Player Q&A: Kel’el Ware and Mackenzie Mgbako react to Indiana basketball’s 74-62 win against Minnesota

Indiana basketball players Kel’el Ware and Mackenzie Mgbako spoke to reporters following Indiana’s 74-62 win against Minnesota on Friday night at Assembly Hall.

The players spoke about Mgbako’s development, the intensity they came out with and much more.

Below is the full video Q&A and transcript.

Q. Mackenzie, for you specifically and for the team more broadly, that start, did the aggression at both ends of the floor, obviously getting shots to fall but also creating turnovers, closing out possessions, where maybe did those first five or six minutes really start for you and individually and for the team?

MACKENZIE MGBAKO: It started from the tip-off. I felt like once we started the game aggressive, it could carry over on to our defense, and then defense creates offense. Just being aggressive on both sides of the floor is what created the win tonight.

Q. Mackenzie, tell me about your defense and that quick start and how you felt maybe you had a role in that, and how do you feel like you’re progressing defensively?

MACKENZIE MGBAKO: I feel like I started off a little bit slow because the offense we’re running is a little bit different than what I learned in high school, so just being able to just grow under Coach Woodson is really good.

Q. Kel’el, looking at how Mackenzie has developed his offensive game this season as the year wears on here, him being able to put the ball on the ground and get to the basket using his aggression and dribble penetration, how have you seen that evolve throughout practice and in game situations?

KEL’EL WARE: Even in practice I always encourage Mac just to go to the rim, get fouled, try to create anything that can get us a bucket, even in game. So he works on it in practice and it translates to the game and just being more aggressive.

Q. Mackenzie, what have been some of the main points of emphasis from Coach Woodson to you throughout your freshman season that you feel like have translated in the last handful of games you’ve played well?

MACKENZIE MGBAKO: Most definitely just locking up on defense. I feel like defense is the No. 1 thing he’s been trying to harp on because I feel like defense creates offense, and that’s really it.

Q. Kel’el, you’re living through this good game, bad game type thing as a team the last couple of weeks. Is there anything you can put your finger on as to what was more dramatically different tonight compared to Tuesday?

KEL’EL WARE: I mean, well, you seen the intensity in the game — from this game and the Rutgers game. I feel like if we bring out the intense at the we had at the start of this game and even throughout the game to every game, I feel like we’ll be good.

Q. Kind of going off that, with the way the Rutgers game played out, how personally did you take that performance and just kind of what happened after that, and what were the last few days of practice like leading into this game that allowed you guys to turn it around tonight?

KEL’EL WARE: The last few days of practice, it’s been hard going at each other because we’ve just got to get better on defense and offense. Y’all seen a glimpse of that tonight, and we’ve just got to keep bringing it every game.

Q. Mackenzie, wanted to get your thoughts, you’ve had I think it’s a string of double-figure games, I think like seven, eight of the last 10 or so. What are three or four things that have gotten better for you at the high major level that are allowing you to have this kind of scoring impact?

MACKENZIE MGBAKO: My defense, keeping my head on a swivel, talking on defense, and just being confident. I feel like those are the things that are helping me out.

Q. Mackenzie, now that we’re this far into the season, are you just feeling more comfortable offensively, and you had a great start, and how important is having that start that you had tonight, a three-pointer, a free throw and a lay-up within the first three minutes of the game?

MACKENZIE MGBAKO: It was really important because it just helps the team start off with intensity, and that’s what Kel’el was saying, going back to intensity and just starting the game off the right way.

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