseason

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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