Though it hasn’t even been a full month since Indiana’s 82-59 drubbing of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, it felt like decades have passed between then and Indiana’s 92-74 win over Oregon Monday night.
Two
overtimes at UCLA, overtime against Wisconsin, a nervy finish in the win over Purdue, and a close loss to USC surely aged Hoosier fans way more than the last four games should have, so it was nice to see Indiana extend a lead over the final minutes of play against the Ducks.
Lamar Wilkerson had a strong first half, leading all scorers with 16, but his second half tonight was the real story. He went 4-6 from 3-point range over the final twenty minutes to finish with 41 points, becoming just the fifth player in program history to have multiple 40-point games in a season.
Here are 3 Takeaways from the win:
Lamar Wilkerson
Tonight will stand out for his absurd scoring total, but Wilkerson has quietly been tearing it up in Big Ten play after a pair of tough outings against Iowa and Michigan in January. Over the last six games, he’s averaged 28.2 points per contest, leading Indiana to a 5-1 record over that span.
What’s most impressive about how he’s played is that he’s doing it as the focus of opposing defenses, leading Indiana in scoring by a wide margin. When Iowa and Michigan did slow him down, it appeared as though somebody had figured out the key, but he’s responded with an unbelievable hot streak.
As he demonstrates night after night, there is no safe amount of space you can give him on the perimeter. He will hit shots off screens, with hands in his face, in transition, and off the dribble. He will keep shooting when they aren’t falling. And he’s demonstrated an improved ability to score inside the arc, showing off a nice midrange jumper.
Wilkerson is a generational scorer capable of keeping Indiana in any game. He may only be in Bloomington for a year, but he is certainly leaving his mark in his short IU tenure.
Sam Alexis
For the second straight game, Sam Alexis has been Indiana’s second leading scorer, helping Indiana establish an inside scoring game that it’s lacked at points this year. Alexis was a perfect 8-8 from the field tonight, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out two assists in 25 minutes on the floor.
His scoring and chemistry with Tucker DeVries really helped open up Indiana’s offense, as the two used a pick and roll successfully a few times in the first half when the team was struggling from 3-point range. He’s been playing with a renewed confidence around the rim, as evidenced by his shooting tonight.
Alexis also defended Nate Bittle well, despite surrendering several inches. He used his strength and athleticism to keep Bittle uncomfortable, and helped limit Oregon to just eight offensive rebounds.
Conor Enright
Darian DeVries has had to really lean on Conor Enright while Tayton Conerway comes back from an injury and illness, and Enright has more than stepped up for his coach of late. Enright led Indiana with eight assists tonight, turning it over just once while also leading the team in rebounds with six.
As a senior, Enright has relied on his feel for the game to give the team what it’s needed depending on matchup. Against Wisconsin, he knew his team needed him to be more aggressive as the floor general, leading to 11 points on 10 field goal attempts.
Tonight he had just five points on two field goal attempts, looking for the pass first or sitting back to let Tucker play point forward when the latter drew a good matchup. He also stayed out of foul trouble, allowing him to be on the floor through the second half while Indiana expanded its lead.
With the three of them playing well, along with good games from DeVries and Nick Dorn, Indiana was firing on all cylinders offensively, looking like a team that could scare any team come March.
