The Minute After: Marian University

Thoughts on a 106-64 win against Marian:

From the jump, the Hoosiers dominated this one.

Indiana’s size, athleticism, talent and depth were just way too much for the Knights. The Hoosiers posted a stout 1.38 points per possession against Marian’s .83. IU continues to push the pace more this season, outscoring the Knights 29-10 in fastbreak points tonight.

The 3-point shooting, though? Two exhibition games in, it hasn’t been good. IU made just 1-of-11 in the first half and finished the game only 6-of-25 (24 percent). After missing his first 10 shots as a Hoosier — five against Tennessee and his first five tonight — Luke Goode finally got two shots to drop in the second half, both of them 3-pointers. You could see his body language screaming, “Finally!” as he came back down the court. He finished 2-of-9 from distance.

The player of the game? Bryson Tucker in his Hoosier debut. The freshman led all scorers with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He flashed his mid-range game, effortlessly dropping in jumpers. He scored at the bucket, including a nice finish on an alley-oop in transition from Myles Rice. Tucker is springy and knows how to get a bucket. His coach and teammates say he doesn’t play like a typical freshman. It will be interesting to see how much he factors into Indiana’s rotation as the season progresses.

Oumar Ballo feasted on the Knights. Once he got the ball down low, it was curtains. The Arizona transfer shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the field. Ballo added a 4-of-6 mark from the line to score 16 points. He also snagged seven rebounds and dished out four assists in just 20 minutes of action. It wasn’t just Ballo who didn’t miss a shot from Indiana’s frontcourt. Langdon Hatton also made all four of his attempts en route to 10 points, adding a 2-of-2 performance from the charity stripe. Malik Reneau almost joined them with his 9-of-10 performance. Indiana’s junior continues to show off more versatility on offense, scoring 18 points in 18 minutes of action.

Out of the backcourt, Myles Rice continues to lead the charge. The Washington State transfer was a big reason why the Hoosiers dominated in transition. He only played 19 minutes tonight due to the blowout. Yet, he still finished a perfect 3-of-3 from the field (six points), dished out five assists against two turnovers and added three rebounds. Trey Galloway didn’t stuff the stat sheet in the win (three points, four rebounds, two assists), but the fact he was cleared to play and saw the floor in an exhibition game is encouraging.

Also encouraging? Jakai Newton finally made his Hoosier debut. It’s been a long time coming. At this point, it’s hard to say just how much playing time he may get if he can stay healthy, but he deserves consideration at this juncture. Newton scored and was fouled off a nice drive to the bucket in the first half for his first bucket as a Hoosier. He added four rebounds and three assists in 12 minutes of action.

Mackenzie Mgbako (10 points) was one of five Hoosiers in double-digits for the game. In total, 13 Hoosiers scored.

“This is the deepest team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Mike Woodson said after the game.

Usually, the talk of depth at this point in the season is more wishful thinking than reality. But Woodson is right. This team is his deepest. It’s a luxury we haven’t seen in Bloomington in quite some time.

Category: The Minute After

Filed to: Marian University Knights