Langdon Hatton comes in, Oumar Ballo is out

BLOOMINGTON – Indiana edged Winthrop 77-68 in a sleepy non-conference last Sunday afternoon. This is how Mike Woodson’s team performed:

*denotes man of the match

A little too close for comfort:IU beat Winthrop despite making 1 of 20 3-point shots

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RESOLUTIONS

∎ Myles Rice: 7/10

Undeniably Indiana’s best player at this point. His inconsistent performances can frustrate fans, but if the Hoosiers and Rice work together to find ways to consistently get the best out of him, IU’s horizons will brighten. Eighteen points, four rebounds and three assists confirmed this on Sunday.

∎ Trey Galloway: 6/10

Made Rice a solid contributor and used his defense to provide offense on an afternoon where Indiana (10-3, 1-1) struggled with both issues at times. Finished with 11 points and five assists, all of which were needed.

∎ Mackenzie Mgbako: 5/10

Had some good moments defensively and his four assists shouldn’t go unnoticed. Still, 4 of 13 from the floor and looked like a player who probably could have attacked more mismatches. Mgbako remains the X-factor of this team, full of potential and frustratingly inconsistent at times.

∎ Luke Goode: 5/10

Was asked to take over the starting XI for the first time this season as Oumar Ballo was sidelined. He still struggled to find his 3-point shot but didn’t let it affect his defense. His struggles behind the arc reflect his team’s overall struggles right now – Indiana shot just 1 of 20 from 3.

∎ Malik Reneau: 5/10

Must be better than the foul trouble that kept him off the floor and out of rhythm for too long in Sunday’s game. Ballo’s absence already left the Hoosiers missing the posts, where they do much of their offense. Reneau was effective when he was in the game, with 14 points and seven rebounds, which made it even more noticeable when he wasn’t in the game.

RESERVES

∎ Canaan Carlyle: 2/10

He never found his way in this game, playing only six minutes and committing three fouls. It’s fair to say that Carlyle is still finding his place on this team, especially on offense.

∎ Bryson Tucker: 6/10

Still vulnerable to some rookies’ decision-making, especially in shot selection. But he’s also becoming more consistent offensively off the bench, leading to more sustained success, even when Woodson relies on his substitutes. As he evolves, so will IU Bank.

∎ Langdon Hatton: 7/10*

Gave Indiana a much-needed bench boost with Ballo sidelined and Reneau struggling with fouls. Credit a player who hasn’t seen many minutes recently for being ready and sharp when his team asked more of him on an afternoon where the Hoosiers had to exploit every size advantage they could find. Capitalized on Winthrop’s (10-5) inability to handle his size with seven points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

∎ Anthony Leal: 5/10

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