Indiana basketball continues its 124th season of competition at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against Morehead State tonight. The Hoosiers are coming off a very tough loss to No. 2 Kansas this past Saturday.
Morehead State (8-3) enters the game on a six-game winning streak behind stellar play from fifth-year senior guard Riley Minix. The former NAIA All-American averages 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. Three additional Eagles average at least 10.0 points per game, including UTEP transfer guard Jordan Lathon (12.5), senior guard Drew Thelwell (11.8), and fifth-year senior guard Kalil Thomas (11.5). Thelwell and Thomas combined for 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting from the floor at SSAH last season. MSU is led by eighth-year head coach Preston Spradlin. His 124 career wins rank fourth in program history. He trails Ellis T. Johnson (179), Bobby Laughlin (166), and Wayne Martin (130).
Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 ET on BTN.
Below is the full preview of Indiana basketball vs Morehead State in Bloomington.
Related: Indiana Basketball Opponent Scouting Notes: Morehead State
Key Storylines
Is Trey Galloway back?
Trey Galloway finally had the performance Indiana basketball fans have been waiting for him to have all season. As one of the few senior backcourt members of this team, Galloway had struggled mightily until the Kansas game last Saturday he dropped a career high 28 points.
Galloway has had a lot of pressure on him this season as a backcourt captain and that pressure only increased when Xavier Johnson went down four games ago. Galloway has been tasked to carry a big load for the backcourt of the Hoosiers but has been really inconsistent in that role.
Even though it was a loss, a performance like he had on Saturday was much-needed for the Hoosiers when it comes to the long-term of the season. Galloway had struggled with confidence on the floor this season but last game, you started to see the old, gritty Trey Galloway that we had seen when he was surrounded by superstars.
That performance is one that you can build on. If Galloway produced like that from now on, Indiana won’t lose very many more games.
“He had a good game. It was good to see because he’s had his ups and downs this season,” Mike Woodson said about Galloway’s performance. “But tonight he had a solid basketball game. I just hope he can build on that.”
Need to see a full 40-minute performance
For a little over 35 minutes, Indiana was better than No. 2 Kansas. The five minutes where they weren’t, the Jayhawks showed why they are the No. 2 ranked team in the country.
Through ten games this season, the Hoosiers have really only put on one 40-minute performance, at Michigan. As far as the 9 others, Indiana has let teams hang in there. Not having that consistent ‘killer instinct’ proved to be Indiana’s downfall in the Kansas loss.
“I don’t think our defensive intensity was there the second half like we started the game and finished the first half. They picked their defense up. It was obvious. They held us through 31 points and we gave up 43….For the most part I thought we played a solid game, but they made the plays coming down the stretch.”
The offense got stagnant at times in the stretch Kansas got back in the game, we’ve seen that from Indiana, however the defensive letdown is the more concerning issue. Mike Woodson led teams almost always compete on the defensive end. With the starters having to play extended minutes, fatigue did play a factor.
Fatigue can’t be an excuse moving forward. If Indiana is going to stack up wins, they need start putting a complete game together. These next three games, the Hoosiers have a chance to figure that out.
Take care of these next three games before you focus on the Big Ten
Indiana is going to go back into Big Ten play without a significant NCAA Tournament resume win, which means the Hoosiers taking care of business in conference play is massive. However, Indiana basketball cannot look past these next three games.
These next three games provide the Hoosiers a chance to work out the issues they still have lingering while also hopefully get Xavier Johnson back in the fold at some point. While Indiana arguably played their best game this season in the loss vs Kansas, they cannot afford a letdown game and look ahead to conference.
Getting three straight wins to wrap up the calendar year won’t really do much on helping boost their NCAA Tournament resume other than pile up some wins. Looking past Morehead State, South Alabama, and Kennesaw State and getting upset will do so much more damage to Indiana than winning will help them.
Hoosiers have a chance to keep getting better and build some momentum ahead of the re-start for Big Ten play.
More: Indiana basketball falls to Kansas despite heroic performance from Trey Galloway
Series History
The two programs have met six previous times on the hardwood with Indiana holding a 6-0 advantage. All six matchups have taken place in Bloomington.
Indiana turned in a dominating, season-opening victory over Morehead State (88-53) on Nov. 7, 2022, The Hoosier frontcourt consisting of Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson, Malik Reneau, and Jordan Geronimo combined for 49 points on 21-of-34 shooting from the floor and 16 rebounds.
The Hoosiers hold an all-time record of 20-0 against teams currently residing in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Recruiting: Indiana Basketball Recruiting Video Q&A: 2025 four-star guard Braylon Mullins
Injury Updates
Indiana
Xavier Johnson: Xavier Johnson missed the last four games due to a foot injury. His status is questionable heading into this game. Mike Woodson provided an update on Johnson on Monday.
“He’s still going to be out. I don’t know how long,” Woodson said. “He’s doing some work on the stationary bike and elliptical. He’s doing some work there. He’s not back out on the floor yet. Hopefully soon. We need our senior point guard back.”
Jakai Newton: Newton had a lower body surgical procedure done this past offseason to help fix a previous injury he sustained during high school. He is still recovering and is not expected to play awhile at this point.
Quick Hitters
Who?: Indiana (7-3) vs Morehead State (8-3)
When?: Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 • 6:30 PM ET
Where?: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Bruce Weber)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Betting Lines: Indiana basketball is listed as a 13-point favorite vis DraftKings Sportsbook
Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.
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