Indiana won a tough game 79-74 against Western Kentucky on Sunday. Here are a few quick observations and takeaways from the final exhibition performance Sunday.

Markus Burton

Burton seemed to hurt his hand early in the game, and was not the same player after that moment. He finished 1-11, and was ineffective for most of the game. The biggest storyline will be what the status of Burton is until further clarified by Indiana.

Freshmen

Finally, the freshman got to see extended minutes. They were each in the game for the last 6 minutes, and actually managed to lead the comeback effort against the Hilltoppers. One notable performance was Trevor Manhertz, who may have earned himself some real rotational minutes to begin the season with his performances this preseason. Seeing Prince-Alexander Moody and Vaughn Karvala in live action was also a positive sign and a great way to build depth for the season ahead.

Shooting

Indiana did not shoot the ball well, but this is nothing to be concerned about for the future. It was simply a game where Western Kentucky’s ball pressure affected the rhythm of Indiana’s offense, and they did not make shots in an unfamiliar gym. Shooting slumps happen, and this was a blip on the radar. If this continues to happen throughout the season, it’d be more cause for concern.

Overall, this was the worst performance of the three exhibitions for Indiana basketball. However, they allowed the freshman to play more, and went deep into their bench early. This performance does not change our opinion of this team at all. Exhibitions are meant to be games where rotations are experimented with and teams learn what their players can bring moving into meaningful games.

Looking ahead, Indiana opens up the season against Eastern Illinois on November 2, in Assembly Hall. Basketball is finally here!

Cover image courtesy of The Daily Hoosier