No. 1 went down on Saturday, as No. 21 Indiana took down Purdue, 79-74. Our recap from the Hoosier victory is here.
Which player combinations made the biggest impact for Indiana? How did Mike Woodson manage his rotations? One thing stood out: the starters made a big difference for IU.
Notes:
- First and foremost, Mike Woodson tightened his rotations on Saturday, especially after halftime. Indiana used 12 unique player combinations overall, including just five after halftime.
- Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis did not rest during the second half of IU’s win, playing all 20 minutes to protect the lead.
- Speaking of those two, Indiana’s best lineup was their starting five: Hood-Schifino, Jackson-Davis, Trey Galloway, Miller Kopp, and Race Thompson. They played over 17 minutes together. Not only did Woodson start those five, but he also chose to close out the game with that unit over the last 5:05. During that stretch, IU outscored Purdue 12-9 to seal the five-point win.
- IU’s starters also gave the Hoosiers the lead at the time of the first Hoosier substitution for the fourth straight game since Thompson was re-introduced into the lineup at Minnesota.
- Kopp and Galloway each led Indiana at +5. There wasn’t a single Hoosier who finished the game with a negative +/-.
- Hood-Schifino, Galloway, Kopp, Jackson-Davis, and Malik Reneau made up IU’s best lineup on a per-minute basis. They were strong defensively, giving up just 2 points in the 3:10 they played.
- IU’s offense was at its best with Thompson in the game. The Hoosiers scored 45 points in the 21:50 he played, a scoring rate of 2.06 points per minute (PPM). In the 18:10 he was on the bench, IU scored just 1.87 PPM.
- Indiana’s defense was toughest with Reneau on the court. IU gave up just 33 points in his 19:31, or 1.69 PPM. In the 20:29 he was seated, IU conceded 2.00 PPM.
- Without Xavier Johnson and Jordan Geronimo available, Indiana played just seven players in the second half. Moreso, IU’s starting lineup played over 10 of the 20 minutes together, with Tamar Bates filling in for 8:54 and Reneau for 8:49.
Featured Photo: Indiana Athletics