Basketball is officially back in Bloomington. Indiana men’s basketball defeated the University of Indianapolis 74-52 Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall in the first of the Hoosiers’ two exhibition matchups.
It was a tale of two halves for Indiana, which trailed Indianapolis 27-25 at the break. The Hoosiers shot 0-4 from 3-point range and just 5-11 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes while the Greyhounds converted six triples.
Indiana overcame the sluggish start and overwhelmed Indianapolis in the second period, displaying an enticing combination of length and athleticism throughout the rotation. Sophomore center Kel’el Ware and freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako led the way with 14 points apiece, and sophomore forward Malik Reneau tacked on 12.
Here’s how I graded the Hoosiers’ performances in Sunday’s victory.
Mackenzie Mgbako: A-
Mgbako’s first game action in Assembly Hall, albeit exhibition, went about as smoothly as fans could’ve hoped. He shot 5-11 from the field and cleaned up his efficiency in the second half, scoring 9 points on 3-6 shooting and going 2-2 from the stripe.
The highly touted former 5-star recruit was a consistent presence around the rim on both ends of the floor, and he brought down a team-high eight rebounds and added a blocked shot in his 25 minutes of action.
Mgbako displayed some of the versatility that colleges coveted during his recruitment. Late in the second half, Mgbako drained a corner 3-pointer in transition, and he showed the capability to lead the break and fulfill some ball handling responsibilities as well.
The only knock on Mgbako’s performance was his free throw shooting and first half misses on layups. Mgbako was just 1-4 from the line in the first period and failed to notch a couple putbacks, but otherwise he played as advertised.
Kel’el Ware: A
Indiana’s rotation features markedly more length than last season’s squad, and Ware is at the forefront of that transition. The 7-foot 5-star transfer from the University of Oregon had a significant role to fill with the departure of Trayce Jackson-Davis, but he adds a unique skillset that Jackson-Davis didn’t entirely offer.
Ware was often playing around the perimeter on Sunday as opposed to just the low block, and he should be able to capitalize on pick and pop opportunities. He sunk his sole 3-point attempt of the afternoon and went 6-10 from the field, including a couple monstrous second-half dunks.
While he figures to be a go-to option on the offensive end, Ware shined on the other end of the floor, as well. He swatted a team-high two shots and corralled six rebounds — tied for second on the team — and showed elite movement skills for his size.
Trey Galloway: B+
Senior guard Trey Galloway played as intensely as Hoosier fans expect from him on both ends of the floor, but he was somewhat lackluster from a scoring perspective. Galloway is expected to step into a bigger role as a shooter and ball handler this season, but he didn’t attempt a 3-pointer in Sunday’s contest.
He went 1-5 from the field and made one of his two shots from the line, but he still dished out a trio of assists and added a block. It’s tough to grade a player like Galloway in an exhibition game, and I would expect him to make up more of the team’s offensive output during the regular season.
Galloway clearly has value in areas outside of scoring, but his 3 points and relative inefficiency on his shots warrant a B+ for Sunday.
The second unit: A+
Sophomore guard CJ Gunn shined from the moment he stepped on the floor in the first half. Gunn is a player Woodson talked about needing to see more from this season, and he was highly active in his 17 minutes.
Gunn tied for the team-lead with a pair of steals and was consistently hounding ball handlers on the perimeter and getting out in transition. Freshman Gabe Cupps, another guard in the second unit, was equally as energetic in his time on the court.
Cupps finished the game with just 4 points, but he dove for loose balls on a handful of occasions and showed he could adequately serve as the lead guard of the second unit. Like Gunn, Cupps was a ferocious on-ball defender and forced a 10-second violation, drawing raucous cheers from the Hoosier faithful.
Senior forward Anthony Walker and junior Payton Sparks provided some juice off the bench as well. Walker notched 6 points, three rebounds, two steals and a block, and Sparks too had a few impactful moments in his seven minutes.
Next, the Hoosiers turn to their second and final exhibition game against Marian University. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, at Assembly Hall.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
