Indiana already held an 18-point lead over Marian University in the second half of Friday night’s exhibition game at Simon-Skjodt Assembly Hall when sixth-year senior point guard Xavier Johnson found freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako in the corner for an open 3-point try.
Less than a minute later, the Hoosiers were up by 27 points.
Mgbako connected on his triple and blocked a shot on the other end. Senior guard Trey Galloway then found sophomore center Kel’el Ware free in the corner, and the 7-footer sank a 3-pointer of his own.
Indiana dominated Marian from the opening tip, taking a 94-61 victory in its second and final exhibition contest entering Tuesday’s season opener against Florida Gulf Coast University.
Ware had a team-high 20 points and 11 rebounds while Mgbako added 15 and three, the second consecutive game the duo led Indiana in scoring after posting 14 points each in a 74-52 win over the University of Indianapolis on Oct. 29.
Both players are new arrivals, the former transferring from Oregon and the latter just starting his collegiate career. But with the Hoosiers looking to replace four of five starters, Indiana head coach Mike Woodson needs Ware and Mgbako to step up – and so far, they’ve inspired confidence.
Ware is tasked with replacing All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis as the premiere player in the Hoosiers’ frontcourt. In two exhibition contests, Ware went 14-of-23 from the field and 2-of-3 from long distance.
A former 5-star recruit, Ware’s fast start is of little surprise and has come, in part, because of hard coaching from Woodson.
“It's been a lot of really going at him in practice to get him to be aggressive and do the things that we want him to do on the offensive end,” Woodson said postgame. “And he's starting to show some signs that he can do that.”
One of the traits that differentiates Ware from Jackson-Davis is his ability to stretch the floor. In his time with the Hoosiers, Jackson-Davis shot only three triples. Ware has already matched that.
This outside shooting element helps open driving lanes and gives Indiana more flexibility on the offensive end, which freshman guard Gabe Cupps noted after the game Friday.
“He creates a lot more space vertically and throughout the court, especially to be able to step out and shoot like he can,” Cupps said. “Bigs can't get detached from him. If they go out and close out on him, he's athletic and he moves well enough to be able to put it on the floor and back cut and throw lobs, be a threat vertically too.”
Woodson preached caution about putting too much stock in Ware’s performances against Division II opponents and said he’s curious to see the level he reaches once Indiana plays a greater level of competition, as the Knights roster only two players taller than 6-foot-5. Still, the Hoosiers’ third-year head coach likes Ware’s natural ability.
“He's a skilled guy, but it's getting ready to start for real now, and he's going to be playing much bigger guys, more talented bigs,” Woodson said.
Mgbako, who’s been frequently projected as a first-round NBA draft pick, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Big Ten Freshman of the Year and No. 17 overall pick Jalen Hood-Schifino as Indiana’s next potential one-and-done.
After coming under scrutiny for his Oct. 22 arrest just a week before the Hoosiers opened their exhibition slate, Mgbako reminded many why he was thought of as a 5-star recruit.
Mgbako went 5-of-8 from the field against the Knights and now stands at 10-of-19 through two games. He also connected on 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc after knocking one down Sunday against the Greyhounds.
Off-court issues aside, Mgbako’s been a consistent presence for Woodson and appears capable of delivering on his lofty preseason expectations.
“He's been solid ever since he came here,” Woodson said. “From a defensive standpoint, we have to speed the process up with him because the way we scramble and do things, you've got to communicate it, and then you've got to give energy to get where we need to go from a defensive standpoint. And he's still in the learning stages right now.”
Indiana has 10 new players, perhaps none more important – or talented – than Ware and Mgbako. In a sense, the play of those two may dictate how far the Hoosiers can go this year, or how short they may come up.
So far, the early returns have been encouraging. Now, Woodson needs to see it when the games count, starting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. against Florida Gulf Coast inside Assembly Hall.
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
