BASKETBALL

IU basketball still searching for consistent perimeter effort after multiple no-show performances

The perimeter play for IU basketball has been inconstant — once again — to start the season. Something that needs to change.

Published

4 hours ago

November 28, 2024

Alec Lasley

The perimeter play for IU basketball has been inconstant -- once again -- to start the season. Something that needs to change. (Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)

Inconsistent perimeter play has been about the only consistent part of Indiana’s roster over the course of the four years under Mike Woodson. After an offseason that revolved around adding perimeter depth, shooting and overall skill, that group of players was steamrolled and a main reason for the IU basketball 89-61 blowout loss to Louisville to open up the Battle 4 Atlantis.

While no one player needs to hold the weight of the loss on their shoulders, IU’s perimeter players were non-existent and struggled to match the tempo, aggressiveness and efficiency of the Cardinals group of guards — a bad sign for a group that was supposed to be the motor for Indiana’s success this year.

Last week against IU’s first high-major opponent, IU’s group of guards were fantastic and combined for 46 points on 14-of-23 from the field. That was flipped on Wednesday as Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle and Trey Galloway were 1-of-15 from the field.

Rice had three points on 1-of-11 shooting, while Carlyle and Galloway were 0-of-2 each. They had a +/- of -59 in 59 combined minutes.

That type of inconsistent play from three players who are critically important pieces to Indiana’s ceiling this year is unacceptable.

“I look at the stat sheet, offensively, we just — we had nothing from a perimeter standpoint and they (Louisville) had a lot to do with that because of their physicality,” Woodson said postgame. “We can’t complain and not play through it. We just gotta get a little tougher. You go 9-for-43 with your perimeter players, it’s gonna be tough to beat anybody in college basketball.”

While the guards for IU basketball were ineffective on 15 shots, Indiana’s wing trio of Mackenzie Mgbako, Bryson Tucker and Luke Goode were just as bad, combining for 6-of-22 as well.

How does that compare to Louisville’s perimeter? Its starting backcourt was 15-of-24 with 36 points. So, the backcourt point total was 36-3. Entirely inexcusable from a backcourt group to lose a matchup at that level.

Add in two assists to nine turnovers and it’s fair to say it was an abysmal performance from three keys pieces of Indiana’s roster.

“You’re not gonna beat anybody (shooting) that way, and then you compound it with 23 turnovers,” Woodson said. “Something – that’s probably more turnovers than we’ve had since I’ve been here as a coach. That’s tough. You’re not gonna beat very many teams turning it over 23 times and with your perimeter play going 9-for-43. Those are things that are fixable. We gotta just clean them up.”

After 18 assists and just five turnovers in the first three games of the season, Trey Galloway has had two assists and six turnovers in the last two games. He hasn’t scored in either game in 35 minutes, either. Rice was averaging 21.5 points in the previous two outings — so it’s safe to say Wednesday was an outlier. But, you can’t have that type of outlier. There still needs to be some level of production from the leader of your team.

As for Carlyle, it’s been a horrendous start offensively for the former double-digit scorer at Stanford. Outside of his 12-point (season high) performance against South Carolina, he’s 3-of-20 from the floor with two scoreless outings in the other games.

While Louisville’s ball pressure was certainly the most the Hoosiers have seen this year, they shouldn’t have been caught off guard. That’s the type of basketball Cardinals’ head coach Pat Kelsey loves to play.

There’s no slowdown for IU basketball the rest of the week — especially on Thursday against Gonzaga. Six of the Bulldogs top eight leading scorers are perimeter players. They account for 57 percent of Gonzaga’s points per game. Four of their guards also average at least a steal a game.

Indiana as a whole needs to be ready — but its backcourt and perimeter players need a total 180-performance.

“We couldn’t make shots. We turned the ball over, and it just led to easy buckets for them. Once they go the cushion, they felt good about their play,” Woodson said. “So it’s just something that we’re gonna have to learn from, because we can’t go back and get this game.”