SIMON SKJODT ASSEMBLY HALL — The Indiana men’s basketball team began its year with an 80-61 Win over SIU Edwardsville. After winning a pair of exhibitions, the Hoosiers got a win in their first game that counts.
Here’s why No. 17 IU secured the victory to start the year.
Mackenzie Mgbako shines
The first game of Mackenzie Mgbako’s sophomore campaign was one of his best in a Hoosier uniform. Mgbako finished with a career-high 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds.
While the rest of his Indiana teammates struggled offensively in the first half, Mgbako became the centerpiece of the offense, scoring 19 points in the game’s first 20 minutes. Mgbako put the ball in the hoop from all three levels of the floor.
Mgbako averaged 12.2 points per game last year and was the Co-Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten, but inconsistency stopped him from fully filling his five-star potential as a freshman. In his first game as a sophomore, the former McDonald’s All-American looked more poised and in control than he did in 2023-24.
Indiana’s ceiling will become much higher if Mgbako establishes himself as one of the top players in the Big Ten. As a 6-9 small forward, Mgbako is a matchup nightmare when he has it going. Wednesday’s game showed that.
IU’s offense will be a work in progress
When a team brings in six transfers over an offseason like IU did, it takes time to build chemistry and an identity. Five of those transfers played and three of them were in the starting lineup. As a result, the Hoosiers’ offense was choppy.
IU committed 16 turnovers in the opener. Its offense had several lulls throughout the game where scoring felt a tad too difficult.
As the year progresses, this team needs to find itself offensively. This team is the deepest it’s been in Mike Woodson’s four years at the helm, but that can be a gift and a curse. The Hoosiers can employ various offensive strategies, and they’ll need to hone in on a set approach at some point this season.
Wednesday’s game isn’t a cause for concern, but it’s a reminder that transfer-led teams won’t look anything like their complete selves from the jump. The Hoosiers are far from a finished product, especially on the offensive end.
Hoosiers turn defense to offense
Indiana’s transition offense was remarkable on Wednesday night. When the Hoosiers got stops and controlled possession, they quickly turned them into points on the other end.
Indiana had 12 fastbreak points and 23 points off of 12 SIUE turnovers. The Hoosiers emphasized pushing the pace all offseason, and they stayed committed to doing so in their first game.
With starting point guard Xavier Johnson in and out of the lineup for most of last year, Indiana never consistently became a transition team. This year, guards like Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle and Trey Galloway possess the athleticism to excel in the open floor. As long as Indiana seals defensive possessions, it should be dangerous in transition.
