Indiana superior to the second spherical of the 2023 NCAA event with a 71-60 win towards Kent State on Friday at MVP Enviornment in Albany, New York.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from the win towards the Golden Flashes:
Indiana handles Kent State’s strain
Kent State’s defensive strain and skill to pressure turnovers was a spotlight for Indiana getting into Friday’s NCAA event matchup towards the Golden Flashes.
Rob Senderoff’s workforce was within the event primarily attributable to its protection and skill to pressure turnovers, which was Kent State’s greatest power.
With a freshman at level guard and restricted ball dealing with on the roster, many questioned how the Hoosiers would deal with the strain of guards like Malique Jacobs and Honest Carry.
After 40 minutes in Albany, it’s honest to say Indiana handed the take a look at. The Hoosiers turned the ball over solely seven occasions on Friday, resulting in solely eight factors for the Golden Flashes.
Kent State by no means bought into transition, both, scoring simply three fast-break factors in IU’s 11-point win.
Race Thompson comes up large in a vital spot
Offensive consistency hasn’t all the time been current for Race Thompson in his sixth season in Bloomington.
The 6-foot-8 Thompson has struggled all season from the perimeter and his 2-point and 3-point subject objective percentages are down from final season.
However Thompson set the tone early offensively for the Hoosiers on his option to a 20-point evening. The Minnesota native scored 13 factors within the first half and made two 3-pointers towards the Golden Flashes.
On an evening the place Jalen Hood-Schifino wasn’t Indiana’s secondary scoring possibility behind Trayce Jackson-Davis, Thompson stuffed that position after which some.
Thompson was an environment friendly 8-for-11 from the sphere and likewise added 9 rebounds in 29 minutes. The Hoosiers have been +19 with him on the ground, a team-high.
“I’m simply grateful for my teammates all the time retaining me locked in,” Thompson stated postgame. “I’ve been banged up quite a bit this season, and if I can’t observe, they all the time inform me it’s going to be all proper, simply keep it up. I simply give credit score to my teammates and coaches for retaining me assured, retaining me locked in even when my physique isn’t feeling nice.”
Indiana’s protection locks down Kent State
Protection-first has been the mantra from Mike Woodson since he took the Indiana teaching job within the spring of 2021.
The Hoosiers had the Huge Ten’s greatest protection in Woodson’s first season, however had a regression in yr two with the offense carrying the way in which for a big a part of the season.
On Friday, nonetheless, Indiana had one among its greatest defensive performances when it mattered.
The Hoosiers allowed Kent State to shoot simply 22-for-69 from the sphere and held the Golden Flashes to .94 factors per possession. Kent State’s capturing share (31.9) was the bottom for an IU opponent by way of 33 video games.
“We knew coming in tonight we needed to defend this workforce as a result of they might rating the ball,” Woodson stated following the win. “I assumed for probably the most half we have been strong during, and we’re going to want that the remainder of the way in which.”
One other dominant effort for Trayce Jackson-Davis
It was a slower begin than regular for Trayce Jackson-Davis in Friday’s win, however the first workforce All-American was dominant down the stretch.
Jackson-Davis scored 14 of his game-high 24 factors within the second half.
His ultimate stat line? 24 factors, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocked photographs and a steal in 35 minutes.
Kent State tried to make it difficult for Jackson-Davis to catch the ball in his spots and threw totally different seems at him, but it surely didn’t matter. The IU senior wasn’t going to be denied.
“You realize, he missed — his first two photographs across the bucket was level clean that he simply missed,” Woodson defined. “Or he most likely would have gotten off to a greater begin. I assumed he hung in there, and he simply form of let the sport come to him as a result of they have been mainly attempting to maintain the ball out of his fingers.”
Indiana advances previous the NCAA event first spherical for the primary time since 2016
NCAA event success has been elusive in Bloomington in current seasons.
The Hoosiers reached the NCAA event final season as a First 4 participant, however have been bounced within the spherical of 64 in a 29-point drubbing by Saint Mary’s.
Indiana’s objectives have been a lot increased this season because the gamers overtly embraced the problem of being a favourite within the Huge Ten with an opportunity to advance in March.
Friday’s win was Indiana’s first within the NCAA event spherical of 64 since 2016. The victory places Indiana able to additionally attain a objective that hasn’t been achieved since 2016: a visit to the Candy Sixteen.
The Hoosiers will now tackle Miami (FL), the co-champion of the ACC, on Sunday at 8:40 p.m. ET for the chance to advance to subsequent week’s regional in Kansas Metropolis.
Filed to: 2023 NCAA event, Kent State Golden Flashes, Race Thompson, Trayce Jackson-Davis