Key takeaways from the Indiana basketball 87-71 win against South Carolina

Indiana basketball had its first matchup against a high-major opponent on Saturday as South Carolina came to Assembly Hall — controlling most of the game in a 87-71 win over the Gamecocks.

The Hoosiers improve to 3-0 and will have one more tuneup before heading to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament over Thanksgiving.

Here are some key takeaways and initial thoughts from Indiana’s win.

Myles Rice’s confidence: The Indiana point guard has had an up-and-down first two games of the season but on Saturday he showcased his entire skillset — and put his stamp on the game right away. Rice had just 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting in the first two games combined and turned in 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the first half, en route to 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the game. It was the best he’s played in an Indiana uniform, mainly due to the decision-making and decisiveness he played with. He was extremely confident in every decision he made and it showed. Rice was dynamic off of balls screens, effective attacking the basketball and most importantly, was playing with pace but under control. This is the type of performance that Rice had consistently last year. A very good time to play his best game.

Kanaan Carlyle breaks out of early slump: Another part of the Indiana starting backcourt that was struggling a bit to begin the year was Kanaan Carlyle. While he had been fantastic defensively to begin his IU career, he was struggling to find his role on the other end of the floor. He broke out on Saturday. Carlyle was just 2-of-11 through two games and lacked the true aggressiveness that made him so lethal last year. He got into an early rhythm with a few jumpers, including a three, and didn’t look back. He finished with 12 points and showcased that athleticism off the ball and getting downhill that makes him so effective. He’s someone that is going to be extremely important to Indiana basketball this season and Saturday’s performance is a very good sign for the Hoosiers.

Lack of a killer mindset: Indiana has struggled most of Mike Woodson’s tenure to have a kill switch late in games. That was the case, again, on Saturday. A once 18-point lead for Indiana at the 10:46 mark got as close as eight points under 1:30 left. It was a beautiful pace and energy from Indiana for the first 30 minutes, but the inability to play a full 40 minutes again struck. Whether it was sloppy turnovers, lack of focus defensively or sluggish half court offense, Indiana was a totally different team coming in, failing to make a field goal over the final three minutes. It eventually made the plays needed to come out with the win, but the final 10 minutes was all too similar to year’s past.

3-ball was on display: Indiana came in ranked 303rd in 3s made per game this year and 141st in three-point percentage and on Saturday turned in an 8-of-17 performance. The best part? It was multiple players who contributed to that line. Five players hit at least one three, with three players attempting at least three 3s. Those are numbers that can be very repeatable for Indiana because it has the talent and skillset from the perimeter. Myles Rice set the tone with three 3s. Most, if not all, were all within the flow of the offense and were set up by the playmaking ability of the backcourt. The one concern on Saturday? Luke Goode went 0-of-3, bringing his total on the season to 2-of-10. The career 38 percent three-point shooter will find his groove in due time, which means only good things for an Indiana basketball offense that is — at least in the early stages of the season — hitting from the perimeter already.

Offense was efficient and effective: Indiana has numerous players who can beat you and numerous ways it can score. Saturday showed that in a major way. The Hoosiers shot 51 percent from the floor, 47.1 percent from three and 81.8 percent from the foul line — all extremely productive numbers. Overall, Indiana basketball scored 1.299 points per possession — 1.433 in the first half — and scored on 59.7 percent of its possessions. Myles Rice led all scorers with 23 points but it was a team effort, with five Hoosiers in double figures. The only improvement that could be made from Saturday’s offensive production is the lack of assists, just 12 on the night. But, with this team, the dynamic ability of its guards is good enough with their ability to beat defenders 1-on-1 — something IU has lacked for numerous years.

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