Indiana Basketball Defeats Minnesota 82-67: 3 Takeaways

Indiana Basketball beat Minnesota 82-67 at Assembly Hall on Monday night.

The Hoosiers came out on top Monday night in their first conference game of the season, giving them an 8-2 overall record. Indiana basketball was strong on both ends of the court and played with a lot of effort and hustle throughout the game.

Takeaway #1: Carlyle ready to play again

Kanaan Carlyle had started in seven games for Indiana basketball this season, including their two exhibition games, before getting injured while the team was in the Bahamas for the Battle for Atlantis. He was able to take to the court Monday night, coming off the bench, and making a huge impact on the Hoosier’s win over Minnesota. In a press conference after the game, head coach Mike Woodson explained that he was confident Carlyle would be ready for their game.

“He practiced yesterday for the first time, full practice, and said he felt good coming into today’s game so we played him,” said Woodson.

As soon as Carlyle subbed into the game he was hot and played with a strong intensity on both ends of the court. He played a total of 22 minutes and had 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. His defensive intensity could be described as infectious and the whole team seemed to play differently when he was on the court. In a press conference after the game, Carlyle explained how valued strong defense is to this team.

“Every day we take pride in our defense. We preach defense every single day. So I knew when I came here my job was going to be that two-way player,” said Carlyle. “So I take pride in that individually and my teammates all encourage me they are up here with me so it’s easy for me to bring that energy when you’ve got teammates behind you with the same energy.”

“Just taking my time. My teammates and my coaches instill a lot in me, just telling me to be more aggressive offensively and defensively. So I just do whatever I can to win,” said Carlyle.

When asked about not being added back to the starting lineup, Carlyle said that he was ok with it and that as long as the team was playing well he was fine with coming off the bench. He’s just focused on providing what he can and winning games.

Takeaway #2: Tucker huge asset for the team

The youth found in freshman Bryson Tucker continues to be something that contributes to IU’s success. Also coming off the bench, Tucker played very well and with more confidence than we’ve seen before. He finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds. There’s no doubt that the freshman’s career with the Hoosiers so far has had it’s ups and downs, but Tucker seems to have a good attitude when facing these challenges.

“If I have a bad game one game I know I can change it and that everything can change the next game. So I’ve just got to stay focused and keep my mind right and keep going,” said Tucker.

Coach Woodson is pleased with Tucker’s performance so far. He explained that “Tuck” is a big piece to the puzzle and that they are going to continue to push him to play harder and smarter.

Takeaway #3: The intensity is beginning to pick up

In previous games this season, even when Indiana can be found winning by a significant amount, the effort and intensity still isn’t there. However, after watching the Minnesota game, it’s evident that they have made a point to try and change this. Even though the first half was a back-and-forth game, the Hoosiers were playing very focused, and eventually pulled away to lead the Gophers 44-31 at the end of the half. Ballo and Reneau’s rebounding and scoring was a big factor in this. Oumar Ballo finished the game with 18 points and 7 rebounds and Malik Reneau finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Their performances in this game proved that their size will be very helpful as Indiana enters conference play. The team knew that they needed to have a stellar win in their first Big 10 game of the season and Tucker explained their mindset going into the match in a press conference after the game.

“Today we came out and we were all on the same page. We knew first Big Ten game, we had to make a statement. I mean yes we could’ve done better, but I think we did a good job just coming in and staying focused and working super hard,” said Tucker.

Up next for Indiana (8-2, 1-0): at Nebraska (6-2, 0-1) – Dec. 13 at 8 p.m.

Up next for Minnesota (6-5, 0-2): vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (4-7) – Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.