Indiana improved to 2-0 with a 90-55 win in opposition to Jap Illinois on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from the win in opposition to the Panthers:
Mackenzie Mgbako continues to shine
Mackenzie Mgbako has been Indiana’s best participant by two common season video games.
The 6-foot-9 sophomore has exhibited development on each ends of the ground. He’s crashing the glass with a function, he’s extra lively defensively and his communication on the ground and in huddles is seen.
On Sunday afternoon, Mgbako scored 18 factors, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out 4 assists and had two steals in 27 minutes.
By means of two video games, he’s averaging 24.5 factors, eight rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals in 27.5 minutes per recreation. Mgbako is capturing 74.1 p.c from the ground and 66.7 p.c on 3s.
“Mack has taken an enormous bounce engaged on his recreation,” Malik Reneau stated Sunday. “He’s an amazing shooter. He’s beginning to dial in on the little issues with the rebounding and the — simply getting in place on the defensive aspect and with the ability to play protection at a excessive clip, too.”
Trey Galloway’s playmaking stands out for a second straight recreation
Indiana fifth-year senior Trey Galloway has come off the bench within the crew’s first two video games however has excelled as a distributor in every contest.
Within the season opener in opposition to SIUE, Galloway dished out 9 assists in 17 minutes. He was equally as spectacular on Sunday in opposition to Jap Illinois. In 18 minutes, Galloway had eight assists.
By means of two video games, Galloway has 17 assists and simply 4 turnovers. The entire reps he had final season enjoying level guard have made the place extra pure for the Culver Academies product.
“He’s been nice. Numerous that could be a spin from final season,” Mike Woodson stated postgame. “You realize, once we principally transformed him from off the ball to placing him on the ball primarily based on the accidents that we had.
“We’re benefitting from it as a result of he’s gotten higher over the summer season. You realize, although he hadn’t performed a lot, you would see what little he’s finished since he’s come again after accidents, his harm in apply, that has helped his recreation tremendously, and we’re benefitting from it.”
Indiana recovers from a poor first half
The ultimate boxscore confirmed Indiana with a 35-point win in opposition to Jap Illinois however it took some time for the Hoosiers to get going within the midday tipoff.
Woodson described the primary half as “terrible” and Reneau stated the crew got here out “flatfooted.”
Meeting Corridor was shocked as Indiana trailed by as many as 5 within the first half and by one on the break.
To Indiana’s credit score, the Hoosiers seemed like a totally totally different crew within the second half. Indiana outscored Jap Illinois 54-18 to shut the sport.
“We adjusted the second half and guys got here out and received after it,” Woodson stated. “Couldn’t ask for a greater second half.”
Malik Reneau is in the very best form of his profession
In his postgame feedback after IU’s exhibition win at Tennessee, Woodson talked about that Malik Reneau had finished substantial work to enhance his physique and conditioning this season. Particularly, Woodson talked about that Reneau took his food regimen extra severely.
With Reneau guarding 4s and enjoying extra on the perimeter, he wanted to have the ability to transfer higher away from the basket.
By means of two video games, Reneau is seeing the advantages of his offseason features. He’s extra agile, he’s extra explosive and he appears to be attending to the ball faster on rebounds.
“His motion up and down the courtroom (is best),” Woodson defined postgame. “I’m not enjoying him huge minutes. He performed extra minutes final yr. I’m positive we’ll get his minutes again as much as 30, 30 to 31, 32 minutes. Simply his motion and with the ability to acknowledge issues which can be in entrance of him now defensively as a result of we swap loads.”
The important thing for Reneau because the competitors will get harder stays staying out of foul bother. He had 4 fouls in opposition to SIUE however only one in opposition to Jap Illinois.
Bryson Tucker might be a key piece of the rotation
After struggling in Indiana’s season opener in opposition to SIUE, Bryson Tucker confirmed why he was a McDonald’s All-American along with his play in opposition to Jap Illinois.
The freshman wing scored 12 factors in 21 minutes. He shot an environment friendly 5-for-7 from the sphere in opposition to the Panthers and in addition grabbed six rebounds.
Most significantly for Tucker, he’s not petrified of the second. Tucker is aware of he belongs and is assertive instantly upon getting into the sport.
“I’d say simply making essentially the most out of my minutes,” Tucker stated postgame. “Like I are available, I do know what I’m in there for, to attain, play protection. So I simply profit from that and simply keep centered. That’s actually all there’s to that.”
Tucker’s explosiveness and skill to create house within the midrange to get photographs has stood out early within the season.
“In the event you can’t get to the rim in the event that they shut it up, simply stopping and popping proper is excellent there each time,” Tucker defined. “Most instances if you happen to simply cease you’re often going to be open, as a result of they’re used to folks simply driving all the best way.”
Filed to: Bryson Tucker, Jap Illinois Panthers, Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway
