Mike Woodson joined Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg and USC’s Eric Musselman for a panel dialogue at Large Ten Media Day on Thursday in Chicago.
Right here’s a transcript of Woodson, Hoiberg and Musselman needed to say:
THE MODERATOR: Welcome in Fred Hoiberg, Eric Musselman, Mike Woodson, variety sufficient to hitch us. Fred, you made it public final week that you’re going via what you referred to as a minor process. Clearly I do know you effectively sufficient to know you are taking all the things humbly, particularly when it’s about you. People do wish to know the way you’re doing? You look nice.
FRED HOIBERG: Thanks, Rick. Nice socks, by the best way. I really feel actually good. It was a process on Friday to switch my pacemaker. I went in there, and it was a couple of 30-minute process. Greatest factor proper now could be simply being cautious. I’m teaching loads on the sidelines making an attempt to not get hit. I simply can’t get hit within the space the place they did the process, however feeling nice.
THE MODERATOR: A number of years in the past we performed golf collectively at Olympia Fields. He was teaching the Bulls, working late. Trunk slammer; straight from his trunk to the primary tee. Goes birdie, par, birdie, and tried to persuade all people that he was simply fortunate.
FRED HOIBERG: I used to be. I used to be very fortunate. Hasn’t occurred since.
THE MODERATOR: We acquired an opportunity to fulfill for the primary time, Eric, out at Terranea in Could. Don’t attempt to work out subsequent to this man within the fitness center since you received’t look good. You shared a narrative then that you simply ended up in nearly the identical location, a stone’s throw from the place you had been whenever you acquired your very first job out of school.
ERIC MUSSELMAN: Yeah, first job out of school was promoting tickets for the L.A. clippers, and I lived on forty fourth and Highland in Manhattan Seashore, and now we’re on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan Seashore. Sort of full circle. Tremendous cool for myself and our household.
THE MODERATOR: Mike, you’ve been clearly very busy, you and your employees within the offseason with the switch portal. It’s all the time necessary to get time to recharge the batteries. You recognize about maintaining the tempo being on this enterprise for so long as you’ve. I perceive you had been capable of recharge these batteries not far-off in California as effectively just a little bit this summer time.
MIKE WOODSON: Out in Desert Island coping with the warmth. It was all wonderful. I’m speaking about averaging round 110 a day. However my spouse likes it on the market loads, so we spent about three weeks on the market this summer time.
THE MODERATOR: You clearly did spend a while within the portal. Speak about a number of the superb transfers you’ve coming in Oumar Ballo, Carlyle is on that record. Myles Rice, so many on different guys. How had been you in a position to try this? What’s that course of like now when it’s so necessary to get into the portal and get gamers that may match instantly into your program?
MIKE WOODSON: Effectively, we had no alternative. I imply, I misplaced three gamers to the portal. I misplaced two seniors in Kel’el Ware, who was drafted to the Warmth as a fifteenth choose within the draft.
I needed to exit together with my employees and begin, you recognize, actually working to attempt to construct our staff again. We had been capable of come West and get Large Ballo, as you talked about, and Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle.
Then we had been lucky sufficient to get Goode to come back again house, which he’s a Bloomington child. Then we acquired a freshman in Bryson Tucker, who type of fell in our laps late. I had checked out him a few years in the past when he was at IMG. We had been capable of get him on board.
I imply, we’ve constructed principally via the portal with one freshman, but it surely’s been a piece in progress. Our summer time program I assumed went extraordinarily effectively, after which we gave them a month off. Now we’re again at official working towards.
It’s been a superb run to this point. We simply acquired to place all of it collectively and see the place it leads us.
THE MODERATOR: Eric, nobody was busier than you and your employees within the portal, out of necessity, clearly. Give us a way of the blokes that got here in and in addition how tough it may be and what the problem is if you find yourself making an attempt to construct chemistry with so many guys who haven’t performed collectively earlier than.
ERIC MUSSELMAN: I believe from a chemistry standpoint it’s about what you are able to do within the eight-week offseason program. Each Friday we tried to do a non-basketball-related exercise, whether or not it was wiffle ball on the seashore or boxing collectively as a bunch, or spin class. We tried to do one thing exterior of basketball after which comply with that up with a meal of some kind.
Then within the switch portal out of necessity actually with the best way the roster was with one returning participant. We needed to go to the portal. We’re enthusiastic about a variety of guys. However a variety of guys that must play with a chip on their shoulder. Clearly no person on any of the Large Ten groups proper now that had been acknowledged with the highest gamers, and we mentioned that. We mentioned the place we had been ranked preseason. So we — I hope that our staff type of has that chip on their shoulder from day one.
THE MODERATOR: Fred, for you the switch portal story is fascinating as a result of you’ve a handful of fellows who come from different Large Ten colleges who actually know this league. How a lot of a bonus may that be?
FRED HOIBERG: Effectively, I believe it’s necessary if you find yourself placing your roster collectively to — final 12 months we had been the oldest staff within the league, and we wanted to switch a variety of actually necessary items that we misplaced from a 12 months in the past, together with Reink Mast who sadly had a knee process, and he will likely be out for the season.
So for us to go on the market and attempt to get that have to switch a Keisei Tominaga, Reink who I simply talked about, Josiah Allick who had been nice leaders and nice gamers on the ground.
We completed — we did a reasonably good job of that. I believe we’ve got eight guys which are of their fourth 12 months or extra in faculty basketball.
When you’ve that have, it offers you an opportunity. Now we have two freshmen that I actually, actually like, and I believe they’re going to be superb gamers, however we even have expertise. As you stated, Rick, guys which have performed within the league with Connor Essegian, with Gavin Griffiths, with a few guys that performed within the Pac-12 final 12 months with Braxton Meah and with Berke. These guys are coming collectively.
I believe Muss hit it on the pinnacle so far as these eight weeks how necessary they’re to construct the chemistry in the summertime. You recognize, again in our day once we had been enjoying, it was October 15. You principally had two or three weeks, after which rapidly you’re enjoying video games.
So these eight weeks in the summertime, the 5 weeks within the fall, after which you’re already — the blokes are already sick of you on the primary official day of observe, however that’s all crucial so far as constructing that crucial chemistry.
THE MODERATOR: You do have some terrific returnees again. Bryce, Juwan, and others, guys that acquired to style the event final 12 months. It’s all the time exhausting to get to the event. Many coaches say it’s more durable to get again for a second 12 months. How do you type of hold that momentum going that you simply constructed a 12 months in the past?
FRED HOIBERG: Effectively, it’s such a unique expertise, and being on the massive stage and all of the protection that you’ve got, and we solely actually had of our lively roster one man that had performed within the event, and that was Juwan Gary when he performed at Alabama.
Now we’ve got a bunch of fellows which were there. We’ve talked about this loads as a bunch. The problem now will not be solely getting again there, but it surely’s profitable in March. It’s taking this program to the place it’s by no means been earlier than. Our guys have been actually good. I like the work ethic. I like the competitiveness.
When you’ve a you group of fellows that play exhausting, you’re going to have an opportunity.
THE MODERATOR: Mike, you’ve been there. I do know you wish to get just a little deeper into March this coming season. Whenever you return to your alma mater, I’m positive you had an thought of the place you needed this system to be at this level. How does that examine to the place you’re feeling like this system really is?
MIKE WOODSON: I believe we took a step backwards final 12 months by not making the event. That was type of disappointing. However once more, we acquired to maneuver ahead. The primary two years a variety of these guys hadn’t been within the event for 5 years. Then they tasted it just a little bit.
On the finish of the day together with these guys, that is about profitable Large Ten titles and profitable nationwide titles. That’s why I got here again.
I keep in mind the nice days again once I performed and a number of the nice years that Bob Knight had at Indiana that it’s been lacking. To be again and I’m capable of put my stamp on it, you recognize, it’s going to be nice for me.
I’m completely satisfied to be again, however we nonetheless acquired an extended method to go as a ball membership.
THE MODERATOR: Eric, your profession has been outlined just a little bit by change since you’ve coached at so many various locations, at so many various ranges. How a lot can that aid you in one other 12 months of change? Not only for you and your program, however for the Large Ten as for the primary time ever we see 18 convention video games, only one two-play due to that. Every thing is new for everyone together with these groups which were within the Large Ten for a very long time.
ERIC MUSSELMAN: I believe in the event you coach within the G League, you’re used to alter. So proper now it’s change of roster. It’s change with gamers receiving identify, picture, and likeness. It’s change in the best way that we’re going to journey.
I believe that together with each coaches, Coach Woodson and Coach Hoiberg, I believe there’s just a little little bit of the NBA journey can come into play right here with the way you do shoot-arounds, whenever you journey West Coast to East Coast. We’ve had a variety of discussions with our employees what we did when Golden State performed in, say, Orlando on the primary spherical of a journey day and when do you really do shoot-around? Do you not do shoot-around?
I believe that a number of the NBA classes with journey can assist. At the least it’s the hope.
We’ve additionally talked and met with the L.A. Rams a few weeks in the past about how they journey once they go west to east. What do they do on that first night time that they land and the way do they deal with the morning earlier than, like, a 1:00 kickoff? Will probably be a studying course of for all of us, although, for positive with the journey half.
THE MODERATOR: When coaches say we’re solely trying on the subsequent sport, and this state of affairs you’re looking at this as a complete to determine the easiest way to cope with all of the various things that method you this season?
ERIC MUSSELMAN: Yeah, I believe you need to. I believe that the best way you handle your staff in November and December can have an have an effect on on the way you play in March, and clearly the objective for all of us is to have our groups enjoying their greatest basketball in March. A variety of that has to do with psychological fatigue, bodily fatigue, after which the place you’re together with your our bodies and minds come the top of the season.
So actually the best way that you simply plan in November can have an have an effect on.
THE MODERATOR: I do know we really must get there, however since Eric stated finish of the season, what do you assume it’s going to really feel like on the finish of the common season to have gone via this league this season?
FRED HOIBERG: It’s going to be a grind. You add 4 unbelievable packages with nice coaches, and it’s going to be — the journey, to Muss’s level, goes to be one thing that none of us have ever skilled at this stage. The three of us I believe have been lucky to both have performed or coached within the NBA and what a few of that journey is like.
I believe we’re arrange in a reasonably great spot in Nebraska. The West Coast grind I don’t assume will likely be fairly as a lot as it’s for the East Coast colleges, however on the identical time you actually do have to arrange for it.
One factor that I believe we do a superb job of is we’ve got a sports activities scientist that screens each observe, and we’ve got a load development that we actually wish to comply with to attempt to be recent when it issues most.
Within the final couple of years we’ve had very profitable February and March file. So simply to essentially attempt to hold your guys going the place you’re enjoying your greatest basketball on the proper time of the 12 months.
THE MODERATOR: Mike, it actually helps when you’ve guys which were via that grind earlier than, like Trey, like Malik, Mackenzie skilled it, and now expects some progress this 12 months. What do you want from these guys particularly and people veterans which were on this staff to strive too meld in all of the newcomers?
MIKE WOODSON: We want them to steer and make one other soar. I assumed Malik made a hell of a soar from his freshman 12 months, and Mackenzie, super soar. Trey Galloway is who he’s. He’s been a pacesetter since I’ve had him. Sadly, he had the knee surgical procedure this previous season, and he’s labored his butt off this summer time to get again.
He’s not absolutely recovered, however he’s getting there, so I’m going to want all three of these guys to steer. We acquired some seniors, however we even have a bunch of younger guys as effectively too that hadn’t actually skilled the Large Ten like Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle and Tucker.
So we’re going to want these veteran guys to step up and lead our ball membership.
THE MODERATOR: Let’s end right here, guys. In your campuses clearly there’s a variety of momentum together with your soccer packages as effectively. Indiana is shocking all people. Have you ever felt that vibe of your gamers and perhaps have had an opportunity to look at the Hoosier soccer staff this 12 months?
MIKE WOODSON: I’m loving it. I believe Coach Cignetti has accomplished a hell of a job. He’s put an ideal group of fellows collectively. He’s acquired working backs. He’s acquired receivers. He has a hell of a quarterback.
I couldn’t be extra happier for him as a result of it’s been some time to see our packages even within the prime 25. So you need to give him a variety of credit score for that. I’m ready for Northwestern this week. Now we have them right here at Northwestern. It ought to be a superb ball sport.
THE MODERATOR: Eric, have you ever had an opportunity to spend a lot time with Lincoln? I do know you and Lindsey have shared ideas.
ERIC MUSSELMAN: Went to a few practices. Really acquired some good drills that we’ve type of taken, some quarterback broad receiver drills that he used and have used with a five-shot drill that, that they had a 5 passing drill with their quarterbacks. There’s nothing like USC sideline pregame.
The one factor that’s been troublesome just a little bit is we hold having recruits are available in on weekends when our soccer staff is enjoying on the highway, and I hold eager to go on a highway soccer sport. I’m, like, cease with the recruiting stuff so we will go to a highway soccer sport and expertise Large Ten soccer.
THE MODERATOR: Fred, I do know you and Matt clearly speak loads about what your respective packages are doing at any given second.
FRED HOIBERG: Coach Rhule is doing an outstanding job. It’s been a lot enjoyable. We had our four-hundredth consecutive sellout, and the final sport has been offered out since 1962. The fervour and the vitality proper now round Nebraska soccer, it’s been superior to see.
THE MODERATOR: We actually admire the time.
Filed to: Mike Woodson
