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Indiana basketball: Key Takeaways from the Exhibitions

Looking back at the two exhibitions games for Indiana basketball and identifying the main takeaways ahead of the season opener.

Published

4 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Kyler Staley

Looking back at the two exhibitions games for Indiana basketball and identifying the main takeaways ahead of the season opener. (Syndication: The Herald-Times)

Indiana basketball wrapped up their preseason exhibitions last week with two impressive wins by first going on the road to beat No. 12 Tennessee and then taking care of Marian 106-64.

This was the first time we got to see this new look Indiana basketball roster and while there have been a few bumps, this team is looking to be as talented and improved as advertised this offseason. Key additions such as Myles Rice and Oumar Ballo have impressed as well as returners such as Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako, as well.

With the season officially getting started this Wednesday vs SIUE, it is a good time to look back at these two exhibition games and identifying some key takeaways of this Indiana team.

Below are a few takeaways from Indiana basketball’s preseason games.

Read: Indiana basketball one of only five programs to have 4 players listed in CBS Sports rankings

Pace and the missing piece

Going back to last season, the style of play that Mike Woodson was showing on the floor was heavily criticized and during the offseason, the head coach of the Hoosiers made it clear that he wanted to change things up a little bit by going smaller at times and pushing the pace on the floor.

Through two exhibition games, the pace that the Hoosiers have played with is much more improved than what we saw last season. Last season, Indiana basketball just did not have the player personal to be able to play smaller and faster.

While Indiana basketball made multiple changes this offseason into improve the pace, it was clear that the missing piece in order for them to do so was transfer guard Myles Rice, who has brought a whole new dynamic on the floor for the Hoosiers.

With the talent this Indiana team has this season, getting out in transition and scoring off fast break points can be a dangerous weapon for them all season. Rice can set the tone with the pace, but the Hoosiers have multiple players than can get out and run now.

Three-point shooting still a small concern as of right now

With exhibition games just being a small sample size of what you see in a team, for Indiana basketball, fans and media had their eyes circled in on how the Hoosiers would look shooting on the outside. Indiana brought in players like Luke Goode this offseason to help with the shot making from the perimeter, hoping to become a more balanced offensive team and threat from behind-the-arc.

If we are being completely honest, the outside shooting has not looked all that great from what we saw vs both Tennessee and Marian. Through the two exhibition games combined, Indiana basketball only went 10-of-44 from three

Obviously a 22.7% completion rate from behind the arc is just not good enough, especially when you have guys now on the roster that are more than capable of shooting the outside ball. The poor shooting from three is concerning to a certain extend however, it is something that Indiana can easily improve on as the season gets started.

“Knowing that we’ve got a lot of work in terms of what I’m looking for in a team, and you know, we’re not shooting the ball well right now from the three-point line, and that’s kind of disturbing,” said Mike Woodson.

“But you know, I’m not going to harp on it because again, we are getting them up, and coming into the Tennessee game and this game, we had been shooting the three ball really well. We’ve just got to keep working at it and get guys comfortable and see where it leads us.”

Bryson Tucker is legit

While it was a little disappointing that we did not see him in the first exhibition game vs Tennessee, Tucker more than well made up for it when he returned for the Marian game last Friday.

Tucker, who is the only freshman recruit on this roster, was viewed at as the wildcard of this Indiana basketball team. Yes, everyone knew that he was a five-star, McDonald’s All-American, but not many knew just exactly where Tucker would fit on this loaded Indiana basketball team.

In the game vs Marian, Bryson Tucker showed that he was legit and can be a big time contributor for this Indiana team. In his first showing, Tucker ended with a game-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting in 23 minutes. He showed elite playmaking, ability to get out and transition, and of course a smooth midrange game.

“He’s a young freshman that has got a nice skillset and especially on both ends of the floor,” Woodson said of Tucker after the Marian game. “He’s long and athletic and he handles the ball. He can score the ball. He can do a lot of things. But he’s got to learn the college game, and he’s young at it right now and we’ve just got to keep pushing him in the right direction.”

Tucker is such a talented freshman but yet still feels underrated at the same time.

Kanaan Carlyle is the ‘unknown’ of this Indiana basketball team

Indiana basketball had to get better this offseason when it came to the backcourt and that is exactly they did. Not only did they add Myles Rice, who has really impressed thus far, they also added sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle, who is expected to be the starting guard right next to Rice.

While we have only seen one game out of Carlyle due to him missing the Marian exhibition on Friday due to bruised ribs, the small sample size that we saw from him vs Tennessee showed that his is still looking to find his role on this team. Carlyle played 31 minutes and had five points on 2-of-7 shooting with three rebounds and four assists against the Vols.

Woodson stated after the Tennessee game that he just needed to get Carlyle “more comfortable” with this new system and environment. Based of what we saw from him when he was at Stanford, we know how talented Carlyle is and what he can bring to Indiana basketball once he finds his rhythm on this team.

“He’s an unbelievable scorer. At his size, he’s 6-2, 6-3, he can put it up with the best of them,” Indiana basketball guard — and childhood friend — Myles Rice said at Big Ten Media Day. “I’ve seen it when I was younger and then last year … his focus and attention to detail is what doesn’t gt as much praise as it should.”

The way Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau are used could work

The usage of Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau was certainly one of the biggest questions this offseason and going into the the two exhibition games. With the concern of playing them together limiting what Indiana could on the floor, in the small sample size that has seen so far, the way Mike Woodson has used them together could very well work throughout this season.

For starters, the spacing from last season is much better and both Reneau and Ballo are hardly ever near each other with Reneau playing more outside now. When on the floor, they have also built great chemistry with one-another showing off some ‘buddy ball’ passing to one another

Mike Woodson has also done a good job of not always playing them together when they go small ball by taking one of them out for a breather or playing Mgbako or Goode next to them as a stretch four.

“Again, they both can pass the ball and they both can score down low and they both can handle the basketball,” said Woodson. “That’s a nice combination. We’re going to need them to continue to grow together, man, if we’re going to be a big-time team.”

The concern of Ballo and Reneau being able to play together should not be on the mind anymore. As long as Woodson is smart about the rotations, this pairing can be huge this offseason.