Mike Woodson, the coach of Indiana, stated on Thursday that he is unsure of senior point guard Xavier Johnson’s status for Saturday’s game against Auburn. Johnson’s absence means that the Hoosiers, Trey Galloway, and Gabe Cupps will have to handle Auburn’s pressure.
Bloomington, Indiana: Observing Auburn teams led by Bruce Pearl reveals one thing: they always apply intense defensive pressure.
Pearl’s teams always try to be the more aggressive, whether it’s through full-court pressure, aggressive on-ball defence, getting hands in the passing lanes, or smashing the glass.
That won’t be any different. Indiana, which may have to handle that pressure without its starting point guard, Xavier Johnson, will play on Saturday in Atlanta. The sixth-year senior has missed Indiana’s last two games, victories over Maryland and Michigan, due to an apparent ankle or foot injury that he sustained on November 26 against Harvard.
Woodson said on Thursday, “I don’t know yet,” regarding Johnson’s status for the Auburn game. He is currently receiving rehabilitation, and hopefully he will return soon. I’m only able to offer you that at this time.”
In his first season with the Hoosiers (2021–2022), Johnson averaged 12.1 points and 5.1 assists per game, good for an honourable mention on the All-Big Ten team. That year, Indiana made a late push to make the NCAA Tournament, and Johnson was possibly their best player towards the end.
However, injuries have plagued him during his time at Indiana since then. Due to a broken foot, Johnson was forced to miss all but 11 games of the previous season. However, he was granted a medical waiver to play in 2023–24 for a sixth season. On Nov. 16, Johnson seemed to roll his ankle while attempting a steal against Wright State, but he started all three of the team’s games after that. He left the game against Harvard on November 26 during the first half, spending the remainder of the evening with ice wrapped around his foot and ankle.
With Johnson’s injury, the already limited options for the backcourt have increased. Due to a knee injury, rookie guard Jakai Newton hasn’t played this season; as a result, the only healthy scholarship guards on the team are Trey Galloway, Gabe Cupps, CJ Gunn, and Anthony Leal. The last two games, Cupps, a 6-foot-2 rookie, has started in the backcourt with Galloway.
Woodson said that Cupps “played his ass off” against Michigan on Tuesday, assisting in limiting the point guard to just three of fourteen shots. In eight games, Cupps has only turned the ball over ten times.
Woodson stated on Thursday, “He’s been steady ever since we brought him on campus.” Indeed, he still needs to spend a lot of time learning how to play college football. However, the fact that he competes, enjoys competing, works hard, and doesn’t appear lost
Although Cupps has played solid defence and committed few errors thus far, he still lacks Johnson’s offensive punch. In the previous five games, Cupps has only attempted six shots. He is 3-for-14 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He won Ohio Mr. Basketball as a junior in high school and shot 44.3% from three-point range, but there has been a learning curve when playing against bigger opponents.
Given that Johnson has six years of experience and Cupps has only played in eight games during his college career, it makes sense. Cupps is a natural team player who understands that Indiana’s strength lies within Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau.
Woodson declared on Tuesday, “I’m good with that if [Cupps] doesn’t score a bucket.” “I want him to take his shots if he has them. However, he simply has a knack for managing the game and plays defence in a way that many guards find unappealing.
The challenge for Cupps increases in the next two games against Auburn and Kansas if Johnson stays out. According to KenPom, Auburn’s defence is among the top 20 in the country for opponents’ 2-point and 3-point shooting percentages, and it is ranked 15th in the country for adjusted defensive efficiency. The Tigers, who have committed the 38th-most fouls this season, are expected to be physical.
Cupps will have senior Galloway to help counter Auburn’s pressure, and Gunn just played what may have been his best game as a college player against Michigan. Leal has recently received some minutes from Woodson, but he did not play on Tuesday.
Woodson’s message was straightforward in terms of getting ready for Auburn.
Woodson stated, “We just work at what we do.” They’re not any different from some of the pressure-applying teams we play. All we need to do is manage the basketball, avoid dropping it, and make baskets. You have to take the same action against them that they take against you.
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