BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's only game against a power non-conference opponent was full of breakout performances, but there wasn't an offensive explosion quite like Myles Rice's in the Hoosiers’ 87-71 victory against South Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Assembly Hall.
After the exhibition game at Tennessee, there were high hopes for what Rice could achieve in an Indiana uniform; however, in his first two regular season games, Rice did not live up to the hype.
The Washington State transfer scored a combined 16 points over his first two games at Assembly Hall.
Rice more than doubled his point total, scoring a game-high 21 points on an impressive 7-of-10 performance.
“I thought Myles played great,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “[Rice] shot the ball well.”
Everything clicked for Rice Saturday afternoon as he converted on 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the three-point line.
Guard play is essential for Indiana to succeed, and Woodson brought Rice in via the transfer portal to do exactly what he did on Saturday. A capable guard that can handle the ball with care and make shots can push Indiana over the proverbial hump.
Because of his playmaking abilities, Rice and fellow transfer guard Kanaan Carlyle make it easier for guys like Mackenzie Mgbako to prosper.
“It's amazing,” Mgbako said of the transfer guards. “So much easier just being able to run with Myles and K, getting on the break and easy buckets and us feeding off each other and the energy.”
The only indictment on Rice’s resumé on Saturday was that the assist numbers were below where Woodson and Rice alike wanted to be. Rice only had three assists to his name while turning the ball over the same amount of times.
The native of Columbia, South Carolina, had a combined 9 assists in the first two regular–season games against SIUE and Eastern Illinois, but there was a noticeable difference in his game when his shots were falling.
“I felt like in some of the passes that I made we just didn't execute on the shot. That happens. It's basketball,” Rice said. “We had a lot of open looks. We didn't hit them down tonight, but next game we'll be able to hit them. “It's about execution. Whether the ball is going into the hoop or not, we got to be better at executing. I think that's the point he's trying to make.”
To take that next step as a point guard, both points and assists need to coexist and complement each other. Rice has an abundance of talent handling and dishing the basketball, but his scoring will set him apart from other guards in the country.
On the other hand, Rice wasn't the only one that struggled in the assist department on Saturday. Indiana as a team assisted on less than half of their made baskets, finishing with 12 assists on their 26. The Hoosiers didn’t share the basketball well enough offensively, which makes the 87-point performance baffling to Woodson.
“We scored 87 points, and I don't really know how we got there because I just didn't think we played good offense tonight,” Woodson said. “We only had 12 assists tonight. That's not good. We got to be better in that area. And we had been moving the ball and we got to have more assists. 12 assists is not going to get it.”
Although the 23-point performance is still eight shy of his career benchmark of 31, Rice has tremendous confidence in his ability to capitalize on his chances.
“If it's my night it's my night. If it's somebody else's night, it's somebody else's night,” Rice said. “Thank God it was my night tonight. Went out and executed and capitalized on the opportunities that I had.”
For Rice, it is less about the stats on the scoreboard; rather, it is about making the next best play that’s in the best interest of his team.
“Whether I have two points, ten assists or 20 points, two assists I am always just going to try to make the right play.”
–––––
Like this content? Join the conversation on TheHoosier.com's premium message boards and subscribe today!
– Follow TheHoosier on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
– Subscribe to TheHoosier on YouTube for more content
– Interact with fellow fans on TheHoosier's Premium Football Board and Premium Hoops Board
