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Indiana tops Penn State in the Palestra 77-71 to win fourth straight, second without Malik Reneau

After a lackluster showing at the Battle 4 Atlantic and a handful of close games with buy game opponents, you could feel the pressure building in Bloomington. Mike Woodson’s three and a half seasons haven’t been spectacular, but he does have two tournament appearances to boast.

This year’s squad was fairly hyped up in the offseason, but through December never really showed what it was capable of. Questions were raised on the fit of this team and also the culture, after Oumar Ballo sat a game after a picture floated the internet of him out late the night before. That moment may have been the one that turned the tide in the season though. Since missing the non-conference finale, Ballo put up 17 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks in a home win against Rutgers, followed by a fantastic performance at the Palestra: 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks.

Another key moment for this sudden turnaround could also be the injury to Malik Reneau. While Reneau is a very solid player at the Big Ten level (14.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg), his fit alongside Ballo and Mackenzie Mgbako has really caused nightmares for Mike Woodson trying to make it work for everyone. With Reneau out, Mgbako has slid to the four, and Illinois transfer Luke Goode has had a chance to shine, hitting three triples against both of Rutgers and Penn State. Mgbako and Goode are both very capable three-point shooters, and their ability to space the floor is what has led to Ballo dominating the paint the last two games. I know Reneau is a very capable player himself, but maybe it’d be best for Indiana and Reneau if he found a way to redshirt this season.

Sunday’s game inside the Palestra was maybe the most enjoyable I’ve found a Woodson-led Indiana team to watch. It was back and forth from the get-go, probably helped by a Penn State team that ranks top 30 nationally in tempo. But when Mgbako and Goode splashed back-to-back threes five minutes in, you really got the feeling that this Indiana team was best with both of these two on the floor alongside Ballo. Going into halftime, it was 29-29, anyone’s game on a neutral floor.

Then, to open the second half, it happened again. Mgbako hit a three after a Trey Galloway offensive rebound. A minute later, Galloway found Mgbako in transition and the sophomore forward hit another. After a couple of buckets inside, Mgbako turned provider, assisting Goode for Indiana’s third triple before the second half’s first media timeout. When a whistle finally blew it was 44-33 Indiana, and the Hoosiers kept the Nittany Lions at arms’ length the rest of the way.

Road wins are hard to come by in the Big Ten, and even though this will likely count as a neutral site for NET purposes, it’s a win that gives Indiana a ton of momentum. In addition to Ballo’s great game, Mgbako added 20 points with four threes and Luke Goode finished with 12 points from three triples.

The return of Reneau is still wait-and-see, but if I’m Mike Woodson I’m not sure I need Reneau healthy with how this team is playing right now. There is plenty of floor spacing, a talented point guard and secondary ballhandler with Myles Rice and Galloway, and a dominant big inside with Ballo.

Other Things to Note:

• #7 Kansas obliterates UCF 99-48 to set Big 12 road margin of victory record
• Jackson Shelstad scores 23 points in his best performance this season to lead #9 Oregon past Maryland
• #11 UConn scores 60 second half points to complete late comeback over Providence
• #21 Memphis handles North Texas behind PJ Haggerty’s 27 points
• Braden Smith continues his dominant run with 22-6-7 stat line in Purdue’s home win over Northwestern