Indiana’s five-game successful streak was snapped with an 85-60 loss to Iowa on Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment. The loss dropped the Hoosiers to 13-4 total and 4-2 in Massive Ten play.
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the loss to the Hawkeyes:
Indiana’s early turnovers set the tone
Coming into Saturday’s recreation in Iowa Metropolis, Iowa had turned its opponents over 233 instances in 15 video games, a mean of 15.5 per recreation. Caring for the ball is crucial to successful, significantly on the highway in a difficult surroundings.
From the opening tip, it was obvious Indiana’s carelessness with the ball could be a theme. The Hoosiers had seven turnovers within the first 5 and a half minutes, setting the tone for a disastrous efficiency.
The turnovers got here from varied sources. Mackenzie Mgbako misplaced the ball within the recreation’s opening minute, Oumar Ballo had three turnovers in 73 seconds from the 18:10 mark to the 16:57 mark and Trey Galloway made two unhealthy passes. On the 14:38 mark, Ballo had his fourth turnover in lower than six minutes when he traveled.
By halftime, Indiana had dedicated 12 turnovers and trailed by 10 factors. The Hoosiers wouldn’t get nearer within the second half, leading to an embarrassing 25-point loss.
For the sport, Iowa outscored the Hoosiers 24 to 10 in factors off of turnovers. IU’s sloppiness with the ball additionally led to no scarcity of alternatives for the Hawkeyes to get out in transition. Iowa outscored IU 26 to 2 in quick break factors.
Hoosiers supply little resistance defensively
Iowa is once more the most effective offensive groups within the Massive Ten in 12 months 15 of the Fran McCaffery period.
On Saturday, the Hawkeyes had their method towards a hapless Indiana protection. After holding their earlier 5 factors beneath 1.02 factors per possession, Iowa scored 1.18 factors per journey towards the Hoosiers.
That is the fourth time Indiana has surrendered at the very least 1.18 factors per journey this season. The opposite three contests had been IU’s earlier losses: Louisville, Gonzaga and Nebraska.
Iowa shot 54.2 % total and 11-for-24 on 3-pointers, good for 45.8 %.
The Hawkeyes grabbed 9 offensive rebounds and scored extra second-chance factors than IU. They completed with 12 second-chance factors, in comparison with 9 for the Hoosiers.
Mackenzie Mgbako’s struggles proceed
Mackenzie Mgbako, final season’s co-Massive Ten freshman of the 12 months, struggled for the second straight recreation.
The 6-foot-8 ahead went scoreless in Wednesday’s win towards USC and had solely six factors on 2-for-6 taking pictures with two turnovers in Saturday’s loss.
Mgbako has performed simply 31 minutes whole within the final two video games.
Whereas Mgbako’s total numbers this season look strong, his effectivity has plummeted in Massive Ten play. Mgbako is 8-for-27 (29.6 %) on 3s in convention video games and 12-for-29 (41.4 %) on 2s.
The remainder of his efficiency additionally suffers when Mgbako isn’t engaged offensively and making pictures. He’s been an concerned rebounder and prepared defender at instances in his sophomore season. However when he doesn’t get going offensively, that disappears.
Indiana was by no means within the recreation within the second half
As has been the theme for the Hoosiers beneath Mike Woodson during the last three-plus seasons, Indiana was by no means aggressive when it mattered in Saturday’s recreation.
The Hoosiers are actually 35-31 in common season Massive Ten video games beneath Woodson since his arrival within the 2021-22 season.
In response to Zach Osterman of The Indianapolis Star, 12 of these 31 losses have been by at the very least 15 factors. 5 have been by at the very least 20 factors and 16 have been by double figures.
When Indiana loses video games, it isn’t aggressive as a rule. This season, all of IU’s losses have come by at the very least 16 factors and by a mean of 21.5 factors.
The common blowouts additionally harm IU’s metrics. The Hoosiers fell six spots in KenPom with final evening’s loss and 4 spots within the NET rankings.
The highway simply will get harder from right here
After failing its first take a look at on this vital stretch of 11 straight Quad 1 video games, Indiana’s highway will get harder starting Tuesday.
The Hoosiers host Illinois on Tuesday in Bloomington after which play 4 of their subsequent 5 video games on the highway. Within the subsequent eight video games, KenPom has IU because the underdog in each recreation.
Illinois is coming off a shocking 82-72 loss at dwelling to USC on Saturday. For the second straight recreation, the Illini had been with out star freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis.
The Illini swept a two-game highway journey to the West Coast and beat Penn State by 38 earlier than the USC loss. Indiana is 11-0 at dwelling this season.
After the Illinois recreation, Indiana goes to Ohio State and Northwestern earlier than internet hosting Maryland. After that, IU’s subsequent 4 video games are even harder: at Purdue, at Wisconsin, Michigan at dwelling and at Michigan State.
(Picture credit score: IU Athletics)
Filed to: Iowa Hawkeyes
