After a 1-2 record during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in The Bahamas, many questioned the potential of this Indiana basketball team, and rightfully so, as the Hoosiers looked disoriented for most of the tournament, leading to two ugly losses to Louisville and Gonzaga.
Against Sam Houston, though, it seemed as if IU left all of its issues behind in The Bahamas, as the Hoosiers played a sound game on both offense and defense, resulting in a dominant 97-71 win over the Bearkats, while possibly foreshadowing bigger things ahead for this team.
"I thought it was a total team effort on everybody's part" Mike Woodson said postgame, mentioning that, while things didn't necessarily go well in Atlantis, they certainly did once IU got back home to Assembly Hall.
While Indiana did get the best of Providence, issues still lingered during that game, as IU was solid on offense for parts of the game, solid on defense for parts of the game, but really didn't show true dominance against the Friars.
In response to a question about the struggles in Atlantis, Malik Reneau said "I mean, after seeing the two losses we had where we didn't come out, were lackadaisical and not ready to play, and being out-toughed. I mean, we had group meetings."
Reneau also mentioned that he and his team "knew as individuals we had to pick all our stuff up as individuals. So that's what we did. It showed today."
As a result, the switch was flipped versus the Bearkats, allowing the Hoosiers to shoot over 60% from the field, while holding Sam Houston to just 43%, allowing Indiana to simply overpower its Conference USA opponent and move it to 6-2.
The Hoosiers played well, and that's thanks to several great individual performances, one being from Reneau, who scored 18 and grabbed 10 rebounds, but another being from Myles Rice.
After a few disappointing showings in The Bahamas, Rice scored 19 points against Sam Houston to lead IU in scoring. He went 9-for-12 from the floor, connecting on 1-of-2 shots from 3-point range, while also really turning it up in the second half, where Rice scored 15 of his team-leading 19 points.
"He struggled in The Bahamas. You know, to see him come back tonight and play the way he did, I'm proud as hell of him. We just got to keep him headed in the right direction," Woodson said.
This was a step in the right direction for Rice, as when the team needed him most there in the second half, he delivered.
Another guy who delivered, and delivered off the bench, was Luke Goode. Goode scored 18, just under Rice's total for the game, but shot 5-for-7 from three in a true breakout game for the transfer from Illinois.
"He struggled early, but it's a long season. I mean, tonight we benefited from Goode making shots, I mean, what we expect him to do when he comes into the game," Woodson said, explaining just how key Goode's turnaround was for his ball club.
Goode was certainly pleased with his performance, but he was more content with how his team played as a whole, mentioning that he recognized the issues seen in The Bahamas and knew something needed to change.
"At the end of the day, it comes down to who plays the hardest. I think we just didn't play the hardest. It's something we fixed during the week. I think we came out today and played a lot harder on defense. Tweaked a couple things. Coach Woodson obviously saw something that needed to change, and we changed that today" Goode said, explaining how this performance against Sam Houston was incredibly different than the ones seen in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Goode also mentioned that this game against Sam Houston could mean more than just a dominant non-conference victory, possibly showing the true potential of the team, contrary to what many may have thought after the games last week.
He attributes this to confidence, as he mentioned that when the Hoosiers are confident, they can be extremely successful.
"Being able to see some go down at home is definitely great for the confidence, and I think everybody benefits. You saw Myles get downhill. Malik and Ballo got easy looks. It helps the whole team when I'm able to hit shots." Goode said, further explaining how this game could be a turning point after some may have thought IU was a lost cause less than a week ago.
While some may have thought the Hoosiers were dead in the water, the team itself certainly didn't, as they know with the talent on the roster, this team can be very successful.
"I think we have one of the most talented teams in the country. The talent on this team is ridiculous. I think it's the best talent this program has had in a long time,” Goode said.
All this talent was definitely seen against Sam Houston, as the Hoosiers put together a complete game and were dominant on both sides of the floor, shooting over 60% for the first time all season, while holding a strong shooting Bearkat team to a very poor showing both around the rim and from 3-point range.
All this has IU building confidence, possibly allowing the Hoosiers to realize all the talent that is on this roster.
But, for now, it'll go down as a large improvement compared to what was seen in The Bahamas, Woodson mentioning that he was, "pleased with our play on both ends of the floor" something he wouldn't have said after the games less than a week ago, showing the improvement made with all the talent on the roster.
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