INDIANA UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME OBSERVATIONS VS. SAM HOUSTON
While the tropical weather was surely beautiful, the team’s performance was anything but pretty for the Indiana University men’s basketball team on their trip to the Bahamas for this year’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau. They were outscored 178-134 in the first 2 games, and it was clear that they did not come prepared to play in either of those defeats. Thankfully, the Hoosiers closed out the trip with an impressive win over Providence. It was very refreshing for the squad to return to Bloomington with momentum on their side leading up to it’s clash with Sam Houston tonight.
It was abundantly clear that Woody has his guys ready right from the get go in this one, as the cream and crimson ran away from Bearkats en route to a 26-point dub.
We had the privilege of watching this one unfold live, and for the most part we really enjoyed the things that we saw.
LUKE GOODE ERUPTED
Coming into the season, Luke Goode was undoubtedly the team’s latest sharpshooter. Through the first 7 games, the product of Fort Wayne had actually been one of the team’s most underwhelming shooters. Did you notice the emphasis on the word “had” in that last sentence? That is because that was in the past and he went off in this one, connecting on 5 of his 7 attempts from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers desperately need Goode to hit outside shots, and it was nice to see him cook tonight.
MYLES RICE IS THE ENGINE
At the end of the day, a dominant frontcourt is not going to get Indiana into title contention without a major boost from the backcourt. Myles Rice, in particular, has to play at an elite level as the team’s point guard. While there were a few moments where he looked sped up, Rice was mostly solid throughout the game and really came up big in the 2nd half.
TREY GALLOWAY IS THE TEAM’S BEST PERIMETER DEFENDER
Kanaan Carlyle has been a pleasant surprise on the defensive side of the basketball thus far, and his energy at the point of attack has been critical. Unfortunately, he missed his second consecutive game with an injury and his return to action seems unclear. Thus, Trey Galloway once again found himself in the starting unit (where we thought he should have been to begin with). Where Carlyle is a pest, Galloway is simply an all-around solid, sturdy perimeter defender capable of guarding positions 1-3. He got caught in the game of foul trouble, but there were a few possessions in the 1st half where Galloway played about as good of defense as you can possibly ask.
ANTHONY LEAL IS A CALMING PRESENCE ON THE COURT
Anthony Leal’s statline may not seem too flashy, but he was spectacular in his 25 minutes tonight: 4 points | 4 rebounds | 4 assists | 0 turnovers. With Carlyle and Gabe Cupps out AND Galloway’s previously noted foul trouble, Leal was thrust into a large helping of minutes tonight. He more than delivered, showcasing a wise feel for the game.
THE DEFENSE CAME READY TO COMPETE
IU’s defense came out ready to go right away tonight, and the team was really clicking on all cylinders on that side of the ball early. The resistance stifled Sam Houston, who scored only 25 points on 25.8% shooting in the 1st half. They MUST replicate that same energy going forth if they are going to make a run at a national championship.
THE TEAM STILL NEEDS TIME
Beyond the back-to-back beatdowns in the Bahamas, the Hoosiers have accumulated 6 solid wins through the preliminary phase of the season. This is an incredibly loaded collection of talent, but we must recall that it is going to take them awhile to work out some kinks. That is what the beginning of the season is for, but time will tell if they can learn from their mistakes on a game-to-game basis.