The minute after: SIUE – In the hall

Thoughts on an 80-61 win over the Cougars:

A season ago, Indiana had trouble knocking off weaker non-conference opponents.

The tighter-than-expected final margins ultimately hurt the Hoosiers in the computer rankings, one of several reasons they failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in the 2023-24 season.

Indiana won by 19 tonight. But for much of the competition it felt like last season. The Hoosiers didn’t make their final breakthrough until later in the second half, meaning they still had a few starters on the field when the final buzzer sounded, rather than their deep bench.

“(SIUE) was able to hang in there,” Mike Woodson said after the contest. “A lot of it is because we just haven’t implemented it.”

Indiana was sloppy. Myles Rice, who shined in the exhibition games, turned the ball over five times. The Hoosiers had a turnover percentage of 23 in the contest and struggled to get the ball downfield from the baseline on a few occasions. IU’s offense lacked fluidity. The distances felt tight. Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau lined up and got the ball flat while their teammates stood around and didn’t make the quick shots they did in the friendlies. Indiana also conceded fewer three-pointers, shooting just 16 tonight, 10 fewer than its opponent.

“The ball just wasn’t moving and our bodies weren’t moving,” Woodson said. “I need us to improve in this area.”

Luke Goode’s cold streak continued as he missed all three of his shots tonight. Kanaan Carlyle is still deciding where he will fit in. Trey Galloway played more minutes tonight but looks rusty after his knee injury. Still, he picked up where he left off last season and took on the role of facilitator – particularly in the second half. He connected with Ballo a few times in ball-screen action and provided nine assists for the game, six of them in the final 20 minutes.

Indiana’s rebounding effort suffered, giving SIUE additional opportunities. With four minutes left in the first half, Indiana had allowed the Cougars to rebound 48 percent of their missed shots. That number dropped to 32 percent by the end of the game, but with the Hoosiers conceding 33 percent of their misses, that stat was a bust tonight.

Thank God for Mackenzie Mgbako.

Indiana’s sophomore performed well, scoring 13 points in three minutes early in the game. Mgbako continued and eventually finished his career with 31 points, the highest point of his career. He finished 13 of 17 overall, 4 of 5 from deep and 1 of 1 at the line. Mgbako was not only successful, but also broke through the boards and scored a game-winning nine. He also continues to show more commitment in defense. Reneau and Ballo added 15 each to help Indiana’s scoring drive.

After a win at Tennessee and a dominant win against Marian, tonight’s performance was subpar. Still, it’s a nearly 20-point win for a team with a lot of new faces still trying to figure out their identity and comfort level with each other on the court.

It’s the opening game of the season and Indiana has plenty of time to get it right. But the Hoosiers can’t afford to keep this up if they want to finally put last season behind them.

Submitted to: SIU Edwardsville Cougars