COLUMN: inDiana Routs Northwestern
1/16/2018 12:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - Shooting, at a cursory glance, often obscures other aspects of basketball.
Teams hot from the field are seldom playing quite as well as it appears, overall, and cold teams aren't necessarily playing as poorly as it looks.
But beauty, in the eye of the savvy basketball beholder, should always include appreciation of defense. And Sunday's Indiana game with Northwestern showcased that.
Sustained, suffocating defense trumped moribund first-half offense as the host Hoosiers ended up romping, 66-46.
Coach Archie Miller arrived at IU this season from Dayton with a reputation for deploying tough, defensive-minded teams. His current Hoosiers, while riding a three-game winning streak to raise his career win total to 150, are starting to embody that.
There was certainly nothing opaque about the quality of Indiana's defense Sunday. Nor the need for it.
Here were IU's first six offensive possessions of the game, in one ugly paragraph:
Josh Newkirk errant pass. Robert Johnson missed 3 with the shot-clock down. Zach McRoberts air-ball 3. Juwan Morgan illegal screen (for his second foul). Justin Smith missed dunk (blocked from behind). Freddie McSwain Jr. travel.
It actually looked like both teams might make it to the first media timeout scoreless. Northwestern missed its first five shots before Aaron Falzon got open on the left wing to hit a 3 to start the scoring at the 16:22 mark.
But when Newkirk buried a 3 from the top of the key 20 seconds later to get Indiana on the board, it started a 13-0 Hoosier run to gain control they never relinquished.
Because aside from Falzon's shot, the Wildcats couldn't even sniff an open look. For minutes on end.
And that never really changed. IU's defense stayed stout.
Indiana held a Big Ten foe to zero double-figure scorers for the game - the first time since 2002 the Hoosiers have done that. Northwestern's .286 shooting from the field tied the second-best such defensive mark for IU since the 1996-97 season. NU scoring leader Scottie Lindsey went 1-of-15 from the field.
"Congratulations to Indiana – I thought their effort was worthy of winning," Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. "I'm disappointed in our offensive output and you have to give them credit for a lot of that.
"I thought their defense was good … I thought they were active. I thought their principles were good. I thought they had good energy. I thought their big guys fought inside against Dererk (Pardon, NU's key man in the paint) with their coverages.
And did so even without Morgan, the main Hoosier pivot presence and scoring leader, much of the way.
Morgan and fellow starter Zach McRoberts were sidelined for the balance of the first half by picking up two fouls apiece with just 2:24 elapsed.
That certainly inhibited the Indiana offense, much of it geared to running through Morgan touches inside.
But the Indiana defense did not rest. And that meant Northwestern would, ultimately, rest in peace.
"I have a lot of respect for Northwestern and how well they execute and some of the things they do," IU coach Archie Miller said. "I thought our guys really amped it up in the first half in terms of our intensity level, defensively.
"We were stagnant (offensively) against the zone and not having Juwan for a good part of that first half obviously impacted our offense not being able to play through him little bit. But the defensive intensity in the first half was excellent. I thought in the second half, offensively, we were much different."
Indeed they were. And Morgan's return to the court helped make an immediate difference.
Morgan fed freshman Justin Smith at the short corner against the zone for a dunk to start the second half scoring.
"We needed more action, needed more reversal, cutting, and Justin (Smith) was good down there (after halftime)," Miller said. "… That got us off to a decent start. Our offense was much more fluid in the second half compared to in the first half.
"We moved better, really shared the ball and had some guys step up and make some big baskets, alleviate some of the pressure. We worked on a couple things at the half, just in terms of our movement and where we needed to get the ball."
Morgan, among other things, proceeded to hit all four of his shots from the field. The first came with one second left in the shot clock off a pretty Collin Hartman feed at the 15:23 mark, bumping Indiana's lead to double digits at 35-24.
"Juwan is such a weapon for us offensively that he's kind of like our safety net," IU guard Robert Johnson noted. "When we need a basket we go to him.
"But I think guys did a good job of sharing the ball and getting better shots. And that was good for us."
Morgan's four hoops were part of a devastating 25-3 run for IU inaugurated by a Johnson 3 from the top of the key at the after Northwestern had closed within 28-24.
Even when Johnson subsequently missed, he hit, so to speak – thanks to some customary Zach McRoberts hustle. Johnson missed a 3, but Hartman kept the long rebound alive for McRoberts to snag, leading to another Johnson 3 attempt, this time on the money to make it 40-26.
Johnson finished with a senior-guard day, leading all scorers with 17 points, hitting 5-of-11 shots from 3-point range, supplying six rebounds and three assists.
Newkirk followed suit as the only other double-figure scorer with 12, and he capped the big run on a 3 off a Johnson assist with 10:07 to play. That made it 53-26 and the Wildcats were toast.
IU shot .609 after halftime. But defense ruled this day.
Indiana's ability to defend down low took a blow, on paper, when starting 6-foot-10 sophomore center De'Ron Davis sustained a season-ending Achilles heel injury Jan. 4. The Hoosiers had little choice then but to accentuate quickness over size. So far, so good.
"We're a lot quicker, a lot more mobile, especially with our frontcourt," Miller said. "As De'Ron goes down, you get faster. It's just inevitable that the guys who are in the game (aren't as big but) are quicker. We move better. Keeping the ball out of the post has been a big key for us.
"In general, our guys have done a pretty good job on the ball. Today, not letting their shooters get comfortable looks, making them put the ball on the floor. I thought we did a decent job on Bryant (McIntosh, the NU point guard held to seven points, five below his average), staying in front of him and not letting him get all the way to the basket."
The Hoosiers need to maintain effort and focus, given a clearly challenging section of the schedule ensues.
First up is Friday's trip to face a No. 9-ranked Michigan State squad sure to be in a foul mood with a homecourt loss to Michigan stuck in its craw for a week.
That is followed by Maryland, at Illinois (a team playing much tougher than its record indicates), Purdue (looking like a national title contender), at Ohio State (still unbeaten in league play), a rematch with Michigan State at home Feb. 3, and a trip to Rutgers (which beat Wisconsin, then took MSU to overtime last week.) And so on and so forth.
Miller knows all about that, of course. "We have to keep working at it," he said. "I know we're going to be going up against bigger teams, and the firepower in this league is tough.
"But (this was) really good win for our team and excited for them. We have another week here to work a little bit before we play again so we've got to take some time."
And what the Hoosiers are learning is that, while good shooting comes and goes, they can always take their defense with them.
"I definitely would say it's being more connected (defensively)," Johnson said of IU's recent success. "When we're out there, I can feel guys talking more, putting forth a better effort, trying to not let the man to their right or to their left down. So I think we're more connected and there's better communication.
"I think this was the third straight game of that (40-minute effort). I think on the defensive end it's probably been our best game thus far. And I think if we can build on that and continue to tighten a couple of things up on the offensive side, we'll be in a good spot."
Right now, their spot is tied for third in the Big Ten, with Michigan and Michigan State.
Considering where IU just two weeks ago, starting the new year with a loss at Wisconsin leaving the Hoosiers at 1-2 in league play, that seems a beautiful thing for Indiana fans to behold.
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - Shooting, at a cursory glance, often obscures other aspects of basketball.
Teams hot from the field are seldom playing quite as well as it appears, overall, and cold teams aren't necessarily playing as poorly as it looks.
But beauty, in the eye of the savvy basketball beholder, should always include appreciation of defense. And Sunday's Indiana game with Northwestern showcased that.
Sustained, suffocating defense trumped moribund first-half offense as the host Hoosiers ended up romping, 66-46.
Coach Archie Miller arrived at IU this season from Dayton with a reputation for deploying tough, defensive-minded teams. His current Hoosiers, while riding a three-game winning streak to raise his career win total to 150, are starting to embody that.
There was certainly nothing opaque about the quality of Indiana's defense Sunday. Nor the need for it.
Here were IU's first six offensive possessions of the game, in one ugly paragraph:
Josh Newkirk errant pass. Robert Johnson missed 3 with the shot-clock down. Zach McRoberts air-ball 3. Juwan Morgan illegal screen (for his second foul). Justin Smith missed dunk (blocked from behind). Freddie McSwain Jr. travel.
It actually looked like both teams might make it to the first media timeout scoreless. Northwestern missed its first five shots before Aaron Falzon got open on the left wing to hit a 3 to start the scoring at the 16:22 mark.
But when Newkirk buried a 3 from the top of the key 20 seconds later to get Indiana on the board, it started a 13-0 Hoosier run to gain control they never relinquished.
Because aside from Falzon's shot, the Wildcats couldn't even sniff an open look. For minutes on end.
And that never really changed. IU's defense stayed stout.
Indiana held a Big Ten foe to zero double-figure scorers for the game - the first time since 2002 the Hoosiers have done that. Northwestern's .286 shooting from the field tied the second-best such defensive mark for IU since the 1996-97 season. NU scoring leader Scottie Lindsey went 1-of-15 from the field.
"Congratulations to Indiana – I thought their effort was worthy of winning," Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. "I'm disappointed in our offensive output and you have to give them credit for a lot of that.
"I thought their defense was good … I thought they were active. I thought their principles were good. I thought they had good energy. I thought their big guys fought inside against Dererk (Pardon, NU's key man in the paint) with their coverages.
And did so even without Morgan, the main Hoosier pivot presence and scoring leader, much of the way.
Morgan and fellow starter Zach McRoberts were sidelined for the balance of the first half by picking up two fouls apiece with just 2:24 elapsed.
That certainly inhibited the Indiana offense, much of it geared to running through Morgan touches inside.
But the Indiana defense did not rest. And that meant Northwestern would, ultimately, rest in peace.
"I have a lot of respect for Northwestern and how well they execute and some of the things they do," IU coach Archie Miller said. "I thought our guys really amped it up in the first half in terms of our intensity level, defensively.
"We were stagnant (offensively) against the zone and not having Juwan for a good part of that first half obviously impacted our offense not being able to play through him little bit. But the defensive intensity in the first half was excellent. I thought in the second half, offensively, we were much different."
Indeed they were. And Morgan's return to the court helped make an immediate difference.
Morgan fed freshman Justin Smith at the short corner against the zone for a dunk to start the second half scoring.
"We needed more action, needed more reversal, cutting, and Justin (Smith) was good down there (after halftime)," Miller said. "… That got us off to a decent start. Our offense was much more fluid in the second half compared to in the first half.
"We moved better, really shared the ball and had some guys step up and make some big baskets, alleviate some of the pressure. We worked on a couple things at the half, just in terms of our movement and where we needed to get the ball."
Morgan, among other things, proceeded to hit all four of his shots from the field. The first came with one second left in the shot clock off a pretty Collin Hartman feed at the 15:23 mark, bumping Indiana's lead to double digits at 35-24.
"Juwan is such a weapon for us offensively that he's kind of like our safety net," IU guard Robert Johnson noted. "When we need a basket we go to him.
"But I think guys did a good job of sharing the ball and getting better shots. And that was good for us."
Morgan's four hoops were part of a devastating 25-3 run for IU inaugurated by a Johnson 3 from the top of the key at the after Northwestern had closed within 28-24.
Even when Johnson subsequently missed, he hit, so to speak – thanks to some customary Zach McRoberts hustle. Johnson missed a 3, but Hartman kept the long rebound alive for McRoberts to snag, leading to another Johnson 3 attempt, this time on the money to make it 40-26.
Johnson finished with a senior-guard day, leading all scorers with 17 points, hitting 5-of-11 shots from 3-point range, supplying six rebounds and three assists.
Newkirk followed suit as the only other double-figure scorer with 12, and he capped the big run on a 3 off a Johnson assist with 10:07 to play. That made it 53-26 and the Wildcats were toast.
IU shot .609 after halftime. But defense ruled this day.
Indiana's ability to defend down low took a blow, on paper, when starting 6-foot-10 sophomore center De'Ron Davis sustained a season-ending Achilles heel injury Jan. 4. The Hoosiers had little choice then but to accentuate quickness over size. So far, so good.
"We're a lot quicker, a lot more mobile, especially with our frontcourt," Miller said. "As De'Ron goes down, you get faster. It's just inevitable that the guys who are in the game (aren't as big but) are quicker. We move better. Keeping the ball out of the post has been a big key for us.
"In general, our guys have done a pretty good job on the ball. Today, not letting their shooters get comfortable looks, making them put the ball on the floor. I thought we did a decent job on Bryant (McIntosh, the NU point guard held to seven points, five below his average), staying in front of him and not letting him get all the way to the basket."
The Hoosiers need to maintain effort and focus, given a clearly challenging section of the schedule ensues.
First up is Friday's trip to face a No. 9-ranked Michigan State squad sure to be in a foul mood with a homecourt loss to Michigan stuck in its craw for a week.
That is followed by Maryland, at Illinois (a team playing much tougher than its record indicates), Purdue (looking like a national title contender), at Ohio State (still unbeaten in league play), a rematch with Michigan State at home Feb. 3, and a trip to Rutgers (which beat Wisconsin, then took MSU to overtime last week.) And so on and so forth.
Miller knows all about that, of course. "We have to keep working at it," he said. "I know we're going to be going up against bigger teams, and the firepower in this league is tough.
"But (this was) really good win for our team and excited for them. We have another week here to work a little bit before we play again so we've got to take some time."
And what the Hoosiers are learning is that, while good shooting comes and goes, they can always take their defense with them.
"I definitely would say it's being more connected (defensively)," Johnson said of IU's recent success. "When we're out there, I can feel guys talking more, putting forth a better effort, trying to not let the man to their right or to their left down. So I think we're more connected and there's better communication.
"I think this was the third straight game of that (40-minute effort). I think on the defensive end it's probably been our best game thus far. And I think if we can build on that and continue to tighten a couple of things up on the offensive side, we'll be in a good spot."
Right now, their spot is tied for third in the Big Ten, with Michigan and Michigan State.
Considering where IU just two weeks ago, starting the new year with a loss at Wisconsin leaving the Hoosiers at 1-2 in league play, that seems a beautiful thing for Indiana fans to behold.
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