Xavier Johnson's Status Uncertain For High-Pressure Matchup Against Auburn

Indiana coach Mike Woodson said Thursday he doesn’t know if senior point guard Xavier Johnson will play Saturday against Auburn. If Johnson remains out, Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway and the Hoosiers will have to deal with Auburn’s pressure.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – One thing is clear when watching Bruce Pearl-coached Auburn teams: Their defensive pressure is relentless.

Whether it's tight on-ball defense, full-court pressure, getting hands in the passing lanes or crashing the glass, Pearl's teams always aim to be the aggressor.

That'll be no different Saturday in Atlanta against Indiana, which may have to deal with that pressure without its starting point guard, Xavier Johnson. The sixth-year senior has missed Indiana's last two games, wins over Maryland and Michigan, after suffering what appeared to be an ankle or foot injury against Harvard on Nov. 26

"I don't know yet," Woodson said Thursday of Johnson's status for the Auburn game. "Right now he's rehabbing, and hopefully he'll be back here in the near future. That's all I can give you right now."

Johnson earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention in his first season with the Hoosiers in 2021-22, when he averaged 12.1 points and 5.1 assists per game. Indiana made a late push for the NCAA Tournament that year, and Johnson was arguably the best player down the stretch.

But since then, his time at Indiana has been marred by injuries. Johnson missed all but 11 games last year with a broken foot, but he was able to get a medical waiver to play a sixth season in 2023-24. Johnson appeared to roll his ankle going for a steal against Wright State on Nov. 16, but he remained in the starting lineup the following three games. Against Harvard on Nov. 26, he left the game in the first half and had ice wrapped around his ankle and foot the rest of the night.

Indiana University's Xavier Johnson stands in street clothes as the Hoosiers warm-up before the start of the Indiana versus Maryland men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Johnson’s injury has given an already thin backcourt even fewer options. Freshman guard Jakai Newton hasn’t played this year due to a knee injury, leaving Trey Galloway, Gabe Cupps, CJ Gunn and Anthony Leal as the only healthy scholarship guards on the roster. Cupps, a 6-foot-2 freshman, has started the last two games alongside Galloway in the backcourt.

Woodson said Cupps “played his ass off” on Tuesday against Michigan, as he helped limit Michigan point guard Dug McDaniel to 3-for-14 shooting. Cupps has turned the ball over just 10 times in eight games.

“He's been steady ever since we brought him on campus,” Woodson said Thursday. “Yes, he has a long way to go, still trying to figure out the college game. But the fact that he competes, he loves to compete, he puts the work in, he doesn't look lost.”

Cupps has played strong defense and made few mistakes so far, but he doesn’t bring the same offensive firepower as Johnson yet. Cupps has attempted just six shots in the last five games, and he’s 3-for-14 from the field and 6-for-6 at the free throw line. He shot 44.3% from 3-point range as a junior in high school when he won Ohio Mr. Basketball, but there’s been a learning curve against bigger defenders.

It’s understandable, as Cupps is just eight games into his college career and Johnson is a six-year veteran. Cupps is wired to get his teammates involved, and he knows Indiana’s strength is inside with Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau.

“If [Cupps] doesn't score a bucket, I'm good with that,” Woodson said Tuesday. “If he's got shots, I want him to take it. But he just knows how to manage the game, and he does things on defense that a lot of guards don't want to do.”

Indiana Hoosiers guard Gabe Cupps (2) celebrates with Indiana Hoosiers center Kel'el Ware (1) after a basket during the game against Harvard in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023 :: Bobby Goddin/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

If Johnson remains out, the challenge for Cupps grows even greater in the next two games against Auburn and Kansas. Auburn’s defense ranks 15th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom, as well as top 20 in opponents’ 2-point and 3-point shooting percentages. The Tigers are going to be physical, seen through their 38th-most fouls this season.

Cupps will have Galloway, a senior, to help combat Auburn’s pressure, and Gunn is coming off perhaps the best game of his college career against Michigan. Woodson has given Leal some minutes lately, but he didn’t play Tuesday.

When it comes to preparing for Auburn, Woodson’s message was simple.

“We do what we do, and that's just work,” Woodson said. “They're no different than some teams that we play that applies pressure. We've just got to handle the basketball, not turn it over, and get shots. What they do to you, you've got to reverse it and do the same thing to them.”

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• AUBURN BREAKDOWN: Following a 2-0 start to Big Ten play, Indiana plays the Auburn Tigers Saturday in Atlanta. Coached by Bruce Pearl, Auburn plays pressure defense, and its offense is led by forward Johni Broome and freshman guard Aden Holloway. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA 2023-24 SCHEDULE: Here is the 2023-24 Indiana basketball schedule with game times and television designations released for all games. We'll update this file throughout the season as well with links to the stories from all of the games played so far. CLICK HERE
• GUNN'S CAREER NIGHT: Indiana senior point guard Xavier Johnson missed a second consecutive game Tuesday at Michigan, and Trey Galloway had a poor shooting night. But in a 78-75 win, CJ Gunn knocked down crucial shots, and Gabe Cupps played strong defense on Dug McDaniel. CLICK HERE
• IU-MICHIGAN GAME STORY: Indiana got one big play after another down the stretch and came away with a huge road win at Michigan on Tuesday night, winning 78-75. It's their second straight Big Ten victory in December, and they're now 7-1 on the season. CLICK HERE