[Postgame 3-2-1] What We Learned From Indiana's over UNC Greensboro
We break down three key stats, two observations, and one lingering question from Indiana's 69-58 victory against UNC Greensboro.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In its final tune-up before heading to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, Indiana defeated UNC Greensboro on a snowy Thursday evening in Bloomington.
Myles Rice led all scorers with 20 points while Bryson Tucker notched a career-high 14 points.
“We've had some good moments, we've had some bad moments. Against really good teams, you're going to have to have a lot of good moments to die away the bad moments if you're going to be a good team, and I think we can, but only time will tell,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson postgame. “I've just got to keep working with this team to get them where I want them, but we're not there yet.”
With the win, Indiana is now 4-0 in the young season and are island-bound.
Here are three stats, two observations, and one lingering question from Indiana's 69-59 victory against UNC Greensboro.
Did you miss yesterday's edition of the postgame show?
3 Meaningful Stats
1. Myles Rice Dazzles Again, Scores 20 Points
Although it took two games to do so, Myles Rice has found his form and solidified himself as Indiana's top offensive threat in the month of November.
Rice followed up Saturday's 21-point performance against South Carolina with another impressive showing - scoring 20 points on 8-14 shooting including two three-pointers in the first half.
After dishing out just three assists on Saturday, it was an all-around performance for the redshirt sophomore, who added 6 assists and 5 rebounds in the victory.
“Well, that's what he's supposed to do,” Woodson said. “That's what we brought him here for.”
The dual-threat nature of his game could potentially turn Rice into one of the best guards in the Big Ten, if not the entire country.
2. Bryson Tucker breaks through with 12 second-half points
Despite an uninspiring game from the bench as a whole, freshman Bryson Tucker stepped up and delivered when Indiana needed someone to take over. The lone member of Indiana's freshman class dazzled in the second half, scoring 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Tucker used his quickness to get to his midrange spot and rise above his defender for easy jumpers.
“Tucker came in, and he shined for a freshman,” Woodson said. “He looked -- you've seen him play since he's been here. He's a guy that can help us. I leaned on him tonight, and he came through and did some positive things.”
The Bowie, Maryland native's near-perfect second-half offensively was just a small piece of the pie. Tucker was spectacular defensively, collecting a steal and forcing tough shots and bad passes throughout the second half.
The McDonald's All-American finished with 14 points and 3 rebounds in his 25 minutes on the floor in Thursday night's victory and will likely play a large role in Indiana's success next week in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.
3. UNCG Grabbed 17 Offensive Rebounds
Woodson was frustrated with his team’s intensity and credited UNCG for simply wanting more than his guys did.
“I've got to give this Greensboro team a lot of credit,” an irate Woodson said. “I thought they played harder than we did. We didn't play hard, and that's unacceptable. That's on me.”
The lack of intensity led to the Hoosiers allowing the Spartans to control the offensive glass all night long to the tune of 17 offensive boards.
Indiana had the two best bigs on the floor and solid rebounding guards, but still could not figure out how to control the glass. Long shots tend to lead to long rebounds, which was a disadvantage for IU, especially since UNCG took 32 threes.
The Hoosiers still need to find a way to clear and avoid allowing second-chance opportunities.
2 Important Observations
1. Scoring droughts continue to be an issue
When Woodson went to the bench for the first time, he brought in Bryson Tucker and Trey Galloway. It also started six-minute scoring drought for Indiana.
From Langdon Hatton’s layup to push the Hoosier lead to 21-5 at the 11:07 mark to Kanaan Carlyle’s triple with 5:03 left on the first half timer, offensive possessions were tough to watch.
What was once a 16-point advantage evaporated to just six, and Indiana never got the momentum back until midway through the second half.
Scoring droughts seem as Indiana Basketball as Martha The Mop Lady at this point. It has become a nightly occurrence and has cost the program victories in the process. Going lifeless offensively didn’t cost Indiana the win last night (though it didn’t help with the analytics), and it surely won’t work in tougher games later in the season.
Whether it be changes in the rotation or something different, Woodson and his staff have to figure this out soon before it costs them down the road.
2. Empty Seats Filled Assembly Hall
It was another poor showing from Hoosier Nation on Thursday night as there were thousands of open seats at tipoff.
Maybe it’s because of the first snow of the season, or Thanksgiving break being on the horizon, or even Indiana Football being less than 48 hours from its biggest game in program history … all of those reasons could be valid.
But as my father would say, it didn’t used to matter what the conditions were; Assembly Hall was always full.
Credit to those who braved the elements, but they didn’t have the energy that even the lightest Indiana crowds bring to Assembly Hall. There was restlessness and murmurs when the team was struggling. Some boos even reigned as UNCG tied the game at 40 in the second half.
Who can blame them at this point? The truth is that the product they’re seeing is far from the traditional standard, and they expect better basketball. Most fans saw exactly what the coach did.
Hoosier fans have become hardened by recent struggles and are dying for their team to be a consistent basketball program again, rather than one that struggles with the likes of a team that was picked to finish sixth in the SoCon.
A win is a win, and Indiana is 4-0 with an analytical profile that has improved since the season began. There is a lot to feel good about, especially in relation to last season. But it may take Indiana scoring a meaningful result against a well-regarded opponent for many fans to fully embrace this season.
1 Lingering Question
Why does Indiana continue to play down to their opponent?
Another buy game, another lackluster performance from Indiana. Far too many times in the Mike Woodson era, that his team has played down to an opponent in a game that should be won by a comfortable margin.
It appeared that Thursday would be different for Indiana, leading by as many as 16 in the first half. But that lead evaporated quickly in large part due to the Hoosiers looking completely lost at times offensively.
“We were up 19-3 when I started subbing,” Woodson said. “and that was after guys had played a deep seven, eight, nine minutes straight. And once they got rolling, we gave them hope, and they played a solid game all the way through.”
Competition will stiffen, and Indiana will compete with the best of the best, but it’s time to question why Indiana continually plays in close games against sub-150 KenPom opponents.
It could become the difference in seed lines come March.
Wednesday against Louisville marks the next step up in competition, and it is a crucial opportunity for Indiana to set itself up for a productive tip to The Bahamas.
#1 question is How long until we fire Mike Woodson and we get a real coach, someone who runs any resemblance of an offense, that can motivate players and can bring excitement back to IU basketball
Tucker, while very good offensively, was far from "spectacular" on defense. He made several defensive errors (some to be expected as a freshman). The most glaring take away for me was the total lack of commitment to blocking out and pursuing out of area rebounds on our defensive end. High School teams are more committed to blocking out than we are. We expect to simply stand there and secure rebounds and these first few games have proven that to be a false expectation.