Media day notebook: New-look Hoosiers hoping to deploy revamped offense

  • 09/20/2024 10:18 am in

When Indiana basketball plays its season opener in November, the Hoosiers will look different from last year.

Mike Woodson’s program underwent an overhaul with six transfer portal additions and one high school signing, turning over more than half the roster. With a desire for success at a new high, Woodson constructed a team that could make or break his future.

“I’m moving forward and focused on the players that we have coming into this season,” Woodson said at IU’s media day Wednesday in Bloomington. “This summer was a lot of work we had to put in. I thought we did a pretty good job of putting the roster together.”

While the past few preseasons have consisted of chatter regarding differing playing styles and increased perimeter shooting, Woodson hasn’t found the right pieces to make it happen. This year, however, there is buzz that changes are coming. Woodson and several players referenced a new-look offense, including rotation changes, at media day.

IU’s transfer class adds flexibility and versatility. With increased threats and the most depth from a Woodson-led team, Indiana has its sights set on a Big Ten Title and postseason run.

Myles Rice is pushing the pace

The way Washington State transfer Myle Rice’s teammates talked about him, you’d think he had a secret identity as The Flash. The redshirt sophomore guard stood out in summer workouts due to his blazing speed and he’s incorporating everyone else into it.

“His speed is something that has always set him apart,” Stanford transfer Kanan Carlyle said. “Being able to get down the court at a high rate and finish at the rim.”

Carlyle faced Rice three times in Pac-12 play last season but said he has tracked Rice’s quickness since their high school days. Carlyle can play with pace in his own right and wants to accomplish this as part of a backcourt tandem.

“We’ll play at a faster pace,” Carlyle said. “On the defensive end, pick up the ball all 94 feet, then be able to push the ball on offense, get to the rim and make plays for each other and our other teammates.”

The new backcourt’s quickness won’t just be a new plus; instead, it may kickstart an entirely new offensive style for the Hoosiers. An up-tempo pace seems to be more than an expectation – it was discussed as the new normal.

“We’ve got a new offense, so just being able to be at the right spots at the right time is essential,” sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako said.

A complete revamp will be a challenge to implement – especially considering the Hoosiers’ 122nd national ranking in adjusted tempo last year, according to KenPom – but some of the newcomers’ experience and knowledge running the break will come in handy.

Arizona transfer center Oumar Ballo is a prime example. The lumbering 7-foot, 260-pound big man had no worries about any kind of transition. In fact, he deflected the doubt right back.

“Have you seen me play before?” Ballo asked. “We played fast, ran transition and ran the floor. And that’s what Woody’s doing here, it’s nothing new to me. It’s a fun offense.”

The Wildcats ranked 15th in the country in adjusted tempo last year and have consistently ranked high in the category under coach Tommy Lloyd – something Indiana got a taste of in an 89-75 loss in December 2022. Ballo noted Woodson’s appreciation and production for rim-running bigs like Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kel’el Ware, as did sophomore Malik Reneau.

“That’s what Coach Woodson emphasizes the most,” Reneau said.

Ultimately, the backcourt’s ability to push the ball up the court depends on its ability to control the game’s pace, especially in the slower, methodical, post-heavy Big Ten. If it struggles to do so, IU’s halfcourt offensive troubles could resurface.

Incorporating small ball

Consistent perimeter shooting has perhaps been the most elusive asset of the game under Mike Woodson and even since the Tom Crean era. In addition to a faster-paced offense and adding shooting threats, Woodson is looking to embrace more of a small ball lineup.

“I’d like to get to some small ball this year, where Mack and Goode can play some four, and we can still be athletic enough out on the floor with one of the bigs to compete with a high level,” Woodson said. “Only time will tell.”

While there’s no footage for visual proof, Mgbako said he spent a good deal of time transitioning to the four-spot this offseason.

“It’s been smooth,” the reigning Big Ten co-freshman of the year said. “Malik (Reneau) has been teaching me a thing or two about playing on the block.”

Mgbako credited director of athletic performance Clif Marshall with his transformation from 210 pounds to 222 pounds and then joked that some Big Ten post players should be scared.

Conversely, Reneau has focused on increasing agility and his threat as a 3-point shooter.

“Last year I showed a little glimpse of it, but I feel like you’ll see a lot more of it this season,” Reneau said about his shooting. “Especially dealing with the offense that we’re doing, that’ll be more perimeter-based, but I’ll still be inside and outside.”

In relation to a smaller lineup, Woodson expressed an interest in more guys being comfortable with handling the ball. From Mgbako and Goode down to Reneau and even Ballo, Woodson desires an offense where anyone on the floor can handle and distribute the ball, maybe hinting at more motion sets.

As with the offensive tempo, Indiana’s floor spacing will come down to its backcourt’s abilities. Rice, Carlyle and senior-plus Trey Galloway all displayed below-average 3-point percentages last year but have also shown the ability to knock down shots. If the trio can become reliable 3-point shooters, the spacing of the offense will open up and create opportunities. If not, a crowded paint would stall any offensive flow.

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