CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Head coach Mike Woodson is making a couple of alterations to his starting lineup on Saturday afternoon.
Indiana is expected to start Xavier Johnson, Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako, Anthony Walker and Malik Reneau for IU’s game at No. 10 Illinois, TheHoosier.com has learned.
Walker – a fifth-year senior transfer from Miami (Fla.) – makes his first career start for Indiana and fills the role of an absent Kel’el Ware, who is nursing an ankle injury that will force him to sit for a second straight game.
This season, Walker is averaging 6.5 points a game on 50.6% shooting from the field, a career-high for efficiency from the field. KenPom states Walker owns an individual offensive rating of 110.9, the second-highest mark of any Hoosier through the first two-thirds of the campaign.
Sixth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson also returns to the starting lineup for the first time in four games, his last start coming January 9 at Rutgers. One of Indiana’s two captains heading into the 2023-24 season, he retakes the starting lead guard role from freshman Gabe Cupps, who has started 10 of 19 games so far this season.
In 12 games and nine starts this season, Johnson is averaging 7.8 points and 2.1 assists a game on 38.7% shooting from the field.
According to EvanMiya.com, the specific group of Johnson, Galloway, Mgbako, Walker and Reneau has only played a total of nine offensive and nine defensive possessions together this season. Yet the lineup is a smaller variation of the units Indiana has utilized heavily this season and is likely, at least partially, and effort to combat the small approach Illinois takes with its starting five.
Should the projected group of Illini starters remain unchanged from Marcus Domask, Quincy Guerrier, Ty Rodgers, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins – the Big Ten’s most advantageous lineup by team efficiency margin this season for any combination with at least 100 possessions played together – Indiana will have the speed on the court able to attempt to matchup with the 10th-ranked Illini.
Tipoff for Indiana-No. 10 Illinois is set for 3pm ET on FOX. Follow along with our live game thread from the State Farm Center in Champaign here.
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