Friday, January 12
Bloomington, Ind.
6:30 PM
Indiana University
vs
Minnesota
Consistency a Hoosier Key Against Surging Minnesota
1/12/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Consistency matters. Indiana continues its search to find it.
Roller-coaster performance gets you beat. The Hoosiers have proof.
Friday night, the consistency search will focus on Minnesota (12-3 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten). Having the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall advantage looms large given dismal recent road performances at Nebraska and at Rutgers.
The solution is not quantum physics complex.
"We have to continue to work," coach Mike Woodson says. "That's all you can do. You've got to continue to work. I've got to get them over the hump. I've got to figure that out."
Indiana (11-5, 3-2) continues to get strong frontcourt production. Sophomore center Kel'el Ware had 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, plus three blocked shots, against Rutgers. Sophomore forward Malik Reneau had 13 points, a career-high seven assists, and six rebounds. It was his fifth game this season with at least five assists. Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako had 13 points and three 3-pointers.
Overall, they combine for 41 points and 19 rebounds a game.
Still …
Offensive rebounding remains a problem that won't go away. IU was out-rebounded by 20 against Ohio State and won. It was out-rebounded by 11 at Rutgers and lost.
The conclusion – rebound better, especially the guards.
"We won against Ohio State losing the glass by 20 rebounds, and you say, how in the hell can you win a game like that," Woodson says. "But it was the other areas where we were pretty good at.
"You're not going to do that with most teams in the Big Ten. It's something we've got to clean up."
Clean up includes turnovers. IU had 19 at Nebraska and 18 at Rutgers, losing both times. It had four against Ohio State and won.
The conclusion -- don't turn it over.
Many of the turnovers, Woodson says, come from driving into trouble rather than passing to open teammates. That was a major problem against Rutgers.
"We weren't sacrificing the basketball," Woodson says. "Guys were open and we were trying to penetrate when nothing was there and losing the ball. That's just losing basketball. We've got to get better in that area."
Minnesota has won seven straight games behind strong guard play from junior Elijah Hawkins, who has averaged 10.6 assists during that stretch. It has beaten Nebraska, Michigan and Maryland in Big Ten play. The conference loss came at Ohio State
Junior forward Dawson Garcia leads with 16.7 points and 7.5 rebounds. Sophomore forward Joshua Ola-Joseph (10.7 points) and freshman guard Cam Christie (10.6) also average in double figures.
Gophers' success, coach Ben Johnson says, has come from confidence and focusing on themselves. Johnson stresses physicality, tough-minded mentality and defense designed to force the Hoosiers into taking difficult shots.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Consistency matters. Indiana continues its search to find it.
Roller-coaster performance gets you beat. The Hoosiers have proof.
Friday night, the consistency search will focus on Minnesota (12-3 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten). Having the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall advantage looms large given dismal recent road performances at Nebraska and at Rutgers.
The solution is not quantum physics complex.
"We have to continue to work," coach Mike Woodson says. "That's all you can do. You've got to continue to work. I've got to get them over the hump. I've got to figure that out."
Indiana (11-5, 3-2) continues to get strong frontcourt production. Sophomore center Kel'el Ware had 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, plus three blocked shots, against Rutgers. Sophomore forward Malik Reneau had 13 points, a career-high seven assists, and six rebounds. It was his fifth game this season with at least five assists. Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako had 13 points and three 3-pointers.
Overall, they combine for 41 points and 19 rebounds a game.
Still …
Offensive rebounding remains a problem that won't go away. IU was out-rebounded by 20 against Ohio State and won. It was out-rebounded by 11 at Rutgers and lost.
The conclusion – rebound better, especially the guards.
"We won against Ohio State losing the glass by 20 rebounds, and you say, how in the hell can you win a game like that," Woodson says. "But it was the other areas where we were pretty good at.
"You're not going to do that with most teams in the Big Ten. It's something we've got to clean up."
Clean up includes turnovers. IU had 19 at Nebraska and 18 at Rutgers, losing both times. It had four against Ohio State and won.
The conclusion -- don't turn it over.
Many of the turnovers, Woodson says, come from driving into trouble rather than passing to open teammates. That was a major problem against Rutgers.
"We weren't sacrificing the basketball," Woodson says. "Guys were open and we were trying to penetrate when nothing was there and losing the ball. That's just losing basketball. We've got to get better in that area."
Minnesota has won seven straight games behind strong guard play from junior Elijah Hawkins, who has averaged 10.6 assists during that stretch. It has beaten Nebraska, Michigan and Maryland in Big Ten play. The conference loss came at Ohio State
Junior forward Dawson Garcia leads with 16.7 points and 7.5 rebounds. Sophomore forward Joshua Ola-Joseph (10.7 points) and freshman guard Cam Christie (10.6) also average in double figures.
Gophers' success, coach Ben Johnson says, has come from confidence and focusing on themselves. Johnson stresses physicality, tough-minded mentality and defense designed to force the Hoosiers into taking difficult shots.
Players Mentioned
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