Thoughts on 92-69Â win against the Knights:
Indiana kept it rolling tonight … with an asterisk.
That asterisk? The defense, particularly in the second half. Bellarmine’s penchant for back cuts gave the Hoosiers problems. The Knights also created too many opportunities at the rim off the dribble. Indiana fouled a lot, sending them to the line 16 times after the break. After holding Bellarmine to .85 points per possession in the first half, Indiana surrendered 1.21 in the second, allowing the Knights to finish at 1.03 for the game. Not a disaster, but more than you’d like against a team of this caliber. In the end, the Hoosiers won by 23 in a game KenPom favored them by 24 points.
But beyond the second-half defense, there was plenty to like, as Indiana continues flexing its new muscles. The offensive rebounding was again strong, as the Hoosiers pulled down 50 percent of their misses. That’s their highest percentage of this young season, including the three exhibition contests. And as strong offensive rebounding tends to do, Indiana won the second-chance points battle going away, 21-6. The Hoosiers’ work on the offensive glass also helped them dominate in shot volume, too, as they attempted 10 more shots than the Knights (62-52).
Bellarmine decided to aggressively double the post early in this one. While Indiana had a couple first-half turnovers as a result, it also opened up opportunities from the 3-point range. More opportunities from deep surfaced as the game went along. The Hoosiers moved the ball for some, and got into the lane and kicked out for others. So this was a night Indiana got up a ton of triples, going 12-of-34 (35 percent), accounting for 55 percent of their total field goal attempts.
The biggest beneficiary? Darren Harris.
The Duke transfer has struggled with his shooting so far this year, but he drilled a 3-pointer on Indiana’s first possession and scored the team’s first five points. Harris kept firing from deep, making 5-of-10. But he also muscled his way into the interior, too, drawing fouls and getting to the line, where he finished 6-of-8. Harris led all scorers with 23 points.
“It was just a matter of time,” Darian DeVries said of Harris’ performance after the game. “It’s early, this is just our second game. But it was great to see him have a breakout game.”
Bryce Lindsay also got up 10 3-pointers, connecting on three. He scored 15 for the contest, continuing to add a strong scoring punch off the bench. But Lindsay also flashed signs of being a true point guard, too. He dished out four assists, tying Markus Burton and Bellarmine’s Sam Donald for a game-high.
Trevor Manhertz was also productive from deep, hitting 2-of-3. It’s early, but for a freshman, he looks like he belongs. He moves well. He’s instinctual. He also did a good job protecting the rim, as he picked up another block tonight, too.
Aiden Sherrell showed off his versatility on offense. He made his lone 3-pointer, drove from the perimeter for scores at the basket and in the mid-range, and even took a steal the length of the floor himself for a transition bucket. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
This one got a little sloppy for Indiana in the second half, but there was plenty for the Hoosiers to hang their hat on heading into Monday’s bout with Syracuse, the No. 87 team currently on KenPom.
