Mike Woodson is a busy man. His first season on the bench of his former college in Indiana barely over, the technician already wants to accelerate.
This is in fact what he made clear a few weeks ago, on the occasion of the Media Day of the Hoosiers during which he displayed his very high ambitions for his program this season.
Among the reasons that justify the ambitions of “Woody”, there is the stability of his workforce, made up of many returning from last season. And among these ghosts, there is at the top of the list Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The load-bearing wall of Mike Woodson’s project
Star of the Hoosiers since his arrival on the Bloomington campus in 2019 (16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in three seasons, 94 starts in as many games played), the strong winger is back for a fourth season.
More than ever, he will be one of the very best players in the country, and above all the undisputed boss of a team which should play the leading roles on the national scene this season.
For Mike Woodson, he is simply the missing piece of his puzzle, and his return to campus is the variable that completes his equation.
« He was the missing piece, and is the central element of our team’s project. » confirmed the former Knicks coach. « I spent the summer following his file, to find out if he was going to come back, or if I was going to have to find a replacement for him on the transfer portal. So he made my life easier when he decided to come back. As a team, it puts us in a whole new dimension. Just look at his numbers last season. […] He does so much good to our collective: he blocks shots, takes rebounds, even pushes the leather in transition. There is no limit as to the level he will reach this season. »