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Another slow start for Indiana put them in a tough position heading into the second half tied with Kennesaw State. The Hoosiers were sticking with their typical game plan of attacking the inside, but Mike Woodson made the adjustment of going with a smaller lineup for the final 15 minutes. This caused the Hoosiers to have a lot more breathing room as they escaped the upset and walked away with a win. With no Xavier Johnson for the foreseeable future and questions surrounding Trayce Jackson-Davis, this small ball lineup might be the direction Indiana needs to take.

Indiana struggled in the first half against the Owls with multiple ugly offensive possessions. It was clear that changes needed to be made, so Woodson opted to go with a guard-heavy lineup that revolved around Race Thompson. Well, the halftime adjustment worked. This change prompted a much better second half and a career-high 18-point performance by Jalen Hood-Schifino alongside another impressive showing by Tamar Bates.

The shots started to fall in the second half for the Hoosiers who outscored Kennesaw State 42-28 in the last 20 minutes. Bates had a team-high 19 points in the win helping gain a more comfortable lead towards the end of the game. Woodson and the team adjusted at the half, which resulted in an overall team victory.

“We opened the floor up a little bit to give Schifino some room to work with the basketball. As well as Galloway and Tamar were on the back end of a lot of it and getting shots,” Woodson said. “I ran a few things for Tamar to get shots and he delivered for us… it was a total team effort but we just opened up the floor a bit offensively.”

This type of lineup might be the answer Indiana needs as they head into Big Ten play. Multiple times this season we have seen the Hoosiers struggle to find any sort of offensive rhythm when Jackson-Davis is not on the floor. Even when he is on the floor, having two players in the post has shown to slow down the Hoosiers and keep them in a tough position.

A smaller lineup gives Indiana the chance to shoot more on the outside and play a more modern type of basketball. Today was a clear example of that.

“Guys got to be able to make shots on the perimeter, it's just that simple, if we posting the ball some,” Woodson said. “They doubled Race tonight. We got good looks and guys knocked some shots down, which we needed. That's what's going to have to happen as we continue.”

Indiana has two weeks to rest before their first matchup of the new year against Iowa on Jan.5. It has been an interesting couple of weeks for Woodson and his squad but the much-needed break comes at an opportune time. The final win of the 2022 calendar year could serve as a sample size for some sort of formula to find a full time answer on the offensive end.

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