Thoughts on a 106-64 win over Marian:

The Hoosiers dominated this one from the jump.

Indiana's size, athleticism, talent and depth were simply too much for the Knights. The Hoosiers scored a healthy 1.38 points per possession, while Marian only scored 0.83. IU continues to push the pace this season, outscoring the Knights 29-10 on fastbreak points tonight.

But the 3-point shooting? After two friendly matches it wasn't good. IU managed just 1 of 11 in the first half and finished the game just 6 of 25 (24 percent). After missing his first 10 shots as a Hoosier – five against Tennessee and his first five tonight – Luke Goode finally had two shots left in the second half, both 3-pointers. You could see his body language screaming, “Finally!” as he came down the court. He finished 2 of 9 from distance.

The player of the game? Bryson Tucker in his Hoosier debut. The freshman led all scorers with 19 points on 9 of 12 shooting. He showed off his midfield game and threw jumpers with ease. He scored at the basket, including a nice finish on an alley-oop in transition from Myles Rice. Tucker is bouncy and knows how to get a bucket. His coach and teammates say he doesn't play like a typical freshman. It will be interesting to see what impact he has on Indiana's rotation as the season progresses.

Oumar Ballo celebrated a feast with the knights. When he got the ball deep into the ground, it was over. The Arizona transfer shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the field. Ballo added 4 of 6 from the line for 16 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds and provided four assists in just 20 minutes of play. It wasn't just Ballo who didn't miss a shot from Indiana's frontcourt. Langdon Hatton also managed all four tries en route to 10 points, making it a 2 out of 2 performance in the charity stripe. Malik Reneau almost joined them with his 9-of-10 performance. Indiana's junior continues to show more versatility on offense, scoring 18 points in 18 minutes of play.

Out of the backfield, Myles Rice continues to lead the attack. The Washington State transfer was a big reason the Hoosiers dominated the transition. Because of the loss, he only played 19 minutes tonight. Still, he shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the field (six points), dished out five assists on two turnovers and added three rebounds. Trey Galloway didn't add to the stat sheet in the win (three points, four rebounds, two assists), but the fact that he was off the field and allowed to take the court in an exhibition game is encouraging.

Also encouraging? Jakai Newton finally made his Hoosier debut. It took a long time. At this point, it's hard to say how much playing time he will get if he stays healthy, but he deserves consideration at this point. Newton scored and was fouled on a nice shot to the basket in the first half, marking his first basket as a Hoosier. He added four rebounds and three assists in 12 minutes of play.

Mackenzie Mgbako (10 points) was one of five Hoosiers in double figures in the game. In total, 13 Hoosiers scored.

“This is the strongest team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Mike Woodson said after the game.

Typically, talk of depth at this point in the season is more wishful thinking than reality. But Woodson is right. This team is his deepest. It's a luxury we haven't seen in Bloomington in a long time.

Submitted to: Marian University Knights