Key takeaways from the Indiana basketball 82-67 win over Minnesota

Indiana basketball opened up Big Ten play on Monday night with an 82-67 win over Minnesota.

It was the most well-rounded performance from the Hoosiers this season, and a performance it needed to start the week.

The Hoosiers led for 31:53 of game time, with very little drama for the majority of the night.

Here are the key takeaways from IU’s win.

Bryson Tucker’s season-best: He’s just 10 games into his freshman season but Bryson Tucker put up a career high on Monday night finishing with 16 points. Tucker did so from the jump, scoring eight points quickly off the bench and having 11 in the first half alone. It was the aggressive, shot-hunting that stood out, and is needed. Indiana continues to look for consistent play from its bench and Tucker’s ability to be a go-to scorer in the second unit was clearly evident — and has potential to be that way for the remainder of the season. Tucker scored at the rim and off of the bounce, in transition, running off of screens for mid range jumper. He showcased his full arsenal of offensive potential both on and off the ball and his growth will be interesting to watch moving forward for Indiana.

Key first half run: It was another sluggish start for Indiana to begin, and one that was a bit lifeless again. Then, IU turned up the energy. Down 22-20 with just under 12 minutes remaining, Indiana went on a 24-9 run to end the half. During that stretch, IU held Minnesota to just 3-of-12 from the field with six turnovers and really sparked the run, allowing the Hoosiers to get out in transition and get some easy points — 14 fast break points at the half. In total, IU scored 1.333 points per possession in the first half, scoring on 63.8 percent of its possessions. Their 63 percent shooting was the highest first-half total for the Hoosiers this season. It set the tone for the remainder of the night.

Kanaan Carlyle looks comfortable in the second unit: It hasn’t been a good start to the season for the Stanford transfer but Monday was far and away the best game in an Indiana uniform for Kanaan Carlyle. He had 14 points and five assists and was the best playmaker at the guard position all night. After missing the last three games, Carlyle looked healthy, quick and confident on the floor. Not only was his energy contagious on the defensive end, but his ability to move the ball was evident offensively. Carlyle has struggled to find his role this year but Monday may be just that — coming off of the bench. Carlyle was the main ball handler and playmaker in the second unit and his confidence in attacking pick and rolls and making plays for his teammates was on display. Then, it was his shot that started to fall. He hit three 3s and looked extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands. Although Trey Galloway continues to be inconsistent this year and struggled on Monday, keeping him in the starting lineup may be exactly what Carlyle needed and needs in order to fill into the role that Indiana basketball needs him in.

Indiana’s most complete performance of the year: There’s no question Monday was the best overall performance Indiana had on the season. It was the Big Ten opener and the lead stayed consistently anywhere from 13-20 points for the majority of the final 25 minutes of the game. Indiana did it on both ends, holding Minnesota to 42.9 percent shooting in the second half and scoring 1.031 points per possession for the game. On the flip side, Indiana shot 56.6 for the night and scored 1.224 points per possession, finishing with five players in double figures on the night. Any time Minnesota found a bit of life in the second half, there was always a response from Indiana basketball to keep the lead comfortably. It still wasn’t a totally clean game, with a sloppy start, but Indiana’s ability to keep its foot on the gas in the second half is something it hasn’t shown consistently over Mike Woodson’s tenure, leading for the final 26 minutes of the game.

Indiana’s front court continues to come together: After some inconsistent play to begin the season, IU’s bigs are starting to play well alongside each other. That was the case again on Monday as Indiana had the size advantage and made sure to take advantage of it. Oumar Ballo had 18 points on 5-of-5 shooting and 8-of-11 from the foul line, adding seven rebounds as well. Malik Reneau had 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, with seven rebounds and four assists. That duo spearheaded 42 points in the paint and continue to play better and better and will be a major matchup advantage for Indiana basketball most nights.

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