Indiana Hosts SIU Edwardsville in Season Opener

Indiana's basketball team opened its season with a solid 80-61 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, despite showing areas needing improvement under coach Mike Woodson. The Hoosiers initially built an 11-point lead but struggled with consistency, allowing SIUE to tie the game before regaining control by halftime. Key issues included a lack of rebounding effort and poor decision-making resulting in turnovers, indicating that Woodson has work ahead to optimize team performance. Indiana's offense appeared largely unchanged, showing a preference for post-centric play with limited three-point attempts. The team will next face Eastern Illinois, aiming to build on their first win while addressing the highlighted shortcomings. Notably, senior guard Anthony Leal was absent due to injury, but the majority of the roster was available, including players recently returning from injuries.