When he played in his first game since Nov. 30 – last Saturday's Crossroads Classic contest against Butler – IU sophomore forward OG Anunoby still wasn’t his usual self.

Two days later, he reminded Hoosier fans and his teammates exactly how effective he could be with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds in No. 16 Indiana’s 103-56 win over Delaware State on Monday.

“We knew it would be hard without OG, just because of everything he brings on the defensive end, guarding multiple positions, rebounding the ball, and his versatility on offense,” IU junior guard Robert Johnson said. “So we're excited to have him back.”

Anunoby came off the bench for the second consecutive game, but immediately made an impact.

He buried his first field goal attempt – a 3-pointer – but did the most damage from inside the arc, not missing a single two-point attempt Monday night. Anunoby shot 81.8 percent from the field, with eight of his 11 attempts coming from 2-point range.

On a night when Indiana moved the ball crisply and efficiently on offense, the Jefferson City, Missouri, native took advantage and gave credit where it was due afterward.

“Just my teammates finding me and making it easy for me,” Anunoby said.

His 6-foot-8, 235-pound frame proved problematic for Delaware State, which often saw Anunoby intercepting passes and dribbling back down toward the opposite end of the court for a dunk or layup. When he wasn’t swiping passes – he had two steals on Monday – he was swatting shots out of the air with a career-high four blocks while helping the Hoosiers limit the Hornets to 33 percent shooting from the field.

Before becoming healthy enough to make an impact on the court, Anunoby spent time off the court focusing on film study and looking for areas he could improve in.

“I got to watch film and look at my mistakes and look at the things I did right and look at the things our team did right,” Anunoby said. “Try to fix the things we did wrong, and continue to do the things we did right.”

However, IU head coach Tom Crean said he doesn’t think players learn much from being out and away from the court. Rather, Crean said, players learn a lot from practicing and playing.

With Anunoby playing two days after a game instead of 18 and putting on the performance he did Monday night, it’s hard to argue against that.

“I think that showed up tonight,” Crean said. “In his first game he played the other day like it was his first game back in some period of time, at times. Tonight he played like he's capable of.”