Much of the attention on Indiana throughout the offseason was on the success in the transfer portal and the retention of key pieces from last year’s team. While Bryson Tucker flew under the radar as a late commitment to be the team’s only incoming freshman, he made his presence known in Indiana's 69-58 win over UNC Greensboro Thursday night.
Indiana’s roster is often coined as one of the deepest in the conference, yet the question can be asked: Does depth really matter if production doesn’t come with it? On a night like Thursday, some may argue the answer is no.
Other than Myles Rice and his 20 points, six assists and five rebounds, the starting group lacked energy and production after its 19-5 start to the game. The bench would not be of much help either. Shooters went cold, turnovers grew common, and Assembly Hall went quiet. Indiana looked desperately for an answer tied at 40 with 16 minutes to go.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson looked down his bench and decided to give his freshman another shot to make a difference. It did not take long to see that he found his answer.
“He’s a guy that can help us,” Woodson said. “I leaned on him tonight and he came through and did some positive things.”
After scoring a couple of points on two free throws in nine first-half minutes, Tucker would reintroduce himself to the Assembly Hall crowd in the second half right away, pirouetting in the lane and scoring through contact for a beautiful three-point play. He would follow it up with a tough fadeaway jumper on the very next possession. Minutes later, he would collect a steal, another jumper, draw an offensive foul, and get Assembly Hall to its loudest point of the night. Every time UNCG threatened with a run for the rest of the evening, Tucker was right there to put a stop to it.
“He shined,” Woodson said.
Tucker saved the day. There is no doubt about it. He would finish with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting and 4-for-5 at the charity stripe. He accounted for 14 of IU’s 19 bench points and 12 of IU’s 33 second-half points. While his production was a great sign, it leaves room for concern for the rest of the team.
“We need more than just Tuck,” Woodson said.
Players not named Tucker or Rice shot a combined 12-for-37 from the field, 3-for-13 from 3, and committed 11 turnovers. The team shot under 42% from the field, 26% from 3, and gave up 17 offensive rebounds. Woodson credits the stagnant offense and sloppy play to selfishness.
“We have enough guys on this team that can make good basketball plays. We just gotta be unselfish and sacrifice the ball for the sake of the team and good things will happen,” Woodson said. “The ball will end up in the right guy’s hands.”
The talent on this Indiana team is undeniable. The team just has to figure out how to utilize all of it. Ultimately the ball did end up in the right guy’s hands Thursday, as it has for each of the first four games. Even so, it is back to the drawing board to find a long-term solution to maximize what this team can be ahead of its toughest non conference stretch of the year in the Battle 4 Atlantis next week.
