Indiana University Athletics
COLUMN: Is IU Tough Enough To Do What's Necessary
12/19/2017 9:11:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Hadn't we seen this before, Indiana flirting with disaster against Fort Wayne, perceived sure victory edging toward defeat, a three-point barrage bordering on the ridiculous?
Hadn't the Hoosiers learned from last year's upset loss to the Mastodons … or this season's loss to Indiana State?
Weren't they ready to take the next step from Saturday's Notre Dame victory and roll into Big Ten play like a team on a NCAA tourney-making quest?
The answer, as it turned out, was an emphatic no.
That's a shame.
Opportunity was lost in a wave of turnovers and shaky perimeter defense Monday night. IU went down, 92-72. It has lost two straight to the Mastodons (8-5), a good mid-major program that reminds no one of, say, Duke.
Last year was bad.
This was worse.
"We didn't come out ready to play mentally," senior swingman Collin Hartman said. "We didn't do what we needed to do offensively or defensively.
"We weren't playing the way we should, the way we practice. We were not playing smart with the ball."
Fort Wayne found the same three-point Assembly Hall magic that had been so sweet for Indiana State six weeks earlier. The Mastodons were 7-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half. They were 8-for-11 on threes in the first 10 minutes of the second half. They finished 17-for-30
The Hoosiers never came close to stopping it.
That, too, is a shame.
"I'm not sure you can make 17 three-pointers in a game once in a decade at home let alone twice," coach Archie Miller said. "It's incomprehensible."
All the momentum from Crossroads Classic victory was lost. The Hoosiers (6-6) are back to even-record mediocrity.
Fixing it, senior guard Robert Johnson said, "Starts with the older guys. We have to make sure the guys are ready to play. We've been through it the most. It will be up to us."
The Mastodons played small with four guards and a forward. They spread the floor, pushed the pace and built leads as large as 22 points in the second half after beginning it down one. They pushed and Indiana didn't push back. The Hoosiers committed 18 turnovers, allowing Fort Wayne to post a 29-7 edge in points off turnovers.
"Eighteen turnovers are not excusable," forward Juwan Morgan said. "It's something you can't let happen."
Miller dialed up the blunt talk.
"They weren't turnovers that were forced. We dribbled too much and dribbled into the defense.
"Fort Wayne had 13 steals, which are a lot of steals for a team that doesn't press. Put that on me. Clearly, I didn't have their attention. In some cases, the turnovers were mindboggling."
Some would find losing consecutive games to mid-major Fort Wayne, especially by so lopsided a score at Assembly Hall, equally mind boggling.
"We have to understand when you have Indiana across your chest," Hartman said, "it doesn't matter who you play. They want to win. If we don't show up, if we don't play like we practice, it could be one of those nights."
Morgan had feasted on the nation's best in his previous five games, averaging 20.8 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 65.6 percent from the field against Duke, Michigan, Iowa, Louisville and Notre Dame.
That had earned him national and Big Ten player-of-the-week accolades.
That meant nothing Monday night. Neither did his second straight double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Fort Wayne countered with 28 points from guard Kason Harrell and 26 by guard Bryson Scott.
The Hoosiers have two remaining non-conference home games to fix things – Thursday against Tennessee Tech, Dec. 29 against Youngstown State.
"We have to control what we can control," Miller said. "For us, that's the next 48 hours, how we prepare and how we get ready to play our next game."
IU showed against Notre Dame it can play with the toughness of any team. It showed against Fort Wayne it can't play tough at all.
It comes down to this question – are the Hoosiers tough enough to do what needs to be done, all the time?
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Hadn't we seen this before, Indiana flirting with disaster against Fort Wayne, perceived sure victory edging toward defeat, a three-point barrage bordering on the ridiculous?
Hadn't the Hoosiers learned from last year's upset loss to the Mastodons … or this season's loss to Indiana State?
Weren't they ready to take the next step from Saturday's Notre Dame victory and roll into Big Ten play like a team on a NCAA tourney-making quest?
The answer, as it turned out, was an emphatic no.
That's a shame.
Opportunity was lost in a wave of turnovers and shaky perimeter defense Monday night. IU went down, 92-72. It has lost two straight to the Mastodons (8-5), a good mid-major program that reminds no one of, say, Duke.
Last year was bad.
This was worse.
"We didn't come out ready to play mentally," senior swingman Collin Hartman said. "We didn't do what we needed to do offensively or defensively.
"We weren't playing the way we should, the way we practice. We were not playing smart with the ball."
Fort Wayne found the same three-point Assembly Hall magic that had been so sweet for Indiana State six weeks earlier. The Mastodons were 7-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half. They were 8-for-11 on threes in the first 10 minutes of the second half. They finished 17-for-30
The Hoosiers never came close to stopping it.
That, too, is a shame.
"I'm not sure you can make 17 three-pointers in a game once in a decade at home let alone twice," coach Archie Miller said. "It's incomprehensible."
All the momentum from Crossroads Classic victory was lost. The Hoosiers (6-6) are back to even-record mediocrity.
Fixing it, senior guard Robert Johnson said, "Starts with the older guys. We have to make sure the guys are ready to play. We've been through it the most. It will be up to us."
The Mastodons played small with four guards and a forward. They spread the floor, pushed the pace and built leads as large as 22 points in the second half after beginning it down one. They pushed and Indiana didn't push back. The Hoosiers committed 18 turnovers, allowing Fort Wayne to post a 29-7 edge in points off turnovers.
"Eighteen turnovers are not excusable," forward Juwan Morgan said. "It's something you can't let happen."
Miller dialed up the blunt talk.
"They weren't turnovers that were forced. We dribbled too much and dribbled into the defense.
"Fort Wayne had 13 steals, which are a lot of steals for a team that doesn't press. Put that on me. Clearly, I didn't have their attention. In some cases, the turnovers were mindboggling."
Some would find losing consecutive games to mid-major Fort Wayne, especially by so lopsided a score at Assembly Hall, equally mind boggling.
"We have to understand when you have Indiana across your chest," Hartman said, "it doesn't matter who you play. They want to win. If we don't show up, if we don't play like we practice, it could be one of those nights."
Morgan had feasted on the nation's best in his previous five games, averaging 20.8 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 65.6 percent from the field against Duke, Michigan, Iowa, Louisville and Notre Dame.
That had earned him national and Big Ten player-of-the-week accolades.
That meant nothing Monday night. Neither did his second straight double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Fort Wayne countered with 28 points from guard Kason Harrell and 26 by guard Bryson Scott.
The Hoosiers have two remaining non-conference home games to fix things – Thursday against Tennessee Tech, Dec. 29 against Youngstown State.
"We have to control what we can control," Miller said. "For us, that's the next 48 hours, how we prepare and how we get ready to play our next game."
IU showed against Notre Dame it can play with the toughness of any team. It showed against Fort Wayne it can't play tough at all.
It comes down to this question – are the Hoosiers tough enough to do what needs to be done, all the time?
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballFB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16