Two games down, two Ws for Indiana.
That is what Indiana fans can take away from the first two contests after the Hoosiers’ 72-64 victory against the Army Black Knights Sunday night. They are not pretty wins, and that is apparent, but Mike Woodson and his Hoosiers will take it with many things to work on.
“Honestly, I don't think we played well,” Xavier Johnson said postgame on Big Ten Network. “I'm glad we finished the game out, came out with the W, but we've got to be better offensively and defensively.”
Eighteen turnovers for the Cream and Crimson headlined their win over Army, upping their total to 29 through the season's first two games. All but one Hoosier, Anthony Walker, tallied at least one turnover, with Malik Reneau leading the way with three total.
Miscommunication and what Johnson says is Indiana’s lack of preparation leading up to gameday are reasons for the Hoosiers' miscues on offense. Indiana looked stagnant on offense many times with Johnson on the bench. Little to no ball movement from the offense led to many one-on-one situations, not the offense that Woodson wants from his ball club.
“We have to move it. We have to trust each other. We catch the ball, and the first thing we think about is putting the ball down on the floor, making a play for myself,” Woodson said in the postgame press conference. “This is a team game, a team sport. So we have to trust each other, and that's my job so get them to trust.”
Indiana’s halfcourt offense also struggled during the narrow victory, but a gem in Kel’el Ware shone during the second half. Ware entered the halftime break with four points in 14 minutes of play. The big man asserted his dominance in the second half of action, scoring 16 points without missing a shot.
But despite Ware’s second-half resurgence, concern about how the Hoosiers are able to start off games is in question. Indiana pinballed back and forth with the Black Knights seemingly all game long with Army taking an eight-point lead in the first half.
“It's just not Kel'el in the first half,” Woodson said in the postgame press conference. “That whole unit has stunk the last two games in the first half. When you put a starting five out on the floor, you expect them to get you off to a great start, and we haven't done that the last two games. I have to figure that out.”
Credit Army for their spectacular 3-point shooting during Indiana’s Salute the Service Night in Assembly Hall. The Black Knights knocked down 13 shots from downtown with Ryan Curry (not in relation to Stephen Curry) hitting four himself to total 20 points on the night.
Once again, another area of concern arises from Army’s barrage of 3-pointers. The Hoosiers have now allowed 26 total 3s made through the first two games.
Indiana has only attempted 24.
“When I watched film on the last game, we're not getting over a lot of ball screens, you're right,” Johnson said during the postgame press conference. “I think it takes a lot of heart, and that's what coach said to some of the young guys, you know, wanting to play, to get on the floor.”
Indiana hopes to improve to 3-0 on Thursday back in Assembly Hall against the Wright State Raiders. This will be the Hoosiers’ last ‘get-right’ game before they head out to the bright lights of New York City to compete in the Saatva Empire Classic next Sunday.
