Three Points: SMU vs. Indiana
By Kyle Grand
Ranked teams come in to Assembly Hall. Ranked teams leave with a loss. The Hoosiers knocked off No. 22 SMU 74-68 behind 26 points from freshman James Blackmon Jr. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but Indiana did enough to get the job done and earn a huge non-conference victory. Come Selection Sunday, this will be a quality win working in the Hoosiers’ favor. Here’s what we learned.
Make it Rain (My theme for the season)
Live by the three. Die by the three. That’s what Indiana does! The Hoosiers attempted 33 three pointers, making 12 (36.4%). Let me repeat that. 33. Clearly, with an undersized squad and little post presence the Hoosiers game plan is to swing the ball around the outside to find the open shot or get some type of penetration and kick it back out to the wing.
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When they are going in, the Hoosiers will be a tough team to beat. When they aren’t, well, you know what the end result will be.
Good to Have You Back, Troy
In his first game back from suspension, Troy Williams had 11 points and four rebounds. He was the spark the Hoosiers needed when the Mustangs had control of the game in the first half. He didn’t start tonight, but I don’t think he will come off the bench long term. His energy and defense is necessary and he needs to be on the court the majority of the game.
Cutting Down on Turnovers
The Hoosiers only gave the ball away seven times. I know, I can’t believe it either. More possessions = more shots = more points. Simple equation and one that leads to victories. Turnovers plagued this team a year ago. They gave it away more than any other team in the Big Ten. If these are the kind of turnover numbers we can expect going forward, then the Hoosiers will be competitive.