For a moment, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall was stunned.
Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice’s turnover led to a fastbreak layup for Eastern Illinois University, extending its lead over No. 17 Indiana men’s basketball to 35-32 with exactly two minutes to go in the first half. Head coach Mike Woodson emerged from the bench, calling a timeout while the Hoosiers slowly trudged back to their bench.
Little noise came from Hoosier fans, with the exception of a sprinkle of boos. Palpable worry appeared to plague most of them.
But when the final buzzer sounded over an hour later, the scoreboard read a 90-55 victory for Indiana, marking its first victory of 20 or more points since Dec. 20, 2022.
Eastern Illinois entered Sunday’s matchup 341st out of 364 Division I teams in the KenPom rankings. Indiana was a projected 26.5-point favorite according to ESPN. A close matchup is not what Woodson would have expected –– or wanted –– for his squad.
“I thought we were still home in the bed (asleep),” Woodson said postgame. “It was awful. You got to give Eastern Illinois credit because they played hard and made shots.”
But his team’s response is what ultimately gave him the most satisfaction.
“Couldn’t ask for a better second half,” Woodson said. “I mean, it’s a good thing when you can hold teams to 18 points in a half. That doesn’t happen very often in college basketball.”
Indiana struggled to finish off its early nonconference contests last season, as was clear in its 69-63 victory over Florida Gulf Coast University and 72-64 win over Army West Point. However, the Hoosiers had no trouble dispatching Eastern Illinois, outscoring the Panthers 54-18 in the second half.
The ultimate result was expected, but its response to adversity was what distanced Indiana from its woes last year.
It was unlikely Eastern Illinois was going to continue its first half clips of 16 for 27 from the field and 5 for 10 from the perimeter. And the Panthers did not, scoring only 18 points on 16.7% shooting in the second half.
The drastic change wasn’t simply a product of Eastern Illinois missing shots; it was an increased defensive effort from every Hoosier.
“We just changed our mindset going into the second half,” junior forward Malik Reneau said. “But we got to have that for all 40 minutes, and I think that's why they had a great half in the first half.”
For the second game of the season in the middle of November, Indiana still has time to establish itself as the leader of the Big Ten many predictions believed it to be. Sunday’s game featured six faces that were not on the roster last season, three in the starting lineup, so growing pains for a Hoosier squad filled with newcomers is understandable.
And yet, those newcomers have been the difference for Indiana.
Freshman forward Bryson Tucker shined with 12 points off the bench, securing the best plus/minus in the game with 27. His 20 minutes ranked sixth on the squad, a sign that the former four-star recruit has the trust of his head coach. So far, he’s delivered.
“I come in, I know what I’m in there for –– to score, play defense,” Tucker said. “So, I just make the most of that and just stay focused.”
Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo also contributed to the bounce back effort, earning 17 points and securing nine rebounds. Senior forward Luke Goode nailed two 3-pointers, adding to the positive production off the bench that Indiana failed to consistently have last year. The Illinois transfer’s five shots all came from the perimeter, something Woodson is perfectly fine with.
“I haven't told anyone on this team not to take shots,” Woodson said. “Hell, Goode, you got shots, shoot the ball. I didn't bring you here to not shoot it.”
Bench production will need to continue for Indiana to have a real chance at reaching the heights it intends to reach, but making adjustments is also crucial. For the Hoosiers to succeed in doing that so early in the season only bodes well for the future.
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
