The Indiana Hoosiers fell to the Maryland Terrapins last night 66-55 in College Park. With the loss, the Hoosiers five-game winning streak is over, and they fall to 6-5 in the Big Ten. That record has them tied for fifth in the conference with four other teams. The Hoosiers offense hit a bump in the road after scoring 80 points in three of their last five games scoring less than 60 for just the second time this season.
On Tuesday night, Trayce Jackson-Davis needed some help. The All-American finished with 18 points and 20 rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting. The rest of the Indiana lineup combined to go 14-of-43 from the floor highlighted by a tough 1-of-14 performance from freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino. In Indiana’s losses this season, the Hoosiers have lacked production from the supporting cast around Jackson-Davis, a non-negotiable against Big Ten opponents, especially without Xavier Johnson in the lineup.
At the center of the peripheral production are guards Trey Galloway and Tamar Bates. Galloway and Bates are two of four players shooting better than 40 percent from the 3-point line this season for Mike Woodson’s squad. And on the nights they play well, the Hoosiers look like they can beat anyone in the country. In Indiana’s six Big Ten wins, the two guards are averaging:
- 18.1 points combined
- They have scored in double digits together in four of those six wins.
- In the team’s win over North Carolina at Assembly Hall, they combined for 25 points.
When Galloway and Bates are performing around Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino, the Hoosiers are very hard to guard. When they aren’t, defense is less of an issue for the opposition.. In the five Big Ten losses, they are averaging:
- 10.4 points combined
- Have knocked down nine total threes together across the five games.
Without Xavier Johnson, the room for error in the backcourt is miniscule. Jackson-Davis receives all of the attention until someone else forces the opposing defense to respect another offensive threat. Against Maryland, it never came and the Hoosiers lost their fifth conference game. Of course, Bates and Galloway are not the only players responsible for supplying help to Indiana’s best player, but they are a big part of it.
On Tuesday’s Ride with JMV, JMV discusses the Hoosiers loss to the Terrapins, help for Jackson-Davis and Indiana’s upcoming matchup with Purdue. He also talks to former Indiana assistant coach Dane Fife. Catch everything you might have missed on the podcast below and be sure to listen to the Ride with JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5 and 107.5 the Fan.
