It looks as if it could be tough to maintain expectations in examine with this yr’s Indiana group. We’ll know extra by subsequent Friday, however tonight’s 52-point victory almost doubled the 29-point win Kenpom projected, so it’s protected to say they’re outperforming even goal expectations at this level.
After a little bit of a slower begin over the primary 5 minutes, when Hoosiers allowed the Wildcats to go on an 10-2 run to erase Indiana’s opening seven level lead, Mike Woodson pulled a lot of the starters and bought the spark he wanted to place the sport out of attain. After eight minutes within the second half, he was in a position to pull Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson for the remainder of the sport.
Tonight’s recreation was by no means going to be an in depth one, however there was rather a lot to get enthusiastic about from Indiana’s efficiency tonight. It wasn’t excellent by any means and that’s why it’s so comforting that Indiana managed to win so simply. It wasn’t even 5 years in the past that they had been shedding to Fort Wayne in Meeting Corridor.
Right here’s Three Issues:
On the first timeout, when he wanted vitality, Woodson went with Trey Galloway, Jordan Geronimo, Malik Reneau, and Tamar Bates off the bench with Xavier Johnson remaining in from the beginning group. If final yr is any indication, this might be the 9 we see essentially the most all year long.
Trying on the total minutes distribution from final yr, solely seven gamers bought greater than fifteen minutes per recreation, with Phinisee and Galloway coming off the bench essentially the most for Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart. Tamar Bates and Jordan Geronimo had been the subsequent two gamers off the bench, with 14.5 and 12.6 minutes respectively, together with some key minutes in convention video games when the starters had been in foul bother.
Contemplating the expertise infusion and development of the prevailing roster, it might not shock me if we see all 9 of the gamers from these first two rotations play between 15-20 minutes a recreation. Reneau and Geronimo are every versatile sufficient to protect the 3-5 spots whereas Bates and Galloway have the flexibility to drive and create offense (and perhaps shoot?) from wherever on the ground.
Every part about this recreation must be taken with a grain of salt contemplating the extent of competitors. That stated, Indiana did nearly every little thing you may ask of it on the defensive aspect of the ball tonight.
After that temporary run that the Wildcats needed to make it 14-12 Indiana with 14:45 remaining within the first half, the Hoosiers clamped down on protection. Bethune-Cookman didn’t rating once more till the 6:36 mark within the half, by which level Indiana had opened up a 291-4 lead.
For a group whose largest issues are on the offensive aspect of the ball, it’s nice to see the protection stay elite and supply the vitality that Indiana wanted to drag away tonight. 101 level performances on offense are onerous to come back by, however this sort of defensive efficiency has change into the spine of Mike Woodson’s groups at Indiana, and it’s solely enhancing the additional we get from the times of the packline.
As I predicted, Indiana bought to empty the bench tonight with stroll ons like Nathan Childress discovering the stat sheet with an help. Regardless of how a lot these guys play for the remainder of the yr, one factor is obvious: this Indiana group is deeper than it’s been in years.
4 gamers had double digit scoring nights, and the purpose guard duo of Hood-Schifino and Johnson mixed for 15 factors and 14 assists. Trayce led the way in which with 21 factors, however the Hoosiers managed to dominate tonight with none dominant performances from the person stars on this group.
Together with the protection, that is the most effective purpose to be enthusiastic about this Indiana group. Johnson and Hood-Schifino may have higher capturing nights than they’d tonight. And but we discovered that Geronimo, Reneau, and Galloway are able to stepping up and hitting pictures from deep when wanted.
To not point out Miller Kopp’s continued consistency from deep, which minimizes the necessity for all of this depth within the first place.
Mike Woodson goes to have choices this yr. Groups are going to have a extremely powerful time discovering methods to protect Race and Trayce, as they at all times have, so throwing a man like Reneau within the combine can actually be a again breaker for opponents in shut video games.
The identical goes for whichever of the 2 level level guards will get matched up with the opposing group’s beginning capturing guard. And picture a mean Massive Ten backup guarding Tamar Bates when he’s enjoying at his greatest.
For the primary time shortly, Indiana has a group that may beat groups in numerous methods.
