Race Thompson steps up & more Indiana basketball takeaways from Wednesday
In Wednesday’s game without Trayce Jackson-Davis and others, Race Thompson stepped up when needed in the 87-68 win for Indiana basketball over Little Rock.
The score at halftime was 39-30 and things were looking eerily similar as to what they’ve looked like in recent seasons.
Without Trayce Jackson-Davis, Trey Galloway, and Anthony Leal, the Hoosiers were short-handed to start the game then both Race Thompson and Malik Reneau had to exit due to injuries, which gave Hoosier Nation a pit in their stomach.
Luckily, both guys were okay, with Thompson returning to the floor with a slick white headband to cover his gash. And, boy, did Indiana basketball need him tonight.
The Hoosiers were able to pull away late, making nine of their last 10 shots from the field, including some flashy passes from Xavier Johnson, dominant dunks by Thompson, and good finishes at the rim by Jalen Hood-Schifino. Oh, and don’t forget about the block party hosted by Jordan Geronimo, who finished with another five-block game that added to the 11 total by the Hoosiers.
Here are my takeaways from the Hoosiers’ 19-point over Little Rock on Wednesday:
Six takeaways from Indiana basketball win vs. Little Rock
#6. I’m not sure there is a shot that Jordan Geronimo can’t block!
In his first three games this season, Geronimo totaled 22 points, seven rebounds, and zero blocks. In his last two games, the 6-foot-6 sophomore has tallied 17 points, six rebounds, and 10 (!!) blocks.
Since 1996-97, only two other players have managed to block at least 10 shots in a two-game span: George Leach (three times — 2001-02 to 2002-03) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (November 2021). That’s some good company to join for Jordan Geronimo.
Surprisingly enough, Geronimo has the third-lowest plus/minus of the guys that played significant minutes in both of the past two games at just +20.
Geronimo has been a real difference-maker on the floor after playing just five minutes against Xavier on Friday, and hopefully, he continues to trend in the right direction as we head into the heart of our non-conference schedule after Friday’s matchup with Jackson State.