IU basketball improved to 2-0 with a 92-69 win against ASUN opponent Bellarmine on Thursday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Here are five takeaways from the victory against the Knights:
Rebounding dominance continues
The Hoosiers produced another strong showing on the glass in their second regular-season game.
After grabbing 38.2 percent of their missed shots in the season opener against Eastern Illinois, Indiana rebounded 50 percent of its misses in Thursday’s win.
As a result, the Hoosiers dominated the second-chance points battle against Bellarmine, 21-6.
Offensive rebounding was a strength for IU in its three exhibition wins, and it has carried into the regular season so far, albeit against lower-caliber competition.
Through the first four days of the 2026-27 season, Indiana ranks in the top 50 in offensive rebounding percentage nationally at 44.2, per KenPom.com.
The early returns on IU’s perimeter shooting are encouraging
IU’s 3-point shooting volume was expected to decrease this season. Last season, the Hoosiers ranked in the top 15 nationally in 3PA/FGA at 50.5 percent.
An overreliance on the 3-point shot led to prolonged offensive droughts on poor shooting nights.
On paper, the expectation was that IU’s roster would be more balanced this season, with a more offensively capable frontcourt.
Through two games, Indiana is still attempting 3-pointers at a high rate. In its first 80 minutes of basketball, 48.3 percent of IU’s field goal attempts have been 3-pointers.
Where the volume ultimately settles remains to be seen and will be worth watching over the coming weeks.
What’s encouraging through two games is how well Indiana is shooting from the perimeter – 36.2 percent – and how many players are capable of knocking down shots.
Darren Harris settled in Tuesday and knocked in five 3-pointers. Bryce Lindsay made three triples against Bellarmine after making three against EIU. Trevor Manhertz made a pair of 3s in each of the first two games. Markus Burton and Aiden Sherrell can also shoot from range.
This IU roster doesn’t have a player as explosive offensively as Lamar Wilkerson. But if it can combine its new emphasis on offensive rebounding with above-average perimeter shooting percentages, the foundation exists for a better offensive team this winter.
Like Eastern Illinois, Bellarmine got into the paint and scored at the rim too easily
Bellarmine’s offense isn’t traditional, and it’s not easy to prepare for. The Knights emphasize spacing, movement, cutting and passing.
An inability to focus for a full 30 seconds typically leads to a good shot for Bellarmine.
Indiana knew that going in and struggled to defend, particularly in the second half of Thursday’s win.
The Knights scored 1.03 points per possession against the Hoosiers. For reference, Bellarmine managed only 0.68 points per possession in its season-opening loss at Vanderbilt on Monday.
The takeaway here is that Indiana has significant work to do defensively. It starts at the point of attack. The guards are allowing too much dribble penetration and letting ball handlers get wherever they want on the floor.
After a 2025-26 season in which the defense collapsed in Big Ten play, Indiana needs to make significant strides defensively to move up in the conference standings. The first two games have shown that plenty of work remains.
An encouraging performance from Aiden Sherrell
As a headliner in IU’s transfer portal class, Aiden Sherrell will be one of the most dissected and analyzed players on this season’s roster.
Sherrell changed positions this season from the five at Alabama to the four as a Hoosier. He’ll also play the five when IU goes to smaller lineups but he’s starting games alongside 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu and playing more on the perimeter than he did in Tuscaloosa.
The 2024 McDonald’s All-American played very well on Thursday, stuffing the stat sheet in the 23-point win.
Sherrell was 5-for-6 from the field and made his only 3-point attempt. He tied for the team lead with six rebounds. He also led the team with two blocked shots. He also added two assists and a steal.
“What I love about Aiden is Aiden could care less about stats in general,” Darian DeVries said postgame. “He’s one of those guys who’s just all about winning. He’s all about the team.”
Foul issues continue for Markus Burton
Dating back to IU’s exhibition opener against Butler, Markus Burton has found himself in foul trouble more often than not this season.
Burton quickly picked up a pair of fouls in the exhibition opener at Hinkle Fieldhouse and was forced to the bench. The foul trouble limited him to 15 minutes.
In the season opener against EIU, Burton had 19 points and five assists, but committed four fouls.
On Thursday, Burton fouled out in 25 minutes without making a field goal.
It’s also important to remember that Burton missed most of last season with a foot injury and is now playing his first meaningful minutes in just under a year.
Given his importance to the Hoosiers from a scoring and distributing perspective, Burton cutting down on the fouls and making improvements defensively – he was repeatedly burnt on back-door cuts by Bellarmine – are crucial for IU’s success this season.
