Kel’el Ware’s feet were planted in the right corner, right hand raised, eyes locked on the celebratory Indiana bench.
With one minute to play in Wednesday night’s road game against Minnesota, the Hoosiers’ sophomore center cashed his 12th field goal and second 3-pointer of the night, pushing his point total to 26.
As he jogged back to the other end of the court, Ware chest bumped freshman guard Gabe Cupps and aimed three fingers towards senior forward Anthony Walker, flashing a wide grin.
Williams Arena fell silent. The Hoosiers, leading by 17 late, had officially crushed the Golden Gophers’ spirit.
Indiana (17-13, 9-10 Big Ten) secured its third straight victory in a 70-58 triumph over Minnesota (18-12, 9-10 Big Ten) in Minneapolis.
The energy, the 40-minute execution, the character — Indiana men’s basketball looked like a different team. Yet it also eerily resembled the team that’s flashed multiple times this season and overcame a 16-point second-half deficit against Maryland three days prior.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson has, at various points, said his team has played well in spurts but been unable to find consistency. Wednesday night was as complete an effort as the Hoosiers have had in months.
Offensively, Indiana shot 54.5% from the floor, went 5-of-8 from 3-point range, had a season-high 28 assists on 30 made field goals and scored 19 fast-break points, a particularly critical number for a team Woodson believes is at its best when pushing the pace.
While the small sample size is a factor, Wednesday marked the first time this year the Hoosiers have shot better than 50% from outside. The assist tally, led by senior guard Trey Galloway’s 11, is their most since Dec. 19, 2016.
Minnesota, conversely, was limited to just 38.6% from the field and 19.2% from distance and turned the ball over 18 times to the Hoosiers’ 14. Indiana generated a season-high 12 steals.
“It was a total team effort from the beginning,” Woodson said postgame. “Our defense set the tone.”
After an 83-74 loss at Penn State on Feb. 24, Indiana’s season looked over. It had lost four straight games, trailed by double digits in each of its six February contests to that point and was 2-8 in its last 10 games.
Since then, the Hoosiers have reeled off three straight wins, their longest streak in Big Ten play. They’ve done so not because of a sudden reinvention of the wheel, but rather a balance sparked, in part, by the return of sixth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson, who missed those first six February games with a left elbow injury.
Woodson has often emphasized Johnson’s impact on the team, be it his ability to create shots for himself and others on offense or his ball pressure on defense. His collective leadership and veteran presence are two more added benefits.
Even on an off night — he scored 2 points and had four turnovers but added five assists in 22 minutes — Johnson continues to prove valuable in improving Indiana’s offensive efficiency.
From the resumption of Big Ten play Jan. 3 through the Feb. 24 loss to Penn State, the Hoosiers shot better than 50% from the floor just three times. Johnson played in eight of those 14 games but with little efficiency.
In three games with a resurging Johnson, Indiana’s eclipsed the 50% mark each time. The offense flows better. More shots are falling. The vision Woodson had — to push the pace, to work from inside-out, to hit 3-pointers when the opportunity arises — has emerged.
And the Hoosiers, once lost, appear to have been found.
“Guys are committing themselves,” Woodson said. “We’re playing now like we should’ve been playing. X makes a difference — there’s no doubt about that. We’re playing faster and guys are making shots, and that helps.”
Indiana has just one regular season game left. Teams prefer to play their best ball in March, and the Hoosiers certainly are, but it still may be too late.
Entering Wednesday, Indiana was ranked No. 101 in the NET and had only three Quadrant 1 wins. Minnesota classifies as a Quadrant 2 victory, and the Hoosiers are now 5-4 against such foes but only 3-8 against Quadrant 1 opponents.
Sunday’s game against Michigan State presents an opportunity for Indiana to add another Quadrant 1 win to its resume. Still, the Hoosiers will enter next week’s Big Ten Tournament needing a deep run.
Weeks ago, such a run would appear improbable. Now, Indiana’s playing at a level good enough where minds can wonder about turning dreams into reality — but not inside the locker room.
“We’re playing good basketball at the right time,” Galloway said. “We can’t really focus on the past. We’ve just got to focus on the present and future. We have to keep winning games and take it one game at a time.”
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
