Indiana Rolls Past Marian 94-61 in First Action Since Bob Knight's Death

Friday night's exhibition win was a complete team effort, with five players scoring in double figures and the defense being too physically imposing for Marian to handle.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A wide range of emotions floated through Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Friday night. 

The video board displayed messages from former players, opposing coaches and others, showing their appreciation for Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight, who passed at 83 years old on Wednesday. Fans piled flowers outside Assembly Hall, next to the undefeated 1976 team's monument, then stood in a moment of silence before the game. A video tribute to Knight, along with a special Knight-featured "Martha The Mop Lady" video cast somber faces from several fans. 

Indiana coach Mike Woodson, who played four seasons under Knight, his lifelong mentor, felt and showed these emotions as much as anyone. 

"It's been tough, man," Woodson said. "I prep every game the same way, man, but knowing that he's not around anymore, it means more now to me."

When it was time for action, Indiana shined. The Hoosiers cruised to a 91-64 exhibition win over Marian, which offered little resistance and never led after 3-2. 

The Hoosiers took care of the ball, coughing it up just twice, and pushed it early and often, leading to 27 fast-break points. Five Hoosiers finished in double digits, led by Kel'el Ware with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and including Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, Kaleb Banks and CJ Gunn. Defensively, Indiana's length suffocated the lane and forced Marian to hoist 36 3-point attempts, 11 of which fell through the net.

It was a complete effort for Indiana, though exhibitions against NAIA schools serve more as tune-up opportunities than chances to make definitive, season-long takeaways. Still, the Hoosiers gave their fans plenty to cheer for on a night punctuated by sadness over Knight's death. 

That started from the jump. Ware swatted the tip back to point guard Xavier Johnson, who knocked down a mid-range jumper on a well-executed offensive set. Marian's only hope to remain competitive was by hoisting threes, and to their credit, the Knights knocked down 9-of-20 attempts in the first half. 

Woodson was upset with his team in timeouts that followed defensive breakdowns and Marian threes, but that was perhaps Indiana's only flaw of the night. The Hoosiers took a 49-35 lead into halftime, and when the Knights' threes stopped falling in the second half – they made just 2-of-16 – a true blowout ensued. 

Marian, physically outmatched in both height and strength, had no answer for Indiana's versatile offensive attack. Ware scored inside and out, making 8-of-13 shots, including a 3-pointer, a scary sight for future opponents game planning for the 7-footer. 

"It's been a lot of really going at him in practice to get him to be aggressive and do the things that we want him to do on the offensive end," Woodson said. "And he's starting to show some signs that he can do that. I mean, he's a skilled guy."

Woodson said he's interested to see how Ware will play against heightened competition, but he's seen progress, regardless. Ware thinks he has the capacity to evolve his game even further.

"The more I get into condition," Ware said. "I feel like we're going to be a better team."

Reneau knocked down 2-of-3 3-point attempts, and Mgbako made 3-of-4. Some questioned how Indiana's offense would operate from a spacing standpoint with three starters above 6-foot-8, but when all three can hit shots from beyond the 3-point line, Indiana becomes difficult to defend. 

Indiana's Kel'el Ware (1) dunks during the first half of the Indiana versus Marian men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The trio of starting forwards flashed their potential, but Indiana found contributions from its guards, too. Though he scored just eight points, Xavier Johnson dished seven assists, poked away three steals, and didn't turn the ball over. Trey Galloway took just two shots all night, but he finished with six assists and was his usual steady self on defense.

When it was time to go to the bench, freshman guard Gabe Cupps continued to show he's ready for the college game. Immediately upon checking in for the first time, he turned the Marian ballhandler multiple times before they reached half court, at which point he knocked the ball loose for a steal. Cupps advanced the ball to a sprinting Gunn, who converted an easy layup.

"When I get out here, guys usually aren't as fast or as strong as X, who I'm guarding every day in practice," Cupps said. "So I feel confident that if I can get up and pressure X every day, then I can come out here and pressure guys up the floor the whole time."

Cupps appears more than capable of running Indiana's offense on his own and staying in front of opponents on defense. For a team that entered the year with guard-depth questions, Cupps and Gunn, who scored 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting, have given Indiana what it has needed so far. Cupps only scored two points on 1-for-4 shooting, but he dished six assists –two on alley-oops – and had two steals.

Still, Woodson continued to experiment with a lineup that makes Indiana even more versatile. Cupps, Johnson and Galloway played together for a stretch in the second half, shifting Indiana from a forward-heavy team to a guard-oriented one. The stark contrast between Indiana's rotations, both from a size and skillset perspective, give Woodson options moving forward. 

Indiana's Gabe Cupps (2) celebrates with CJ Gunn (11) after his dunk during the second half of the Indiana versus Marian men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

And following Friday's dominant effort, it's time for the real deal. Exhibition play is over, and Indiana now prepares for its regular season opener on Tuesday against Florida Gulf Coast.

With "RMK" patches on the Hoosiers' chests and Knight on Woodson's mind, the season will carry meaning different from any in the storied history of Indiana basketball.

"My thoughts will always be with him," Woodson said. "They'll never go anywhere. As long as I come into this building, knowing this is Bob Knight's building, I'm going to always think about him, you know."

"Hopefully I can make him proud."

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• WHAT WOODSON SAID: It's been an emotional week for Indiana coach Mike Woodson, who lost his coach and lifelong mentor Bob Knight on Wednesday. Here's everything Woodson said after the Hoosiers' 91-64 exhibition win, their first game since Knight's passing. CLICK HERE
• WHAT WARE, CUPPS SAID: Here's everything Indiana sophomore center Kel'el Ware and freshman point guard Gabe Cupps said after the Hoosiers' 91-64 exhibition win over Marian on Friday. CLICK HERE
• BOB KNIGHT'S LEGACY LIVES ON AT IU: Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight passed away Wednesday, but his influence on the current team is still prominent through two of his pupils, Mike Woodson and Calbert Cheaney. CLICK HERE
• BOB KNIGHT DIES AT 83: Bob Knight, the Hall of Fame basketball coach who won three national titles at Indiana and coached through several controversial moments, passed away on Wednesday. In poor health the past few years, the beloved coach was 83 years old. CLICK HERE
• FORMER INDIANA PLAYERS ON KNIGHT: Bob Knight's passing, as expected, hit many of his Indiana players hard on Wednesday, and it stirred up many wonderful memories. Dean Garrett, the center on Knight's last championship team in 1987, said Knight ''taught me to be a man'' and was a friend and mentor forever. CLICK HERE