Indiana didn’t need its best shooting night to make a statement. It needed 53 rebounds.
Indiana men’s basketball utilized their size and rebounding advantage to defeat the University of North Carolina 76-58 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in their second exhibition game.
“This is our identity. This is who we’re gonna be,” Indiana head coach Darian DeVries said.
DeVries described Indiana’s win as the blueprint for the rest of the season. The Hoosiers will prioritize their physicality as they head into the regular season.
The Hoosiers maintained control of the game, despite shooting around 36% from the field. Indiana out-rebounded North Carolina 53-31 which made up for the inconsistent shooting performance.
“We put the roster together to be good at it, and then we really emphasized it,” DeVries said. “The buy-in has been at a high level by a lot of guys, and they’ve done a great job with it.”
Indiana took a 41-29 lead heading into the break, backed by senior guard Bryce Lindsay’s 18 points. After senior guard Markus Burton earned two fouls in the first two minutes of the game, Lindsay came in for him. He ended with a game-high 26 points, three rebounds, and 8-for-14 field goals.
“I have no problem with coming off the bench if that’s what is best for the team,” Lindsay said. “All I want to do is win.”
Lindsay’s ability to find the basket was something DeVrites said the team will continue to emphasize.
“I thought he also did a good job getting downhill, getting to the free-throw line, making them have to respect his ability to get in the paint,” DeVries said. “I thought he did some really good things there on the offensive end.”
Indiana’s shooting struggles were balanced with their ability to create second-chances. DeVries said the team worked on rebounding during the summer and fall to make it a part of their character.
“This is our identity. This is who we’re going to be,” DeVries said.
North Carolina first-year head coach Michael Malone acknowledged Indiana’s power against the Tar Heel’s defense.
“To be manhandled, to be outworked on the glass was disappointing,” Malone said. “That’s not just on our bigs. That’s on everybody to make sure we’re rebounding. We did a really poor jo of that.”
North Carolina’s rebounding disadvantage limited their ability to create opportunities. Malone said the Tar Heels couldn’t find a rhythm against Indiana’s physical defense.
“Obviously, give them credit. Their defense, they were physical and they go into us. We didn’t handle that pressure as well as we need to,” Malone said. “After game one, everyone’s excited. We won a game. Tonight, we got blown out. We got our butts kicked.”
The depth of this Indiana team was another positive takeaway from the exhibition game. Indiana’s bench outscored North Carolina’s 37-19. DeVries has a variety of options he can utilize as he evaluates the rotation ahead of the regular season.
“I think we got great depth. I like the rotation, and you know, we will continue to mess with it,” DeVries said. “I like the group. I like their unselfishness. They just come out and they play, and when their number’s called, they’re ready to go.”
As Devries enters his second season with the Hoosiers, the victory against North Carolina provides an insight to the identity of the team he is creating.
With one exhibition game remaining, Indiana will look to fine tune any flaws in their performance as they prepare for the regular season.
