STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Watching the 2023-2024 rendition of Indiana basketball is what I imagine watching basketball in the 1950s was like. Watching the Hoosiers' slow, stagnant and post-oriented offense is not for the faint of heart.
Indiana is a flawed team. The Hoosiers have lacked any sort of consistent production from their backcourt all season long and they can't score unless it's from inside the painted area with Malik Reneau or Kel'el Ware.
The conundrum for the Hoosiers is that their interior dominance has also been their undoing this season.
Foundationally, Indiana is built around its two big men, Reneau and Ware. Starting two traditional, non-shooting bigs has led to the Hoosiers playing a cramped brand of basketball that isn't effective and isn't appealing to the eyes.
Indiana's roster is in a state of conflict, the players the Hoosiers have don't fit with one another. It's like forcibly connecting two puzzle pieces that don't go together and wondering why the puzzle doesn't look right.
Playing through the two best players on the roster, Reneau and Ware, the Hoosiers play a post-centric style of offense. The two bigs are Indiana's two leading scorers. The sophomore tandem combined for 43 of Indiana's 74 points on Saturday against Penn State, that's 58% of the Hoosiers' scoring.
Reneau and Ware have consistently been good all season long, the issue is that this Indiana team doesn't have the correct pieces around them.
Roster construction 101 when building around one or more dominant interior players is surrounding them with knock down shooters. Indiana has nobody on the roster that would classify as even an above average 3-point shooter.
Indiana began Saturday's 83-74 loss to Penn State 0-9 from behind the 3-point arc. The Hoosiers' first made 3-pointer of the game came off the fingertips of Mackenzie Mgbako with 95 seconds to go and Indiana trailing by double-figures. In total, the Hoosiers attempted 15 shots from distance against the Nittany Lions, converting on just two of them. Indiana was outscored from behind the 3-point line 27-6 on Saturday.
The Hoosiers' issue on Saturday wasn't the quantity of 3-point shots, as it has been for much of the season. Indiana's 3-point rate this season ranked 346th in the country entering Saturday's showdown with Penn State according to barttorvik.com. Against Penn State, Indiana only attempted six less 3-pointers than the Nittany Lions.
All season long, Indiana has ranked at the bottom of the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game as well as 3-point percentage. When you're trying to space the floor to let your dominant post players work down low, that's kind of 3-point shooting isn't going to cut it.
"We're getting good looks," head coach Mike Woodson said after Indiana's loss to Penn State. "We're getting a lot of good looks. From a mental standpoint, I have to get (our guys) to a point where they're comfortable and just making them, because we haven't been making them this season."
Another important part of playing through the post is having strong guard play. No matter the style of offense you run, you need to have strong play in the backcourt to have consistent success. Indiana has not received the production it needs out of its backcourt this season and that was once again the case on Saturday.
Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway, CJ Gunn and Anthony Leal combined for 20 points on 8-22 shooting from the field against Penn State. Indiana's backcourt amassed nine assists, while turning the ball over eight times.
Penn State's Ace Baldwin Jr. outscored Indiana's entire backcourt on Saturday. He totaled 23 points on 7-12 shooting from the floor. Baldwin recorded nine assists by himself and turned the ball over four times.
When one player is out-producing the entirety of your backcourt, something is wrong.
Yes, Indiana has been without sixth-year senior Xavier Johnson for much of the season, including on Saturday, but that doesn't excuse the lack of production from Indiana's other guards.
Playing through Reneau and Ware on offense, you're not asking for much out of your backcourt. You're looking for guys that make shots, don't turn the ball over and impact winning in a positive way. Those don't sound like the characteristics of those that currently makeup Indiana's backcourt rotation.
The Hoosiers aren't looking for 20-point performances from their guards. What Indiana's backcourt has provided this season has been nowhere near good enough.
"I'm upset with the way we've played and how I've coached this team this whole season," Woodson said. "We've lost more games at home (this season) than we have in the last two years and that's just not good. I've struggled with this team this year."
"I won't blame my players, I'll always put it on Mike Woodson," the Hoosiers' head coach continued. "That's how it should be. We'll continue to try and grow and figure this thing out, but we've still got a lot of work on our hands."
In Woodson's three seasons with the Hoosiers, this year's team has a strong case for being his most talented bunch. Indiana's starting lineup features five former top-30 recruits.
A team could have all the talent in the world, but if they're unable to gel on the court, you end up getting the kind of results that Indiana has seen on the court this season.
This season is beyond repair. This year is a lost season for Woodson and the Hoosiers. The construction of Indiana's roster has tied the hands of Woodson this season and hindered the Hoosiers on the court.
If Woodson wants to keep his job at the helm of Indiana, this season needs to be a lesson for him moving forward. Woodson can ill-afford to field a team next season that has the same structural flaws as this one.
–––––
Like this content? Join the conversation on TheHoosier.com's premium message boards and subscribe today!
– Follow TheHoosier on Twitter and Facebook!
– Subscribe to TheHoosier on YouTube for more content
– TheHoosier's Premium Football Board and Premium Hoops Board
