If Indiana basketball can do these two things, it can be ‘Big Ten’s best team’

Indiana basketball is coming into this next season with lofty expectations. After missing out on the NCAA Tournament and not being very relevant in Big Ten play, the Hoosiers completely retooled their roster from a season ago and now arguably have the most talented squad in Mike Woodson’s tenure as head coach.

While every member of Hoosier Nation knows that the talent is there, there are still some question marks that are still being brought to the surface. It’s not questions on the talent as it all circles around one person and thing: Mike Woodson and his willingness to adapt to a more modern style game.

Last year, Indiana had one of the more talented teams in the country, but the pieces did not fit to make it a well-oiled machine. Mike Woodson caught a lot of flack for that while also being too reliant on the huge frontcourt of Reneau, Ware, and Mgbako playing together.

Now that Hoosier Nation knows who is coming to the program next year, the concern as of now is whether Mike Woodson will be able to fit all these moving parts together and be able to adapt to a more modern style of play versus just strictly feeding the post and letting them try to carry most of the offense on their back.

Mike Woodson wants to run certain style. Every coach has their specific way of playing. So what needs to change this season in order for the Hoosiers to have success is the real question?

Basically, if Indiana basketball wants to be a legit contender for a Big Ten championship, better pace and space are the two keys in doing do.

“The talent is clear, but the fit of Reneau and Ballo together could be a bit clunky unless Mike Woodson opts to ditch the two-big lineup, at times,” said 247Sports writer Isaac Trotter when looking at the teams following theNBA Draft deadline and transfer portal decisions.

“He has the roster flexibility to do it thanks to the addition of freshman sensation Bryson Tucker and Illinois transfer sharpshooter Luke Goode. Will he pull the trigger during the moments when Ballo and Reneau are crowded on top of each other? If Woodson will accommodate more pace and space, Indiana can be the Big Ten’s best team.”

So pace and space are the key areas to focus on this season for Mike Woodson and Indiana basketball. But how exactly do you improve in those areas. Well for starters, Mike Woodson went out and got two of the more dynamic guards you could possibly get out of the transfer portal in Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle.

Indiana basketball did not have this type of dynamic guard play last season which limited them on what they could do on the floor. If you want to play an inside-out game, you really have to have the guard and perimeter play at a top level in order to do so.

The addition of not only Rice, Carlyle and Goode help you succeed in that style, but the improvements of Mackenzie Mgbako and even someone like Gabe Cupps are also going to help majorly as well.

“You think about our guard play over the last three years … no knock on them, but we couldn’t keep anybody healthy,” Woodson said last week. “I’ve learned in the short period of time I’ve been in college, you win with good guard play. It’s great to have big guys who can play and do the things we’ve had over the last three years we’ve coached but you win with perimeter and good guard play and that was something we came out of this past season, with the games X missed, that we needed to amp up our backcourt and I thought we did that.”

The front court of Indiana basketball is going to be a major advantage once again for Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers. Not very many teams in the country have players that can match up with the duo of Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau.

However, like it was stated many times here, Woodson has got to find a way to have balance in both in the post and perimeter play.

Pace and Space are the two words you will hear often until the season starts. Mike Woodson is going to have to zero in on those areas and find what works, and what doesn’t.

SEE ALSO: Mike Woodson used an old NBA approach, which led Indiana basketball to find success in the transfer portal this offseason

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