Malik Reneau, Bryson Tucker return to practice for Indiana basketball but status still uncertain this week

After a rather healthy first two months of the season for Indiana basketball when it came to regular rotation players, the last few weeks have been quite the opposite as both Malik Reneau and Bryson Tucker have missed time.

With Northwestern on deck for Indiana, Mike Woodson addressed the status of both players ahead of Wednesday’s matchup.

“A lot is going to depend on Malik today,” Woodson said on Tuesday. “He worked some yesterday. Tucker worked a little yesterday. So we just — I’ll gauge it today. We’ve got a 12 0’clock practice before we take off (for Northwestern), so I’ll get a better feel for where Malik and Bryson is at that point.”

Reneau was Indiana’s leading scorer this season, averaging 15.0 points to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game before the injury. He is shooting a career-best 60 percent from the floor and 73.7 percent from the foul line.

The 6-foot-9 forward has missed the past five games for the Hoosiers with a knee injury — a 3-2 record in that stretch.

As for Tucker, the five-star freshman missed his first game of the season against Ohio State with a finger injury. He’s averaging 6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.4 minutes a game.

With the injuries, it’s been Luke Goode who has filled into the starting lineup, a spot he’s excelled in.

Goode has averaged 12.0 points and shot 43.6 percent from three on 2.4 makes per game as a starter. In his last five games, he’s bumped that up to 13.4 points a game and is shooting 52 percent from there on 2.6 makes per game.

Trending: Luke Goode continues to elevate his game, making ‘big shots’ for Indiana basketball along the way

He’s scored in double figures in four of the last five games.

Goode is coming off of a career high 23 points against the Buckeyes.

However, Mike Woodson is unsure what his starting lineup will look like when Reneau returns to action.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet as far as that’s concerned,” Woodson said.

The Reneau injury has caused Indiana basketball to play small, with just one big man on the floor. That’s been a tremendous benefit to center Oumar Ballo who has averaged 18.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 32.5 minutes a game in the last six outings. He’s had five double-doubles in that span as well.

Indiana tips at 7:00 pm ET against the Wildcats on Wednesday night.

SEE ALSO: Mike Woodson to go by ‘feel’ when it comes to the starting lineup of Indiana basketball moving forward