Indiana men's basketball played their final non-conference game Sunday against Winthrop and was able to walk away with a tight 77-68 win as the final score does not depict just how close this game truly was.
The Hoosiers struggled at times to pull away from the Eagles as they were ice-cold from beyond the arc, going just 1-for-20 as Luke Goode was the only Hoosier to hit the triple. Indiana did out-rebound the Eagles, but only by seven, as they won the rebound battle 46-39.
While fans are happy to walk away with a win, there are still some questions about this team, one being where Oumar Ballo was in this game.
Indiana took the court after an eight-day break from the holidays, and it seemed like Fnas would get to see a fully healthy squad of Hoosiers in this game. However, they were wrong. After starting in the first 12 games of the season, Ballo was listed as questionable for the Hoosiers the morning of their matchup against Winthrop. Ballo was dressed for warmups but never ended up coming into the game and watched from the bench.
Big Ten Network commentators Connor Onion and Shon Morris said that Ballo was dealing with a lower-body injury, which was the reason for his absence against Winthrop, but head coach Mike Woodson's comments after the game are leaving fans with more questions than answers. When asked about the sixth-year senior's absence, Woodson had a surprising answer.
"I'm not going to address that," Woodson said in his postgame press conference. "Didn't have a lot of lead time, but that doesn't matter."
It seems like this could be something bigger than a late add to the injury report if Woodson is declining to make a full comment on Ballo's absence. Clearly he was a late scratch for the game is Woodson says he didn't have a lot of lead time to restructure his game plan.
Woodson had to go with the guys available to him, which ended up being Goode, the only player to hit a three for the Hoosiers all night. Senior center Langdon Hatton is playing in Ballo's position for Indiana after averaging just 4.4 minutes per game so far this season. Hatton wasn't aware he would get an increased role in the game until the morning of the matchup.
Hatton came off the bench and played 26 minutes for Indiana, hitting just one shot for the Hoosiers, but he added to his game total by hitting five of his six from the free throw line. However, Hatton was a madman on the boards, leading the team with 11 rebounds and three blocks. Hatton's performance could create a discussion for more playing time, especially with whatever is going on with Ballo. Woodson believes there is something to discuss going forward.
"You know, guys that are in uniform have got to play, and he didn't play tonight, and you know, we'll sit down tomorrow and address his situation and get ready for Rutgers," Woodson said.
Indiana will hit the court again on Thursday, January 2nd, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. CT against Rutgers at home as they look to stay undefeated within Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall this season.