Eight points. Three made field goals. Another night of offensive inefficiency.
On paper, Jaeden Mustaf's performance in Indiana's exhibition win over North Carolina on Sunday night
wasn't particularly impressive.
But the box score tells only a fraction of Mustaf's story. And for Indiana coach Darian DeVries, the most important parts of that story have little to do with how often the third-year wing puts the ball in the basket.
"We've challenged him to be that guy for us," DeVries said Sunday following the Hoosiers' exhibition win over the Tar Heels. "That's why he's out there, to be our guy that we can say, 'Go lock him up.'"
Every good team needs somebody willing to embrace the assignments nobody else wants. Somebody who can make an opposing star uncomfortable, survive a mismatch and turn an otherwise routine possession into a struggle.
DeVries believes Mustaf can be that somebody for Indiana. And against North Carolina, Mustaf offered a glimpse of what that could look like.
North Carolina's Neo Avdalas, the No. 16-ranked transfer this offseason, according to On3, isn't a conventional matchup for a perimeter defender.
At 6-foot-9, the Tar Heels' lead ball-handler presents a combination of size and skill that can make life miserable for opposing guards.
Mustaf, however, looked comfortable with the challenge.
Tasked as the primary defender on Avdalas for much of Sunday's contest, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Mustaf helped limit the Tar Heel guard to six points on 3-of-11 shooting. Avdalas also committed four turnovers.
No thunderous dunk or deep 3-pointer was required. Mustaf made his presence felt by making someone else's job considerably more difficult.
And the beauty of having Mustaf on the floor is that the assignment doesn't necessarily have to change when the matchup does.
"He can get through ball screens. He can keep guys in front. He's strong; when he gets a bigger guy down on the block, we can play him one-on-one," DeVries said. "I've been really happy with him embracing that."
It's a luxury for DeVries, who can deploy Mustaf against a variety of offensive threats without constantly searching for a more favorable defensive matchup.
Against smaller guards, Mustaf has the strength to absorb contact. Against bigger wings, he has the size to hold his ground.
Through two exhibitions, Mustaf has looked like Indiana's best perimeter defender. And perhaps more importantly, he's beginning to look like the player DeVries trusts most when somebody needs to be stopped.
None of this means Mustaf's offensive struggles are irrelevant.
After shooting 2-for-10 against Butler, he followed with a 3-for-8 performance against North Carolina. That's 5-for-18 across two exhibitions, hardly the efficiency Indiana will want from a player expected to spend significant time on the floor.
But Mustaf offers something offensively that doesn't always show up in his shooting percentages.
He can get downhill.
At 215 pounds, Mustaf has the strength to absorb contact and the aggressiveness to attack defenders. It's a different dimension for an Indiana offense with several players more comfortable operating along the perimeter.
"Having him be that straight downhill driver for us, and get to the free-throw line," DeVries said. "I think he's getting better and better in those areas."
The next step is turning those drives into more productive possessions. Getting to the rim is valuable, but finishing consistently, creating for others or drawing fouls is what makes that pressure worthwhile.
For now, though, Mustaf doesn't need to become one of Indiana's primary scoring options. The Hoosiers have other players capable of carrying that responsibility.
What they need, and what they're getting, from Mustaf is something harder to replace.
Two exhibition games aren't enough to declare Mustaf an elite defender, and the challenges awaiting Indiana during the regular season will only become more demanding.
But they've provided a pretty clear indication of where he fits.
On a roster still learning how to play together, Mustaf already has a responsibility that doesn't depend on offensive rhythm, shooting confidence or how many touches come his way.
His job is to make somebody else's night difficult.
There will be games when his shots aren't falling. There will likely be nights when he barely threatens double figures. But if Mustaf can consistently take the opponent's most dangerous perimeter player out of rhythm, his impact could extend well beyond anything the box score captures.
Eight points and three made field goals might not look like much. But for a player Indiana is asking to be "that guy" defensively, the most meaningful numbers might belong to the man he's guarding.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/indiana as Darian DeVries Wants Jaeden Mustaf To Be 'That Guy' On Defense For Indiana .
