It took only four minutes for the new Indiana men’s basketball to emerge.
Malik Reneau dove onto the hardwood for a loose ball in between a couple of Minnesota players. The junior forward emerged out of the scrum with the ball, and to keep possession, he launched it across the court in the direction of sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo.
Except the pass was out of Ballo’s reach. Instead of watching it trickle out of bounds, the 7-footer raced to the sideline, and with every inch of his 7-foot-6 wingspan, tapped the ball back in play. Hitting off the right hand of a Golden Gopher, the ball landed out of bounds to give the Hoosiers possession.
Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway immediately sprinted to Ballo. From the bench, senior forward Luke Goode and fifth-year senior Anthony Leal raced to the Koulikoro, Mali, native, helping him up and congratulating him for his hard work.
All the while, the fans inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall were roaring — not for the last time Monday night as Indiana secured the 82-67 victory over Minnesota to open its Big Ten account.
From the guards to the big men, starters to bench pieces, Indiana rolled. And for the first time all season, the squad looked like a team — a cohesive, high-performing, Big Ten challenger.
“We all came out and we were all on the same page,” sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle said postgame. “We knew the first Big Ten game we (had) to make a statement.”
For the Hoosiers, it started with the defense. But for the first five minutes, it didn’t look pretty — Minnesota scored 22 points in the first 8:18 of the game. Fortunately for Indiana, it matched the output with 20 points of their own.
Then, with an improved defensive effort that has only been displayed in flashes this season, the Hoosiers held the Golden Gophers to 9 points for the rest of the half.
At the forefront of that display was Carlyle, who returned from injury for his first game action since the 89-73 defeat to then-No. 3 Gonzaga University on Nov. 28. It's nothing new for the Stanford University transfer as he has shown his defensive intensity multiple times earlier in the season, but against Minnesota, the rest of his team responded to his efforts.
With a little over 10 minutes left in the contest, the Golden Gophers had only managed to score 45 points, ultimately finishing with 67 on 47.3% from the field and 18.2% from beyond the arc.
“Every day we take pride in our defense,” Carlyle said. “Woody (head coach Mike Woodson) preaches defense every single (day).”
Offensive production complemented the Hoosiers defensive efforts, which was once again encapsulated through Carlyle.
“I feel that gets my whole game going — my defense, my energy,” Carlyle said. “So, I feel like that’s what I need to bring every single night because that’s also what gets my offense going.”
In his best offensive performance to date, Carlyle scored 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting and 3 for 6 from 3-point range. His five assists matched a season-high, while he also snagged three rebounds and committed only two turnovers.
Carlyle’s first appearance off the bench also produced his best display, which he said was a coincidence. But what isn’t a coincidence is his team-first mentality, something he touts as one of the seven newcomers to Indiana this season.
“I’m perfectly fine with coming off the bench,” Carlyle said. “I want to win games, whether it’s being the sixth man, eighth man, 10th man, starting two guard. I don’t care. As long as we win, I’m here to do my job — to play defense and provide what I can on offense. That’s it.”
That is where Carlyle’s best attribute lies — his willingness to do what’s best for the team. Monday night, Indiana followed the Atlanta native’s lead, with five players scoring in double digits.
The result was a double-digit victory over a Big Ten opponent.
Within the conference, the games aren’t going to get easier. Minnesota ranked lowest among Big Ten teams in the NCAA NET rankings, entering the contest 163rd.
Indiana’s performance was nowhere near perfect either. The Hoosiers’ 4-for-14 perimeter shooting was most glaring, along with their 14 turnovers and the 3 combined points from Galloway and redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice.
Overall, Indiana displayed a defensive intensity, offensive production and a sense of togetherness, exemplified most of all through Carlyle on Monday night. It won’t always be him, as others have each stepped up in certain matchups.
But the blueprint is clear, and Indiana's success hinges on following it.
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.
