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With the cancellation of Indiana's clash with UNC Asheville, Mike Woodson's first non-conference slate is officially over and done with. Coaching changes spur so many questions, and while many remain unanswered, we know much more about the makeup of this IU team than we did two months ago.
The Hoosiers sit at a respectable 10-2 but lack a signature win. They lost two very close road games to Syracuse and Wisconsin with nearly polar opposite storylines. Against the Orange, they overcame a large deficit, and they surrendered a large lead of their own against the Badgers.
Wins over St. John's and Notre Dame are a good place to start but are a step below impressive. Despite beating Kentucky, Notre Dame sits at just 7-5, and St. John's lost to an awful Pittsburg team before going on a COVID pause.
The lack of wins against power-five competition appropriately positions Indiana outside the top-25.
As always, the Big Ten will present plenty of chances to boost their resume and crack that top-25 for the first time this season.
Although the competition has not been menacing, Indiana has shown the ability to bury mid-major opponents in the dirt through the first 12 games of the season. This is easy to poo-poo but it removes some red flags. Bad teams struggle against bad competition, and for the most part, Indiana showed they are much better than mid-major opponents.
The cause for concern is the Hoosiers' sporadic play on the road and at times at home. They have proven themselves to be capable of great things but also severe lapses in judgment and skill. Will this persist as the season matures? Perhaps, but there is reason to believe Indiana will overcome these woes. The non-conference schedule made it clear that Mike Woodson wanted to throw his team some underhand pitches before getting into the Big Ten Gauntlet.
With new coaching philosophies and new players in town, the somewhat easy non-conference schedule emboldened cohesion amidst change. They needed to establish an identity, and they have successfully done so on the defensive end.
The coaching staff for IU made it clear before the season that the team was buying in on defense and the results prove they were telling the truth. The Hoosiers are only allowing opponents to score 61.7 points per game and are holding teams to the second-lowest field goal percentage in the country at 35.0 percent. They also fall into the top-25 nationally in blocks and rebounds per game.
Defense will be Indiana's calling card in Big Ten play and should make them a nightmare to gameplan against. No one looks forward to playing a physical team that makes you labor for baskets. If they can maintain their current level of defense through the end of the season, they will finish among the best defenses in the NCAA.
The offense has been a pleasant surprise to pair with the potent defense. Offseason and preseason comments made by players and coaches gave some cause for concern that Indiana's offense may be lacking. The defense received unanimous praise, but Woodson did not hold back on making it apparent that his team needed to progress scoring the ball.
Given that somewhat foreboding talk, the offense has been a revelation. The Hoosiers are scoring 77.2 points per game and are doing it with superb efficiency. They are hitting 49 percent of their shots from the field as well as 37 percent from three.
The offense has looked stagnant and confused at times, but they have shown resiliency in breaking through those ruts. The ball consistently moves more than it did last season and the scoring droughts that plagued the Archie Miller era have decreased dramatically.
It is hard to poke any holes in the Hoosiers' scoring offense. They are in the top-75 nationally in points scored, assists, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throws attempted/made.
The next step will be limiting turnovers and increasing their free-throw percentage. Indiana turns the ball over 15.5 times per contest and hits just 67.7 percent of its foul shots, leaving much room for improvement.
The good news is these numbers are beginning to trend in the right direction. Over their last four outings, the Hoosiers have only averaged 8.0 turnovers per game and have shot 75.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The question is if they can sustain their recent success against Big Ten competition. Some regression is to be expected due to the increase in opponent skill, but the Hoosiers should expect these numbers to remain somewhat similar. They may have found their sea legs and are ready to compete for a top spot in the best conference in the country.
If the Hoosiers can maintain their level of defensive intensity and focus on limiting turnovers, they should be able to weather a decrease in offensive totals. If they can accomplish this, there is no reason they cannot finish as a top-five team in the Big Ten.
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