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Indiana is expecting roster turnover this offseason and will be looking to add immediate impact players either through the transfer portal or from its incoming 2022 recruiting class.
Indiana finished this season 21-14 after going 9-11 in Big Ten play. IU head coach Mike Woodson has been very open about his desire to add versatility and scoring to the roster.
Currently, there are seven players on the roster that have decisions about their future looming that will impact Indiana's roster most.
For the players who do return, there is a lot of progress that needs to be made in order to compete atop the Big Ten conference.
"I'm going to make every player watch every game that was played this year by the Hoosiers. That's one way you go back and you reflect and you learn," Woodson said. "I'll sit down, and I'll have a program in place, along with my trainer, Cliff, our strength coach, in terms of things I think that they need to work on to get better."
Indiana's defense was one of the top units in the country but it was its offense that struggled to lift it to more wins. Heading into next season, Woodson knows exactly where he needs to get better.
"Well, shooting is a big part of it," Woodson said. "I thought our defense carried us guys, and we didn't shoot the ball extremely well this season. You guys know that. You watched us play. And we got to get better in that area. I'd be foolish to say we don't because we do."
Indiana ranked 255th nationally shooting 33.3 percent on 3s. It averaged just 5.9 made 3s per game which was 311th nationally. It also attempted just 17.7 3s per game -- 321st in the country.
In conference play, it was even less. The Hoosiers connected on just 31.9 percent from three and made 5.8 3s per game.
Two wings who came into the IU program known as shooters and had expectations to help the shooting struggles from a season prior were Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart.
Kopp averaged 6.0 points per game on 34.9 percent on 2s and 36.1 percent on 3s. He scored in double figures in just five games this season and 26 games with two or less made field goals.
Stewart averaged 6.2 points on 32.7 percent on 2s and 39.3 percent on 3s. But, he went 6-of-29 from three in the last nine games of the season. He had six double figure scoring games on the season.
For returning players, Trey Galloway shot just 21.4 percent from three and Rob Phinisee was 26.4 percent from three. Tamar Bates shot 29.8 percent from three. Those three combined for 157 three point attempts on the season but just 42 makes.
The wings also struggled defensively, with defensive ratings of 102.7 for Kopp and 103.5 for Stewart. Those were second and third worst on the team. Bates had the team's worst at 103.6.
"We got to be better on the wings from a defensive standpoint," Woodson added. "But, again, these are things that I've got to go evaluate once I get back and sit with my coaching staff and just see where we are as a ball club and just start trying to piece it all back together for next season."
So as Indiana turns the page on the season, this offseason is extremely important for Mike Woodson in securing commitments from players who fit into exactly how he wants to run his offense and defense, now with a year under his belt.
"These guys are young, man, and they've got a lot to learn in terms of basketball and how I want to play and the style of play that I want," Woodson said. "So it's going to be a work in progress, but that's what we all signed up for. We just got to get through that process and get better for next season."
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