[Postgame 3-2-1] What We Learned From Indiana's over SIUE

We break down three key stats, two observations, and one lingering question from Indiana's 80-61 season opener against SIU-Edwardsville.

Another season of Indiana basketball has kicked off, and year four of the Mike Woodson era began with an 80-61 victory over SIU-Edwardsville on Wednesday evening at Assembly Hall.

It was dicey at times, but on the back of a career night for Mackenzie Mgbako, the Hoosiers pulled away to earn their first victory of the 2024-25 campaign.

With that being said, here are three stats, two observations, and one lingering question from Indiana's 80-61 season opener against SIU-Edwardsville.

Did you miss yesterday's edition of the postgame show?

3 Meaningful Stats

1. Mgbako dazzles en route to 31-point night

Sometimes, it’s just your night. The basket looks three times as big, and everything is falling.

That’s exactly what Wednesday night was for Mackenzie Mgbako, who began his sophomore season with a bang.

He finished with a career-high 31 points, surpassing his previous high of 24. Last year’s Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year made 4-of-his-5 three-point attempts, shooting 13-of-17 from the field.

Credit: Indiana University Athletics

“I thought tonight was one of the best games he's had since he's been here,” Woodson said. “He's still learning.”

Mgbako got hot early and never looked back, scoring 18 first-half points, including an impressive personal 6-0 run after the Cougars tied the game at 27 late in the first half. The run ultimately sparked a 15-3 Hoosier run to close the first half and played a large role in separating the two teams the rest of the way.

“I was just going with what the team gave me,” Mgbako said postgame. “It was like moving the ball, finding the right shots, and just taking them.”

2. SIUE had 16 offensive rebounds

The Hoosiers barely won the board battle against a relatively undersized opponent in SIUE.

Between Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau, there shouldn't be a game where Indiana is in the negative in the rebound margin. There is no excuse for a team like SIUE to keep the difference at single digits for a large portion of the game.

Ultimately, Indiana out-rebounded the Cougars 43-34, but it was much closer than what Mike Woodson wanted to see.

“I just give them credit from a team standpoint. They wanted it a little bit more than we did,” Woodson said of the poor rebounding effort. “That's something that can't happen.”

Obviously, last night was the first of 29 regular season games for Indiana, but securing the defensive glass will likely be a point of emphasis throughout the season.

3. Indiana goes 14-17 from the charity stripe

Improvement is still needed in some aspects of Indiana’s game, but one area in which the Hoosiers thrived at last night was the free throw line.

Harping on woes from the charity stripe has been about as Hoosier as a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich on an undersized bun — but last night, there were none of those gripes.

The brightest spot of what already is a good stat is that Ballo and Reneau teamed up to nail eight of their combined 10 attempts from the line. The two will be on the floor late in games this season, and it is imperative that they can consistently deliver from the stripe.

One game is the smallest of sample sizes, but getting to the line in transition and making the free ones will pay dividends as the season goes on.

2 Important Observations

1. Myles Rice is going to be problem for opponents.

All offseason long, there were rumblings of Indiana wanting to push the tempo and run the floor. Last night, Myles Rice proved why he was the right guy for the job.

The Washington State transfer finished with 11 points and 4 assists in the Hoosier victory. Although his turnover number was at 5, it was because he was pushing the pace almost too quickly.

Credit: Indiana University Athletics

“He has to be patient to get us in something, then know what to go do what he needs to do offensively himself,” Woodson said. “Still a work in motion in terms of trying to get him to play the right way and be a true point guard.”

Woodson said at Big Ten Media Days in October that turnovers will happen when the team plays at a faster pace, so there shouldn't be much worry there.

Rice’s uncanny ability to deliver the ball through traffic brought awe to the Assembly Hall crowd. He received the most robust ovation during the pregame introductions and never released the grasp of the Indiana crowd.

2. Indiana was sluggish.

At times, throughout both halves, Indiana’s energy level flatlined. From ugly turnovers to defensive lapses, there were stretches of play when SIUE was the better team.

After the game, Woodson addressed the lackadaisical stretches of play.

“Our bodies just weren’t moving,” Woodson said. “I gotta get us better in that area.”

Performances like last night’s are bound to happen in the early season, which is why teams like SIUE are scheduled in early November. However, with the rotation as deep as it was last night, there’s no excuse for stretches of lazy basketball.

1 Lingering Question

Can Indiana succeed with a 10-man rotation?

Last night, ten different Hoosiers checked into the game. This does not include those who may have checked into the game in the final three minutes.

In hindsight, it was more of an eight-man rotation that Woodson rolled with.

Langdon Hatton entered the game in the first half and played for two minutes. Gabe Cupps played three first-half minutes and didn’t return until the final minute of the game.

There will be moments when Indiana will need a spark from Cupps, but his playing time this season will pale in comparison to what he saw last year.

Mike Woodson has an issue that every coach dreams about: a deep roster with an abundance of talent. It is now up to him and his staff to determine what works best through trial and error the next couple of weeks.

Next opportunity for Woodson and Co. to learn more about their team will be when former Hoosier Marty Simmons brings his Eastern Illinois Panthers to Bloomington for a Sunday matinee at Assembly Hall.