WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Indiana's offense starts and ends with its two bigs down low. Malik Reneau leads the Hoosiers in scoring this season and Kel'el Ware isn't too far behind him for the second spot.
Indiana's dependence on Reneau and Ware shouldering a bulk of the scoring load isn't typically detrimental for the Hoosiers. However, when your opponent employs the services of one of the tallest and most dominant interior players of the last decade, that's where some issues may begin to sprout.
Entering Saturday night's matchup with Purdue, Indiana was scoring 58.5% of its points this season from 2-point range. That's the 12th highest mark in the country. Indiana's offense runs through the post and everyone knows it, including opposing teams.
Despite Zach Edey's intimidating low post presence on the defensive end of the floor, in the Hoosiers' 20-point road loss to the Boilermakers on Saturday, Indiana scored 64% of its points from 2-point range.
On the season, Indiana shoots right around 53% on field goal attempts inside the 3-point arc. Against Purdue, Indiana 49% from 2-point range. That's not a huge disparity from the Hoosiers' season average. The biggest issue on Saturday was that with Malik Reneau's offensive struggles, the Hoosiers has nowhere to turn for consistent offense.
Reneau, Indiana's leading scorer, was held to six points on 3-11 shooting against Purdue. The standout sophomore played just 23 minutes before fouling out of the contest with 7:09 to go in the game.
"I thought Malik tonight, he just wasn't Malik," Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. "(Purdue) had a lot to do with that from a defensive standpoint. I think he was trying to do it himself... he's been pretty solid for us this season, tonight it just wasn't his night."
Between Zach Edey's presence defensively and Reneau's foul trouble, the sophomore was never able to get into a rhythm offensively. With how he's played this season, Reneau has earned himself the most attention from opposing teams out of anyone on Indiana's roster. On most nights, he's able to play through the defensive attention he receives. On Saturday, he wasn't.
"Let's make it real hard for Malik Reneau," Purdue head coach Matt Painter said in regard to what his message to his team was defensively. "Obviously, getting Reneau into foul trouble was a big deal."
When the Hoosiers' leading scorer isn't producing, Indiana doesn't have anywhere else to turn for consistent scoring. That issue is only compounded with the absence sixth-year guard Xavier Johnson.
"Not having (Xavier Johnson), that hurt," Woodson said. "That puts a lot of pressure on Gabe (Cupps) to get some things done. I thought (Cupps) played okay tonight."
Not only does not having Johnson put pressure on Cupps, it puts pressure on all of Indiana's back court, a back court that struggled to hold its own against Purdue.
Outside of CJ Gunn knocking down a handful of 3-pointers when the Hoosiers were already down 20-plus points, Indiana's guards struggled... again. Cupps didn't score, missing his only two field goal attempts on the evening. Trey Galloway finished with 10 points, but went 4-11 from the field, including an 0-4 mark from 3-point range. With Reneau unable to dominate on the interior, the Hoosiers need production on the perimeter more than ever against the Boilermakers. Indiana never got it on Saturday night.
The lack of production from the back court is something Indiana's been able to overcome to an extent this season. However, when the backbone of the team, the two bigs down low aren't getting it done either, it's hard for Indiana to win games. Without consistent scoring from the Hoosiers' two post players, Indiana looks lost offensively.
With one of the Hoosiers' few offensive strengths -- their post play -- shut down, Indiana had nowhere else to turn on Saturday. The Hoosiers realistically have one way to score consistently. When that isn't working, Indiana's offense is a sight for sore eyes.
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