Indiana improved to 2-0 with a 90-55 win towards Japanese Illinois on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor.
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the win towards the Panthers:
Mackenzie Mgbako continues to shine
Mackenzie Mgbako has been Indiana’s best participant via two common season video games.
The 6-foot-9 sophomore has exhibited progress on each ends of the ground. He’s crashing the glass with a goal, he’s extra lively defensively and his communication on the ground and in huddles is seen.
On Sunday afternoon, Mgbako scored 18 factors, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out 4 assists and had two steals in 27 minutes.
By means of two video games, he’s averaging 24.5 factors, eight rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals in 27.5 minutes per sport. Mgbako is capturing 74.1 p.c from the ground and 66.7 p.c on 3s.
“Mack has taken an enormous bounce engaged on his sport,” Malik Reneau mentioned Sunday. “He’s an amazing shooter. He’s beginning to dial in on the little issues with the rebounding and the — simply getting in place on the defensive facet and with the ability to play protection at a excessive clip, too.”
Trey Galloway’s playmaking stands out for a second straight sport
Indiana fifth-year senior Trey Galloway has come off the bench within the group’s first two video games however has excelled as a distributor in every contest.
Within the season opener towards SIUE, Galloway dished out 9 assists in 17 minutes. He was equally as spectacular on Sunday towards Japanese Illinois. In 18 minutes, Galloway had eight assists.
By means of two video games, Galloway has 17 assists and simply 4 turnovers. The entire reps he had final season taking part in level guard have made the place extra pure for the Culver Academies product.
“He’s been nice. A variety of that could be a spin from final season,” Mike Woodson mentioned postgame. “You understand, once we principally transformed him from off the ball to placing him on the ball primarily based on the accidents that we had.
“We’re benefitting from it as a result of he’s gotten higher over the summer season. You understand, despite the fact that he hadn’t performed a lot, you possibly can see what little he’s carried out since he’s come again after accidents, his harm in observe, that has helped his sport tremendously, and we’re benefitting from it.”
Indiana recovers from a poor first half
The ultimate boxscore confirmed Indiana with a 35-point win towards Japanese Illinois however it took some time for the Hoosiers to get going within the midday tipoff.
Woodson described the primary half as “terrible” and Reneau mentioned the group got here out “flatfooted.”
Meeting Corridor was surprised as Indiana trailed by as many as 5 within the first half and by one on the break.
To Indiana’s credit score, the Hoosiers seemed like a totally totally different group within the second half. Indiana outscored Japanese Illinois 54-18 to shut the sport.
“We adjusted the second half and guys got here out and acquired after it,” Woodson mentioned. “Couldn’t ask for a greater second half.”
Malik Reneau is in the most effective form of his profession
In his postgame feedback after IU’s exhibition win at Tennessee, Woodson talked about that Malik Reneau had carried out substantial work to enhance his physique and conditioning this season. Particularly, Woodson talked about that Reneau took his weight-reduction plan extra significantly.
With Reneau guarding 4s and taking part in extra on the perimeter, he wanted to have the ability to transfer higher away from the basket.
By means of two video games, Reneau is seeing the advantages of his offseason good points. He’s extra agile, he’s extra explosive and he appears to be attending to the ball faster on rebounds.
“His motion up and down the courtroom (is best),” Woodson defined postgame. “I’m not taking part in him large minutes. He performed extra minutes final yr. I’m positive we’ll get his minutes again as much as 30, 30 to 31, 32 minutes. Simply his motion and with the ability to acknowledge issues which are in entrance of him now defensively as a result of we change quite a bit.”
The important thing for Reneau because the competitors will get more durable stays staying out of foul bother. He had 4 fouls towards SIUE however only one towards Japanese Illinois.
Bryson Tucker will probably be a key piece of the rotation
After struggling in Indiana’s season opener towards SIUE, Bryson Tucker confirmed why he was a McDonald’s All-American together with his play towards Japanese Illinois.
The freshman wing scored 12 factors in 21 minutes. He shot an environment friendly 5-for-7 from the sector towards the Panthers and in addition grabbed six rebounds.
Most significantly for Tucker, he’s not afraid of the second. Tucker is aware of he belongs and is assertive instantly upon getting into the sport.
“I might say simply making probably the most out of my minutes,” Tucker mentioned postgame. “Like I are available, I do know what I’m in there for, to attain, play protection. So I simply take advantage of that and simply keep targeted. That’s actually all there may be to that.”
Tucker’s explosiveness and skill to create area within the midrange to get photographs has stood out early within the season.
“In the event you can’t get to the rim in the event that they shut it up, simply stopping and popping proper is good there each time,” Tucker defined. “Most occasions in case you simply cease you’re often going to be open, as a result of they’re used to folks simply driving all the way in which.”
Filed to: Bryson Tucker, Japanese Illinois Panthers, Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway
