Well that was fun
Honestly, I did not know that I would be writing up another Indiana win this season with the way things had been going recently. This one looked winnable on paper, but so had the last couple.
Aside from the bizarre fire alarm evacuation, things finally started to go Indiana’s way. Threes went in. Free throws went in. Indiana defended well, rebounded well, and limited turnovers for the most part.
These were the little things that needed to happen for Indiana to play with some confidence and finish out a close game down the stretch.
There were a million reasons for this team to have quit by now, the fire alarm being one of them, but the Hoosiers hung tough and finished out a win in front of a loud Assembly Hall crowd.
Here are Three Observations:
Xavier Johnson
Indiana got some welcome news with the return of Xavier Johnson to the lineup, though he came off the bench and saw limited minutes in his first game back. Rusty or not, this team needs Johnson available.
There’s no denying how rusty Johnson looked tonight, turning the ball over five times in just fifteen minutes and bricking a pair of free throws late in the second half. He also showed some of what Indiana’s been lacking though – some true explosiveness off the dribble and an ability to defend the craftier guards in the league.
Frankly, he’d have finished with more assists if the 3s were falling on a more consistent basis.
Having Johnson back alleviates the burden on other guards significantly. Even through his offensive struggles, he tallied five points and turned in some solid defense that freed up Trey Galloway to play with more energy on offense. Galloway finished with 12 assists.
He’ll need to improve in a hurry to even give Indiana a glimmer of hope to finish .500 in the league, but it’s good to see him playing college basketball again after all of the injuries he’s suffered in his career.
Kel’el Ware
Kel’el Ware had his most dominant performance as a Hoosier tonight, scoring 27 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and blocking five shots. He only missed one field goal all night and was perfect at the free throw line. He also made a 3-pointer.
For everything that’s gone wrong this season, Mike Woodson has certainly solidified his reputation for developing elite bigs and unlocking their full NBA potential. Ware is a consensus first round pick with room to climb to the lottery with a few more dominant games.
When he’s fully healthy, which he appeared to be tonight, he affects way more shots than the stat sheet reflects. He forces bad, uncomfortable shots from anyone who approaches the paint and is usually still in position to collect the rebound. All 11 of his boards came on the defensive end tonight.
It’s hard to believe that people questioned his game coming into this season. He’s answered all of the criticisms and then some.
The Energy
The most impressive thing to me about tonight’s game is that neither the fans nor the players have quit on this season. Assembly Hall was loud and ready for the moment. The team played tougher than it had in weeks to end a four game losing streak.
Will it be enough to mean anything in the big picture? I don’t know. But the team played like it meant something and the fans in the building appreciated that effort. That’s all anyone can really ask for at this point.
Not everything is about the big picture though. Indiana winning tonight felt good for me, the fans, the players. This is why we watch sports, not to do a discourse after every game in a truly horrid Big Ten.
Sometimes it’s enough to see some shots go down, some good defensive stands, and hear one of the best fanbases in the country boost a team to a much-needed win.