IU basketball beats Kansas State 86-69: 3 takeaways

Indiana men’s basketball moved to 6-0 under head coach Darian DeVries with an 86-69 win over Kansas State at Assembly Hall this Tuesday. The win brings Indiana to 2-0 against high-major programs, including the neutral site win over Marquette.

Outside of a stretch of about eight minutes in the first half when the Hoosiers let Kansas State back into the game, Indiana once again looked dominant against a quality opponent. This time, though, it wasn’t the high-powered offense that put the game out of reach – it was Indiana’s stifling defense.

The Hoosiers forced turnovers, got out and scored on the break, and kept the Wildcats, an elite 3-point shooting offense, from finding their rhythm from deep. It wasn’t a perfect game, but it was a statement win for a team that has struggled to establish an identity for when the shots aren’t falling.

Here are Three Takeaways from the game:

Chucking It

Especially because of what Indiana fans have suffered through over the last two coaching tenures, I am inclined to give the Hoosiers the greenest of lights from beyond the 3-point line. Tonight’s offense tested my patience, though, especially in the first 20 minutes.

Through five minutes, Indiana attempted 10 threes, making just three of them. While this was roughly what the Hoosier’s finished the night with, proving they can win on a below-average shooting night, it was the shot selection that I have a problem with.

Indiana’s offensive identity to this point has been constant motion off the ball, leading to one of the highest assist rates in the country. The threes that Indiana was taking in the first half tonight were not a product of this kind of ball-movement. It was a lot of guys standing around chucking shots.

Again, the result proved that being a little fast and loose with offensive discipline early won’t doom this team, but the game could’ve been put away a lot earlier. Even just one or two of those deep, game-breaking 3-point attempts that we saw about five of would’ve been more appropriate.

Defense

The reason that the poor offensive stretches that resulted from the lazy offensive documented above was Indiana’s defense tonight.

Already an efficient group, the Hoosiers jumped seven spots to No. 15 nationally in defensive efficiency on Kenpom, forcing a 25% turnover rate against a team that averaged under 20% on the season before tonight. Indiana also clamped down on the perimeter, holding one of the best 3-point shooting teams below its season average on the night.

The common theme between these stats is the effort all five defenders give the entire time they’re on the floor. Opposing players simply don’t get the space to pass, shoot, or dribble comfortably.

Indiana also cleaned it up on the glass, limiting KSU to just eight offensive rebounds and out-rebounding the Wildcats by seven as a whole. Teams will continue to test them inside as the season goes on, but tonight was a good example of how Indiana’s effort can make good offenses uncomfortable.

Secondary Scoring

Tonight was the first time this season when neither of Lamar Wilkerson nor Tucker DeVries were top two in scoring for Indiana. In Indiana’s other win against a high-major, they were one and two, each with over twenty.

For how much experience the pair has, the expectation is that they will both return to form and be capable of leading the team on any given night. Tonight’s win demonstrated that Indiana won’t necessarily need those two each and every night, with a variety of options up and down the lineup.

Reed Bailey tied his season-high with 21 points in 29 minutes while Sam Alexis sat with foul trouble. Tayton Conerway also turned in a strong scoring performance, with 19 points and two assists. Off the bench, Indiana got 12 from Trent Sisley, including an alley-oop finish in transition to re-energize Assembly Hall.

The Hoosiers will need one of or both of their top two scorers, Wilkerson and DeVries, to reach their potential this season. As we learned tonight though, there’s enough talent on this team to eke out wins on nights when they struggle.