Indiana University Athletics
IU Looking For Some Breathing Room
2/9/2018 1:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - Now that they've had a chance to catch their breath, Indiana's basketball men are intent on catching and passing some foes clustered in the middle of the Big Ten standings.
The host Hoosiers hope to start that process with Friday's 7:30 p.m. tip against Minnesota, which opens a two-game home stand that includes next Wednesday's game with Illinois.
That arrives in the wake of seven games in 17 days for IU.
A stretch that included four ranked foes and four road assignments, three of which came via just a one-day turnaround – capped by Monday's 65-43 Hoosier romp at Rutgers, right on the heels of Saturday's 63-60 nip-and-tuck homecourt loss to No. 5 Michigan State.
"We were really on a grind, man," IU coach Archie Miller told the media Thursday. "It was difficult to even process the actual game you just finished because you were moving so fast into another one.
"But we took some time yesterday and reviewed what was kind of the Michigan State-Rutgers series, the two games in three days, with our team. We were able to talk about some things that happened in those two games that will hopefully help us improve as we keep moving forward."
Something that has happened over the past three games, including the Jan. 30 loss at Ohio State, is sophomore Devonte Green's emergence at the point.
Green has scored 36 points over those three games, hitting half of his 10 3-point attempts, but even more crucially has dished 12 assists against just two turnovers.
"That's been big for us," said senior guard Rob Johnson, who had 19 points at Rutgers and scored a career-high 28 to lead the Hoosiers to a 75-71 win Jan. 6 at Minnesota. "(Green's) ability to put pressure on the defense, to get guys open and easy shots, I think that's key for us."
Johnson's coach concurs.
"He's done a nice job," Miller said of Green. "You probably can go back to Illinois, when he played extended minutes. And then from Purdue, to Ohio State, where he obviously had a real good day (with 20 points and zero turnovers), he's been building on it.
"He's sort of given us a guy out there who can make others better. And we've been searching for that, really, all year in terms of our guard play. A high assist guy. A guy who is thinking about delivering the ball to other people.
And I think he's the one guy who has showed here in the last couple of weeks he has the ability to make guys better … and I think as our season continues to evolve, if he sticks with it, he'll be a big reason why we're in the winner's circle or not."
Guard play will count in the Minnesota game.
Coach Richard Pitino's Gophers, beset by injuries and suspensions to frontcourt players, have started a smaller lineup recently. Minnesota has lost six straight, but has played very competitively of late.
The Gophers fell just 76-73 Saturday at Michigan, getting 26 points from freshman guard Isaiah Washington, whose offensive production is increasing and who Monday was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. And in Tuesday's 91-85 setback to surging Nebraska, Gopher senior guard Nate Mason poured in 34.
"Offensively (Isaiah Washington) is starting to figure it out … he can blow by anybody," Pitino said Thursday. "Eight assists and zero turnovers (against Nebraska) is really good.
"(Our guys) gave great effort. It's very challenging when you're down three starters. I thought they showed great heart. (Still) giving great effort, that's nice, but you're supposed to do that. There are no moral victories in this program. But with that being said, no team in the country could lose three starters and be the same team."
Minnesota (14-12) was 13-3 when it faced IU Jan. 3. But star senior center Reggie Lynch was suspended due to sexual assault allegations, and the Gophers also lost standout sophomore Amir Coffey to recurring shoulder problems. As is the case with Coffey, 6-5 junior wing Dupree McBrayer remains "day-to-day," according to Pitino, with health issues.
Asked what his team was missing without Coffey, who averages 14 points, Pitino said:
"Well, he's one of the best wings in the league. He's a potential NBA player. He was an All-Freshman player last year. Those don't grow on trees. His length. Offensively, obviously, his versatility, and so on.
"But it was no accident that when we played Ohio State (Jan. 20 with Coffey), that was one of our better defensive performances. Length is huge. Right now we don't have a lot of length on the perimeter."
But the Gophers still have Mason, who averages 16.4 points and 4.4 assists, and Jordan Murphy, the 6-6, 250-pound junior who averages 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds – and who has posted a national-best 21 double-doubles this season.
"They've got some talented guys," Miller said. "When you think about Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy, they're two of the best players in the conference. Isaiah Washington is a really talented freshmen stepping up for them here of late, giving them some added scoring.
"They're playing a little bit smaller now (and are) a little more difficult to guard. We have a lot of respect for them. We played them up there near the beginning of January and had a great win, and I'm sure they'll be ready when we see them Friday."
Miller's Hoosiers can counter up front with 6-8 junior Juwan Morgan, who has averaged 22.8 points and 8.2 boards while shooting .622 from the field over the past five games. He had 23 points and 11 rebounds at Rutgers, his seventh double-double of the campaign. He leads the Hoosier scoring, overall with a 16.6 mark, followed by Johnson's 13.4.
IU (13-12, and in 8th place with a 6-7 league mark, just one behind Northwestern and Penn State in the loss column) is without its starting center, too, since sophomore De'Ron Davis had surgery on a torn Achilles tendon last month. But 6-6 senior Freddie McSwain Jr. has helped pick up considerable slack in the post. McSwain had a career-high 16 rebounds against Michigan State and nine more against Rutgers after getting starts in both games.
"I think our guys have continued to work," Miller said. "At this time of year, if you're playing hard and continuing to improve, doing things the right way (it's what you want).
"We hit a few speed bumps, obviously, during a very tough stretch. I thought, in all those games, for the most part, we were playing the right way and just came up a bit short.
"To be able to get the win at Rutgers (to end a four-game skid of competitive contests) was really good for our team just in the sense of playing with good purpose, with great togetherness, and at this time of year that's what you're looking for – you're looking for a group that is still trying to get everything out of it that they can."
IU got off to a quick start at Rutgers, fueled by eight early points from Johnson, and never let the Scarlet Knights get close.
"I think that's always key for us," Johnson said of the hot Hoosier start. "We talk about 'ten four-minute wars,' and we always want to win that first one. When we can get off to a hot start, that's always good for us."
Miller, who felt his team didn't handle a previous two-day turnaround at Ohio State well, was gratified to see the start at Rutgers.
"A lot of people can make a lot of excuses about the quick turnarounds on the schedule and fatigue," Miller said "... so the big thing after the Michigan State game was that the focus, the energy level, the fight that you bring to the game has to be there.
"And I thought we had that (at Rutgers.) You've got to take that, bottle it up, and bring that to every game … we also shared the ball well in that Rutgers game. There were a lot of things to build upon."
And finally, the Hoosiers were able to build a bit with three days between games.
"I think it was definitely good," Johnson said, "for us to get a chance to catch our breath."
The Hoosiers know they still have a chance to elevate themselves into the Big Ten's upper half.
"We'll have a little more space between games," Miller said. "That just gives them the chance to be at their best just in terms of time, in regard to freshness both mentally and physically.
"As you look at our league, it's going to come down to the last week in terms of the standings, from 1 to whatever. The big thing now is to take a deep breath. It's going to go fast, we know that, (but we want to) keep seizing opportunities. You never know until you keep pounding away. You don't know what's ahead of you. One win could lead to a lot of good things.
"We're just trying to prepare to finish the season as well as we can. It's good to get off the road, coming off Monday night, and giving our guys some time to recover. We're kind of beat up, probably like a lot of teams. We're just trying to recuperate and refresh, and to work hard in practice for short bursts. And getting back on the home court Friday against Minnesota, we're excited for the opportunity."
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - Now that they've had a chance to catch their breath, Indiana's basketball men are intent on catching and passing some foes clustered in the middle of the Big Ten standings.
The host Hoosiers hope to start that process with Friday's 7:30 p.m. tip against Minnesota, which opens a two-game home stand that includes next Wednesday's game with Illinois.
That arrives in the wake of seven games in 17 days for IU.
A stretch that included four ranked foes and four road assignments, three of which came via just a one-day turnaround – capped by Monday's 65-43 Hoosier romp at Rutgers, right on the heels of Saturday's 63-60 nip-and-tuck homecourt loss to No. 5 Michigan State.
"We were really on a grind, man," IU coach Archie Miller told the media Thursday. "It was difficult to even process the actual game you just finished because you were moving so fast into another one.
"But we took some time yesterday and reviewed what was kind of the Michigan State-Rutgers series, the two games in three days, with our team. We were able to talk about some things that happened in those two games that will hopefully help us improve as we keep moving forward."
Something that has happened over the past three games, including the Jan. 30 loss at Ohio State, is sophomore Devonte Green's emergence at the point.
Green has scored 36 points over those three games, hitting half of his 10 3-point attempts, but even more crucially has dished 12 assists against just two turnovers.
"That's been big for us," said senior guard Rob Johnson, who had 19 points at Rutgers and scored a career-high 28 to lead the Hoosiers to a 75-71 win Jan. 6 at Minnesota. "(Green's) ability to put pressure on the defense, to get guys open and easy shots, I think that's key for us."
Johnson's coach concurs.
"He's done a nice job," Miller said of Green. "You probably can go back to Illinois, when he played extended minutes. And then from Purdue, to Ohio State, where he obviously had a real good day (with 20 points and zero turnovers), he's been building on it.
"He's sort of given us a guy out there who can make others better. And we've been searching for that, really, all year in terms of our guard play. A high assist guy. A guy who is thinking about delivering the ball to other people.
And I think he's the one guy who has showed here in the last couple of weeks he has the ability to make guys better … and I think as our season continues to evolve, if he sticks with it, he'll be a big reason why we're in the winner's circle or not."
Guard play will count in the Minnesota game.
Coach Richard Pitino's Gophers, beset by injuries and suspensions to frontcourt players, have started a smaller lineup recently. Minnesota has lost six straight, but has played very competitively of late.
The Gophers fell just 76-73 Saturday at Michigan, getting 26 points from freshman guard Isaiah Washington, whose offensive production is increasing and who Monday was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. And in Tuesday's 91-85 setback to surging Nebraska, Gopher senior guard Nate Mason poured in 34.
"Offensively (Isaiah Washington) is starting to figure it out … he can blow by anybody," Pitino said Thursday. "Eight assists and zero turnovers (against Nebraska) is really good.
"(Our guys) gave great effort. It's very challenging when you're down three starters. I thought they showed great heart. (Still) giving great effort, that's nice, but you're supposed to do that. There are no moral victories in this program. But with that being said, no team in the country could lose three starters and be the same team."
Minnesota (14-12) was 13-3 when it faced IU Jan. 3. But star senior center Reggie Lynch was suspended due to sexual assault allegations, and the Gophers also lost standout sophomore Amir Coffey to recurring shoulder problems. As is the case with Coffey, 6-5 junior wing Dupree McBrayer remains "day-to-day," according to Pitino, with health issues.
Asked what his team was missing without Coffey, who averages 14 points, Pitino said:
"Well, he's one of the best wings in the league. He's a potential NBA player. He was an All-Freshman player last year. Those don't grow on trees. His length. Offensively, obviously, his versatility, and so on.
"But it was no accident that when we played Ohio State (Jan. 20 with Coffey), that was one of our better defensive performances. Length is huge. Right now we don't have a lot of length on the perimeter."
But the Gophers still have Mason, who averages 16.4 points and 4.4 assists, and Jordan Murphy, the 6-6, 250-pound junior who averages 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds – and who has posted a national-best 21 double-doubles this season.
"They've got some talented guys," Miller said. "When you think about Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy, they're two of the best players in the conference. Isaiah Washington is a really talented freshmen stepping up for them here of late, giving them some added scoring.
"They're playing a little bit smaller now (and are) a little more difficult to guard. We have a lot of respect for them. We played them up there near the beginning of January and had a great win, and I'm sure they'll be ready when we see them Friday."
Miller's Hoosiers can counter up front with 6-8 junior Juwan Morgan, who has averaged 22.8 points and 8.2 boards while shooting .622 from the field over the past five games. He had 23 points and 11 rebounds at Rutgers, his seventh double-double of the campaign. He leads the Hoosier scoring, overall with a 16.6 mark, followed by Johnson's 13.4.
IU (13-12, and in 8th place with a 6-7 league mark, just one behind Northwestern and Penn State in the loss column) is without its starting center, too, since sophomore De'Ron Davis had surgery on a torn Achilles tendon last month. But 6-6 senior Freddie McSwain Jr. has helped pick up considerable slack in the post. McSwain had a career-high 16 rebounds against Michigan State and nine more against Rutgers after getting starts in both games.
"I think our guys have continued to work," Miller said. "At this time of year, if you're playing hard and continuing to improve, doing things the right way (it's what you want).
"We hit a few speed bumps, obviously, during a very tough stretch. I thought, in all those games, for the most part, we were playing the right way and just came up a bit short.
"To be able to get the win at Rutgers (to end a four-game skid of competitive contests) was really good for our team just in the sense of playing with good purpose, with great togetherness, and at this time of year that's what you're looking for – you're looking for a group that is still trying to get everything out of it that they can."
IU got off to a quick start at Rutgers, fueled by eight early points from Johnson, and never let the Scarlet Knights get close.
"I think that's always key for us," Johnson said of the hot Hoosier start. "We talk about 'ten four-minute wars,' and we always want to win that first one. When we can get off to a hot start, that's always good for us."
Miller, who felt his team didn't handle a previous two-day turnaround at Ohio State well, was gratified to see the start at Rutgers.
"A lot of people can make a lot of excuses about the quick turnarounds on the schedule and fatigue," Miller said "... so the big thing after the Michigan State game was that the focus, the energy level, the fight that you bring to the game has to be there.
"And I thought we had that (at Rutgers.) You've got to take that, bottle it up, and bring that to every game … we also shared the ball well in that Rutgers game. There were a lot of things to build upon."
And finally, the Hoosiers were able to build a bit with three days between games.
"I think it was definitely good," Johnson said, "for us to get a chance to catch our breath."
The Hoosiers know they still have a chance to elevate themselves into the Big Ten's upper half.
"We'll have a little more space between games," Miller said. "That just gives them the chance to be at their best just in terms of time, in regard to freshness both mentally and physically.
"As you look at our league, it's going to come down to the last week in terms of the standings, from 1 to whatever. The big thing now is to take a deep breath. It's going to go fast, we know that, (but we want to) keep seizing opportunities. You never know until you keep pounding away. You don't know what's ahead of you. One win could lead to a lot of good things.
"We're just trying to prepare to finish the season as well as we can. It's good to get off the road, coming off Monday night, and giving our guys some time to recover. We're kind of beat up, probably like a lot of teams. We're just trying to recuperate and refresh, and to work hard in practice for short bursts. And getting back on the home court Friday against Minnesota, we're excited for the opportunity."
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