Wow
With the announcement earlier today that Mike Woodson would be returning as Indiana’s head coach next year, the rest of the season was going to be played under a microscope.
Today, they looked like the team that fans hoped they would see this season with all of the talent on the roster. The forwards dominated the paint, the shooters knocked down shots, and the defense made things difficult for a Gophers team that has a top 50 offense, per Kenpom.
Of Indiana’s last three wins, this is by far Indiana’s most impressive. A double digit victory on the road in a game that the Hoosiers were favored to lose by multiple possessions. And the team played harder as the game went on.
Don’t look now, but Indiana has maybe started to look the part of a tough out in the Big Ten Tournament.
Here are Three Observations:
Kel’el Ware
Already a surefire NBA prospect, Kel’el Ware raised his draft stock tonight. He scored 26 points on 12-16 from the field, including a pair of made 3-pointers, plus 11 boards, three assists, and three blocks.
Tonight was probably the best all-around game I’ve seen from Ware in an Indiana uniform, showing his full skillset and playing aggressively against another athletic big in Dawson Garcia.
He’s also improved on the little things, like allowing Parker Fox to hit an easy fastbreak bucket instead of biting on the pump fake when he was in foul trouble.
These small things add up, allowing him to be on the court for the big moments of the game, like when he hit a 3-pointer around the eight minute mark in the second half to put Indiana’s lead to 17.
We knew we wouldn’t have him in Bloomington for long but watching his development has been a treat this season. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen somebody at Indiana with his skillset.
Trey Galloway
In the absence of consistent point guard play, Trey Galloway has emerged as the primary initiator for Indiana. Tonight, it culminated in his first career double-double, with 13 points and 11 assists on an efficient 6-9 from the field.
He turned it over five times tonight, but four were in the first half and he tightened it up as the game went on. Besides developing as a passer, he’s continued to be a great outlet for guys on fastbreaks, finishing layups from seemingly any angle.
A big reason for Ware’s emergence this year has been his chemistry with Galloway. Galloway assisted on five of Ware’s 12 made baskets tonight and also found himself on the receiving end of an assist from the big man.
While Xavier Johnson continues to struggle to play consistent basketball, the Galloway and Ware chemistry has kept Indiana’s offense moving.
Adjustments
It may be overshadowed by the lead Indiana was able to build in the second half, but one of the biggest moments of the game came at the 8:47 mark of the first half, when Ware picked up his second foul.
That’s been an auto-bench for Mike Woodson this season, and Malik Reneau was already benched for his own two fouls. But Woodson didn’t bench Ware, and Ware went on to score six more points in the half. Indiana’s lead at the half was five points.
Woodson also kept Minnesota’s offense guessing tonight, switching in and out of a zone a few times in the first half when guys were in foul trouble. The result was 18 Gopher turnovers and 21 points off turnovers for Indiana.
The adjustments weren’t limited to the coaching staff, as we saw Xavier Johnson grow up a lot in the course of the game. He had four turnovers versus one assist in the first half, but took his foot off the gas and stopped trying to force the ball in the second half. He had four assists and just one turnover in the second half.
Not everything was fixed overnight. Indiana attempted a single digit number of 3-pointers today, making the double-digit victory even more improbable.
At the end of the day though, I’d rather be 5-8 from 3-point range than 5-26.