Indiana Guards Outplayed By UConn in 20-Point Loss at Madison Square Garden

UConn guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer had their way against Indiana’s backcourt, which was hurt by Xavier Johnson’s foul trouble on Sunday in a 77-57 loss in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden.

NEW YORK — One way or another, Indiana was going to have to play without sixth-year point guard Xavier Johnson on Sunday against UConn.

Johnson entered the game questionable with an apparent ankle injury, but he was healthy enough to remain in the starting lineup. The injury didn’t seem to affect his play, but he was still unable to stay on the court for long stretches.

In a 77-57 loss to UConn in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden, Indiana’s lack of perimeter talent and depth was exposed. To make matters worse, Johnson’s foul trouble forced Indiana to rely on depth that is not ready to compete against the defending national champions. Indiana entered the year with questions about its backcourt, and those were amplified in the most severe way yet.

“Their guards outplayed our guards,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. “X is a senior, you expect him to finish the damn game on the floor, not sitting next to me.”

Indiana Hoosiers guard Xavier Johnson (0) dribbles in front of Connecticut Huskies guard Tristen Newton (2) during the second half at Madison Square Garden / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson scored just four points on 1-for-2 shooting, with two turnovers, one assist and a steal in 13:44 of action. Senior shooting guard Trey Galloway scored 10 points, but he didn’t impact the game to the degree Indiana has come to expect from him. The senior starter finished with one rebound and didn’t have a single assist, steal or block.

On the other side, point guard Tristen Newton and shooting guard Cam Spencer powered the defending national champions to the win. Newton scored a game-high 23 points, along with 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two turnovers. Spencer, a transfer from Rutgers, scored 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting with five rebounds and two assists.

“Newton and Spencer are both really good,” Galloway said. “And their offense and their flow and the way they move the ball is really good. You can tell that they work on it a lot, and they’re all connected as one.”

Johnson picked up two fouls in the first 2:11, forcing Woodson to call on freshman Gabe Cupps. Woodson took a risk and put Johnson back in the game with 10:09 remaining, but his third foul came just 38 seconds later, pushing off on a drive to the basket. Postgame, Woodson didn’t take anything away from Cupps’ performance because he competed. But the 6-foot-2 freshman is not yet a game-changer offensively, especially on Sunday’s stage.

Indiana also tried a lineup with Galloway at point guard, alongside sophomore guard CJ Gunn. Though he’s been expected to help Indiana’s 3-point shooting, Gunn went 2-for-7 on Sunday and 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. Gunn is now 2-for-28 from three in 24 career games.

Indiana Hoosiers guard Trey Galloway (32) drives to the basket as Connecticut Huskies guard Cam Spencer (12) and forward Alex Karaban (11) defend during the second half at Madison Square Garden / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Once again, Indiana didn’t get anything out of starting small forward Mackenzie Mgbako. In the preseason, Woodson and teammates were excited about the 3-point shooting boost Mgbako could provide at 6-foot-8, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations. His only two points of the game came at the free throw line, and he missed all three attempts from the field in 23 minutes, pushing his career shooting numbers to 6-for-20 in four games.

Altogether, the preseason concerns regarding Indiana’s backcourt were validated on Sunday. Johnson and Galloway were simply outplayed by Newton and Spencer, and the depth still requires development until it can be relied on against formidable opponents. Indiana could have used a transfer guard, like Spencer, but now it can only hope for internal progress.

“They won the national championship last year for a reason. They’ve got really good guards,” Galloway said. “So I just think at the end of the day going back and watching the film and learning from it because that’s a good team that we just played.”UConn guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer had their way against Indiana’s backcourt, which was hurt by Xavier Johnson’s foul trouble on Sunday in a 77-57 loss in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden.

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