3 Things To Watch in Indiana’s Game Against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Indiana’s defensive adjustments, 3-point shooting and production from freshmen are all factors to monitor Wednesday in the Hoosiers’ season opener against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Indiana point guard Myles Rice scores against Marian at Assembly Hall. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana’s exhibition slate is complete, and it’s time for the real deal.

Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers begin the 2024-25 regular season Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Indiana defeated No. 13 Tennessee 66-62 in an exhibition game in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 27, then handled business with a 106-64 win over Marian, coached by Pat Knight, on Friday. After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, expectations are high for the Hoosiers heading into Woodson’s fourth year.

Indiana added seven newcomers and returned three of its top four scorers from last season, leading to a No. 17 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. The Hoosiers were also picked to finish second in the new, 18-team Big Ten, according to the unofficial preseason media poll.

Here are three things to watch in Indiana’s regular season opener.

Any changes defensively?

Indiana’s defense was at its best in its first season under Woodson. The Hoosiers ranked 24th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating, which is points allowed per 100 possessions, adjusted for the opponent. But that has decreased the last two seasons under Woodson, ranking 45th nationally in his second season and 84th last year.

Woodson hinted at some new defensive looks Indiana may implement this season while speaking to the media on Monday.

“I always thought our defense was somewhat ahead of our offense, and I like where we are defensively. But we still got a ways to go,” Woodson said. “There are a number of things I want to try to do differently, a little bit anyway. I mean, we played some zone last year, and I’m sure we’ll play some a little bit this year. But I just think we have the personnel that we can extend and press a little bit and do some things of that nature, which I hadn’t done a whole lot of that since I’ve been here. So we’ll see.”

Indiana's Mackenzie Mgbako defends Tennessee's Jahmai Mashack during an exhibition game. / Indiana University Athletics

Indiana played very little zone defense last year, but that in-game adjustment played a major role in the Hoosiers’ win over Louisville at Madison Square Garden. Late in the second half, Louisville went over four minutes without a basket against the zone defense, leading to a 13-0 Indiana run and eventual 74-66 victory.

"I never thought Mike Woodson would go to a zone defense,” Louisville coach Kenny Payne, a former coaching companion of Woodson's, said last year. “He tricked me. They did something they don’t normally do, and we couldn’t make the adjustment.”

That’s not to say Indiana will exclusively, or even frequently, run zone defense this year, but it’s something Woodson could mix in depending on matchups. He also seems to like the idea of pressing more often, something point guard Myles Rice has also mentioned this offseason.

Does 3-point shooting improve?

Indiana ranked last in the Big Ten in 3-point attempts and makes last season, as well as 12th out of 14 teams at 32.4%. Woodson said he focused on improving Indiana’s outside shooting as he rebuilt the roster. 

Perhaps the most impactful newcomer in that area will be Illinois transfer Luke Goode, who shot 38.8% from beyond the arc in 219 career attempts. Indiana also added Rice, who shot 27.5% last year, and Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle, who shot 32% as a freshman. Though their percentages leave something to be desired, they would have ranked second and third, respectively, in total 3-pointers made on last year’s Indiana team.

Indiana will look for production from returners, too. Mackenzie Mgbako shot 37.8% from 3-point range during Big Ten play last season after a slow start to his freshman year. Trey Galloway shot just 26% on 3-point attempts last season, and Indiana will hope he gets closer to the 46.2% he shot in 2022-23.

Indiana's Luke Goode (10), Anthony Leal (3), Gabe Cupps (2) and Langdon Hatton (12) celebrate on the bench during the Tennessee exhibition game. / Indiana University Athletics

After two exhibition games, Indiana’s 3-point shooting is still a work in progress. The Hoosiers went 4 for 19 (21%) in a win at Tennessee and 6 for 25 (24%) against Marian. While the efficiency was lacking, the number of attempts was a step up from last season. Indiana attempted 19 or more 3-point shots in just seven games last year, but it reached that mark in both exhibition games.

“We're not shooting the ball well right now from the three-point line, and that's kind of disturbing,” Woodson said after the Marian exhibition. “But you know, I'm not going to harp on it because again, we are getting them up, and coming into the Tennessee game and this game, we had been shooting the three ball really well. We've just got to keep working at it and get guys comfortable and see where it leads us.”

How will Tucker, Newton perform in collegiate debuts?

Indiana brought in one freshman this offseason, Bryson Tucker, a McDonald’s All-American who was rated as a five-star recruit and the nation’s No. 21 player, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. 

After missing the Tennessee game with a bruised thigh, he led the Hoosiers with 19 points on 9 for 12 shooting. At 6-foot-7, Tucker can play multiple positions, handle the ball and looked especially confident finding mid-range scoring opportunities against Marian. 

“He's a young freshman that has got a nice skillset and especially on both ends of the floor,” Woodson said Friday. “He's long and athletic, and he handles the ball. He can score the ball. He can do a lot of things. But he's got to learn the college game, and he's young at it right now and we've just got to keep pushing him in the right direction.”

Indiana's Bryson Tucker (8) shoots against Marian at Assembly Hall. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The other Hoosier who will officially debut Wednesday is 6-foot-3 guard Jakai Newton, who missed the entire 2023-24 season with a knee injury. Woodson said Indiana has been slow-walking him this offseason to avoid injury, and he didn’t play against Tennessee. 

Newton played 12 minutes against Marian and finished with two points on 1-for-5 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He said postgame that he has to get adjusted to game shape, and Woodson noted Monday that Newton was sore on Saturday, as he expected.

Woodson was glad to see Newton back on the court after a long injury recovery process.

“This is the first I'm he's played, which just brought a smile to my face, because this young man has been working and working and working to get back and finally got a chance to get a few minutes and I thought it's positive,” Woodson said Friday. “You could tell he's rusty. He hasn't played. But he's a talented young man. You know, I've seen him in practice do things that I knew he could do when we recruited him, and we just got to continue to nurse him and get him back at 100 percent because he's not there yet.”

Tucker and Newton have come off the bench during exhibition games, and their productivity will go a long way in determining Indiana’s depth, which it lacked last season.

Related stories on Indiana vs. SIU-Edwardsville

• HOW TO WATCH: Indiana begins the 2024-25 regular season on Wednesday against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. Here's how to watch, game time and TV info, announcers, the point spread and over/under, projected score, key stats, rankings and more. CLICK HERE

• POINT SPREAD: Indiana is a big favorite against SIU-Edwardsville in its season opener Wednesday night, but let's not forget how much they struggled against low-level opponents last year. Here is the latest from Tom Brew on the point spread, with a great history vs. the number for both teams. CLICK HERE

• MEET THE OPPONENT: SIU-Edwardsville comes off two winning seasons and is expected to contend in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2025. Kyle Thomas, the son of former Indiana great Daryl Thomas, is on their roster. CLICK HERE

• INDIANA INJURY UPDATES: Even though five players missed one exhibition game as a precaution, Indiana coach Mike Woodson is confident he'll have a healthy lineup for Wednesday night's regular season opener against SIU-Edwardsville at Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE

• PRESEASON Q&A WITH JACK ANKONY, TODD GOLDEN: With Indiana beginning the regular season Wednesday, we answer 10 questions – from individual roles to a big-picture look at the season – about the Hoosiers as they head into their fourth year under coach Mike Woodson. CLICK HERE

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