CHAMPAIGN, IL. — For the first time since the 2009-2010 season, Indiana men’s basketball failed to make a 3-point shot during Saturday’s 70-62 loss to No. 10 Illinois.
The Hoosiers attempted nine shots from beyond the arc and didn’t see one fall through the hoop, while the Illini converted seven of their 23 shots from range.
Indiana shot 12-of-22 from the free throw line — an area of struggle head coach Mike Woodson has stressed all season. Sixth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson knocked down only a pair of his seven chances and sophomore forward Malik Reneau went 5-of-9 from the stripe.
“That was the difference,” Woodson said after the game. “Close games on the road, anywhere, you got to make free throws.”
In the outing nearly 14 years ago — against Wisconsin Feb. 25, 2010 — the Hoosiers missed their five shots from deep enroute to a 78-46 drubbing of a defeat. Similarly, Indiana shot 50% from the free throw line.
Saturday afternoon, while Indiana remained in contention for a win until the waning seconds, it was fighting a constant uphill battle to overcome its shooting woes. Though they nearly conquered them, the poor shooting was a continuation of arguably the Hoosiers’ most glaring weakness.
Of 351 teams playing NCAA Division I basketball, Indiana is 335 in made 3-pointers per game with 5.3. The Hoosiers have also taken the least number of long-range shots in the Big Ten by 79.
Trailing 57-52 with a handful of minutes left to play against the Illini, Johnson squared up for what appeared to be a quintessential opportunity to end the drought of triples. He loaded up from the top of the key, released the ball from the grasp of his right hand and watched.
The shot sailed downward right into center of the rim but took a couple rapid whirls around the inside and ricocheted away.
“We had good looks,” Woodson said. “We just didn’t make them.”
While a program once lauded for its shooting prowess — and lineups wherein multiple players could adequately shoot the ball — Indiana’s recent history offers a bleak contrast. From 2017 to 2022, Indiana shot a combined 3-point percentage no better than 216th in the country.
The Hoosiers improved in their efficiency — they’re 167 this season — albeit on much lower volume than most of the sport. Much of the issue has stemmed from the backcourt.
After a 2022-23 campaign that saw then-junior guard Trey Galloway post a dazzling 46% mark from deep, Galloway has struggled mightily to find his stroke as a senior. After the loss to Illinois, Galloway moved to 19-of-67, 28.4%, on 3-point shots.
With Galloway’s volatility, no other Hoosier has stepped up to consistently produce. Freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako made multiple triples in seven of his last eight games, but he missed all three against Illinois.
Sophomore guard CJ Gunn, a willing shooter from beyond the arc, didn’t see any game action on Saturday. For an Indiana team that already has exhibited weakness on the road, its lack of shooting compounded that.
Though the final buzzer sounded with just an 8-point deficit for the Hoosiers, the importance of just a couple threes, or a few more made free throws became evident.
“It’s a fine line in winning on the road, man,” Woodson said. “I mean you got to do almost everything right, like make your free throws, don’t go 0-for-9 from shooting the 3-point ball.”
As Indiana has done in previous years, it masked a fatal flaw with bruising strength. For Hoosier teams of the last few years, it was the masterful post play of Trayce Jackson-Davis that drove the offense.
Now, while perhaps not quite at the same level, Reneau has been entrusted in a similar role. Against Illinois, Reneau tallied a game-high 21 points, marking his fifth game of the season with at least 20 points.
Reneau leads the Hoosiers with just under 17 points per game, and he’s become accustomed to shooing away teammates and insisting on taking his defender one-on-one. He was able to do it against Illini senior forward Coleman Hawkins and ultimately got the better of their duel down low.
Advantage, Reneau ?@MalikReneau x @IndianaMBB
?: FOX/@CBBonFOX pic.twitter.com/UWlnYcGsrf
Nonetheless, Indiana’s roster is constructed in a manner that leaves a slim margin for error. If Reneau encounters scoring trouble — or foul trouble, as he’s shown a tendency to do — the Hoosiers don’t have an option that can catch fire and replace the production.
In Woodson’s third year at the helm, there remains a team devoid of consistent outside shooting threats. With Indiana now 4-5 in conference play, and owners of a three-game losing streak, each game for the remainder of the season grows in importance.
And without reliable shooting, be it from deep or even at the free throw line, the Hoosiers will have to keep attempting to bruise and claw their way to victories.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
