3 Observations from Indiana Basketball's 76-74 Win vs Baylor Exhibition

INDIANAPOLIS — With an emphatic yell from midcourt, Conor Enright's reaction told the story of Indiana men's basketball's 76-74 exhibition victory over Baylor on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The game won't count for either team's record. It won't be used for NCAA Tournament seedings or in-season metrics. But for the Hoosiers and Bears, both of whom have entirely new rosters this season, the game served as a measuring stick as the regular season draws closer.

Subsequently, it didn't feel much like an exhibition. Effort and energy were high. Indiana's rotation was thin — only seven players saw the court for more than five minutes.

But the Hoosiers won, overcoming a 13-point first-half deficit. Indiana sixth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson led all scorers with 28 points on 6-for-15 shooting while going 3 of 9 from beyond the arc. He also went 13-for-13 shooting at the free throw line.

Indiana sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway scored the go-ahead basket on an and-one layup with eight seconds remaining. Conerway scored 15 points, while senior forward Tucker DeVries notched 18 points.

The Hoosiers begin regular season play at 8 p.m. Nov. 5 against Alabama A&M at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington — but first, here's three takeaways from Indiana's exhibition finale.

Indiana's resiliency becoming a foundational trait

The Hoosiers trailed 31-18 with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half but rallied to trim their deficit to 41-36 at halftime. Indiana tied the game at 43 less than three minutes into the second half and took the lead with 16 minutes and 48 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer from Wilkerson.

Such a comeback is nothing new to Indiana, which overcame 20-point first-half deficits in both of its August exhibitions wins over Serbian pro team Mega Superbet in Puerto Rico.

The Hoosiers also rallied late, too. They trailed 70-68 with two minutes remaining and 73-72 with one minute left before delivering the final punch.

Indiana's slow starts can't become a trend. The Hoosiers struggled stopping penetration early against Baylor, which won the rebounding edge 19-11 and had eight second-chance points to Indiana's zero.

The Hoosiers were more aggressive but only marginally more successful from distance in the second half, going 4-for-14 shooting after making only 2 of 10 triples in the first half. But they also played stingier defense and blocked six shots.

Resiliency has become a calling card. Indiana needs to start faster, but it also knows it can weather storms — a valuable trait the Hoosiers can lean on once the season begins.

Wilkerson's skill set much more than just shooting

Wilkerson arrived at Indiana with the reputation as one of college basketball's best shooters after making 44.5% of his 3-pointers last season at Sam Houston State University.

But Wilkerson, be it in Puerto Rico, Indiana's exhibition opener vs. Marian or Sunday against Baylor, has continually proved he's more than just a shooter.

Wilkerson scored 16 points in the first half despite making just one triple. He was 7-for-7 shooting at the free throw line and drew two charges. He finished as the lone scorer to eclipse 20 points, and he added four assists and two rebounds while committing zero turnovers.

Scoring remains Wilkerson's identity, but the versatility in which he does it projects as a tremendous asset for the Hoosiers this season.

Rebounding a question mark

Indiana coach Darian DeVries acknowledged postgame size and defensive rebounding are problem points for the Hoosiers, and Baylor capitalized.

The Bears grabbed 44 rebounds to the Hoosiers' 25, and Baylor snagged 16 offensive rebounds to Indiana's four. Subsequently, Baylor had 18 second-chance points to Indiana's three.

DeVries liked the second-half performance of senior forward Sam Alexis, who's Indiana's most physical player at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds. Alexis tallied nine points on 4-for-5 shooting, and he pulled down seven rebounds.

Alexis came off the bench, as the Hoosiers started 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward Reed Bailey, who recorded four points and two rebounds.

Indiana has no players taller than 6-foot-10. Size and rebounding are natural on-paper weaknesses — and the Hoosiers did little to quell those concerns Sunday.