Key To Oumar Ballo Success Is When Indiana Gets Him Moving

The absence of Malik Reneau has fueled several theories that it's made Oumar Ballo better for Indiana. Many of Ballo’s successful plays feature him in motion, not in stationary positions on the floor.

Indiana Hoosiers center Oumar Ballo (11) is fouled by Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Femi Odukale (11) during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – In Indiana’s last two games, center Oumar Ballo has had his most productive consecutive performances from a scoring standpoint.

The 7-foot center scored 17 against Rutgers in an 84-74 Indiana victory and then unloaded 25 points against Penn State in a 77-71 Hoosiers win.

Both of those wins were secured without Malik Reneau on the floor. Reneau injured his knee on the second possession of the game against Rutgers Thursday. Ballo came off the bench and absorbed some of Reneau’s minutes and nearly all of his inside scoring responsibility.

There’s been much cause-and-effect discussion about how the absence of Reneau has helped Ballo.

That Reneau’s absence has created space for the big man to roam. That the lane isn’t being clogged by two bigs. That the guards can be more effective in their movements and shot selection without having to service two scoring bigs.

How much truth there is in those claims is variable. All of the above have an element of truth. Some of them are exaggerated.

It’s something Indiana assistant coach Brian Walsh spoke about as he pinch-hit for Mike Woodson on Monday’s Inside Indiana Basketball radio show.

“It’s a combination of things. There’s obviously more space, and it’s harder to double when you have shooters around him than when you have your partner to the right or left of them (and) the floor shrinks a little bit,” Walsh said.

Some of Ballo’s better numbers are for obvious reasons. According to barrtorvik.com, Ballo’s two highest usage rates of the season have come in the last two games – 27% against Rutgers and 31.3% against Penn State. Usage rate is a measure of how many plays a player is involved in.

It stands to reason that Ballo’s rate would rise with Reneau out. Naturally, he’s going to absorb more of the scoring load.

On inspection of games over the course of the season, there is one immutable truth when it comes to Ballo’s offense: He is far better when he’s in motion. Even before Reneau’s injury, Indiana has done a better job of making sure he’s been on the move when scoring.

The kinetic Ballo is the better Ballo. Whether it’s in transition, an early offense bucket before the defense sets, or most prominently, off pick-and-roll screen action where Ballo can catch and move, that’s when the big man thrives the most.

Post-ups and plays where he has to stop his motion is where his effectiveness diminishes.

This was born out during Sunday’s game at the Palestra. On examination of the nine field goals Ballo made, six of them were plays where Ballo worked off a pick-and-roll screen (or a simulated screen) or one in which he scored in transition.

Indiana basketball center Oumar Ballo (11) is guarded by Penn State center Miles Goodman (8) - January 5, 2025 / Taj Falconer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The best example of this came with 5:25 left against the Nittany Lions.

Indiana guards spread out very wide – point guard Myles Rice was nearly 30 feet away from the basket. On pick-and-roll action, Ballo rolled off a screen to just inside the free throw line. Rice delivered a pass while still deep behind the top of the key.

Penn State defenders were stretched out, having to account for Indiana’s shooters. Two Nittany Lions flanked the lane but were not in it. Ballo received the pass in the paint and immediately turned to an open path. The defenders were late to react, Ballo scored and was fouled on the play.

“We put him in spots where he can get some top down passes where you can’t get a double fast enough. He’s been very, very efficient,” Walsh said.

The spacing certainly helps that cause. That Indiana’s guards have shot it better in the last two games helps everyone. Teams can’t afford to sag in the lane when they can’t count on Indiana missing from the arc.

That undoubtedly helps Ballo be more effective as that space is there for him to exploit.

The truth is, however, that Indiana has been spacing in a similar way before the Reneau injury. In an 82-67 win over Minnesota on Dec. 9, Ballo was 5-for-5 from the field with Reneau on the floor for four of those field goals.

Reneau stationed himself above the arc on three of those buckets and delivered the assist himself on two of them. The fourth basket was scored in transition as Ballo runs the floor well in those situations. It was rare for both of them to be near the lane at the same time in that contest.

An example of how the Reneau-Ballo combination isn’t as effective occurred in Indiana’s 89-73 victory over Providence at Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 29. That’s one of just two games all season where Ballo converted fewer than 50% of his attempts. He was 3 of 8 against the Friars.

On all five of his misses, he was either involved in a play where he posted up with his back to the basket or he put the ball on the floor, halting his momentum to the rim.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Malik Reneau (5) rebounds the ball over forward Bryson Tucker (8) and center Oumar Ballo (11) in the second half against the UNC-Greensboro Spartans at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It’s not that high-low action with Reneau can’t be effective. Ballo has scored on several plays where Reneau caught the ball in the middle of the lane, drew a defender, and found an open Ballo for an easy bucket. They can work together with both near the lane.

But for the most part? Ballo is better when he’s moving, and for him to move requires space in the lane to do so. One opponent that seemed to recognize this was Nebraska.

On multiple possessions in Indiana’s 85-68 loss on Dec. 13, Ballo was shadowed by Nebraska’s Braxton Meah (and others) and was then frequently doubled on the catch inside the arc – or least strafed by a second defender. This cut down on Ballo’s effectiveness as he was stopped in his tracks. It seemed to make him less active as the game progressed, and he eventually scored just eight points.

Indiana’s spacing needs to continue to be on-point because it helps everyone, not just Ballo. With or without Reneau, the Hoosiers need to continue to call action that gets Ballo moving.

“He knows where to be, plays to make, and he covers up a lot of things the average fan may not see that we coaches are excited and appreciative of what he does,” Walsh said.

If Indiana can continue to find success with Ballo in motion, the Hoosiers may yet fulfill their potential.

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