BLOOMINGTON — With Indiana men’s basketball slogging through the beginning of Thursday’s second half, Mike Woodson had to find a hot hand somewhere.
Myles Rice recorded another solid first half against UNC Greensboro, but IU couldn’t solely rely on him. Mackenzie Mgbako and Kanaan Carlyle had off-nights shooting. Oumar Ballo will rarely carry a team offensively. Trey Galloway, Indiana’s sixth man, wasn’t giving the Hoosiers much.
So IU’s head coach looked elsewhere, and gave Bryson Tucker a chance.
And while the freshman may seem an unlikely candidate to step up in moments like these, Tucker is quickly shedding that label.
“Tucker came in, and he shined for a freshman,” Woodson said after the game. “He’s a guy that can help us. I leaned on him tonight, and he came through and did some positive things.”
Tucker scored 12 points in the second half on 5-of-7 shooting, to finish with 14 points on the night — his second double-digit scoring output through Indiana’s four games this season. He added three rebounds, an assist, and a steal, as the Hoosiers pulled out a 69-58 win over UNC Greensboro at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Woodson, on multiple occasions, has touted Tucker’s poise and maturity as a freshman. Teammates have noted the same thing.
“He’s just a scorer at heart. He’s always trying to get a bucket and just his confidence. He plays with the ease and a flow that’s very rare for somebody as a freshman coming in,” Gabe Cupps said after IU’s exhibition win over Marian. “The sky is the limit for Tuck. I think he can do whatever he sets his mind to.”
Those qualities showed up on Thursday. Tucker played like a seasoned veteran in the second half — when some of IU’s actual veterans didn’t.
The freshman leaned on his solid mid-range game, hitting some pull-up jumpers in important spots for the Hoosiers. He was able to create his own looks, at times — just picking out his spot, getting to it, and knocking down a shot.
Tucker also displayed good court vision, with some smooth passes in the second half. He finished with only one assist, but made several other assist-worthy passes.
He’s still developing, but his game already looks pretty well-rounded for being a freshman. His mentality is, as well.
“Just making the most out of my minutes,” Tucker said after the EIU game. “I come in, I know what I’m in there for: to score, play defense. So I just make the most of that and just stay focused.”
Woodson knows his depth has to improve outside of Tucker. Galloway is still working his way back to full strength after his knee injury, and he performed better against South Carolina. But the Hoosiers will need him to become more consistent as the season goes along, and the same goes for Luke Goode. Cupps has now missed two straight games, and he didn’t give IU much against SIU Edwardsville or EIU. Langdon Hatton is unlikely to be a major contributor, so anything Woodson can get out of the Bellarmine transfer is a bonus.
But Tucker is showing clear promise early on for the Hoosiers. Through four games, he’s now averaging eight points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Those numbers could improve with larger minute shares, as well.
The freshman has been one of Indiana’s bright spots to begin this season, and he’s quickly earning further trust from Woodson.
“He’s still learning. He has a ways to go. But he just has a nice feel for the game,” Woodson said. “I have no problems in playing Tuck in critical times. I think he can make basketball plays to help you win.”
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