The loudest applause at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall during the first half of Indiana men’s basketball’s matchup with USC on Wednesday night occurred midway through the period. A Hoosier groom-to-be proposed to his girlfriend — she said yes.
Indiana’s play on the floor, however, was far less memorable. The favored Hoosiers entered halftime tied at 38 with the Big Ten newcomers after an underwhelming first half. Following the intermission, Indiana outscored the Trojans 44-31 en route to an 82-69 win. The Hoosiers’ execution significantly improved from their first half in one key category.
They took care of the ball.
The Hoosiers had five turnovers in the first half against USC — in the second half, they only had one.
One of Indiana’s biggest struggles this season has been turnovers. The Hoosiers entered Wednesday night’s matchup averaging the second most giveaways in the conference, with 12.6 per game.
In their first defeat of the season, a blowout loss to the University of Louisville on Nov. 27, the Hoosiers turned the ball over a season-high 23 times, finishing with more turnovers than shots made. Taking care of the basketball was an issue for Indiana throughout its non-conference slate but has improved during a 4-1 start to Big Ten play.
“That’s been a big thing going into the season,” head coach Mike Woodson said pregame. “We always stress taking care of the ball.”
Woodson’s team has had four games with single-digit turnovers this season, three of which have been in conference play.
Oftentimes turnovers are linked to team chemistry, and for Indiana, that remains true. Bad communication on the floor, mistimed cuts and a lack of ball movement were among the multitude of circumstances that made the Hoosiers turnover-prone early in the season.
Now, with 16 games under its belt, Woodson’s roster that includes seven offseason additions is starting to get on the same page.
“We are starting to grow and learn one another and guys are feeling comfortable,” Woodson said postgame. “Makes a big difference. Still got a long way to go.”
A team’s ability to take care of the ball starts with the players bringing it up the court — its guards. The play by fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway and redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice, Indiana’s primary ball-handlers, has been a major turning point in limiting unforced errors.
Galloway came off the bench for the Hoosiers during their first six games while recovering from an offseason knee surgery. Since joining the starting lineup, Indiana has won 9 of its 10 games, with the veteran’s ability to handle playmaking duties alongside Rice proving valuable.
The pair combined for 30 points and 12 assists in the win over the Trojans.
“I missed the whole summer, so it was very tough for me to miss that time with the guys on the court,” Galloway said. “It was tough beginning the year to have that connection. Now, since I've been on the court, we're starting to be able to feed off other guys.”
After a quiet offensive performance in the first half, Galloway’s second-half playmaking was a crucial component to the Hoosiers’ third-straight conference victory. On two separate occasions, Galloway connected with sixth-year center Oumar Ballo for rim-rattling alley-oops.
Ballo himself has been a factor in Indiana’s ability to limit turnovers. The University of Arizona transfer has the third most giveaways on the team but has been sure-handed in an expanded role over the Hoosiers’ last three outings.
With fellow post player junior forward Malik Reneau out indefinitely with a lower body injury, Ballo has taken over as the sole paint presence in Woodson’s starting lineup. In the 97 minutes Ballo’s been on the court since Reneau’s injury, he’s only had two turnovers. He had zero against USC in addition to a team-high 23 points.
“He's a big piece to the puzzle,” Woodson said. “That's why we brought him here to play center for us. He's played well. You know, he's going to have to continue to play well the rest of the way through the Big Ten.”
Indiana’s ability to keep the ball out of harm’s way has been essential in its quality open to conference play. After turnovers hurt the Hoosiers in the early part of the season, they divorced their unsynchronized play. So far, the marriage to a gameplan focused on limiting mistakes has yielded success.
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.
