Indiana basketball took down Florida Gulf Coast in the team’s season opener, winning 69-63 at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers looked shaky at times but used a late run to take the lead for good against the Eagles.
That run came with Mackenzie Mgbako, CJ Gunn and Kaleb Banks all on the bench, while freshman guard Gabe Cupps closed the game with the other starters.
Heading into the season, a lot was made about the potential impact of Gunn, Banks and the five-star freshman Mgbako, but that was not the case Tuesday.
They struggled to stay on the court because they were not adding much for the Hoosiers on the offensive end. Mackenzie Mgbako scored four points on 2-of-6 shooting, adding three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in 19 minutes of action.
The sophomores did not see the floor as much, with CJ Gunn shooting 0-of-2 from the field in his nine minutes of action. Kaleb Banks only saw two minutes of action in the game and didn’t take a shot.
The offensive struggles paired with multiple lapses on the defensive end caused Mike Woodson to go away from the trio. Problems on the defensive end were a common theme, miscommunications and break downs led to a plethora of open looks for Florida Gulf Coast shooters.
The struggles of Mgbako, Gunn and Banks in the season opener led to some concerns from Mike Woodson.
“My concern is CJ and Kaleb and Mackenzie,” Woodson said about the trio postgame. “All three of those guys are capable of scoring too, so when they’re in the game, I got to get them comfortable number one, and they got to figure out what the hell we’re doing from a defensive standpoint. A lot of that was missed cues on their part.”
The expectations for the three players differ, but they are all expected to play a big role for Indiana this season. The expectations for Mackenzie Mgbako are the highest of the three.
Mgbako is someone who was supposed to step into a big scoring role for Indiana. His scoring ability will help compensate for some of his defensive struggles, but when he is not doing the thing he does best, it makes it hard for Woodson to keep him on the floor.
Sophomore forward Malik Reneau spoke about helping Mgbako adjust to the college game.
“It’s just the first game of the season. … Just staying with it and understanding what Coach Woody wants,” Reneau said about Mgbako’s slow start. ” … Me just always being in his ear and helping him out while he’s on the court.”
Like Reneau said, it’s important to remember it’s just one game for the freshman, Mgbako.
Last season, star freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino was not the same player in March that he was in November. In his first three games, Hood-Schifino struggled, shooting 6-of-21 from the field while not reaching double figures in any game.
Mgbako is going to be a completely different player in March than he is now, but with Indiana’s gauntlet of a non-conference schedule, they are going to need Mgbako to take that next step sooner rather than later.
For the sophomores, it’s a different story. They both had a limited role last season because of the depth of the team and played inconsistent minutes as a result.
Now in their second season, their role should grow. For CJ Gunn, he was one of the first guys off the bench in all three games but struggled to shoot the ball.
As his name suggests, Gunn can shoot the ball from beyond the arc but has not shown that ability while playing for Indiana basketball. With the team lacking shooters, the Hoosiers need Gunn to help fill that role and help score.shown
For Kaleb Banks, he has the size and athleticism to be a great defender but has not put the offensive game together. With the front court depth Indiana boasts, Banks will need to prove he can be a perimeter player if he is going to earn consistent minutes.
Mgbako, Gunn and Banks have plenty of time to take the next step that fans have been hoping for, but the concern comes because of the opponents coming up on the schedule.
Indiana basketball travels to New York for the Empire Classic in less than ten days where they will face the defending champion UConn Huskies and either Louisville or Texas in the second game.
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