Jack’s Take: No Xavier Johnson, No Chance For Indiana Against Auburn

ATLANTA, Ga. – Indiana won its first two Big Ten games without him, but Saturday’s 104-76 blowout loss to Auburn proved why the Hoosiers so desperately need Xavier Johnson.

The sixth-year senior point guard missed his third consecutive game, wearing a walking boot on his left foot. Indiana may not have beaten Auburn with Johnson, but the Tigers are the type of opponent that can thoroughly dominate a short-handed Indiana backcourt. That’s exactly what happened inside State Farm Arena.

Sure, the problems Saturday extended more broadly than the absence of one player, but it confirmed that Indiana can’t play its best without Johnson, offensively or defensively. Gabe Cupps made a valiant effort in a team-high 31 minutes, but he can’t be expected to carry the load all game, especially against a high-pressure Auburn team with four guards equally or more talented than any one Hoosier guard.

Auburn is the exact type of opponent, fast and physical, when Johnson’s skill set is most needed. Without him, Indiana had no shot.

“Not having X, and I’m not using that as an excuse,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. “I mean, he’s a senior point guard that can make plays for us, especially when we’re being pressured like we were. That hurt.”

Start with the offense, which actually came out with its strongest start all year. The Hoosiers hit four of their first five 3-point attempts and jumped out to a 22-10 lead. But as time went on, Indiana’s lack of backcourt depth and talent had a cumulative effect.

Auburn ramped up the pressure and cut Indiana’s lead to four at the midway point of the first half. After picking up his second foul with 8:54, Trey Galloway sat for the remainder of the first half. As a result, Cupps had to handle Auburn’s full-court pressure and tight half-court defense with Anthony Leal and CJ Gunn, which was an obvious mismatch against Auburn’s guards. Cupps put it perfectly postgame.

“They turned up the ball pressure and didn’t allow passes to get swung around as easy,” Cupps said. “And that kind of slowed down our offense, which then led to them getting out in transition.”

After Galloway went out, Auburn closed the half on a 28-8 run, taking a 52-34 halftime lead. Indiana turned the ball over seven times in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Without question, Indiana’s offense would have been able to handle this pressure better with an experienced guard like Johnson. But he’s out, and Indiana couldn’t stop the bleeding.

The defense suffered without Johnson, too. Indiana allowed 104 points, the most in regulation under Woodson and second-most in any game, save for a 112-110 double-overtime loss at Syracuse in 2021.

Auburn’s five-star freshman point guard Aden Holloway tied for the team lead with 24 points, doing so on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting and 5-for-5 at the line. Holloway needed just 22 minutes, tied for a season low, to rack up a season-high in points. He made five 3-point attempts, and he could beat Indiana defenders to the basket whenever he wanted.

Complementing Holloway, guards K.D. Johnson, Denver Jones, Tre Donaldson and Chad Baker-Mazara each scored in double figures despite playing less than 22 minutes. Auburn’s backcourt is deep and talented, and every guard who saw the court played well. Overall, Auburn shot 14-for-29 from 3-point range, compared to 6-for-17 for Indiana.

Holloway said postgame he focused on valuing each possession. If there was an opening to run, Auburn ran. If it was time to slow it down, Holloway remained calm. He controlled the game, no doubt. Auburn turned the ball over just three times, which isn’t as likely if Johnson, an aggressive defender, is on the court.

“You could see a little bit of SEC speed and athleticism,” Pearl said. “That was a factor.”

Auburn didn’t try, or need, to dump it down to its leading scorer, senior forward Johni Broome. He scored just two points on six shots. That’s because its guards had their way against an already thin and far less-talented Indiana backcourt.

To be clear, Cupps shouldn’t shoulder the blame for this loss. He finished with zero turnovers and scored career-high 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting in 31 minutes. He’ll have a fine college career, and he’s earned minutes, even when Johnson returns, as a freshman.

Rather, Saturday’s loss revealed severe flaws in a roster that’s constructed without the level and amount of guard play required to meet Woodson’s expectations. Against Auburn, Johnson’s absence only emphasized that disparity.