INDIANAPOLIS — Late heroics from Tayton Conerway sealed a last-minute exhibition win Sunday, as Indiana defeated Baylor 76-74 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Here is what I liked, disliked and what the Hoosiers‘ exhibition win means.
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What I liked from IU basketball’s win vs. Baylor
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Savvy. It’s easy to forget how experienced this team is, because it isn’t necessarily experienced together. But when the Hoosiers needed smart, veteran play, they got in the form of fewer turnovers, fewer needless fouls, better game management, everything. Indiana struggled with Baylor’s length and athleticism, but the Bears could not match them for nous. That will probably be true again this winter.
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Ball security. Nothing mattered so much as this. The Hoosiers finished with just nine turnovers, staying careful with the ball regardless of calls or coverages. It moved about as crisply as it did against Marian, just not to such productive ends given the jump in competitive level. This will not be a team that can afford to give away many positions, both because its offense must be its strength and also because it cannot afford the defensive weakness. Early returns are encouraging.
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Free throws. It’s a small thing that added up to a big one by game’s end. The Hoosiers have struggled at the stripe consistently across the last several seasons. This team should be better statistically, but fans will understandably want to see it before believing it. Sunday’s 20 of 21 from the free-throw line, like 15 of 30 from behind the 3-point line against Marian, will go a long way toward rebuilding trust.
What I disliked from IU basketball’s win vs. Baylor
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Problems with pressure. Baylor showed DeVries’ team length and athleticism the Hoosiers had not yet seen through the extended offseason/preseason, and it showed early. When the Bears burst ahead by double digits in the first half it was via defensive pressure IU struggled to navigate, and offensive ability the Hoosiers could not defend. Given its size and composition, this roster was never going to be the most explosive or athletic. That showed Sunday, especially as the game wore on, and the Bears steadily silenced Lamar Wilkerson.
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Depth. The absence of four scholarship players through injury was felt pointedly as the game wore on. DeVries used what effectively evolved into a seven-man rotation, with Jasai Miles snatching spot minutes in the eighth spot. Andrej Acimovic is understandably being brought along slowly. But the combination of it all leaves this team woefully short on bodies right now. Nick Dorn should be back soon. DeVries could probably use at least one of Jason Drake or Aleksa Ristic back in the mix sooner rather than later as well.
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Rebounding. It will be a problem against teams with those aforementioned length and athleticism advantages all season. Indiana finished minus-19 (44-25) in total rebounds, the gap pronounced to the naked eye as well. That meant a 18-3 advantage in second-chance points. IU mitigated it with 22 points off Baylor turnovers, but again, this is going to be an issue all year.
What IU basketball’s win vs. Baylor means
It feels like a lot of the terms have been set for the Hoosiers now. We know what they are and what they aren’t. Where they’re weak and where they’re strong. Darian DeVries committed a lot of extra time to building this group out for the coming season. Now, for better and worse, the games start counting.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU basketball score today vs Baylor, stats, likes, dislikes
