Indiana won its fifth straight game and improved to 13-3 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten play with an 82-69 win against USC on Wednesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Here are five takeaways from the win against the Trojans:
Oumar Ballo’s dominance continues
Since returning from a one-game absence against Winthrop on Dec. 29, Indiana senior Oumar Ballo has been on a tear.
On Wednesday against USC, Ballo finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist in 33 minutes. Ballo was 9-for-11 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
Ballo has been dominant in IU’s last three games. The Mali native is averaging 21.7 points, 11 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots and two assists in 32.3 minutes per game.
The 7-footer is shooting 64 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free-throw line. Ballo has 14 offensive rebounds over the last three games and just two turnovers.
Through five Big Ten games, Ballo ranks first in the league in free throw rate (FTA/FGA) and is shooting 62.5 percent from the line. Last season, he shot just 52.1 percent in PAC-12 games at Arizona.
With no clear timetable for Malik Reneau’s return, the Hoosiers will need Ballo to continue producing at a high level while playing more minutes than usual for the foreseeable future.
Luke Goode remains hot from the perimeter
Senior forward Luke Goode shot a combined 2-for-13 on 3s in IU’s final two non-conference games against Chattanooga and Winthrop.
As Goode has adjusted to his new role as a starter, the 6-foot-7 Fort Wayne native has heated up from the perimeter.
In IU’s wins against Rutgers, Penn State and USC, Goode is 10-for-15 (66.6 percent) on 3-pointers. For the season, he’s shooting 38 percent from deep and he’s 50 percent on 3s in conference play.
After the USC win, Goode credited assistant coach Brian Walsh for helping him with his mindset.
“Coach Walsh actually played a similar role to me in college so he understands the shooting slumps and ups and downs and having that role on a team,” Goode explained. “He actually gave me a book that I’ve been reading. It’s really helped. I started reading it three games ago since I’ve started shooting the ball well.”
Goode played a season-high 34 minutes against USC and had 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field.
Myles Rice plays well for a fourth straight game
Redshirt sophomore point guard Myles Rice appears to be hitting his stride in an IU uniform.
For a fourth straight game, Rice delivered a strong performance in a Hoosier victory. The 6-foot-3 guard had 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists, a blocked shot and a steal in 33 minutes against USC.
Over the last four games, Rice has averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 33 minutes.
Rice is 23-for-25 from the free throw line over the last four and is shooting 90.2 percent from the line on the season.
The floor has been more open recently due to the Hoosiers playing one big, giving Rice more room to operate. Rice has taken advantage by attacking the rim.
Indiana’s defense has been stellar in Big Ten play, but the competition is about to ramp up
In its win against USC, Indiana held its opponent under a point per possession for the fourth time in its last five games.
Through five Big Ten games, the Hoosiers are allowing 1.036 points per possession, which is third in the league behind Michigan State and Illinois.
IU’s defense now sits inside the top 50 of KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings at No. 47.
But the competition will improve significantly beginning this weekend at Iowa. The Hawkeyes are averaging 1.148 points per trip in conference games, fifth-best in the league.
Over its first five Big Ten games, the Hoosiers haven’t played a team ranked higher than 10th in points per possession scored in league play. According to KenPom, Indiana has played the easiest schedule of any Big Ten team thus far and the Hoosiers are underdogs in their next 11 games.
Rebounding has developed into a strength for Indiana
Indiana’s rebounding was a major issue early this season. The Hoosiers were exposed on the defensive glass in the Bahamas as three straight opponents grabbed more than 37.9 percent of their missed shots.
However, Mike Woodson, the coaching staff and the players deserve credit for the turnaround on the glass.
Since the Bahamas, no opponent has grabbed more than 29.7 percent of their missed shots against the Hoosiers. On Wednesday against USC, the Trojans rebounded only 19.4 percent of their misses.
Indiana now ranks 80th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage and second in the Big Ten in conference games.
There has also been a steady improvement on the offensive glass. According to KenPom, Indiana is 74th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage and is second in conference games.
After Wednesday’s win against USC, Goode mentioned rebounding as a key as the Hoosiers begin a difficult 11-game stretch.
“I think personally, it’s defense and rebounding,” Goode said. “At the beginning the season, you go back to the trip down to the Bahamas, the biggest issue for us was guarding. We were getting killed by Louisville and Gonzaga. Couldn’t guard anybody. The last ten games I think we’ve out-rebounded our opponents.
“I think to be able to continue to be successful in the Big Ten in a physical league, we got to keep defending and rebounding.”
Filed to: Luke Goode, Myles Rice, Oumar Ballo, USC Trojans
