Indiana went into its final Crossroads Classic contest with a surprise absence, as Tamar Bates missed the game due to a death in the family. With a shorter bench than expected, including Trey Galloway’s unavailability, which player combinations helped the Hoosiers pull through vs. ND?
Notes:
- Indiana’s best player on the day, by +/-, was Xavier Johnson (+16). IU outscored ND 56-40 during his 31:36 on the court.
- Indiana’s best player by +/- on the season is, you guessed it, Xavier Johnson (+151).
- Memo to Hoosier fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse: Johnson probably shouldn’t be booed, even if his shot selection isn’t the best.
- Indiana’s best lineup on the day featured two point guards: Xavier Johnson and Rob Phinisee. Johnson and Phinisee, with Anthony Leal, Race Thompson, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, went +9 in 6:41. This was the lineup Mike Woodson opted to use down the stretch to seal the victory.
- When Johnson and Phinisee shared the court, IU went +9 in 16:41. When just one PG was on the floor, IU went -1 in 23:19. Will Woodson use more two-PG sets when Bates returns?
- The lineup that struggled the most was Phinisee, Leal, Parker Stewart, Miller Kopp, and Jackson-Davis. They played a 4:03 stretch in the second half, which included the flagrant/technical sequence.
- IU’s starting lineup proved to be reliable once again (+7 in 15:04). Don’t expect the five to change anytime soon.
- Jackson-Davis played 38:04, including the final 27:17. In other words, he played the entire second half. As they say, the best ability is availability.
- IU’s offense was at its best with Thompson in the game. In his 26:15, IU scored 47 points, or 1.79 points per minute (PPM). In the 13:45 he sat, IU scored 17 points, or 1.24 PPM.
- IU’s defense was at its best with Thompson on the floor as well. IU allowed just 32 points in his 26 minutes at 1.22 PPM. In the 14 minutes he sat, IU gave up 24 points, or 1.75 PPM.
- Woodson played only 10 permutations on Saturday. With a shorter bench, Woodson found what worked around halftime, and stuck with it as much as he could.
Featured Photo: IU Athletics
