After getting its first high-major win of the year and moving to 3-0 (knocked off a solid Syracuse team), the expectation was that Indiana would climb in the metrics. Instead, the Hoosiers dropped (albeit just a little). Here is where they stand in KenPom after three games:

Indiana’s offense rises, defense tumbles in KenPom after Syracuse win

Indiana slipped from No. 46 in KenPom to No. 47 overall following the Syracuse game. But, then again, it wasn’t a great outing for Darian DeVries’ club. So, essentially hovering in the same spot isn’t a shocker – especially when the Orange rank just No. 75 in the metric. 

But here’s the surprise: Indiana’s offense skyrocketed up the charts, while its defense nosedived. Let’s start with the offense: the Hoosiers shot just 41.9 percent from the field, so why did their efficiency climb from No. 37 to No. 27? 

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Well, likely for a few reasons. The first would be Indiana’s performance from deep. It shot 9-for-25 (36.0 percent), which is pretty good efficiency. Also, the Hoosiers lived at the line, and converted, going 22-for-26. But the biggie was the offensive glass. Indiana had 14 offensive rebounds. 

Syracuse shot 50.9 percent from the field (more on that shortly), while Indiana went the aforementioned 41.9 percent. But the Hoosiers won the game because they took seven more shots from the field and attempted six more free throws. 

Offensive rebounds buy extra opportunities – and they allow teams, like Indiana on Monday night, to win games despite off nights. That’s why DeVries and Co. loading up on size this offseason is going to pay such dividends throughout the year. 

On the flip side, Indiana’s defense wasn’t as bad as KenPom, which dropped the Hoosiers’ efficiency on that end from No. 55 to No. 70, makes it out to be. 

Yes, the efficiency numbers weren’t great. Syracuse shot 50.9 percent from the field and 8-for-19 (42.1 percent) from deep. What the metrics can’t account for is the difficulty of shots the Orange hit. Indiana consistently contested shots and forced Syracuse to eat up most of the shot clock. But guards Ryan Moesch and Kiyan Anthony just hit shots.

Moral of the story: Indiana’s defense will climb. And it has all season to do so. The frontcourt is sturdy on that end (and it was on Monday night). Jaeden Mustaf is an absolute stalwart, while Darren Harris and Markus Burton aren’t half bad. The Hoosiers have the personnel, and DeVries has the track record as a coach. Expect Indiana’s defensive efficiency to join the offense in due time.