Indiana Point Guard Xavier Johnson Discusses Return From Injury, Final Stretch of Senior Season
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00:00 We have a week from Sunday's Senior Day last Indiana home game for you.
00:06 I was curious how you try to put a bow around your three years here
00:12 and the high, whatever highs and lows that you might want to talk about
00:16 to the crowd and to all of us on Senior Day.
00:19 No, I mean, I have been thinking about it for like the past week.
00:24 You know, it's something that, you know, I slip my mind
00:29 that it's almost really over, almost going into my last home game,
00:33 you know, in front of my family.
00:37 No, I have probably a lot to say,
00:39 probably not much to say for real, but I have some things to say on Senior Night.
00:45 Alex and Shuman.
00:48 Thanks for the time, appreciate it.
00:51 I'm curious just from obviously you've missed time
00:54 throughout the season for different injuries,
00:56 but you've been up close with this team all season.
00:59 Why do you think maybe some of the struggles that
01:03 that have gone on this season, just in terms of wins and losses
01:07 perspective have happened?
01:08 You know, coaches talked about injuries and being a part of it.
01:12 Is there anything that's simple in your mind or are there other things
01:16 maybe that you guys have struggled with in terms of being consistent?
01:19 My mind, I would definitely say it would have to do with injuries.
01:25 You know, you know, I was a big key to this team to be successful,
01:30 you know, and I've been out for about two months for this season.
01:34 And that was a plan at all.
01:37 You know, I try to stay healthy the whole time.
01:39 You know, I'm still trying to get back to 100 percent.
01:42 But it has been up and down year.
01:46 You know, I'm proud of my guys for going out there and competing with what we have.
01:49 You know, we're a young team.
01:52 And I and I'm I'm really, I really, really, really
01:55 feel a little good place for about my team.
01:58 You know, I feel like they competed to where they wanted to every game.
02:02 You know, some games, you know, to other teams are older than us.
02:06 And, you know, they actually know how to win.
02:09 You know, our young guys, you know, they're still learning.
02:11 Schumann and then is.
02:15 Yeah. Hey, X, thanks for the time.
02:16 I guess talking about competing like, you know, that that Wisconsin game,
02:20 it was clear from the tip that you guys came ready to play and competed
02:23 the whole game.
02:24 You know, that doesn't always happen in seasons like this
02:26 when things kind of turn bad.
02:28 What's fueling you guys right now?
02:31 What's motivating you guys to keep going hard?
02:33 I mean, honestly, placement placement in the league, you know,
02:38 you know, job, the job's not finished.
02:40 You know, we got to get polished for the for the big tournament
02:42 because, you know, that's probably going to be our last shot of making the ACA.
02:47 News and then Jack.
02:48 Yeah, Xavier, Mike Woodson kind of alluded to maybe being there
02:52 like four to seven week timeline when you had the elbow injury.
02:56 What did you have to do to get back?
02:58 You know, how close to 100 percent are you?
03:01 And did you feel that urgency because you are close to the end to try to,
03:05 you know, get back early on that timeline to have a couple of games left?
03:08 Yeah. Yeah.
03:10 When I'm a midget, but no, my doctor, you know, he told me 46.
03:13 Are you not still actually healing?
03:16 I'm in the process.
03:18 It's not it's not much that I can really do.
03:19 You know, I have to let let my bone heal.
03:23 Well, not my bone, but one of my leg has been telling his own.
03:25 And that's that's all I can really do.
03:30 Are you in any pain playing or is it is it just trying to fight through it?
03:33 Like, what are you what are you going through to kind of to be back on the court?
03:36 It's just certain movements, certain moves that I can't really do.
03:39 As you see on my left hand, I can't really bring the ball back up as much.
03:43 And I drew most of my most of my most of my dribbles with my left hand.
03:47 So, you know, it's kind of been hard.
03:50 But, you know, it's something that I want to push through
03:52 because, you know, I want to finish my college career out the right way.
03:55 Jack and then Daniel.
03:57 Yeah, just how much of a challenge has it been for you to kind of be in
04:02 and out of the lineup in terms of like team chemistry and, you know,
04:05 having so many new guys on the team and kind of what's your mindset
04:08 approaching these last three games in the Big Ten tournament?
04:12 You know, it's been kind of hard mentally and physically for me,
04:15 you know, just being I haven't done all these injuries.
04:17 You know, it's been keeping me out of rhythm.
04:20 You know, as the year started, I think I thought I was getting my rhythm back.
04:23 And then another one injury happened and then another one happened in January as well.
04:27 You know, but, you know, it's something that I can't take away from team chemistry
04:31 because, you know, you know, I'm always around the team.
04:33 I was I was the captain of the team this year.
04:36 You know, I try to just keep the team together and just keep that
04:39 keep our guys head straight.
04:42 Daniel and Zach.
04:45 Yeah, you kind of mentioned it earlier, is how important you were for this team.
04:51 And I think Woodson's kind of mentioned very similar things this year as well.
04:54 Emotionally, mentally, how challenging has it been to kind of have to watch this year?
04:58 I was very, very, very, very emotional.
05:03 You know, I cried a couple of times, you know, at home because,
05:05 you know, it's my last year in doing what I what I had to deal with
05:08 for the past for the past year.
05:10 I don't think nobody can deal with honestly,
05:12 because, you know, it's just been a mental a mental attack on me
05:16 because, you know, basketball is really my first love
05:18 and something that's been taken away for the past for the past year.
05:21 Zach and then Mike.
05:24 X, you obviously weren't healthy for the Maryland game
05:29 at Maryland last year, but you played pretty well there a couple of years ago.
05:32 Obviously, you know, I think some family kind of in the area
05:35 where you can come see you just I guess.
05:37 What does it mean?
05:37 I imagine you're not just thinking about the Maryland game
05:39 and you're trying to get healthy, but the fact that you are going to be back
05:42 for this game, you obviously had a pretty good game there a couple of years ago,
05:45 being able to play closer to home one more time.
05:48 Being able to play closer to home for my last time is is pretty crucial to me.
05:54 You know, it's my last time going home, playing in front of my family.
05:57 Hopefully not my last time going home, playing for my family.
06:00 But, you know, it's my last time being in a college uniform
06:02 in front of my family.
06:04 And, you know, it's been a long ride, a long journey.
06:07 I'm trying to save my tears for senior night, but,
06:11 you know, it's just really been a long journey for me, my parents, my family.
06:18 For my last time going home, I'll probably be emotional, too.
06:21 So. Mike, and then we'll wrap with Alex.
06:24 Yeah, X, since this is your last year of eligibility,
06:28 have you given much thought to kind of what your off season will look like
06:31 in terms of kind of the steps you want to take?
06:35 I mean, dealing with so many injuries this year, you know, I've been trying to,
06:38 you know, be on the side, you know, working on what I have to do after this.
06:42 You know, something that, you know, I want to put aside after the season
06:47 to when I really want to get started.
06:49 But I will be, you know, trying to go try to go to the NBA.
06:53 That's that's my main goal.
06:55 Last question, Alex.
06:57 X, you mentioned kind of the the mental attack,
07:01 I think is the word you use in terms of, you know, going through the injuries
07:05 and everything. How what do you do to get through something like that?
07:09 I mean, obviously it's it's not something new to you because you did the same thing
07:13 last year, but then to have it again, have it happen again two times this year.
07:17 Like what? How do you get through that?
07:20 You know, what got me through was my family, honestly,
07:29 you know, just talking to them for them, with them being here constantly,
07:33 even though I wasn't playing, it was it was big to me, you know,
07:36 because I have my family around. It's my biggest support system.
07:39 So, you know, having them around just just, you know,
07:42 help me get from point A to point B and, you know, just keep my communication
07:45 on my teammates, you know, just be keep keep leading them to the right direction.