Indiana opened Massive Ten play with an 82-67 win towards Minnesota on Monday night time at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor.
It was Indiana’s fourth straight win and improved the Hoosiers to 8-2. Listed below are 5 takeaways from the win towards the Golden Gophers:
Bryson Tucker shines in 20 minutes off the bench
Freshman wing Bryson Tucker has been up and down by means of Indiana’s first ten video games however performed arguably his finest minutes of the season towards Minnesota.
Tucker scored a career-best 16 factors on 6-for-10 capturing from the sphere and a 4-for-6 efficiency from the free throw line.
The McDonald’s All-American has an affinity for the mid-range recreation however bought his offense going towards Minnesota on the rim. Tucker’s first two discipline objectives got here on a second-chance layup and one other layup lower than two minutes later. 4 of his six discipline objectives have been layups.
The 16-point efficiency towards Minnesota got here after Tucker had arguably his worst recreation of the season towards Miami (OH) on Friday.
“After that recreation, I simply needed to preserve my thoughts proper and know that there’s loads of video games to come back,” Tucker mentioned postgame. “So if I’ve a nasty recreation one recreation, I do know I can change it. I do know the whole lot can change the following recreation. So I simply have to remain targeted and preserve my thoughts proper and preserve going.”
Kanaan Carlyle returns and makes an immediate affect
Sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle returned from his three-game absence together with his finest all-around recreation of the season.
The 6-foot-3 guard got here off the bench and scored 14 factors, dished out 5 assists and grabbed three rebounds in 21 minutes.
Carlyle was 5-for-8 from the sphere, together with 3-for-6 on 3-pointers. Offense has been a wrestle early this season for Carlyle, who’s capturing simply 30 % on 3s and 40 % on 2s in seven video games.
However he’s been Indiana’s most constant guard on the defensive finish. He always applies strain on the ball, fights by means of screens and isn’t shy about diving on the ground for hustle performs.
“Simply choosing up 94 toes,” Carlyle mentioned postgame when requested what he’s doing properly defensively. “I really feel like that will get my complete recreation going, simply my protection, my power, so I really feel like that’s what I have to deliver each single night time as a result of that’s additionally what will get my offense going.”
Turnovers stay a problem
Indiana’s snug 15-point win wasn’t good and probably the most obtrusive concern offensively was taking good care of the ball.
The Hoosiers proceed to aim passes that haven’t any probability of reaching their supposed recipient. Indiana had a number of errant passes that hit the rim or the backboard.
On one other event, Myles Rice misplaced his shoe, tried to save lots of the ball whereas falling out of bounds and threw it to Minnesota for a layup.
Indiana had 14 turnovers for a turnover share of 20.6 %. By means of 10 video games, the Hoosiers rank 287th in turnover share at 19.7.
The continued errors haven’t stopped Indiana from successful video games towards inferior competitors. However that gained’t be the case as soon as Massive Ten play ramps up and the Hoosiers are enjoying groups who can capitalize on their errors.
Struggles from the 3-point and free throw strains
Indiana dominated the sport contained in the 3-point line, scoring 42 factors within the paint and capturing 66.7 % on 2s.
The Hoosiers scored 1.21 factors per possession regardless of a tricky capturing night time from the free throw line and an off-night from the perimeter.
Indiana was simply 18-for-29 (62.1 %) from the free throw line. It was an uncharacteristic efficiency for a staff now capturing 75.2 % from the road. That share ranks eightieth within the nation.
The three-point quantity was once more low as Indiana tried simply 14 3s within the win and related on 4 for 28.6 %.
The Hoosiers proceed to inch in the direction of the very backside of Division I in 3-point quantity. As of Tuesday morning, Indiana is trying 29.7 % of its discipline objectives from behind the 3-point line. That ranks 351st out of 364 groups.
Improved power and urgency
Indiana’s first half towards Minnesota was one in all its finest 20-minute stretches of the season.
Regardless of a sizzling capturing begin for the Gophers, the Hoosiers took management of the sport by the 4:41 mark of the primary half.
After Minnesota led 22-20 on a Brennan Rigsby jumper within the lane with 11:42 left within the half, the Hoosiers went on a 16-1 run over a seven-minute stretch.
The Gophers missed eight straight pictures in the course of the run and had only one offensive rebound.
For probably the most half, Indiana performed with power and the urgency it has solely exhibited in short stretches early this season. Nonetheless, as happy as Mike Woodson was with the primary half, he wasn’t thrilled with a second half efficiency through which the Hoosiers outscored by Minnesota by two.
“I believed we performed nice the primary half,” Woodson defined. “The ball moved. Then, within the second half, we began rather well, I believed, however we bought to get some issues mounted, too, as a result of I believed we had some lapses the place we simply didn’t play good offense. I believed there was some egocentric play right here and there and we threw the ball away. We didn’t make some free throws.
“We bought to construct on this recreation however these are areas that we are able to repair and while you get a staff down 15, 20 factors, you bought to recollect how you bought them down and proceed to do the identical issues that bought you the lead and I don’t assume we did that coming down the stretch.”
Filed to: Bryson Tucker, Kanaan Carlyle, Minnesota Golden Gophers