Indiana basketball shuts down UNC & more Hoosier takeaways in big win

No. 10 Indiana basketball finished off the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with a powerful showing on both sides of the floor against No. 18 North Carolina on Wednesday, winning 77-65 in Assembly Hall.

It was a battle between two All-American big men, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Armando Bacot, and that wasn’t even the biggest storyline of the night. Jackson-Davis came out on top in the matchup between two friends, but the performance of the Hoosiers’ backcourt and defense proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Who was the biggest difference-maker for Indiana? How did the Hoosiers pull off a double-digit victory against the national title runner-up from a season ago?

Here are my six takeaways from the Hoosiers’ double-digit victory over No. 18 North Carolina on Wednesday night:

Six takeaways from No. 10 Indiana basketball win vs. No. 18 North Carolina

#6. Mike Woodson proves he has his guys ready for battle against any team in the country

Prior to 2022-23, Indiana basketball is just 15-33 (.313) against opponents ranked in the top 25, along with losing seven of their last eight such matchups. The Hoosiers’ win over No. 18 North Carolina on Wednesday is their highest-ranked win against an ACC opponent since beating No. 17 Florida State, 80-64, on December 03, 2019.

Coach Woodson is in his second season as the leader of this Indiana basketball program and seems to have his roster and coaching staff poised to make some noise this season, passing the second test of the season after beating Xavier on the road on November 18.

In his first season, the Hoosiers did not pick up a ranked win until January 6, when they took down No. 13 Ohio State in Assembly Hall. Luckily for Indiana, they have two more chances to pick up more Quad 1 wins against No. 4 Arizona (12/10 neutral) and No. 9 Kansas (12/17 away).