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Indiana basketball officially began the 2024-25 season on Friday night at its annual Hoosier Hysteria event at Assembly Hall.

For the first time this year, fans got a chance to see both the men's and women's basketball teams in action ahead of the upcoming season.

Both the men's and the women's team competed head-to-head in varying events from a skills challenge to a 3-point shootout and even a game of knockout.

Here's a few takeaways from Friday night's festivities.

If the starting lineups for the scrimmage were any indication, it looks like Mike Woodson is going to be sticking with two big men in his starting lineup this season.

Both Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo started for Team Crimson on Friday night. There was a handful of high-low action involving both of the Hoosiers' big men, as Indiana looked to feed both Reneau and Ballo in the post in half court settings.

There's been plenty of conversations this offseason on whether or not Woodson would elect to bring Reneau off the bench in order to avoid playing two non-shooters with each other. Unsurprisingly to most, it looks as though Reneau and Ballo will start alongside each other in Indiana's front court this season.

Arizona transfer big man Oumar Ballo didn't finish with the most points in Friday evening's scrimmage -- that would be sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako -- but Ballo's dominance was evident.

On both ends of the floor, Ballo dominated around the basket. On the offensive end of the floor, once he got it down low, it was pretty much over for the defense. Standing at 7-feet and 260 pounds, Ballo showcased a large array of hook shots, finesse moves and brute power down low in the post.

Defensively, Ballo was a consistent presence around the basket. He was a constant deterrent for would-be drivers, and he even came away with a block or two.

Head coach Mike Woodson has consistently had talented and dominant big men during his tenure with the Hoosiers, and Ballo looks likely to be in line to become the next dominant Indiana center.

Indiana's struggles from 3-point range over the last handful of seasons have been two-fold. Not only have the Hoosiers not been converting at a high percentage from downtown, but Indiana teams over the last couple of seasons have simply not taken many shots from 3-point territory. If Illinois transfer forward Luke Goode didn't fit that description on Friday night.

During the Hoosiers' 12 minute scrimmage, Goode knocked down a pair of triples. Perhaps more importantly for Indiana, the native of the Hoosier state didn't hesitate to launch from deep. He took five total 3-pointers on the night.

Part of Indiana's success this season rests upon the group's willingness to take 3-point shots. Of course, they still have to convert at a decent clip, but shooting the ball without any hesitation is the first step. Goode looks like he's been given the green light from distance which, if he's able to shot a good percentage, would be huge for the Hoosiers.

When Indiana landed Bellarmine transfer big man Langdon Hatton this offseason, not many expected he'd play a huge role this season with the Hoosiers. However, he could force his way into some playing time, especially early in the season, if he continues to look as strong as he did on Friday night.

Hatton played with the bench unit in Indiana's Cream versus Crimson scrimmage, meaning he was forced to defend Ballo. While Ballo still got his, Hatton made it somewhat difficult for the Hoosiers' starting center.

The Georgetown, Indiana native looked even better on the offensive side of the ball. He was great as a cutter and a roller, consistently finding himself free at the basket. He when he wasn't left all alone at the rim, Hatton showed off a great ability to finish through and around bodies.

While he may not be the most important player on this Indiana squad this season, Hatton will have plenty of opportunity to positively impact the game on both ends of the floor this year, just as he did on Friday. night at Hoosier Hysteria.

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