With 2:12 remaining in the second half against Iowa on Tuesday night, Indiana trailed by two and point guard Xavier Johnson took the ball the length of the court, rising for a thunderous dunk to tie the game. Iowa’s Ladji Dembele met Johnson mid-air and fouled him, sending Johnson crashing to the ground. He landed on his left arm with all of his body weight. Johnson grabbed his arm, immediately screaming in pain, and Assembly Hall fell silent.
Johnson went straight to the locker room and did not return, but he was seen wearing a makeshift sling with ice heavily wrapped around his injury after the game. It’s another devastating turn for the sixth-year captain. He just returned from a cracked left foot that sidelined him the entire month of December and he was beginning to find his groove again.
Indiana beat Iowa 74-68, but it cost the shorthanded Hoosiers not only their most experienced player but also forward Malik Reneau, who exited the game less than three minutes in after a collision with Iowa’s Ben Krikke.
Johnson, who is coming off of a season-ending fractured right foot and who needed a waiver to return for a sixth year, has the remainder of his collegiate career in serious jeopardy.
“I applaud our team,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. “I’ve always said since I’ve been here, it’s the next man up. I don’t know the severity of [Johnson] and [Reneau’s injuries] at this point. But both went out kind of in pain. I’ll know when I get back there to see what the outcome of that is.”
With Reneau out, center Kel’el Ware and the rest of the Hoosiers needed a next-man-up mentality once again.
Ware himself was coming off of a two-game absence due to a lower right foot injury and Woodson planned on limiting his minutes because of it. But with Reneau’s abrupt exit shortly after tip-off, Ware battled to fill in for his fellow big man.
“We needed him back in the worst way,” Woodson said. “Games like this, man, it’s huge for our ball club. He gets 23 [points] and 10 [rebounds] and three blocks. We were missing his ability to block shots. We just didn’t have it.”
Ware earned his eighth double-double of the season in 35 minutes of action.
“The last couple of games, whenever he was out, it really took a toll on him,” guard Anthony Leal said. “Mentally. Emotionally. Obviously, physically, he was out. But he loves us as teammates and he wants to win more than anything. So it was good to see him show some emotion and fight through some nicks and bruises and whatnot. But especially with [Reneau] going down, he stepped up big for us.”
Perhaps no one stepped up bigger than Leal, who had a career-high 13 points on 67% shooting with three three-pointers and seven rebounds.
With under two minutes to play in the second half, Indiana called timeout, desperate for a response to slow down the Hawkeye offense. That’s when Leal gathered his teammates and reminded them of their similar situation just three days earlier against Illinois when they needed to come together and figure out how to win, but couldn’t.
Following the timeout, freshman guard Gabe Cupps hit the biggest three-point shot of his career to give Indiana the lead back, and Leal iced the game with two free throws in heroic fashion.
“In that time of waiting it’s really been great for me in terms of my faith and just growing closer to God and trusting Him and His timing,” Leal said. “But I think just really coming to work every day and understanding, like, me putting this jersey on, even for practice, is more than a dream come true. It’s what I’ve wanted to do since I first touched a basketball.”
Leal came to IU after graduating from Bloomington South and earning the title of Indiana’s “Mr. Basketball” in 2020. As the 155th-best prospect in the nation, many expected him to have a large role throughout his four-year career with Indiana, though that has not been the case. Leal logged just 73 minutes throughout Indiana’s 21 games this season before recording 22 tonight.
"I think obviously coming out of high school everybody has those expectations,” Leal said. “I went through a coaching change and tried to stick it out because I love this university and this school. So just being committed to that and understanding that this is a dream come true whether I’m playing one minute or 40 minutes. Just to be able to put on this jersey is kind of my mindset and just the love for IU.”
Leal credits his teammates, as well as former Indiana player and current recruiting coordinator Jordan Hulls, for giving him confidence and allowing him to be ready for when his number is called. Following tonight’s performance, Leal is shooting 75% on the season including 71.4% from three-point range.
“I gave him the game ball after the game. I thought he was huge,” Woodson said. “It was a nice carry-over because I thought he played well in the Illinois game. That’s why we elected him to come in early and play him and he responded for us which was kind of nice.”
Woodson said Leal has earned the right to play because he never complains and works hard in practice. In Woodson's words, Leal is “the ultimate teammate” and a “true pro.”
With two starters out and no timetable yet for their return, Indiana will need to prove its depth now more than ever, potentially spearheaded by Leal. The Hoosiers will be back in action on Saturday at Noon facing the Penn State Nittany Lions in Assembly Hall.
