Live Blog: Follow Indiana's Game With Kansas in Real Time

Two of the great programs in college basketball history get together in Bloomington Saturday when Indiana hosts No. 2 Kansas in a nationally televised game. Welcome to our live blog, where we'll keep you updated on all the news and views in real time straight from press row, with a dash of opinion and highlights as well.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Welcome to press row at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, where we get a special treat on Saturday, a showdown between college basketball bluebloods Kansas and Indiana.

This is our live blog, where we'll keep you updated on an all the news and views from the game in real time. We'll throw in some opinion and highlights as well. The most recent items are at the top. Enjoy the game.

2:51 p.m. — Mackenzie Mgbako misses a three, but Kel'el Ware rebounds and scores. It's 73-71. Indiana forced to foul with 7.6 to go. Two shots. McCullar makes them both. Gabe Cupps misses the desparation three and Indiana loses 75-71. Really tough loss for Indiana. Certainly played well enough to win. A career-high 28 points for Trey Galloway. His best game ever as a Hoosier.

2:45 p.m. — Trey Galloway hits a huge three and Indiana makes a stop. Galloway gts a good look at another one, but misses. Indiana forced to foul, but Kevin McCullar misses the front end of a one and one, but the ball goes out of bounds. Call goes to Kansas, but it's under review. Kansas ball. McCullar fouled again with 17.9 to go. Makes them both. Indiana calls timeout with 13.1 to go, and trailing by four at 73-69.  

2:41 p.m. — A big three by Kevin McCullar Jr. for Kansas and they go back ahead 67-64. Sure looked like an illegal screen to me. Indiana calls timeout with 3:01 to go. Kel'el Ware misses a a layup out of the break, and Hunter Dickinson scores on the other end. Kansas leads by 5 now, its biggest lead of the game. 

2:34 — Hunter Dickinson scores inside at the 4:51 mark and Kansas has its first lead of the game at 62-61. Missed threes from Malik Reneau and Kaleb Banks. We're at the final media timeout now at 3:51 to go. Kansas leads, 64-62.

2:29 p.m. — Kansas cuts the lead to one, and then keeps the ball after a foul underneath. It's 59-58 now. The Jayhawks have never led.  Big basket for Gabe Cupps, his first of the game, and Indiana leads 61-58. 

2:22 p.m. — Kansas is on a run and they've got the lead down to three now at 58-55. Mike Woodson calls timeout at the 8:48 mark. Hoosiers need some stops. Indiana adds a free throw, and Indiana leads 59-55 at the famous under-8 timeout. 

2:13 p..m. — Indiana still leads by 10 at 54-44, but they're settling for too many mid-range jumpers. Keep attacking the basket. At the under-12 timeout now, and there's 11:44 to go. 

2:05 p.m. — We finally get to the first media timeout, and Indiana leads 50-39 with 14:14 to go. Trey Galloway gets to the basket again, and now has 18 points. He's approaching a career high. Had 20 last year in the win over Nebraska. 

1:58 p.m. — Indiana has missed three straight layups now. Sure, they were all contested, but they've got to make those. Mackenzie Mgbako picks up his third foul on the other end. Anthony Walker came in for Reneau when he got his third, but Mike Woodson sticks with Mgbako. He rewarded him by knocking down a three, and then Trey Galloway follows with a three of his own. Timeout again, and now the Hoosiers lead 48-37 with 15:46 to go. 

1:52 — Indiana gets it first to start the second half, and Kel'el Ware gets fouled inside. He makes both free throws, and Indiana's lead is back to 10 at 42-32. Kansas on a little run, cuts it to six, and Malik Reneau picks up his third foul on a cheapie while boxing out. That hurts. 

1:35 p.m. — What a terrific first half for Indiana. They take a 40-32 lead to the locker over No. 2-ranked Kansas. Trey Galloway leading the way with 13 points, and Mackenzie Mgbako has 11.  Galloway has been exceptional attacking the basket. Here's the highlight of one of his scores. CLICK HERE

1:24 p.m. — Mackenzie Mgbako picks up his second foul, too, so he'll go to then bench. We're at the under-4 timeout and Indiana leads 34-22 with 3:358 to go. It's their biggest lead of the game. Defense has been great. Kansas just 9-for-28 from the field, and 2-for-9 from deep. 

1:18 p.m. — Gabe Cupps picks up his second foul, but Mike Woodson leaves him in. Kel'el Ware scores on a follow-up dunk and then Galloway scores again on a drive, with a goaltending call. And then Mackenzie Mgbako hits a three in transition, and Bill Self has to take another timeout. Indiana leads 32-21. Here's the highlight of Mgbako's three. CLICK HERE

1:11 p.m. — Kel'el Ware gets his first rest, but it's Malik Reneau who comes back in the game for him and not Payton Sparks off the bench. But he immediately picks up his second foul. Two starters — Ware and Mgbako — come back in. Much better substitution patterns today. Trey Galloway back in now too, and CJ Gunn sites. Four starters in at the 6:22 mark, along with Anthony Walker. 

1:03 p.m. — Anthony Walker comes in for Malik Reneau, and he gets the ball inside and is fouled. Makes one of two, and Indiana leads 22-17. CJ Gunn in at guard for Gabe Cupps. Two starters — Kel'el Ware and Trey Galloway — still on the floor. Kansas scores on consecutive trips, but Walker gets back to the line again, and makes both free throws. Indiana leads 24-19. At the under-8 media timeout now.

1:01 p.m. — We're coming out of the second media timeout now and Indiana makes its first substitution. Kaleb Banks is in for Mackenzie Mgbako. Just ONE sub. Ask and you shall receive. Banks makes an immediate contribution, hitting Malik Reneau with a perfect pass and a three-pointer. Indiana leads 21-14.

12:57 p.m. — Indiana freshman Mackenzie Mgbako is really attacking the basket today. That's his second hoop on a hard drive to the basket. He's fouled too, but misses the free throw. He made 23 in a row to start the season. Indiana leads 18-11 with 11:56 to go. 

12:53 p.m. — We're coming out of the timeout and all five starters are still on the floor. 

12:48 p.m. — Indiana's Trey Galloway is really frustrated Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson. He just blew by him again, and was fouled. You could see the frustration on Jackson's face. Galloway makes one of the two free throws, and then Malik Reneau hits a wide open three on the next possession. Indiana leads 12-6 with 15:24 to go. 

12:45 p.m. — It's all Indiana out of gate, and Bill Self needs to call a timeout for Kansas with Indiana leading 8-2 at the 17:25 mark. Gabe Cupps missed a middie — that's OK kid, keep shooting — but Malik Reneau got the rebound and scored. Trey Galloway then scored on back-to-back possession in transition, forcing the Self TO.

12:42 p.m. — And we're off. Indiana's ball first, and Kel'el Ware scores inside. 

12:35 p.m. — Lots of loud boos for Kansas center Hunter Dickinson when he was announced with the Kansas starters. IU fans hated him at Michigan, and it's carried over. He raised his arms to welcome it. 

12:15 p.m. — Starters for Indiana: Kel'el Ware, Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako up front, with Trey Galloway and Gabe Cupps at guard. 

Starters against Kansas.

⚪️ @KelelWare
🔴 @CuppsGabe
⚪️ @MalikReneau
🔴 @MackenzieMgbako
⚪️ @TreyGalloway32 pic.twitter.com/NO57oY2QMj

— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) December 16, 2023

12:05 P.m. ET — Today is a stripe-out game at Assembly Hall, with each section rotating the red and white. We'll send some pictures as it starts to fill in. 

11:45 a.m. ET — Good officiating crew today. Paul Szelc, Bret Smith and Brooks Wells a solid group.

11:30 a.m. ET — The injury report is out, which means nothing, of course. Xavier Johnson, listed as questionable, is not playing. He's still in a boot with a foot/ankle injury and will miss his fourth straight game. No Jakai Newton either, of course, but the others — Kel'el Ware, Malik Reneau and CJ Gunn — are dressed and ready to go despite being listed as questionable on. the league-mandated injury report an hour before the game.

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