Indiana was soundly overwhelmed by Nebraska for a 3rd time this season, 93-66, within the Massive Ten match quarterfinals on Friday evening on the Goal Middle in Minneapolis.
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the loss to the Huskers:
3-point capturing was, as soon as once more, the distinction
The three-point shot hasn’t been a precedence for Indiana since Tom Crean was fired within the spring of 2017.
It’s no secret the Hoosiers haven’t recruited sufficient shooters or made the 3-point shot a focus of the offense. So it ought to be no shock that it’s an uphill battle when Indiana faces a staff that takes and makes 3s with no conscience.
That was the case Friday evening towards Nebraska – for the third time this season.
After being outscored by 39 factors from distance towards the Huskers within the first two conferences this season, the hole was 27 factors on Friday evening.
For these scoring at house, Indiana was outscored by a mean of twenty-two factors on 3s in three video games towards Nebraska. The typical margin of defeat in these three video games? 19.3 factors.
The three-point shot wasn’t the one purpose Nebraska crushed Indiana thrice this season, but it surely was a major one. If the Hoosiers proceed prioritizing the “inside-out” offense transferring ahead, Mike Woodson wants to seek out some choices to make perimeter photographs when the ball comes out of the submit.
Nebraska shuts down Kel’el Ware
Nebraska’s defensive focus from the opening tip was clear: don’t let Kel’el Ware get comfy.
Ware was blanketed from the opening tip in certainly one of his worst video games of an in any other case stellar season.
Nebraska’s stress on each contact by Ware was intense. He was swarmed instantly. And when Ware bought a shot off, it wasn’t straightforward.
His last line tells the story of a participant who by no means discovered his footing. Ware, sometimes an environment friendly scorer, was simply 3-for-10 from the sphere and had three turnovers.
“They uncovered us the primary couple video games at occasions,” Fred Hoiberg mentioned postgame. “They only threw it proper excessive of us. After we did go within the double-team, I assumed our physicality and our palms had been actually good. It wasn’t a direct line move. It was a looping move that we bought our palms on.”
Malik Reneau’s foul points proceed to restrict his effectiveness
There’s little doubt Malik Reneau took a step ahead in his second season at Indiana.
Reneau earned All-Massive Ten honorable point out accolades and averaged 15.4 factors, six rebounds and a pair of.7 assists in 28.7 minutes per sport.
However Reneau battled foul hassle too usually, notably late within the season. He fouled out of Friday’s sport in 22 minutes and completed with 9 factors, 5 rebounds and three assists.
In 33 video games, Reneau averaged 4.3 fouls per 40 minutes, in keeping with KenPom.
He fouled out seven occasions and completed 9 video games with 4 fouls. That’s far an excessive amount of foul hassle for a participant important to Indiana’s success.
Kel’el Ware, in contrast, averaged 2.5 fouls per 40 minutes and Trayce Jackson-Davis averaged 1.9 fouls per 40 minutes in his last season in Bloomington. To succeed in his full potential, Reneau has main work to do defensively.
Indiana had no reply for Keisei Tominaga
Keisei Tominaga is without doubt one of the hardest gamers to protect within the Massive Ten due to his motion off the ball and the truth that he wants only a sliver of area to get a shot off.
For the third time this season, Tominaga had his means towards Indiana.
In three video games towards the Hoosiers, Tominaga made 12 3-pointers and averaged 23.6 factors.
On Friday, he typically toyed with Indiana, hitting stepback 3-pointers and attending to the rim when defenders tried to overplay him on the perimeter.
Tominaga’s last line – 23 factors on 9-for-13 capturing with 5 assists – got here in simply 27 minutes.
This loss seems to be the tip of the street for the Hoosiers
Whereas there is no such thing as a assure Indiana would have been invited to the NIT, it appears the Hoosiers are ready to show down the invitation if they’re.
In keeping with Jeff Rabjohns and Zach Osterman, Indiana is not going to play within the postseason occasion if invited.
Moderately than losing time with a meaningless match, the Hoosiers will give attention to the switch portal and constructing a roster for subsequent season.
In his postgame feedback, Woodson acknowledged the work that lies forward. When requested by a reporter what this staff was lacking and what he’s trying so as to add to this system within the offseason, Woodson mentioned a busy offseason lies forward.
“The underside line is we’ve bought to get higher,” he mentioned. “From a expertise standpoint, this summer time shall be spent watching a whole lot of movie on gamers as a result of we’re going to lose some gamers, I’m certain, and we’re going to should construct across the core guys which might be coming again.
“We’ve simply bought a whole lot of work to do that summer time to get higher. I don’t wish to sit right here this time subsequent yr and never be taking part in within the match.”
Filed to: Kel’el Ware, Malik Reneau, Nebraska Cornhuskers
