No. 17 Indiana men’s basketball needed someone to turn to. The Hoosiers led by only a point with under two minutes remaining, and No. 12 University of Tennessee held all the momentum.
But Indiana didn't have to worry — it had Myles Rice on the court.
The redshirt sophomore guard received a pass from sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako in front of the Hoosier bench. After dribbling around a screen, Rice rose above Tennessee junior forward Felix Okpara for a mid-range jumper, boosting Indiana’s lead to 3.
On the next possession, Rice delivered an impressive wrap around pass to junior forward Malik Reneau for a thunderous slam. A clutch rebound and free throw with under a minute left in the game finished off his performance and the 66-62 victory for Indiana at Thompson-Boling Arena at the Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Sunday’s contest failed to impact either team’s record as it was a charity exhibition benefiting the John McClendon Foundation, but neither team played as if that was the case. The first half featured three technical fouls, and the competitive nature of the match never seemed to vanish.
With a top 20 matchup in a hostile environment, head coach Mike Woodson saw first-hand how his team would respond to adversity away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. With his play in the closing minutes, Rice provided early reassurance in his capabilities this season.
“I mean I trust him a lot,” Woodson said postgame. “He makes basketball plays, winning plays.”
Hoosier fans remember point guard Yogi Ferrell, who started all four years from 2012-16 and led Indiana to two Big Ten regular season titles and its last NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance in 2016. Since Ferrell’s departure, Indiana has failed to come close to replicating his production.
It’s too early to confidently declare Rice will be the guy, but Sunday’s game was a glimpse of who he can be for this Indiana squad.
Rice finished with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting, four assists, two steals and two rebounds. His dogged defending held Tennessee senior guard Zakai Zegler to 2-for-10 shooting and five turnovers.
However, Rice's failure to register a 3-point field goal on three attempts proved to be one of the only missteps from his performance. Given the struggles Indiana had from behind the line last season, that could be a worrying sign for fans simply checking the box score.
And yet, it’s not.
Rice’s performance Sunday was so multi-faceted that his 3-point was not a concern at all. Above all else, his ability to take over in crunch time facing the reigning Southeastern Conference champions showcases exactly the type of player he is — clutch.
As much of the plaudits will rightfully go Rice’s way, he didn’t achieve the victory alone. Reneau produced 21 points, shooting 75% from the field alongside a clutch steal to seal the game. He also nailed a 3-pointer with just under six and a half minutes remaining, granting Indiana its first lead of the half — one it never relinquished.
For Reneau, playing with Rice and his explosiveness makes the game “so easy.”
“It’s hard to keep up with him,” Reneau said postgame. “He’s just running and pushing the pace and pressuring the ball. I give all the props to Miles for this game.”
Other contributors included Mgbako with 12 points and sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo, who brought in 11 rebounds to go with his 6 points.
But when the game was on the line, and the Tennessee bench and fans rose to their feet in excitement, Indiana turned to Rice.
The Hoosiers didn’t have a player like that last year. They do now. And if one game is any indication of where a season is headed, Indiana has a lot to look forward to.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
