After a slow start, Indiana basketball bounces back and defeats EIU by 35 points
It’s an exciting time to be a Hoosier fan as both the football and men’s basketball teams remain undefeated. Following football’s exciting win against Michigan on Saturday, leaving them with a 10-0 record, basketball took the floor the next day to secure the win against EIU. What started out as a poor performance in the first half ended with a final score of 90-55 and another Indiana victory. Here are 3 takeaways:
Takeaway #1: Shooting remains a major problem for the Hoosiers
After posting an impressive 90 points, there is no doubt that this team can score; however, most of these points come from drives to the basket. IU was 6 for 18 from the 3-point line on Sunday afternoon and mid-range shots appear to be an issue as well. Freshman forward Bryson Tucker contributed 12 points for IU but struggled shooting inside the 3-point line. Tucker had no problem getting open for these shots, it was just a matter of executing them properly. Coach Mike Woodson knows that his team needs to improve their shooting going into the rest of the season. Even so, in a press conference after the game, Woodson seemed as though he wanted his team to keep shooting despite the numbers.
“As a coach I’ve got to get them comfortable. They can make shots. I know they can,” Woodson said. “I haven’t told anyone on this team to not take shots.”
Takeaway #2: Trey Galloway is important for this team
Despite not starting, recovering from an injury, and contributing only 5 points, senior guard Trey Galloway is an important part of this team. When Galloway is on the court, the team takes on a different personality and his 8 assists in 18 minutes at Sunday’s game show that he undoubtedly helps the Hoosiers to score. In a press conference after the game, sophomore guard Malik Reneau expressed the importance of Galloway’s presence on the court.
“He opens up the floor for everybody. The way he controls the ball and is able to get it to the right guy at the right moment just opens up the whole floor for us. That just gives Ballo and us opportunities to post high and down low and then you know that the shooters get open and shoot 3’s and knock ’em down. He just knows how to read the defense and then get the ball where it needs to go.”
While Galloway is showing very well, it is evident that he is still recovering from his knee injury at the end of the previous season. The future is bright for him and his last season with the Hoosiers and as Galloway sees more time on the floor, the personality of the team will continue to evolve.
Takeaway #3: Speed of play
Once again we are going to mention the Hoosier’s speed of play because it appears to be something they are striving for. It is evident that this team wants to play fast, but there are times when it makes them sloppy. Rushed passes and shots led to many turnovers in the match against EIU as the Hoosiers finished the game with a total of 12 turnovers. Even so, there is no doubt that this speed of play can also at times be helpful. I
ndiana wants to rebound and go and there were many times throughout the game where whoever was getting the rebound would also bring the ball up the court, that is unless sophomore guard Myles Rice was in. Rice is quick and plays with hustle and could be seen multiple times throughout the game diving for loose balls on the floor.
The Hoosiers had what many called an embarrassing performance in the first half; however, the second half looked like a completely different game played by a completely different team. If the team that showed up in the second half of Sunday’s match continues to show up, the Hoosiers will be a major competitor against any opponent.
Indiana basketball will face off against South Carolina on Saturday, November 16 at 3 p.m. EST at Assembly Hall.