Three Things To Watch When Indiana Hosts Maryland Friday

When Indiana begins Big Ten play on Friday against Maryland, keep an eye on the inside matchup between Kel'el Ware and Julian Reese, which team shoots better from beyond the arc, and the health of Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana takes a brief pause in nonconference play for two Big Ten games before the new year, first on Friday against Maryland and then on Dec. 5 at Michigan.

While no win has been easy, Indiana stands at 5-1 on the year with its lone loss to No. 4 UConn. Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers welcome Maryland to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. In coach Kevin Willard's second year, the Terrapins are 4-3 with losses to Davidson, UAB and Villanova.

Before tipoff, here are three things to watch.

Ware versus Reese

Indiana center Kel'el Ware is coming off his most productive game of the season, scoring a career-high 28 points on 12-for-13 shooting, along with eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks against Harvard. He enters Big Ten play as Indiana's leading scorer, but one question remains. How will he handle the physicality of the Big Ten? Woodson didn't like that Ware moved out of the paint so frequently against UConn, when he had both his lowest-scoring (11) and worst shooting (20%) game of the season. That can largely be attributed to UConn's 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan, who's one of the top defenders in the nation. 

Ware has his second-biggest challenge of the season Friday against Maryland forward Julian Reese. The 6-foot-9 sophomore is averaging 15.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, including eight blocks in his last two outings. Ware has lived up to the hype so far, but Indiana needs him to prove it against a formidable Big Ten opponent.  

Which team makes more threes?

Scroll way down the team 3-point shooting charts, and in the bottom 15 of the entire nation you'll find Indiana and Maryland. They own the two worst 3-point shooting percentages among power conference schools. Out of 362 teams, Indiana ranks 349th at 24.1%, and Maryland ranks 352nd at 23.9%. 

While neither team shoots it well, there is a big difference between the two. Indiana knows its bread and butter is inside with Ware, Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako. Even its guards like Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway prefer to drive the ball instead of hoisting threes. On the year, Indiana is 19-for-79 from 3-point range as a team. Maryland, however, is 38-for-160. Its percentage is worse, but it's still made twice as many as Indiana. Friday's matchup could come down to which team hits outside shots.

As a team, Indiana is averaging 3.2 3-pointers made per game, while its opponents average 9.7. Woodson was asked Thursday if he thinks Indiana needs to increase its 3-point shooting rate, or if he believes the team's strength inside can allow Indiana to be successful, as NCAA Tournament teams tend to make threes at a higher clip.

"Maybe we might be that team that makes the tournament not making threes. You ever thought about that?" Woodson said. "That could happen. I'm just saying. Everybody puts so much on analytics. Maybe we might be that team to make it. The bottom line is we're sitting here with one loss, with some wins. Got a lot of work still on our hands. We hadn't made the three point shot, but we still are winning."

Xavier Johnson's health

Indiana's sixth-year point guard left Sunday's Harvard game late in the first half and did not return. He had ice around his ankle and foot the entire second half. Johnson was listed as questionable before the UConn, Louisville and Harvard games after turning his ankle late in the second half against Wright State on Nov. 16, but he's managed to start each game. 

"We're still evaluating X to see where he is," Woodson said Thursday. "If he can't play, hey, it's just the next man up, you know. That's how it's always been here, and injuries are part of the game. You know, nothing you can do about it. If he can't play, then I expect somebody else to step up and play."

Four full days in between games should help his case, but Indiana may need to rely on freshman point guard Gabe Cupps for increased minutes against Maryland. Senior guard Anthony Leal also saw his first game action of the year against Harvard after Johnson went down. His role, along with sophomore guard CJ Gunn, could be expanded, too. This would be an especially difficult matchup for Indiana's backup guards, as Maryland senior Jahmir Young is a top-tier point guard in the Big Ten, averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 assists through seven games.

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