The voice of Bobby Knight rang throughout Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall once again during Indiana’s final exhibition game against Marian Friday night, cruising past the Knights with a final score of 94-61.
Indiana closed out their preseason play in stunning fashion. But for many, this wasn’t just an exhibition game. It just meant more.
Whether it be known from tributes being played throughout the night, the ‘RMK’ patches on Indiana’s jerseys, or the “Bobby” chants heard during halftime, it was inevitable that Friday night would be played for Coach Knight, right on the court of ‘Bobby’s House’.
“Knowing that he’s not around anymore, it means more now to me,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said. “As long as I come into this building knowing that this is Bob Knight’s building, I’m going to always think about him and just hopefully I can make him proud.”
Although there have been generations of players that have played for the Hoosiers following Knight’s time coaching at Indiana, this generation did not fail to light it up in their first game back on the court since the program lost a coach, a friend, and a legend.
There were bright spots all across the hardwood, but it was the big men who shined the brightest for the Hoosiers. Seven-foot Oregon transfer Kel’el Ware led the team with 20 points and 11 rebounds on the night.
A theme for Ware in Indiana’s exhibition games has been finding a spark in the second half, which was especially seen on Friday night, with Ware producing 15 points coming out of halftime.
“I would say in the first half I’m sort of just moving at a fast pace when all I’ve got to do is just slow down,” Ware said. “Once I slow down, everything will just come to me and everything will open up for the team.”
Among the shining big men was fellow newcomer Mackenzie Mgbako. The freshman forward ended the night with 15 points, going five-of-eight from the field, three-of-four from beyond the arc, and snagging two steals. Indiana sophomore forward Malik Reneau also contributed, ending with 14 points, five rebounds, and going five-of-seven from the field.
With the sparks found within the offense, Coach Woodson continued to stress the importance of making that extra pass and how big of a factor it plays in their play on the court.
“We watched so much from a film standpoint where we just are not making the extra pass,” Woodson said. “Our guy draws two people and somebody’s sitting there wide open and we’ll try to drive through the guy, through the two people, and around them instead of making the extra pass. That’s going to be critical.”
Something that has also continued to be apparent within these two exhibition games is the success and importance of the second unit. Primarily led by freshman point guard Gabe Cupps, there is confidence within the program that the first unit has a strong presence behind them that the team can heavily rely on heading into the season.
Alongside Cupps within the second unit is Miami transfer Anthony Walker, who has proven to be a massive contributor throughout the preseason.
Walker ended Friday night with eight points, six rebounds, and two blocks, and showed that he is consistent on both sides of the ball. This only gives more confidence to the team in the power of the second unit and the true depth it will bring to the team for many games to come.
“He’s been solid,” Woodson said in regards to Walker. “He’s given me enough confidence, that whole second unit has given me confidence since we’ve been together that I can play them. I mean, I feel good. [If] somebody’s not playing well in the first unit, I feel really good about playing guys in the second unit because they compete.”
And Woodson sees that being apparent for the many games to come heading into the season.
Overall, a lot of positives to draw from preseason play from a team with a lot of new faces. Things seem to be trending in the right direction for this young Indiana team.
The Hoosiers will officially begin their 2023-24 campaign on Tuesday to take on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles back at Assembly Hall for a 6:30 tip.
