CJ Gunn squared his hips toward the basket and rose for his shot. The sophomore guard flicked his right wrist and sent it toward the hoop, carefully eyeing the ball’s descent toward the rim.
Trailing 19-11 to Army West Point Sunday night at Simon Sjkodt Assembly Hall, Indiana men’s basketball’s second unit continued to search for answers. After registering just 7 points in the Hoosiers’ win over Florida Gulf Coast University, Gunn and the rest of the bench had an opportunity to quell some major concerns against the Black Knights.
Gunn saw the ball sail past the hoop entirely and thud to the floor, where Army senior guard Kwabena Davis easily corralled the rebound. Roughly 30 seconds prior, the Black Knights collected two consecutive offensive boards on missed 3-point shots, and the third chance was true.
Army junior guard Blake Barker drained a 3-pointer, leaving head coach Mike Woodson — and the Hoosier faithful alike — irate. Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who scored just 2 points against Army, has been in the starting lineup for the Hoosiers’ first two contests.
Still, Woodson included the former 5-star prospect as a player he needs greater contributions from.
“I want to see more from Mackenzie, more from Kaleb (Banks), more from CJ,” Woodson said after the game. “I want to see more when they’re in the game. If I don’t feel like they’re giving it to me, I’ve got to go somewhere else and get it.”
Despite the 72-64 win, the combination of Gunn, Banks, freshman guard Gabe Cupps, junior forward Payton Sparks and senior forward Anthony Walker amounted to just 12 points Sunday night. When the full group took the floor with 12:51 remaining in the first half, the teams were tied at 11 apiece.
From there, Army enacted complete domination. Indiana’s offense fell stagnant and floundered primarily due to a lack of cohesion. Frequently resigned to slowing down in half-court offense, the Hoosiers failed to cause damage in transition and play at the pace Woodson desires.
“We’re not getting the ball out and getting up the floor and playing faster,” Woodson said. “We can’t just live in the half-court game this season. I mean, I want to play faster, and I got to get us to doing that because we’re not doing it yet.”
In the preseason, when members of the second unit flashed moments of offensive brilliance, Woodson said he wanted to be able to play with a 10-man rotation. With so much production on both ends of the floor reliant on the starters, Woodson couldn’t afford to offer the second unit extended run against the Black Knights.
Until junior guard Trey Galloway relieved Gunn with 8:58 left in the half, Army went on an 8-0 run. Cupps, whom Woodson has lauded for his pesky defensive efforts, was the only member of the second unit to record more than 13 minutes.
Additionally, the first-year point guard was the only bench player to post a positive plus/minus rating. In the roughly four-minute span the group was on the floor, they recorded three turnovers — the Hoosiers finished the game with a whopping 18.
Of 362 college basketball teams tracked, Army checks in at 356th in adjusted offense and 218th in adjusted defense, according to the 2024 Pomeroy Ratings. In a game where Indiana opened as a considerable favorite, the Black Knights forced lengthy stretches of play from the Hoosiers’ starters.
Galloway, sophomore forward Malik Reneau and sophomore center Kel’el Ware all played for at least 30 minutes. Though they answered the call — Ware scored 20 points and unleashed a scoring barrage in the second half to spur Indiana’s win — Woodson will have to be able to rely on his bench to contribute against higher quality opposition.
Namely with the second unit, creation and movement on offense has been a glaring struggle. Senior guard Xavier Johnson, who tallied 19 points, and 15 in the first half, Sunday night, echoed Woodson’s thoughts on the continued stagnancy.
“We just have to open up and play,” Johnson said. “Guys get standing with the ball, you know, we just stand and watch and wait until somebody makes a play, and that’s what we have to get away from.”
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
