Indiana men’s basketball’s defense ‘set the tone’ in commanding win over Minnesota

For each moment senior forward Anthony Walker lay on the ground, gritting his teeth and gripping his right knee, concern mounted. Indiana men’s basketball’s players and coaches knew something was wrong. 

After leaping to convert a contested layup roughly three and a half minutes into the second half of the Hoosiers’ 70-58 win over Minnesota on Wednesday night, Walker’s right knee buckled as his feet clicked to the hardwood. 

Head Athletic Trainer Tim Garl, Director of Athletic Performance Clif Marshall and senior guards Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal huddled around Walker. Galloway helped Walker limp off toward the bench amid the eerily quiet arena. 

For those few minutes, everything was still. Indiana led 35-28, capitalizing off Minnesota’s turnovers and shooting struggles. But until play resumed, all eyes were on Walker. Then, with a minute left in the game and the Hoosiers’ victory already sealed, sophomore center Kel’el Ware drained a triple and eyed Walker, who reciprocated the celebration and flashed a wide smile. 

While head coach Mike Woodson said postgame Walker’s future status is uncertain, Indiana’s burgeoning performances — Wednesday night marked its third straight victory — are indicative of a collective team mentality. 

“We’re playing good basketball at the right time which is good,” Galloway said. “But we can’t really focus on the past.” 

After a lethargic first half offensively, Indiana found a groove in the second. Ware finished with a game-high 26 points, Galloway added 13 and freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako notched 15 with the help of three triples. 

The Hoosiers’ team-oriented style manifested on the defensive end as well. Indiana surrendered just 58 total points, the lowest mark since giving up 53 to Maryland on Dec. 1. Ware locked down Minnesota junior center Dawson Garcia, who only had 5 points in most of the contest before adding 7 in the final few minutes. 

On the interior, the Hoosiers were stout. Minnesota scored 32 points in the paint and shot just 39% from the field. And on the perimeter, Indiana was suffocating. Galloway swiped five steals, and the team’s 12 were a season high. 

So too were the 18 forced turnovers. The Gophers’ offense never found a consistent rhythm — it was complete team domination from the Hoosiers’ defense. 

“I just thought it was a total team effort from the beginning,” Woodson said. “Our defense set the tone.” 

With sophomore forward Malik Reneau sidelined for over half the first period in foul trouble, Walker stepped in to assume his role in a slightly smaller lineup. The University of Miami transfer logged 14 minutes, scoring 6 points and registering a +7 plus-minus rating. 

“He was solid,” Woodson said of Walker. “He gave us some positive minutes when our two big guys got in foul trouble.” 

Three days ago, Indiana took down Maryland on the road, in part because of the team’s defense, Woodson said. Wednesday night, that trend continued. The Hoosiers’ rotations were sound, and Ware added a trio of his trademark swats. 

Since arriving at Indiana in 2021, Woodson has stressed team defense as a pillar of successful basketball. It’s been an area the Hoosiers have endured inconsistencies in this season, namely in rebounding and guarding outside shooters. 

With one regular season game remaining, Indiana’s resume at this point is nearly set in stone. Its NCAA Tournament chances, despite the three-game winning streak, likely remain reliant on a Big Ten Tournament run. 

Still, the Hoosiers appear to be finding consistent answers. And with a strong defense at the forefront, Woodson said there’s no ruling out Indiana. 

“When you go out on the road and you play defense like we’ve played the last couple games on the road,” Woodson said. “You give yourself a chance to win.” 

Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.