Will Tondo

7 scouting takeaways from Indiana-Syracuse. Still getting a feel for both teams. 1) Garwey Dual was the most intriguing NBA prospect to me. At 6'5 with a 7'0 wingspan, he’s an outstanding guard defender. He plays extremely hard, and even when he gets beat initially, his length lets him recover and still make a play. The problem is still the offense. He needs to become an elite cutter, make a bigger impact on the offensive glass, and ideally start hitting open 3s consistently (that hasn't happened yet in his career(. The defense is more than NBA caliber. The question is whether he can create enough offensive value to keep it on the floor. 2) Markus Burton and Darren Harris played really well off each other. Indiana used the dual threat of their shooting to create good looks throughout the second half. Burton is undersized, but the dynamic scoring has kept him on the fringes of the draft conversation for years. I want fewer turnovers, a high 3-point attempt rate, and proof that he can still finish efficiently at the rim against Big Ten size. His steals help claw back defensive value despite the size. 3) Harris has a chance to re-emerge as a draft prospect at Indiana. He got lost in the shuffle at Duke, but I still buy the shooting talent. I also like that he generally protects the ball and gets to the line. If he shoots it at a high level for a full season, he can put himself into draft the conversation. 4) Jaeden Mustaf popped. At 6'6, 215 pounds, he was physical getting downhill, finished well around the basket, competed defensively and rebounded. He has enough size and athleticism for the NBA. If the jumper takes a real step forward, he could become a legitimate draft prospect. 5) Ryan Moesch changed the game for Syracuse off the bench. The freshman PG gave them real juice in the pick-and-roll, especially with Luke Wilson (not the actor). He passed well, created advantages and generated steals. At 6'0, the NBA pathway is narrow. He’ll need to become a very good 3-point shooter, but the feel was impressive. 6) I was encouraged by the progress from both Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. White especially looked stronger and much more forceful around the basket than last season. Both looked more physically ready and comfortable. 7) Both teams found their offense in the second half. Indiana did it through Burton and Harris creating shooting gravity. Syracuse did it by leaning into Moesch in the pick-and-roll. I also thought Indiana converting Syracuse turnovers into points was a major reason they won.