‘Fatigue set in’ for Indiana men’s basketball in tight loss to No. 2 Kansas

As the ball flashed around the arc, traveling instantaneously from one Kansas player to another, Indiana men’s basketball freshman guard Gabe Cupps was left helpless. 

Momentarily burrowed behind the mammoth 7-foot-2, 260-pound frame of Jayhawk senior center Hunter Dickinson, Cupps was far too late to get out on the perimeter. Kansas redshirt senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. had plenty of time to collect a pass and rise for a shot before Cupps could contest. 

Harris drained the open 3-pointer, pulling the Jayhawks within 1 Saturday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Cupps — who played a career-high 37 minutes in Indiana’s 75-71 defeat — joined sophomore center Kel’el Ware and senior guard Trey Galloway as Hoosiers to log at least 37 minutes. 

“I thought fatigue set in,” head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “(Galloway) had about three turnovers coming down the stretch and ended up with five turnovers. That’s normally not him.” 

After a distinct lack of energy found the Hoosiers faltering against Auburn University in a blowout loss Dec. 9, Indiana — behind the piercing cheers of a packed home crowd — looked starkly different Saturday. 

Indiana rotated insatiably on defense, making life difficult for Kansas on the perimeter. In the first half, the Jayhawks shot a measly 2-of-10 from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers’ defensive intensity manifested in the paint, as well. 

With the duo of Dickinson and junior forward KJ Adams Jr., Kansas plays one of the most post-centric offenses in the country. And it excels, too. The Jayhawks lead the nation in field goal percentage at 52.73%. 

In the first half on Saturday, Kansas shot a combined 35.3% from the floor. Dickinson — the Jayhawks’ leading scorer — was held to 4-of-11 shooting through 20 minutes, and no Kansas player scored in double figures. 

“We got out-toughed against Auburn,” Galloway said. “I think we took the right step forward. Obviously, we didn’t get the job done today, but they’re a great team right now. They got a lot of experienced guys that have been there for a while, have championship DNA.” 

While Indiana’s toughness improved, its performance in the waning minutes of the game sparked questions. Galloway alluded to a play with 3:29 remaining, tied at 64, where he failed to fight through a high screen and saw Kansas graduate guard Kevin McCullar Jr. drill a relatively uncontested triple. 

That 3-pointer — which gave the Jayhawks a lead they ultimately wouldn’t relinquish — wasn’t the only late-game mishap. Despite a terrific first-half defensive effort from Ware, Dickinson dominated the battle down low in crunch time. 

Dickinson sealed off Ware and dropped in turnaround hook shots on a couple occasions, and he was able to do so in the game’s tensest moments. Ware played a team-high 39 minutes, the most he’s ever played in his collegiate career. 

Against a physical force in Dickinson, Ware appeared to wear down with hardly any rest. 

“The two buckets that Dickinson got in the paint I thought was huge,” Woodson said. “I don’t know if Ware was tired at that particular time, but he just didn’t battle him like he did the first half.” 

Even Galloway, who notched a career-high 28 points and kept the Hoosiers afloat with his aggressive drives and timely buckets, seemed to fall victim to his high usage. Galloway tied a career-high 38 minutes played and shot a highly efficient 12-of-17, including 2-of-4 from deep. 

Still, even with his impressive offensive output, Woodson thought Galloway experienced fatigue late. 

“I thought the fatigue factor and the fact we played him the minutes that we did kind of hurt us a little bit,” Woodson said. 

Indiana’s rapid pace early on sustained the team throughout the first half, and even into the second half, but foul trouble quickly became an issue. Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako and sophomore forward Malik Reneau carried four fouls apiece early in the second period, forcing lengthy stretches from senior forward Anthony Walker. 

Galloway noted the readiness of the Hoosiers’ bench, an aspect he said will be crucial if he doesn’t have the scoring output he did on Saturday. 

Even though Kansas’ starters played similar minutes — four played at least 36 and Harris played the entire game — it was the Jayhawks who made “winning plays” as Galloway coined them, when it truly mattered.  

“I think the biggest thing for us, those kinds of games, down the stretch you got to be the more poised team and make winning plays,” Galloway said. “They did that. They were able to make winning plays. They came out on top.” 

Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.