The Daily Hoosier

Mike Woodson says credit for opening play vs. Michigan goes to IU women’s coaches

February 14, 2023 Mike Schumann IUBB, Women's Basketball 20

Lost in the chaos of Indiana’s stressful 62-61 win at Michigan was an impressive start.

On IU’s first play of the game, the Hoosiers ran a set that freed up Trayce Jackson-Davis for a wide open dunk.

And on Monday night head coach Mike Woodson gave credit where it was due — to the IU women’s basketball staff.

As it turns out the IU men’s staff first saw the play — involving a scissors action and a UCLA style back screen — when watching the women’s game against Iowa on Thursday.

“My assistant coaches were at the girls’ game, and they ran a play, and my assistant coaches came back to the meeting room that (next) morning along with one of the girls’ coaches, and they said ‘hey coach, we’ve got to put this play in,'” Woodson said on his radio show on Monday evening.

“Now most coaches would say I’m not running that, please.  But I ain’t that type of dude.  So I said ‘let me see the play,’ and I had the coach from the girls team draw it on the board.”

Woodson was clearly impressed what he saw, and it didn’t hurt that it gave his best player space to operate in the paint.

How much did he like it?

“When we left that room I said ‘hey, we’re going to run this first play tomorrow night at Michigan.’  How did it work out?  Trayce Jackson-Davis got a dunk,” Woodson said.

“You can’t ever be to proud to borrow or steal something.  It’s all good in coaching.”

Below you can watch the women run the play last Thursday against Iowa, and then immediately after watch the men run it on Saturday for the opening score.

The plays were run for Jackson-Davis and Mackenzie Holmes — two players who may both end up as first team All-Americans.

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