Hoosier State of Mind
Fansided

Hoosier Men’s Hoops: Early Season Strengths and Weaknesses

By Jordyn Bontrager

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: Mike Woodson the head of the Indiana Hoosiers against the Maryland Terrapins at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on December 01, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: Mike Woodson the head of the Indiana Hoosiers against the Maryland Terrapins at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on December 01, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Indiana men’s hoops team has not done anything glamorous through their first 8 games, but they have gotten the job done nonetheless. Everything has looked good in the record book to this point: 7-1 overall, 2-0 in conference play, and currently riding a 4 game winning streak. With it’s lone loss coming to one of the top overall team’s in the nation, it is fair to say that the team has done a lot of things right so far.

That is not to say that they do not have things to work on, however. There are clearly a couple of glaring areas needing improvement for this team to take a step up in terms of national attention. Here are a few of those areas, as well as a few in which they have succeeded.

STRENGTH 1: Coaching

The guys on the sidelines do not receive enough recognition for the work that they put in. However, it is no secret that it takes a quality coaching staff to make things work. Even further than that, making things work with a roster short on returnees and high on freshman/transfers takes a high quality coaching staff. Mike Woodson and his staff have proven more than up to the challenge, and things could be much messier for these players were it not for their leaders.

WEAKNESS 1: Outside Shooting

This could be the most obvious weakness in the history of weaknesses. While the start to the season has been memorable in terms of wins and losses, it has been forgettable in terms of 3 point shooting. The Hoosiers currently rank 347th out of 362 qualifying Division 1 men’s basketball teams in 3 point shooting percentage. If the team cannot hit outside shots at a reasonable clip, it is only going to take away from another of it’s greatest strengths.

STRENGTH 2: Size

Where the team has tapered from the outside, they have punished opponents on the interior. Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau have come out of the gates strong, reincarnating the buddy ball strategy that was so effective with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson. The towering tandem has been a terror for opposing defenses to tackle, and have made their presences felt in the paint defensively as well.

Beyond those two, the team has a ton of size throughout the remainder of the roster. Mackenzie Mgbako is 6’8″ and swift. Anthony Walker is 6’8″ and electric. Kaleb Banks is 6’8″ and solid. Payton Sparks is 6’10” and sturdy. The team has a lot more depth in the frontcourt than it does currently in the backcourt.

WEAKNESS 2: Perimeter Pop

The backcourt has been decent so far, but the team is going to need more from them going forward. Priority number one is getting Xavier Johnson back from injury, but even he has not delivered the type of perimeter punch this team will inevitably need. He and Trey Galloway will need to offer a bit more juice with the rock in order to avoid opponents clogging the paint against the bigs.

The hope is that freshman Jakai Newton will return at some point in the season, but his timetable is uncertain. He will certainly provide a boost, but Gabe Cupps and CJ Gunn will need to continue to improve in the interim. Those two have been solid, and Gunn should have some momentum on his side after a nice outing in the win over Michigan. Fans will hope he can sustain that type of play, as the offense could use some more spice.

Home/Indiana Basketball