No. 17 Indiana men’s basketball will open its 2024-25 season Wednesday night when it welcomes Southern Illinois University Edwardsville into Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Last season under head coach Mike Woodson, the Hoosiers posted a 19-14 record and failed to make the NCAA Tournament. However, with six new scholarship players in a retooled roster, Woodson has high hopes for Indiana’s success.
“I’m hoping this team can have a legitimate shot at winning a Big Ten title,” Woodson said during a press conference Monday.
As they start their path toward redemption, here are some important notes before the Hoosiers’ first matchup of the season against the Cougars.
Injury Concerns
One thing to take note of is how Woodson manages the rotation of an injury-ridden backcourt. Indiana had four different guards miss exhibition games due to injury or load management, all of whom are expected to get rotational minutes this season.
Redshirt freshman Jakai Newton and fifth-year senior Trey Galloway — both recovering from knee surgeries — sat out during the Hoosiers 66-62 exhibition win over the University of Tennessee on Oct. 27. Both suited up in Indiana’s 106-64 win over Marian University on Nov. 1, tallying 12 and 10 minutes, respectively.
“(Galloway) passed the test which was great,” Woodson said. “He didn’t have any complaints; he practiced the next day. I’m hoping he can log more minutes now. That’s my thought process going into Wednesday.”
Sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle and fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal were absent from the win over Marian having suffered injuries during the win over the Volunteers.
Offensive firepower
Indiana has already shown its ability to distribute the ball, as five different players recorded 10 or more points against Marian. Newcomers like sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo led fans to wonder who will evolve to become the Hoosiers’ leading scorer.
Junior forward Malik Reneau led the way against Tennessee with 21 points, and freshman forward Bryson Tucker posted a game-high 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting versus Marian.
“The way we’ve kind of built this team, there’s a number of guys who can score the ball," Woodson said. “Everybody can’t score it at one time, so we’re going to have to learn to share it.”
About SIUE
Under the helm of sixth-year coach Brian Barone, the Cougars are riding the coattails of their first back-to-back winning seasons since transitioning to Division I in 2008. SIUE is off to a 1-0 start after routing Division III opponent Westminster College 95-42 on Nov. 4.
The Cougars are led by graduate student guard Ray’Sean Taylor, who averaged 13.6 points per game last season. Taylor has overcome two torn ACLs during his lengthy career, exemplifying a hard-working SIUE team which ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 13.1 turnovers forced per game in 2023-24.
Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m., Wednesday, and the game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
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.
