Five takeaways from Indiana’s exhibition win against Marian
Indiana wrapped up exhibition play with an easy 106-64 victory against Marian University on Friday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Here are five takeaways from the victory against the Knights:
Jakai Newton logs first minutes in an IU uniform
Statistics from Friday’s exhibition game don’t count, but that doesn’t mean the minutes Jakai Newton logged weren’t meaningful.
Newton missed most of his senior season of high school and his entire freshman season last winter at Indiana with a knee injury. It’s been a long journey for Newton to get healthy, and on Friday, he finally took the floor at Assembly Hall in an IU uniform.
The 6-foot-3 guard scored two points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists in 12 minutes.
“It was just great to be out there,” Newton said postgame. “It’s been so long; just realizing that practice shape and games is two different things. I’ve got to get adjusted to that. But I feel good from being in practice, and I think it will translate as the season goes on.”
If Newton can become a regular part of the IU guard rotation, his physicality and athleticism will be a welcome addition to a backcourt that should be significantly better than a season ago.
Postgame, Newton said he feels 100 percent healthy.
“I would say I’m 100 percent,” he said. “I’ve been limited in practice by the coaches just to keep me healthy but I feel 100 percent.”
Bryson Tucker shows his scoring ability
Freshman Bryson Tucker missed Sunday’s exhibition game at Tennessee. On Friday, Tucker showed why he should immediately figure into the wing rotation.
The 6-foot-7 McDonald’s All-American didn’t hesitate to look for his offense upon entering the game.
Tucker scored a team-high 19 points on an efficient 9-for-12 shooting performance in 23 minutes.
He scored from the midrange, at the rim and in transition. Like most young players entering college, Tucker still has a long way to go to become polished on both ends of the floor. But Friday night was a solid debut for the talented freshman.
“He’s a young freshman that has got a nice skillset and especially on both ends of the floor,” Mike Woodson said postgame. “He’s long and athletic and he handles the ball. He can score the ball. He can do a lot of things. But he’s got to learn the college game and he’s young at it right now and we’ve just got to keep pushing him in the right direction.
3-point shooting off the mark again
Indiana is expected to take – and make – more 3-pointers than it did a season ago.
After attempting 19 triples in Sunday’s exhibition win at Tennessee, IU’s 3-point volume increased to 25 attempts on Friday.
However, the Hoosiers again struggled to make shots from the perimeter. Indiana went 6-for-25 from distance against Marian (24 percent).
Despite the 10-for-44 mark (22.7 percent) on 3s in two exhibitions, there’s no sign the volume will decrease due to the missed shots.
“Again, we didn’t shoot it well from the 3-point line,” he explained. “We shot it well from twos. You know, we had all good looks and we’re going to keep shooting them. You know, eventually, they will go in.”
Trey Galloway logs first minutes since offseason knee surgery
Kanaan Carlyle missed Friday’s exhibition because of bruised ribs, but Trey Galloway was back in uniform after sitting out the exhibition at Tennessee.
As expected, Galloway’s time on the floor was limited. The Culver Academies product played 11 minutes and took just one shot.
He finished with two points, four rebounds and two assists.
It was an important first step for Galloway, who missed a lot of floor time over the summer as he recovered from surgery.
Whether he rejoins the starting lineup or is the first man off the bench, Galloway’s experience and playmaking ability in the backcourt will be essential for the Hoosiers this winter.
Pat Knight returns to Assembly Hall
It was a special night for Pat Knight in Bloomington.
On the one-year anniversary of Bob Knight’s passing, Knight returned to the coaching sidelines in a game for the first time since 2014.
The 54-year-old had been working as a scout for the Indiana Pacers but when Scott Heady left Marian for the UIndy job, Knight got back into coaching and took the job at the NAIA program in Indianapolis.
Before last night’s game, Knight received an ovation from IU fans. He then walked to center court and kissed the IU logo.
“It was nice having Pat back here in Assembly Hall,” Woodson said postgame. “You know, it’s been a while. You know, Pat is special to this program because of his dad and he’s gone through it, and to get his mom back here, boy, was kind of special tonight, I think.”
Filed to: Bryson Tucker, Jakai Newton, Marian University Knights