For the most part, it’s been a difficult season for Indiana basketball. Indiana basketball tournament hopes seemed dead and their questions surrounding the future of the program.
Those questions were answered earlier today when it was reported by the IndyStar’s Zach Osterman that Mike Woodson would be returning as head coach for the 2024-25 season.
Fast forward to tonight and Indiana was able to take down Minnesota 70-58 on the road for their third consecutive win.
The Hoosiers look like a completely different team right now as they wrap up the regular season on Sunday and head into the Big Ten Tournament.
The obvious difference during this winning streak has been Xavier Johnson’s return from injury, but the difference between this team now and just a month ago is much more than Johnson’s return to the court.
“Guys are committing themselves. We’re playing now like we should have been playing,” Woodson said postgame. “X makes a difference, there’s no doubt about that.”
While Johnson did not make the biggest impact on the box score, he pushed the tempo and helped Indiana get out and run. Their 19 fast break points were indicative of that effort.
“We’re playing faster and guys are making shots,” Woodson said about the winning streak.
Indiana scored 20 fast break points in their win against Maryland which was a big point of emphasis coming into the season, but has been an area where they have not capitalized until recently.
The play of the defense has allowed them to get out and run and tonight highlighted that. Indiana held Minnesota to 58 points and forced 18 turnovers.
“I just thought it was a total team effort from the beginning. Our defense set the tone,” Woodson said.
Indiana basketball has held their opponents to 43.6% from the field while the Hoosiers have shot 57.3% during this run.
Indiana’s ability to generate open looks has played a huge role in their shooting improvements. Senior guard Trey Galloway’s improvement as a playmaker has played a huge role in the improved offense.
“Coach trusts me with the ball in my hands for me to make plays,” Galloway said postgame. “I know I can go out there and make plays to get my teammates involved and for myself.”
Galloway finished with 11 assists against Minnesota and is averaging nine per game during the current winning streak.
“[Trey Galloway] has been solid all season for us. He’s done a lot of good things on both ends of the floor,” Woodson said about Galloway. I look at the stat sheet with 28 assists, he had 12 of them.”
Galloway’s passing ability does not matter if the guys are not making shots, which has been a big improvement during this run. One player whose improvement has stood out has been freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako.
Mgbako only reached double-figures once in Indiana basketball’s first five games, but has since turned the corner and has become one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten Conference.
“You think back to where we started with Mack and we just hung in there,” Woodson said about Mgbako. “He hung in there and kept working and he’s starting to blossom in front of us.”
Mgbako is averaging 17.7 points per game during the run while shooting 48.6% from the field and 52.9% from beyond the arc. His play has been huge to Indiana basketball’s drastic improvement.
While guys like Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau have consistently performed this season, the improvement of the guys around them has been the biggest difference.
Indiana basketball’s at-large tournament hopes are slim to none, but their current level of play could make them a dangerous team in the Big Ten Tournament.
“We’re playing good basketball at the right time which is good, but we can’t really focus on the past,” Galloway said. “We got to focus on the present and the future. We have to keep winning games and take it one game at a time.”
With one final regular season game left against Michigan State on Sunday, Indiana basketball’s focus has not changed as they are only focused on the team in front of them.
“We can’t look too far ahead because we got to take care of business one game at a time,” Galloway said.
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