12/14/2020 basketball Edit

Quick Hitters: Takeaways from IU's win over North Alabama

Alec Lasley • TheHoosier

Senior Writer

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Indiana got back in the win column on Sunday with its 87-52 win over North Alabama. It was also the Hoosiers first game back in Bloomington since the season opener on Nov. 25.

Archie Miller's squad is now 4-2 as it looks ahead to Butler to finish off the non-conference schedule.

Here are the main takeaways from IU's win over the North Alabama Lions.

Takeaways from IU's win over North Alabama to improve to 4-2. (IU Athletics)

Armaan Franklin continues stellar play: All of the talk this season has revolved around Trayce Jackson-Davis, but Armaan Franklin has now turned himself into one of most important players and most improved players on the roster. He had a career-high 19 points on Sunday and now is in the top-3 on the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and minuted played. His importance to Indiana has shown, and shown in many ways.

Shooting comes alive: Finally! The shots started to drop on Sunday as the Hoosiers connected on 13 3's, shooting 39.4% on the game. It was IU's most made threes in a game since 2018 and most attempted since 2014. Seven different Hoosiers made a three.

Much needed minutes for the freshmen: After four high-major games in the first five of the season, the IU freshmen finally got into a rhythm and looked to get some much needed confidence. IU has played a tough schedule so getting more minutes for the freshmen was crucial moving forward.

Defense is great: Indiana now ranks No. 11 in KenPom's rankings for defensive efficiency. IU held UNA to just 33 percent shooting and 17.4 percent from deep. The Hoosiers also forced 18 turnovers. The increased athleticism on the wing and the smaller lineups have helped the Hoosiers early on.

A home game was needed: Yes, there is still no crowd but it's always nice having a home game. The Hoosiers have been all over the place early on this season. Sunday marked the first time IU had a home game since the season opener on Nov. 25. Getting adjusted to no fans at Assembly Hall is needed before heading into Big Ten play so it was a much welcomed stay at home.

Bench production is back...?: IU's lack of bench production has been an issue this season but on Sunday it produced. In total, 34 points were scored off of the bench, led by Trey Galloway and Khristian Lander in double-digits. We'll see if it's here to stay, but it's good to see that type of production.

Free throw shooting is a big problem: The main negative from Sunday was the lack of effectiveness from the free throw line. Just 18-of-31 for the game and that's not something that's going to cut it come Big Ten play. IU's now just 67.3 percent from the line on the season and with the amount of trips to the line per game, that number needs to be higher.