NCAA Basketball: Biggest question for 2022-23 power conference favorites
Big Ten: Can the Hoosiers finally find a consistent 3-point threat?
Oh, the Indiana Hoosiers. The latest example of a team that goes from an uninspiring Big Ten team to favorite in the conference because their continuity is head and shoulders above the rest. That is a true statement, on one hand. On the other hand, last year’s team really struggled to space the floor and there isn’t a ton to suggest it’s going to get any better.
Indiana was 321st last season in 3-point attempts per field goals attempted. They took just three trifectas for every field goal attempted. The nucleus of that starts with Trayce Jackson-Davis. That’s not a knock, TJD is putting together one of the best Indiana careers ever and is very very good as a traditional big. But with the ball in his hands so much, it results in fewer threes. That wasn’t a big deal last year, though, because the 3-point threat wasn’t really there.
Xavier Johnson is the best-returning shooter at 38.3 percent a year ago. Indiana fans no all-too-well how hot and cold Johson can be – see his 2-of-9 at the Crossroads Classic against Notre Dame and his 7-of-9 stretch across two games in late February. Miller Kopp returns as a mid-30 percent 3-point shooter that has been relatively uninspiring as a 3-point shooter since transferring from Northwestern.
Five-star freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino is an exciting addition to this roster that should raise the talent floor, but it doesn’t take long to understand that he isn’t coming to Bloomington with the reputation of an outside threat. His high school tape features a combo guard with good size that can get to, and finish, around the rim. His mid-range game is solid, too. He, along with TJD, are the reasons why unlocking space on offense is so important for Indiana’s Big Ten title hopes.
It’s a shame that we might get four years of Jackson-Davis without seeing him play in an offense surrounded by good shooters. In his three seasons, last year’s team was the best 3-point shooting team he’s been a part of. They were 200th in the country. The guy just has no space to maneuver because every single defense slacks off “shooters” to help against him in the post. It’s truly a testament to how good he is – 18 points and eight rebounds per game last season – that he’s able to produce as a traditional big with how much attention he gets. More space with defenders who have to respect the shooters around him would be a revelation.
And then there’s Hood-Schifino. He’ll likely make up the other half of the Hoosiers’ starting backcourt with Johnson. The best version of this team features those two guys combining for a backcourt that can do it all. Johnson, as a lead guard, is already a respectable shooter but desperately needs more consistency. And at 5.1 assists per game last season, the ball movement starts with him. The five-star freshman shouldn’t have to worry about anything other than fitting into an already elite defensive unit and putting constant pressure on the opposing defense.
The Hoosiers have either hit the bullseye or completely struck out with freshmen recently. Romeo Langford was awesome and TJD immediately contributed in his first season. But for every Langford, there’s a Khristian Lander, a guy who was virtually unplayable despite his decorated recruiting profile. Make the game simple for Hood-Schifino. Attack, attack, attack. That’s much easier when there are driving lanes.
Head coach Mike Woodson hopes to get better execution from Tamar Bates and Jordan Geronimo as 3-point shooters. Geronimo averaged 31 percent from deep a year ago and Woodson has said on several occasions he feels like Bates is a better shooter than his 30 percent clip last season would suggest.
The Hoosiers’ combination of continuity, All-American level talent and talented freshmen land them atop the Big Ten preseason rankings. But the thing that is going to propel them from a 12 seed to a top 15 team in the country starts on the 3-point line because all the pieces fall into place after that.