Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson is admitting he was a bit worried about what Payton Sparks could give him in his first start for the Hoosiers. But that concern soon went away for Woodson, as Sparks gave the Hoosiers quality minutes in a 100-87 victory for the team over Kennesaw State.

“This is his first big-time start,” Woodson said, per The Herald-Times. “And as a coach, I'm anxious to see if he's ready to play because he hadn't played big minutes. And he only played 14 minutes tonight, but I thought they were a positive 14 minutes to help us win a basketball game.”

Sparks is a Ball State transfer who found himself in the starting lineup for Indiana due to Kel’el Ware being out with an illness. The 6-10 big man Sparks finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds, rising to the occasion for the Hoosiers. Indiana had perfectly balanced scoring in the game, pouring in 50 points in the first half and another 50 in the second.

Sparks had a great deal of success at Ball State. He was a two-time All-MAC performer, scoring more than 800 points and grabbing more than 500 rebounds at the school. This is his first season at Indiana. Sparks is averaging 3 points and under 3 rebounds a game for the Hoosiers this season.

Indiana is on a mission to become one of the great college basketball teams in the country once again. The Hoosiers are 10-3 on the season and a perfect 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference. Indiana basketball is on a three-game winning streak following the victory over Kennesaw State.

Indiana basketball next plays Nebraska on Jan. 3 in a Big Ten Conference game.