Mike Woodson entered the offseason with an sad fanbase and 7 scholarship spots to fill.
The target has been clear: purchase expertise within the backcourt and plug the opposite holes with skilled and environment friendly gamers. Indiana’s three top-20 switch portal commitments, Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, and Kanaan Carlyle, accomplish that.
With the opening evening of the 2024-25 season half a yr away, Woodson has put Indiana in an excellent place. However how did this turn out to be a “do or die” offseason for Indiana and its guard play within the first place?
The arrival of Jalen Hood-Schifino earlier than the 2022-23 season gave Indiana NBA-level expertise within the backcourt. Earlier than Xavier Johnson broke his foot in December, Hood-Schifino was paired with Johnson within the backcourt. With shared ball-handling duties between the 2, Indiana had choices. When Johnson went out for the season, Indiana had no downside giving the freshman Hood-Schifino the reins to the offense.
In line with Kenpom, the Hoosiers completed the 2022-23 marketing campaign with the Twenty eighth-best offense within the nation, simply the very best mark of the Woodson period. Woodson admitted that he didn’t anticipate Hood-Schifino to enter the NBA draft after his Large Ten freshman of the yr season. This oversight set this system again final season as IU relied on Johnson (who solely began 13 video games), a freshman in Gabe Cupps, and Trey Galloway.
Merely put, Indiana’s guard play lowered its ceiling final season.
Galloway missed Indiana’s closing two video games however nonetheless performed 1,034 minutes, 69 greater than any Hoosier and the Thirteenth-highest proportion within the Large Ten. The Culver Academy product does many issues properly, however he wants a little bit help from his teammates when producing offense. That’s why Indiana likes to have him come off screens on the elbow and get him in a spot the place he can play off two ft within the paint. Galloway, who will return subsequent winter for a fifth season, improved within the choose and roll and as a decision-maker all through final season. Galloway completed the season ninth within the Large Ten in help fee (25.6) and had double-digit assists in three of his closing seven video games.
However he wasn’t efficient as a creator off the dribble, which was an issue. He was requested to play a task he wasn’t totally comfy with. On high of guarding the opposition’s finest perimeter participant, Galloway received worn down — therefore his 3-point proportion dipping from 46.2 p.c in 2022-23 to 26 p.c this previous yr. In 2022-23, Galloway’s utilization fee was 12.1 p.c (eleventh highest on the roster). In 2023-24, Galloway was used a mean of 19.1 p.c of possessions, the fifth highest on the roster. That was simply too massive of a bounce.
Indiana’s three frontcourt gamers, Kel’el Ware, Malik Reneau, and Mackenzie Mgbako, had the three highest utilization charges final season. That is sensible, as these have been Indiana’s three finest gamers. Nevertheless, the dearth of utilization and creation IU was getting from its backcourt was regarding.
The addition of Rice and Carlyle offers Indiana gifted backcourt depth and two of the very best creators off the dribble out there within the portal.
EvanMiya.com’s “function” statistic calculates a participant’s function in his crew’s offense based mostly on their stats and crew contributions on a 1.0 to five.0 scale. A 1.0 means the participant is the crew’s “creator” and a 5.0 could be the crew’s “receiver.”
Rice, the Pac-12 freshman of the yr, was a 1.6, making him Washington State’s strongest and most pure creator. Carlyle was a 2.7, the fourth-highest in Stanford’s offense. It’s essential to notice that Carlyle missed the primary month of his true freshman season and solely began 16 video games.
Carlyle averaged 0.941 factors per possession in isolation final season, rating within the 71st percentile. That’s good for a freshman. As a crew, Indiana averaged 0.793 factors per possession in isolation final season. Rice was even higher in isolation. He averaged one level per possession in 43 isolation alternatives. Isolation offense isn’t the secret in faculty basketball, however now Indiana has two perimeter gamers who’re comfy breaking down defenders if the ball stalls.
Each additionally spent over 100 possessions because the ball handler within the choose and roll (Rice spent 236), placing up strong numbers in attending to the basket and making efficient choices.
Rice and Carlyle have been two of the portal’s most dynamic guards and now Indiana has each. Pair the 2 of them with Galloway and a extra skilled Cupps and IU all of the sudden has depth and expertise on the perimeter. That’s three or 4 guys the place there’s consolation in dealing with the ball and producing offense. Final season, IU possibly felt comfy with one or two of these guys, particularly in late-game eventualities.
Galloway, Mgbako and Reneau (all returners from final season) ought to profit from this. Indiana can have extra spot-up alternatives as guys get downhill, and with a major goal/lob risk in Ballo, opposing groups can have so much to account for within the scouting report. Indiana has an opportunity to have its finest offense within the Woodson regime.
Filed to: Kanaan Carlyle, Myles Rice, Trey Galloway
