1. Thomas Bryant
After being awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Bryant certainly played like a freshman on Monday night. In what should have been a win for IU, the Hoosiers fell apart on defense and couldn’t produce when it mattered most. Bryant looked inexperienced and lost at times against Wake Forest physical play and senior Devin Thomas. The Demon Deacons potentially exposed a big weakness in Bryant, his inability to guard the ball screen and his poor footwork.
In 28 minutes of play, Bryant didn’t have the same presence on the floor and didn’t have his normal level of emotion he has quickly been known to bring. He just looked flat and unaware of what was happening on the court with missed passes, missed free throws, going 4 for 7, and a missed dunk.
He finished with eight points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Bryant also added two assists, two turnovers and one steal. He was 2 for 5 from the field, and he did look to have his shooting under better control Monday night, without taking too many contested shots from the perimeter.
Although I was expecting Bryant to perform at a higher level, he could have used this experience against Wake Forest as an opportunity to grow and improve. Especially when IU isn’t shooting lights out from behind the arc, he has to learn to have control on the inside. At times, he looked effortless when rebounding and I didn’t see him make any adjustments throughout the game or after the half, which was disappointing because the Hoosiers could’ve really used him.
In his first few games at Assembly Hall, Bryant has brought the crowd to its feet and brought an excessive amount of energy and excitement to fans and players alike. But in all of those instances, IU has been winning the game, and has been at home. I didn’t see that from him tonight, during an away game when IU was losing.
Even if Bryant was not making the impact IU needed from its big man in terms of inside shooting and rebounds, it would have been nice to see him continue to play with that same emotion even when the Hoosiers are doing poorly. He clearly has the ability to spark enthusiasm on the court, so I would like to see him express that during the full 40 minutes of the game, regardless of the score.
I think he will be more effective after the test provided by Wake Forest. Bryant has played well for a freshman, but once things fell apart for Indiana, he was essentially done. Bryant seems hungry and determined enough to want to improve and bring success to the team, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in the rest of the Maui Invite and before the conference season begins if he chooses to work on aspects of his game, or if he sits back and lets IU’s opponents continue to dominate him while he stands around on defense.
2. O.G. Anunoby
Anunoby was 0 for 1 in field goals Monday night with a missed layup in the first half. He only saw three minutes on the court. With the way IU was struggling, it appeared Crean had Anunoby check in to see if he could get something going for IU in terms of rebounds, and he did not do any better than the rest of the team.
As the Hoosiers get into tougher competition, Anunoby will likely be spending time with the other freshman, with the exception of Bryant, on the bench averaging a few minutes here and there. Like the rest of the players for IU, defense is an area in which everyone can, and should, improve.
3. Juwan Morgan
Morgan had a little more than a minute of play on Monday night, barely touching the ball. After having some poor defense against Creighton, Morgan looked timid and afraid to make a mistake. Although if he has the patience to stick around, along with Anunoby, they could have a significant part of the lineup when junior forwards Troy Williams and Collin Hartman and fifth-year senior Max Bielfeldt graduate or leave.
4. Harrison Niego and Quentin Taylor didn’t play Monday night against Wake Forest.
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