Indiana wrapped up non-conference play with a 77-68 win in opposition to Winthrop on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor.
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the win in opposition to the Eagles:
Langdon Hatton delivers for a short-handed IU frontcourt
Langdon Hatton’s minutes had been restricted by Indiana’s first 12 video games. However with Oumar Ballo unavailable to play and Malik Reneau battling foul points, it was Hatton’s flip to make an influence in opposition to Winthrop.
And the senior from Georgetown, Indiana, delivered his greatest efficiency this season.
Hatton logged a season-high 26 minutes in Sunday’s win and completed with seven factors, 11 rebounds, three blocked photographs, an help and a steal.
He was 1-for-3 from the sphere and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
“Being from Indiana, it’s only a dream to even be on the crew,” Hatton mentioned postgame. “So when your quantity will get referred to as, it’s like a dream come true. So it’s fairly superior. Simply excited to have the ability to assist the crew out.”
Whether or not Hatton’s play results in a much bigger function transferring ahead stays to be seen, however his essentially sound play and hustle had been a welcome addition to Sunday’s win.
With just one large, the ground opened up for Myles Rice
With Ballo unavailable and the Hoosiers taking part in a one-big lineup all afternoon, Myles Rice had more room within the lane to function.
Rice took benefit early and sometimes on his strategy to a game-high 18 factors.
The redshirt sophomore did most of his harm on the rim as he shot 7-for-10 on 2s. Rice additionally dished out three assists and had three steals in 32 minutes.
“I noticed them pressuring me just about 75 % of the size of the court docket,” Rice mentioned postgame. “They had been attempting to stress me at halfcourt, and to me, I discovered that like just a little bit disrespectful simply due to my pace and my quickness.
“And I simply noticed my alternatives to assault whether or not they had been attempting to love cease me from going a method and I might simply go different means. However any time anyone tries to stress me full court docket, I really feel like I’ve the benefit simply due to my pace and my quickness.”
By way of 13 video games, Rice is capturing near 57 % on 2s and has six video games of 17 or extra factors.
A dismal perimeter capturing efficiency
Luke Goode made Indiana’s first 3-point try of the sport on the 17:04 mark of the primary half.
It could be the one time the Hoosiers related from deep all through the sport.
Indiana shot a dismal 1-for-20 (5 %) from distance and is now capturing 30.6 % on 3s this season. That ranks 278th within the nation.
“You’re at all times involved about them,” Mike Woodson mentioned postgame when requested if he was involved in regards to the outdoors capturing. “We’re capturing them. And once more, in the event that they had been unhealthy threes, then I might actually sit right here and complain. However they had been good threes, and I be ok with the blokes which might be capturing them.
“So once more, ultimately, they’re going to make them. That’s how I believe.”
With non-conference play full, Indiana ranks 353rd within the nation in level distribution from 3-pointers. The Hoosiers are scoring simply 22 % of their factors off of 3s. Amongst high-major groups, solely Michigan State and Syracuse rank decrease.
Indiana finishes non-conference play with no wins of significance
Non-conference play is full,and Indiana has 18 video games remaining, all of which can come in opposition to Massive Ten opponents.
The Hoosiers have vital work to do after not recording a single vital win in non-conference play.
Indiana guess large on the Battle 4 Atlantis as a possibility for resume worthy wins and misplaced that gamble. The Hoosiers had been blown out by Louisville and Gonzaga after which beat Windfall, ranked simply 78th in KenPom.
One of the best win on IU’s resume is presently South Carolina. The Gamecocks are the lowest-ranked KenPom crew at No. 63 within the Southeastern Convention.
With this system outdoors the NCAA event subject in most projections and with only a 20.8 % probability to return to March Insanity in accordance with Bart Torvik’s TourneyCast, the Hoosiers might want to end a number of video games over .500 in league play to construct a tournament-worthy resume.
“Each recreation is vital transferring ahead,” Woodson mentioned postgame. “Can’t look again. Each recreation is vital. We’ve obtained Rutgers coming in. That’s my solely focus proper now.”
Woodson doesn’t handle the absence of Oumar Ballo
Regardless of being in his warm-up shirt and sweet stripe pants, Oumar Ballo by no means warmed up for Sunday’s recreation.
Ballo additionally gave the impression to be strolling round simply effective after being listed as questionable on the Massive Ten’s availability report earlier within the day.
In his postgame press convention, Woodson was requested in regards to the nature of Ballo’s absence and the way lengthy he needed to put together for it.
“I’m not going to deal with that,” Woodson mentioned. “However didn’t have plenty of lead time. However that doesn’t matter. You already know, guys which might be in uniform have gotten to play, and he didn’t play tonight, and you realize, we’ll sit down tomorrow and handle his scenario and prepare for Rutgers.”
With Ballo out, Reneau began on the 5 and completed with 14 factors and 7 rebounds in simply 14 minutes as a consequence of foul bother.
Filed to: Winthrop Eagles
