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    • Mike Woodson gets his first look at the new IU basketball team against Tennessee
    Duluth

    Mike Woodson gets his first look at the new IU basketball team against Tennessee

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    BLOOMINGTON – Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson repeatedly said he is “excited” to see how his new-look squad performs in Sunday’s charity tournament against Tennessee.

    Woodson spoke to reporters via Zoom on Friday to preview the match. The teams mutually agreed to donate all proceeds from the game to the John McLendon Foundation.

    The Vols moved closer to No. 18 Indiana after the NCAA passed a rule change over the summer that allows teams to play two exhibition games against Division I opponents. Woodson jumped at the chance to take on such a quality opponent with a squad featuring seven new faces.

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    “We don’t go out to fool around,” Woodson said. “We want to win and I’m sure they want to win too, but as coaches we want to evaluate our team and see what we are and what we need to improve on.”

    IU basketball is ready to take on the reigning SEC champions

    No. 12 Tennessee is looking to build on its advance to the Elite Eight last year. The Vols had a 27-9 record and won the SEC regular season title with a 14-4 record, their first overall title since 2008. Their season ended with a 72-66 loss to Purdue.

    Rick Barnes also had to replace many players after losing four starters, including Dalton Knecht, the team’s star guard, who was drafted 17th overall after averaging 21.7 points and 2.6 made 3-pointers per game.

    Tennessee returns last year’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Zakai Zeigler. The 5-9 guard averaged 11.8 points, 6.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game last year.

    “Tennessee is not a pushover team,” Woodson said.

    IU basketball guards Trey Galloway and Jakai Newton are still recovering

    Woodson isn’t sure if Trey Galloway and Jakai Newton will start against Tennessee on Sunday. The two returnees did not participate in Hoosier Hysteria, but did get some playing time in the team’s final scrimmage.

    “Their minutes were limited and I thought they both played well,” Woodson said. “We kind of brought them back slowly because it’s a long season. They haven’t fully recovered yet, maybe they can tell you that. Because of this, we are very cautious in how we approach their practices as they are not fully ready yet.”

    Woodson estimated they played about 15 to 18 minutes in the scrimmage.

    “I thought that was promising for the future,” Woodson said. “… We’re in communication with these two guys about how they’re feeling every day, and they don’t go every day. That’s the thing.

    “It’s pretty hard to get them straight into the game, let’s play for 25 to 30 minutes. We’ll see in the next few days and gauge from there.

    Galloway spent the offseason recovering from a knee injury suffered leading up to IU’s regular season finale against Michigan State. Newton is also recovering from a knee injury that dates back to his time at Newton High School two years ago.

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    IU Basketball vs. Tennessee, how to watch

    • When: Sunday, October 27 at 3 p.m. ET
    • Where: Food City Center (21,678), Knoxville, Tennessee
    • TV: SEC Network +
    • Series: Indiana leads 4-0
    • Last meeting: Indiana defeated. Tennessee 74-67 on March 27, 1985 in New York

    Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek Click here to read all of his coverage.

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    Eira Gwyneth
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