The Hoosiers come back to Indiana after a poor showing in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Indiana’s performance over the Thanksgiving holiday in the Battle 4 Atlantis could be described in many ways, including “extremely disappointing.” They earned their first two losses of the season, one against Louisville with a final score of 61-89 and the other against Gonzaga with a final score of 73-89; however, they were able to come out on top in their final game of the week against Providence with a final score of 89-73. Here are three takeaways from the week:
Takeaway #1: It’s important for this team to start games strong
In the game against Louisville on Wednesday, Indiana had an extremely slow start and couldn’t seem to bounce back from it even going into the second half. On Thursday against Gonzaga, they had a better start than the day before but still not enough to come out on top. However, on Friday the Hoosiers had a solid start, showing well on both ends of the court, and going into the half up by ten points against Providence.
This successful start may be attributed to the change in Friday’s starting lineup with senior guard Trey Galloway starting in place of sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle. In fact, Carlyle was seen on the bench in his street clothes during the game against Providence. Head coach Mike Woodson did not give much of an explanation as to why Carlyle was not dressed, but from what he did say it sounds like he was out with an injury that had occurred on Thursday.
On the topic of injury, there was some concern surrounding starting Galloway as he has been playing limited minutes due to his recovery from a knee injury that happened at the end of last season. However, going into Friday’s game Galloway reported that he was feeling better than ever and was ready to play more. This change in the starting lineup proved to be a positive one and allowed the Hoosiers to have a solid start to this game, which was needed. Galloway ended the game with 18 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Takeaway #2: The Hoosiers don’t seem connected
When watching Indiana, it feels like watching five separate entities out on the court, not one whole team. They are struggling to play together on both offense and defense and it is evident that there is not much chemistry among this squad. We have gotten a glimpse of a little connectedness so far this season, but arguably only when Trey Galloway is out on the court. Galloway has proved that you don’t need him in there for a bucket to make an impact on the game. He acts as a leader and facilitator, reading the defense and getting the ball to where it needs to go.
However, Galloway isn’t the only player who has proved himself this past week. Senior center Oumar Ballo posted a total of 44 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 assists throughout the week. Junior forward Malik Reneau also had a good showing finishing the week with 48 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists. That’s not even to mention the bright moments seen by sophomores Mackenzie Mgbako and Myles Rice. This team is very talented, but can’t seem to put it all together to play as one, which leads us to our final takeaway from the Battle 4 Atlantis:
Takeaway #3: Don’t give up on IU yet
Throughout the week there was lots of chatter on social media about the Hoosier’s poor showing over the holiday, calling players, such as Trey Galloway, and coach Woodson out on the results of the tournament. There is no denying that Indiana’s performance in the Bahamas is not something they should be proud of and that there is a lot of work that needs to be done, but don’t count them out yet. If you think back to the preseason rankings, part of the reason IU found themselves in the top 25 was because of the individual talent on the team.
After looking at the players gained through the transfer portal (Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, Luke Goode, Langdon Hatton, and Kanaan Carlyle), returning players with experience under Woodson (such as Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, Mackenzie Mgbako, and Gabe Cupps), and the new freshman five-star recruit on the roster (Bryson Tucker), you can justify Indiana’s ranking.
After the Battle 4 Atlantis, there is a strong possibility that the Hoosiers will drop in the rankings, but don’t count on them being there for too long. Woodson, his staff, and his players know that how they are playing now is not a true reflection of the talent present on this team and there is no doubt that they will work to try to put on a performance that showcases their true talent and potential.
Up next for Indiana basketball: vs. Sam Houston (4-4) – Dec. 3 at 7:30 pm EST