Mike Woodson had a predicament coming into this fourth season as head coach of Indiana.
Two of the top players on his roster were without a doubt Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo. Reneau averaged 15.4 points per game as sophomore and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten. Ballo was first team All-Pac-12 last year and averaged 12.9 points per game.
Either player would start for just about any team in the country. But should they start and play together? That was the question.
Now with nearly a full season of data, it has become easy to see why playing Reneau and Ballo together presents challenges.
Reneau is shooting 78.4% on dunks and other shots at them rim, and only 32.3% on other shots including 13.6% on threes.
Similarly, Ballo is making 79.7% of his dunks and other shots at the rim, and just 38% on other shots with no three-point attempts.
Basically, if you want to optimize the scoring potential of Reneau and Ballo, they need to occupy the same space on the floor. And it’s the exact same space players whose greatest offensive strength is driving the basketball — Trey Galloway and Myles Rice — are seeking.
Indiana’s offense became a congested, inefficient mess. And the data is becoming clear on this.
Of Indiana’s top 11 lineups in terms of offensive efficiency this season, 10 do not include the Reneau and Ballo combination, but all of them include one or the other. Those 11 groupings account for nearly 40% of all of IU’s possessions this season, so we are not talking about a small sample size.
Coming into the season, Woodson may not have been comfortable he had another player who could make up for the production of Reneau or Ballo.
But as the season has progressed, that player has emerged.
Why has IU had success lately playing primarily with just one of Reneau and Ballo?
“It’s because of Luke Goode,” IU assistant coach Kenya Hunter said on the postgame radio broadcast Saturday evening at Washington. “He’s played very well on both ends of the floor.”
Hunter went on to acknowledge Goode’s production of late has led the staff to “trying to stay away from the two-big lineup.”
Goode started the season making just 5-of-21 from long distance, good for just 23.8%. So he wasn’t giving Woodson much to work with early on.
But he’s been on a tear since the calendar flipped to 2025. It started with the Rutgers game, perhaps not coincidentally when Reneau was injured in the first minute, and then lost for six games.
From the Rutgers game on Goode has shot 48.3% from three on 5.4 attempts per game. He’s averaging 12 points and 3.3 rebounds over 31.2 minutes per game during those last 16 games.
And Goode has been a steadying force for IU on the road. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native has averaged 14.8 points per game on 21-of-40 (52.5%) shooting from behind the 3-point line in his last six Big Ten Conference road games. He’s been in double figures in the scoring column in each of IU’s last four Big Ten road wins.
It’s not just what Goode is producing on the stat sheet when he’s on the floor. He’s making everyone better. Multiple players and coaches have mentioned his leadership. And while he’s not an elite defender, Goode rarely makes mistakes when it comes to executing the gameplan.
But the real spark is coming on the offensive end. Subbing Goode in for either Ballo or Reneau creates far better spacing, including for either Ballo or Reneau in the paint, along with driving lanes for Galloway and Rice.
Goode only started seven games in three years at Illinois, but he’s started 13 of the last 17 and each of the last five games for IU. He has played at least 33 minutes each outing over the last five contests.
Woodson had to have difficult conversation with Reneau ahead of IU’s game at Michigan State to make the lineup change not long after he returned from injury.
“I can’t say enough about Malik because I went to him before the game and told him he wasn’t starting,” Woodson said. “That didn’t sit well with him, but he said, ‘Coach, whatever you need me to do.’ He came in and played his ass off. That’s all you can ask for. It’s about team.”
Reneau has been playing at an elite level since that decision, even making 17 shots in a row at one point. Overall he’s shot 65.2% from the field and averaged 17.5 points over the last five games, while Ballo has shot 63.2% and averaged 12.4 points.
And suddenly the Hoosiers have won four of five and find themselves firmly back in the NCAA Tournament picture.
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