3 Things To Watch As Indiana Basketball Hosts USC

Indiana may be without leading scorer Malik Reneau for a second straight full game, but it still has Oumar Ballo, a matchup problem for USC.

Indiana's Oumar Ballo (11) guarded by Penn State's Miles Goodman (8) at the Palestra. / Taj Falconer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana is off to a good start in Big Ten play, most recently defeating Penn State 77-71 Sunday to improve to 3-1 in the conference and 12-3 overall. Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers will look to keep that momentum rolling with a 7 p.m. ET tipoff Wednesday against USC at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. 

The Trojans are 9-5 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play in coach Eric Musselman’s first season after Saturday’s 85-74 home loss to Michigan. Musselman built an entirely new roster with 11 transfers and two freshmen after coming over from a successful run at Arkansas, where he had two Elite Eight runs and a Sweet 16 appearance in five seasons. He said Saturday he has no timetable for the return of injured players Terrance Williams (10.6 ppg) and Matt Knowling (3.8 ppg).

Defeating USC won’t do much to help Indiana’s resume – the Trojans are ranked No. 94 in the NET – but the Hoosiers must avoid a loss as they approach a stretch with 11 straight opportunities for Quad 1 wins.

Here are three things to watch as Indiana hosts USC, the first Big Ten newcomer on the men’s side to play at Assembly Hall.

1. Can Indiana sustain success without Malik Reneau?

When Malik Reneau went down with a knee injury on the second possession Thursday against Rutgers, some may have pressed the panic button. Reneau was Indiana’s leading scorer at the time, averaging 14.1 points per game and shooting a reliable 60.3% from the field. But over the next 39 minutes versus the Scarlet Knights, and in Sunday’s road game against Penn State, the Hoosiers put together two of their best performances of the season.

Rutgers star freshman Ace Bailey hung 39 points on the Hoosiers, but Indiana locked down the rest of the Scarlet Knights in a 10-point win. Woodson rolled with a starting lineup of Myles Rice, Trey Galloway, Luke Goode, Mackenzie Mgbako and Oumar Ballo, and the Hoosiers picked up their first Quad 1 win of the season against a tough Penn State team.

Ballo was dominant inside against the Nittany Lions, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Rice handled Penn State’s pressure defense better than any Hoosier could last season. Without Reneau, Woodson played smaller lineups with more ball handlers and shooters, and Goode and Mgbako combined to make 7-of-12 3-point attempts.

We’ll get a better sense for Reneau’s status when the Big Ten availability report comes out Wednesday afternoon, but Woodson shared an update after Sunday’s win. 

"Don't know when he's gonna be back," Woodson said. "It's kind of in the medical [staff's] hand. I mean, he didn't tear up anything, but don't know when he's gonna come back. I really don't, and I just gotta follow the doctor's lead and he's gotta do what he needs to do to get back when he can. But it won't be any time soon."

2. Does USC have an answer for Oumar Ballo?

Reneau’s potential absence places a greater emphasis on Ballo, offensively and defensively. The 7-footer is averaging 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, plus a career-high 66.7% field goal percentage, 2.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.

Ballo is tough for any opponent to stop inside, and he may be an even more difficult matchup for USC. Josh Cohen, a 6-foot-10 transfer from UMass, has started all 14 games for USC this season, but he only plays 16.7 minutes per game. Aside from Cohen, USC’s rotation does not include a player taller than 6-foot-8.

In Saturday’s loss to Michigan, Musselman went to a smaller lineup with 6-foot-8 guard Kevin Patton Jr., who played 28 minutes off the bench.

“When we had our traditional center in there, he was minus-23 while he was on the floor, so we’ve gotta have better play when we play with a traditional big,” Musselman said Saturday. “I thought our small-ball lineup did a great job of getting us back in the game. … I’m shocked that our small ball was able to withstand their roster, to be honest with you, but they did.”

3. Can Indiana keep USC off the free throw line?

Staying out of foul trouble is especially important Wednesday for Indiana for a few reasons. Indiana’s depth has taken a major hit with Reneau, Cupps and Newton out. Against Penn State, Indiana’s bench – Anthony Leal, Bryson Tucker, Kanaan Carlyle and Landgon Hatton – combined for three points on 1-for-8 shooting in 46 minutes. Indiana can’t afford to lose Ballo to foul trouble, assuming Reneau does not play. Woodson hasn’t found consistent production off the bench, even with a fully healthy roster. 

The other reason for the heightened importance of Indiana’s foul situation is that USC succeeds at getting to the free throw line. The Trojans rank 36th nationally in free throw rate and attempt 22.6 per game. Their offense has not been good overall this season, ranked 101st in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, so it would benefit the Hoosiers not to give the Trojans opportunities at the free throw line. That’s especially relevant with USC leading scorer Desmond Claude, a 6-foot-6 guard who attempts a team-high 6.3 free throws per game.

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