Three Hoosiers, Mike Woodson, Kaleb Banks, and Jakai Newton, will be familiar faces when Indiana travels to Atlanta on Saturday to play Auburn.
Historically, Indiana basketball has not travelled south very often, and certainly not for a home-grown non-conference matchup against a highly skilled Auburn team. But when it comes to making decisions, no place is off limits for Mike Woodson and his decades-long basketball connections.
When the Hoosiers visit Atlanta on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2), Woodson will be making his most recent return to a place he is familiar with—bringing his alma mater with him.
Woodson led the Atlanta Hawks, who were in the process of rebuilding, from 2004 to 2010. It was Woodson’s first opportunity to lead an NBA team, and it was also the longest he had ever coached for any one team.
Thirteen years later, Woodson will host Auburn at the Hawks’ home arena, State Farm Arena, as a way of giving back to everyone who helped make Atlanta feel like a second home.
Woodson stated on Thursday, “It was important that I take a game back there because I think a lot of the people that were in my corner and supported me are still there, and that means a lot to me.” And I reasoned that returning a game would be particularly meaningful for those who have stood by me over the years.”
As the head of Indiana, Woodson is no stranger to setting up fake homecoming games.
Even after the Crossroads Classic was no longer valid last season, Woodson made sure to visit his childhood home of Indianapolis, where Indiana triumphed over Miami of Ohio. A few weeks ago, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, he repeated the same action as Indiana defeated Harvard. And Woodson took his Hoosiers to Madison Square Garden in New York, where he coached the Knicks for several years, seven days prior to the Harvard game, to play UConn and Louisville in the Empire Classic.
The most recent reunion is scheduled for this Saturday in Atlanta, a city that Woodson still has a lot of affection for.
“It means a lot, in that that’s where my head coaching career began,” said Woodson. “And I still have a home there, a lot of friends, people that supported me when I first started my journey as a coach in Atlanta.”
Although most fans associate Woodson with his tenure as the Knicks’ coach from 2012 to 2014, when he managed Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and the team, his most notable coaching achievement may have been leading the Hawks.
Upon taking over as head coach for the first time in 2004, Woodson inherited an Atlanta roster that had been completely dismantled. Under Woodson’s direction, an obvious youth movement started in the 2007–08 season, but his first four seasons ended with losing records and missed playoffs.
Al Horford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, Shelden Williams, Marvin Williams, and other players were among the team members that Woodson led from the previous season’s 30-52 squad to its first NBA Playoff berth in nine years. Before Woodson’s final departure following the 2010 season, the Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals two straight seasons.
More than ten years later, Woodson’s Hawks coaching background is still not lost on him.
“When I started that journey, I started out with 18, 19, 20-year-old young men that didn’t have a clue what the NBA was about,” said Woodson. And since we were still so young and it was difficult, I had no idea how to coach them. However, the best thing about that young team was that, according to my peers, everyone was praising them for their hard play. You’re so competitive, boy.”
However, Woodson is not the only Hoosier going home this weekend. The honour also goes to Georgia natives Kaleb Banks, a sophomore forward, Jakai Newton, a freshman guard, and associate head coach Yasir Rosemond, who will now get the opportunity to play for their home state.
Less than an hour south of Atlanta, Banks is originally from Hampton, Georgia, so the chance to play in front of his loved ones makes Saturday’s matchup even more significant.
Less than an hour south of Atlanta, Banks is originally from Hampton, Georgia, so the chance to play in front of his loved ones makes Saturday’s matchup even more significant.
“For me, returning home is truly exciting. Really, I didn’t anticipate this,” remarked Banks. “I was ecstatic to learn that we would be playing in Atlanta again. I’m pleased that I have the opportunity to play on the south side of things at IU, as I never would have imagined that I would.”
Rosemond excelled at Atlanta’s Douglass High School, where she won three consecutive All-State awards.
Newton, who was raised in Covington, Georgia, less than an hour southeast of Atlanta, probably feels the same way Banks does. Newton has not played this season due to knee surgery that was done in the offseason, but returning home will always mean a little bit more.
However, two Georgia players showing up at Indiana at the same time? How does that come about? Undoubtedly, it’s uncommon for the Hoosiers to find themselves in this situation, but it all started with Banks and Newton merely taking a chance on one of the most illustrious college basketball programmes.
The signing of Banks and Newton by Indiana has also drawn attention from Georgians and increased IU’s profile as a recruiter in the talent-rich state. Although Banks acknowledged that he hasn’t made as much of an effort to recruit Georgia players lately, he still keeps Georgia high school prospects in the back of his mind.
“Indiana has become way bigger on the south side, just people knowing me and him just took a chance on Indiana and came here to play,” Banks stated. The fact that he and I are coming here will definitely draw attention to Indiana and make other basketball players on the south side realise what a great team they play for into it as well.”
The goal of Woodson, Newton, Banks, and Rosemond is to defeat the Tigers when Indiana and Auburn play on Saturday. Once the whistle blows, you can bet that winning is the only thing on everyone’s mind, despite the pomp and circumstance that precedes the game possibly evoking stronger emotions than usual.
Indiana’s homecoming quartet’s greatest farewell gift would be a victory over Auburn.
“I’m concerned about every team we play, not just Auburn,” said Woodson. “They have a strong basketball squad. They accomplish a lot of good things, but in college basketball, you can beat any team. Thus, all we need to do is follow our strategy, put together a solid plan, and monitor our progress.”
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