Indiana University Athletics
GRAHAM: Opportunity Knocks. Phinisee Answers.
11/2/2018 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Where opportunity meets preparation.
That's where Rob Phinisee is currently located.
True freshman point guard Phinisee was already studying Indiana game film and attending some Hoosier practices even while playing a standout senior season at McCutcheon High School.
Thursday night, in his first Assembly Hall appearance against an actual foe, Phinisee had scored his jersey number by halftime – but other aspects of his game had impressed beyond the 10 points.
Such as the cerebral play to close the first half of Indiana's 96-62 exhibition win over Southern Indiana.
IU got the ball back with just over 34 seconds left before halftime. So the task was not just to get a good shot, but to milk pretty much the entire 30-second shot clock, thereby denying USI a good look.
The Hoosiers ran their set and Phinisee was in possession at the top of the key as the clock went under 10 seconds. He crisply found Evan Fitzner free on the left wing for a 3 that ripped cord just as the shot-clock expired that sent Indiana into intermission up 39-20.
"I don't want to give away any of our plays, but it's something we've worked on in practice (for) kind of a late-game situation," Fitzner, the 6-foot-10 grad transfer from St. Mary's said of IU's final first-half offensive set. "It was good that we executed and Rob made the right pass."
Phinisee did a whole lot of that all night.
And didn't make a single pass that ended up in enemy hands.
Phinisee had zero turnovers in 28 minutes of play. He finished with four assists, a steal and three rebounds to go with 13 points. And he looked as good on defense as he did on offense.
"Coming in as a freshman, he's the strongest freshman I've ever seen," Johnny Jager, the junior point guard whose 3 from beyond the key forged the final margin, said of Phinisee. "That dude is built. He's tough.
"When he's on the ball, (his) defense is really good. It's tough to get around that guy. He's strong, quick, fast. He's just really solid all around."
Fitzner wasn't surprised to see a goose egg in Phinisee's turnover column.
"I think it's definitely what we've been seeing in practice and scrimmages, our previous scrimmage against another team (Sunday's win over Loyola)," Fitzner said. " … It's tough as a freshman to come in and play well defensively, (and) kind of run the team. He's done a really good job with it so far."
With junior guard Devonte Green (who started 12 games last season, including the final seven at the point) nursing a thigh contusion that held him out of both the Loyola scrimmage and Thursday night, Phinisee needed to emerge. And has.
"He's taking advantage of opportunity," Hoosier head coach Archie Miller said of Phinisee. "It is what it is. Right now, it's come to that level that he's that '(next) man up.' I think you saw a little bit of a glimpse of what we kind of see every day.
"Solid. Really, really tough-minded defensively. Smart. Offensively, still has to learn how to play the college game – doesn't really know how that feels, yet – but for the most part, he's been pretty impressive."
Phinisee was hardly the only fresh face making a good first impression. While only five of Indiana's seven newcomers played, they combined for 55 points and 17 boards, shooting a combined 20 of 38 from the field (.526).
Freshman guard Damezi Anderson drilled 4 of 7 3-pointers (including two in a row from the right wing inside five minutes to play) while scoring all of his game-high 14 points after halftime.
"He's a shooter, as you can see," Jager said of Anderson. " … Having a weapon like that stretches out the defense. You have to stay with him. Opens up driving lanes. Kick it to him, money three. It's a big weapon."
Classmate Romeo Langford matched Phinisee's 13 points and Fitzner finished with 10. Freshman forward Jake Forrester hit both shots from the field he took and added a free throw for five.
But it was Phinisee, calmly but forcefully running the show, who perhaps made the most impressive first impression among the rookies.
Everybody knows Langford can score. The McDonald's All-American from New Albany ranks third all-time among Indiana's prep scorers. He had some misfires Thursday night. He air-balled a forced 3 at one juncture.
Anderson had an errant pass to abort a 3-on-1 break.
The freshmen looked like freshmen at times, which is only to be expected.
But Phinisee looked calm and confident throughout. Not perfect. But prepared and purposeful.
"Without really watching the film and seeing it, I think Rob really had some nice plays," Miller said. "I thought he was (good) in the paint a few times. He's attacking the rim.
"What we're trying to get Rob to see is see the floor a little earlier in transition, where he can get guys like Romeo or Juwan (Morgan, the stalwart senior who had 12 points Thursday) the ball a little bit ahead of the defense, where they have some more room to attack."
But still, with a true freshman running the show most of the way Thursday night, IU had a manageable 11 turnovers and neared the century mark in terms of points.
Opportunity meeting preparation. And production.
Miller, a standout point guard himself collegiately at North Carolina State, knows the nuances and value of good play at that crucial position.
Rob Phinisee, Thursday night, sure looked the part.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Where opportunity meets preparation.
That's where Rob Phinisee is currently located.
True freshman point guard Phinisee was already studying Indiana game film and attending some Hoosier practices even while playing a standout senior season at McCutcheon High School.
Thursday night, in his first Assembly Hall appearance against an actual foe, Phinisee had scored his jersey number by halftime – but other aspects of his game had impressed beyond the 10 points.
Such as the cerebral play to close the first half of Indiana's 96-62 exhibition win over Southern Indiana.
IU got the ball back with just over 34 seconds left before halftime. So the task was not just to get a good shot, but to milk pretty much the entire 30-second shot clock, thereby denying USI a good look.
The Hoosiers ran their set and Phinisee was in possession at the top of the key as the clock went under 10 seconds. He crisply found Evan Fitzner free on the left wing for a 3 that ripped cord just as the shot-clock expired that sent Indiana into intermission up 39-20.
"I don't want to give away any of our plays, but it's something we've worked on in practice (for) kind of a late-game situation," Fitzner, the 6-foot-10 grad transfer from St. Mary's said of IU's final first-half offensive set. "It was good that we executed and Rob made the right pass."
Phinisee did a whole lot of that all night.
And didn't make a single pass that ended up in enemy hands.
Phinisee had zero turnovers in 28 minutes of play. He finished with four assists, a steal and three rebounds to go with 13 points. And he looked as good on defense as he did on offense.
"Coming in as a freshman, he's the strongest freshman I've ever seen," Johnny Jager, the junior point guard whose 3 from beyond the key forged the final margin, said of Phinisee. "That dude is built. He's tough.
"When he's on the ball, (his) defense is really good. It's tough to get around that guy. He's strong, quick, fast. He's just really solid all around."
Fitzner wasn't surprised to see a goose egg in Phinisee's turnover column.
"I think it's definitely what we've been seeing in practice and scrimmages, our previous scrimmage against another team (Sunday's win over Loyola)," Fitzner said. " … It's tough as a freshman to come in and play well defensively, (and) kind of run the team. He's done a really good job with it so far."
With junior guard Devonte Green (who started 12 games last season, including the final seven at the point) nursing a thigh contusion that held him out of both the Loyola scrimmage and Thursday night, Phinisee needed to emerge. And has.
"He's taking advantage of opportunity," Hoosier head coach Archie Miller said of Phinisee. "It is what it is. Right now, it's come to that level that he's that '(next) man up.' I think you saw a little bit of a glimpse of what we kind of see every day.
"Solid. Really, really tough-minded defensively. Smart. Offensively, still has to learn how to play the college game – doesn't really know how that feels, yet – but for the most part, he's been pretty impressive."
Phinisee was hardly the only fresh face making a good first impression. While only five of Indiana's seven newcomers played, they combined for 55 points and 17 boards, shooting a combined 20 of 38 from the field (.526).
Freshman guard Damezi Anderson drilled 4 of 7 3-pointers (including two in a row from the right wing inside five minutes to play) while scoring all of his game-high 14 points after halftime.
"He's a shooter, as you can see," Jager said of Anderson. " … Having a weapon like that stretches out the defense. You have to stay with him. Opens up driving lanes. Kick it to him, money three. It's a big weapon."
Classmate Romeo Langford matched Phinisee's 13 points and Fitzner finished with 10. Freshman forward Jake Forrester hit both shots from the field he took and added a free throw for five.
But it was Phinisee, calmly but forcefully running the show, who perhaps made the most impressive first impression among the rookies.
Everybody knows Langford can score. The McDonald's All-American from New Albany ranks third all-time among Indiana's prep scorers. He had some misfires Thursday night. He air-balled a forced 3 at one juncture.
Anderson had an errant pass to abort a 3-on-1 break.
The freshmen looked like freshmen at times, which is only to be expected.
But Phinisee looked calm and confident throughout. Not perfect. But prepared and purposeful.
"Without really watching the film and seeing it, I think Rob really had some nice plays," Miller said. "I thought he was (good) in the paint a few times. He's attacking the rim.
"What we're trying to get Rob to see is see the floor a little earlier in transition, where he can get guys like Romeo or Juwan (Morgan, the stalwart senior who had 12 points Thursday) the ball a little bit ahead of the defense, where they have some more room to attack."
But still, with a true freshman running the show most of the way Thursday night, IU had a manageable 11 turnovers and neared the century mark in terms of points.
Opportunity meeting preparation. And production.
Miller, a standout point guard himself collegiately at North Carolina State, knows the nuances and value of good play at that crucial position.
Rob Phinisee, Thursday night, sure looked the part.
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