Indiana Men's Basketball opened their 2024-2025 season Sunday afternoon with a victory in a charity exhibition against Tennessee.
After a rugged first half full of turnovers, the Hoosiers came out firing on all cylinders offensively to the tune of 41 second-half points, ultimately leading to a 66-62 victory in Knoxville.
"Ugly game," Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. "We came in and we fought."
The Hoosiers return home to Bloomington for their second and final exhibition game Friday against Pat Knight's Marian Knights.
Here are three takeaways from Sunday's road exhibition victory.
MYLES RICE LEADS THE WAY
There has been a bunch of talk about what Myles Rice was doing in preseason practices, but there was nothing to prove what the Washington State could do in an Indiana uniform against opponents.
Rice's 20-point performance on Sunday proved not only how good he is but how good the point guard can guide Indiana over the proverbial hump this season.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson had praise for Rice at the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago earlier in the month, which led him to the decision to bring the transfer guard to the event.
Last year, Xavier Johnson was too radical with the basketball at times, leading to turnovers. It was a full 180-degree turn Sunday with Rice running the show. Chosen by his coach to be a leader, Rice orchestrated the Indiana offense Sunday. His ball-handling and poise were clear in Knoxville.
Late in the game, Rice went to the line and made his free throws.
Indiana's starting point guard's ability to push the pace while quarterbacking a half-court offense will be the difference maker in wins and losses this season.
A RENEWED RENEAU SCORES 21 POINTS
After a big jump in his sophomore season, Malik Reneau has been gearing up all summer for another leap in his third season in Bloomington.
The Miami native opened up his season in a big way. Reneau scored a game-high 21 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting, adding 8 rebounds in his 33 minutes on the floor.
Even though Oumar Ballo's presence forces defenders to choose, Reneau saw numerous double teams but was able to handle it like a veteran. Reneau, who has had trouble with the double in years past, used his poise to either pass out or get a good shot up, which made his coach happy.
"He's experienced that last year," Woodson said. "He made some plays."
The tandem of Ballo and Reneau will wreak havoc this season if Reneau continues to maintain control when a second defender crashes to the ball.
In addition to his play inside the paint, Reneau played well on the defensive end. He finished the game with three steals and a block.
The most important stat on Reneau's stat line was his three fouls. Far too many times last year, Reneau was in foul trouble and had to sit. That didn't happen yesterday, and it was a big reason Indiana emerged victorious.
Reneau may not be the best forward on the team, but he will certainly be an x-factor for the Hoosiers.
TURNOVERS AND THREE POINT WERE AN ISSUE UNTIL THEY WEREN'T
The first three possessions of Indiana's season went as follows: Turnover. Turnover. Turnover.
At Big Ten Media Days at the beginning of the month, Woodson was well aware of the risk of playing with pace. The majority of the turnovers were in half-court sets, which made it all the more concerning. Indiana turned the ball over another seven times in the first half, leading to double digit turnovers through twenty minutes.
In the second half, Indiana took care of the ball. The Hoosiers only had three second half giveaways. Taking care of the ball was the driving force behind the victory as Indiana was able to get looks in their sets while avoiding allowing fast break points for the Volunteers.
Another area of concern was the three point shooting. The cream and crimson went an abysmal 0-for-11 in the first half.
"We got some looks, but our guys are just going to have to relax," Woodson said. "I don't care how many threes you shoot, you got to make them."
Like the turnovers, Indiana seemed to find their stroke in the second half.
After Kanaan Carlyle nailed a straight-away three early in the second half, the Hoosiers drained three more, including two from Mackenzie Mgbako.
"We were better offensively and making shots in the second half," Woodson said. "We're a lot better than what we showed tonight and we just got to keep working at it."
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