Three Things To Watch For As No. 16 Indiana Takes On South Carolina

South Carolina will be the only visit by a nonconference Power Five school to Indiana this season.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) celebrates after a dunk by Indiana Hoosiers forward Bryson Tucker (not pictured) during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – When this writer was younger, he was obsessed with fun facts from encyclopedias. These days, you can get your fix for that on Wikipedia.

One of the things that was fascinating was the highest peak in each state. The range of highest to lowest peak elevation by state ranges from Alaska’s Denali (20,310 feet above sea level) to Florida’s Britton Hill (345 feet).

This is being brought up because the Indiana men’s basketball team hosts South Carolina at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Given that the Gamecocks will be the only nonconference Power Five school to visit Bloomington in the 2024-25 season, one might say it’s the peak of the home nonconference slate.

As nonconference peaks go for Indiana, file this one appropriately as Hoosier Hill. If you didn’t know, the Wayne County hill is the highest point in Indiana at 1,255 feet. It’s not the lowest peak in the country, but it certainly doesn’t threaten to be one of the highest.

In other words, Indiana’s peak nonconference game isn’t a very impressive height. Not compared to other seasons.

The Kansas visit in the 2023-24 season was part of a nice pattern of at least one marquee nonconference team traveling to Bloomington. North Carolina (2022-23) and St. John’s (2021-22) were other recent visitors.

Indiana didn’t host a Power Five team in 2020-21, but that was the COVID-19 season. Before that, Florida State and Arkansas (2019-20), Marquette and Louisville (2018-19), Duke (2017-18) and North Carolina again (2016-17) paid a visit. All of those teams have a higher profile than South Carolina does in men’s basketball.

Many of those games came about due to the Big Ten-ACC Challenge series that ended after the 2022-23 season. The Big Ten-Big East Gavitt Games series ended after the 2023-24 season. (Indiana did not take part in the final edition.)

Maybe another challenge series needs to be created? With Big Ten being a FOX-oriented league, a challenge series with another FOX-oriented property – the Big 12 – would be enticing.

In the meantime, fans will just have to settle for South Carolina until the Big Ten brings some more brand names to Bloomington.

Here are three things to watch for from the Hoosiers:

1. Is Mackenzie Mgbako Hot Or Is His High Production The New Norm?

Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) attempts a shot during the first half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Sophomore swingman Mackenzie Mgbako is off to a fantastic start for the Hoosiers. He is averaging 10 of 13 or 14 (depending on how you want to split his half-percentage) from the field, good for a healthy 24.5 scoring average. He’s been almost as adept at threes (66.7%) as he has been at twos (77.8%) and Mgbako is also rebounding well (8 rpg).

“You can put him in situations if you need a mid-range two, he’s been able to make shots. He’s finishing at the rim. I like everything about what he’s done from an offensive standpoint,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said Friday.

Is this Mgbako’s new norm? Indiana fans certainly hope so. The production has been built on the backs of two weak nonconference foes – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois – so if he can do the same against South Carolina it would be an encouraging sign for the Hoosiers that Mgbako’s production isn’t just a matter of caliber of opponent.

Woodson does want to see improvement on the defensive side of the ledger.

“I’m on him a lot about defense. Knowing our coverages and when we’re not having miscues. We’ve had some in the first two games. You expect it because of all of the newness that we have,” Woodson said. “He’s been with me now a year and I’m pushing him harder on the defensive end to not have very many miscues.”

2. Will Indiana Keep South Carolina Off The Foul Line?

South Carolina Gamecocks guard Zachary Davis (2) drives past Towson Tigers guard Tyler Tejada (15) at Colonial Life Arena. / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

It’s just two games, but Indiana has done a good job preventing opponents from marching to the free throw line. Through two games, Indiana opponents are averaging just 11 free throws per game. That ranks 10th nationally.

That statistical distinction will get tested against the Gamecocks. South Carolina has averaged 26.7 attempts per game – 45th-best in the country. The Gamecocks don’t take advantage of them as much as they should – they make 67.5% of their attempts – but they have given themselves a chance.

This will be interesting to watch, as part of the reason Indiana hasn’t sent teams to the line is inferior caliber of competition and a few possessions where Indiana defenders didn’t challenge shots.

South Carolina runs its show via 6-foot-7 forward Collin Murray-Boyles (20.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg), so it will be worth watching to see if players like Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo can defend without fouling. If they can’t, then South Carolina will get to the line and the Hoosiers’ thin frontcourt will be taxed.

3. Will The Indiana Defensive Effort Be Where It Needs To Be?

Indiana Hoosiers guard Kanaan Carlyle (9) defends against Eastern Illinois Panthers guard Artese Stapleton (2) during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Purely based on numbers, Indiana’s state of affairs defensively isn’t bad at all – with the rather large caveat that the Hoosiers have played a pair of Ohio Valley Conference schools.

The Hoosiers are 28th nationally in scoring defense (58 ppg against), and Indiana ranks 48th nationally in field goal defense at 35.9%.

However, none of that means Woodson is satisfied with the Hoosiers’ defensive consistency. Eastern Illinois shot 59.3% against Indiana in the first half before the Hoosiers clamped down with 16.7% stopping power after halftime.

“I thought early on our switching was terrible. We weren’t up to touch. You’ve got to give them credit; they were making shots. Those are the things from a defensive standpoint that we’re trying to eliminate,” Woodson said.

“I didn’t think we put much pressure up the floor as they were bringing the ball up the floor. We were kind of on our heels a little bit. I thought the second half was flipped that. We were up to touch and our switching was pretty damn good,” Woodson added.

Fairly or unfairly, Indiana’s defense is under the microscope. Field Of 68’s Rob Dauster posted a clip of Ballo not getting back on defense with urgency on a transition Eastern Illinois bucket.

Oumar Ballo. Definition of hustle hahaha pic.twitter.com/c9ey3muCEp

— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) November 11, 2024

A cheap shot? Your view may vary, but Woodson is not going to tolerate low effort on the defensive end.

“When I see stuff like that and guys not getting back, that’s a cardinal sin with me in terms of defense,” Woodson said.

“When that ball changes hands, you got to get back and build a wall and not let guys get behind you for layups. We did that a couple times in that game. It’s just unacceptable,” Woodson continued. “They know it. We made that very clear in film session. You try to build on that, not let it happen again and see where it leads you.”

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• HOW TO WATCH: How to watch Saturday's game against South Carolina. CLICK HERE.

• MEET THE OPPONENT: South Carolina comes to Assembly Hall on Saturday. A scouting report on the Gamecocks. CLICK HERE.

• EVERYTHING WOODSON SAID: Mike Woodson spoke with the media on Friday. Here's what the Indiana coach had to say. CLICK HERE.

• SISLEY SIGNS: Trent Sisley signed his letter of intent and is now officially committed to Indiana. CLICK HERE

• AP POLL: The Indiana men's basketball team climbed one spot to No. 16 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, following a pair of blowout wins over SIUE and Eastern Illinois. CLICK HERE