Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Durham Showing His Hoosier Value
12/12/2018 3:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forget silence is golden.
In Archie Miller's Indiana basketball world, quiet gets you beat, loud gets things done.
Case in point – Aljami Durham.
"He's one of our loudest talkers," Miller says.
To thrive at the highest basketball levels, talk isn't cheap, it's crucial. And Durham, IU's sophomore guard, does his part during games and in practice, and it comes with coach-inspired purpose.
"He's our best communicator," Miller says.
Good teams are loaded with good communicators, and now that the Hoosiers (8-2) have cracked into the Associated Press top-25 poll (at No. 25) for the first time in the year-plus Miller era, both factors loom true.
Yes, senior Juwan Morgan and freshman Romeo Langford generate the most hype, but the 6-4 Durham has not-so-quietly emerged as the kind of consistent presence needed for season-long success.
"He can play both guard spots for us; he can defend both guard spots for us," Miller says. "He knows what he's doing. He's a very valuable part to what we're doing."
How's this for value. Durham ranks first on the team in three-point field goals (12) despite missing a game with an injury, and fourth in scoring (8.3 points). He shoots 42.9 percent from three-point range and 76.5 percent on free throws.
He's scored in double figures five times this season, with a high of 13 against Marquette. His four rebounds in that game also are a season high.
Durham's career highs of 16 points and five rebounds came last season.
Miller isn't surprised because he's seen Durham put in the time.
"He's working hard on both ends of the floor. He gives us an added weapon, three-point shooter. He's shooting the ball really well. He's an attacking guy off the bounce who can make plays."
Durham showed flashes of play-making last season, when he averaged 4.8 points and 40.9 percent shooting with eight starts. But he was a three-point-shooting liability at 28.6 percent.
That had to change, and given his 14-percent three-point-shooting improvement, it has. Durham is tied with Morgan for second in team three-point shooting accuracy, behind only graduate transfer Evan Fitzner (45.0 percent).
Improvement starts, Durham says, with confidence.
"My teammates and coaches have confidence in me. The multiple reps we had over the summer, during our year of practice, I feel it was basically confidence and multiple reps."
Miller offers more in-depth perspective.
"I don't think he changed anything. He's got obviously a year under his belt. He's had an off-season in our program where we take a lot of shots in the off-season and summer, he's got a lot of repetitions, and he's a good shooter.
"He was a good shooter coming in who as a freshman went through normal freshman up and downs and had a streak there where he wasn't shooting the ball well.
"He's much improved in shooting. I think it's a repetition thing with him. I think he has confidence in himself. He's worked really hard on his game. He loves the game, so he's a self-made kind of guy.
"We're pleased where he's at with us, and hopefully he has some more big moments."
Morgan says Durham is ready for more.
"He played a lot of games last year, a lot of minutes. He's one of those guys that's been through it. He's been through the fire. He was with us when we were finally getting it to click, and he was there at the beginning of it when things were going bad."
As a Georgia high school standout, Durham scored more than 1,000 career points and averaged at least 15 points in each of his final three seasons. But he was thin at just 175 pounds, and lacked the strength necessary to consistently compete at the elite college level.
While he remains thin at 181 pounds, he's far better able to handle Big Ten battles.
"He's a stronger player physically," Miller says. "He's not as light. I think that helps him.
"He's a more confident shooter than he was a year ago. I think he feels really good about his confidence level offensively and scoring on all three levels. He can do that for us. He can make plays for us. He understands what we're looking for.
"I hate to say he's a veteran, because he's only a sophomore, but he's a veteran guy. He's about the right things every day, practices really hard every day. He's going to have a big role on this team."
As with all the Hoosiers, Durham faces his coach's defend-better mandate, especially with Saturday's Crossroads Classic game against Butler (7-2) looming at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
"We need him to be on the floor more defensively where he's not getting beat or reaching or fouling," Miller says. "He had a couple unnecessary ones against Northwestern that limited his minutes, but he's a big piece."
And if he's a loud one, all the better.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forget silence is golden.
In Archie Miller's Indiana basketball world, quiet gets you beat, loud gets things done.
Case in point – Aljami Durham.
"He's one of our loudest talkers," Miller says.
To thrive at the highest basketball levels, talk isn't cheap, it's crucial. And Durham, IU's sophomore guard, does his part during games and in practice, and it comes with coach-inspired purpose.
"He's our best communicator," Miller says.
Good teams are loaded with good communicators, and now that the Hoosiers (8-2) have cracked into the Associated Press top-25 poll (at No. 25) for the first time in the year-plus Miller era, both factors loom true.
Yes, senior Juwan Morgan and freshman Romeo Langford generate the most hype, but the 6-4 Durham has not-so-quietly emerged as the kind of consistent presence needed for season-long success.
"He can play both guard spots for us; he can defend both guard spots for us," Miller says. "He knows what he's doing. He's a very valuable part to what we're doing."
How's this for value. Durham ranks first on the team in three-point field goals (12) despite missing a game with an injury, and fourth in scoring (8.3 points). He shoots 42.9 percent from three-point range and 76.5 percent on free throws.
He's scored in double figures five times this season, with a high of 13 against Marquette. His four rebounds in that game also are a season high.
Durham's career highs of 16 points and five rebounds came last season.
Miller isn't surprised because he's seen Durham put in the time.
"He's working hard on both ends of the floor. He gives us an added weapon, three-point shooter. He's shooting the ball really well. He's an attacking guy off the bounce who can make plays."
Durham showed flashes of play-making last season, when he averaged 4.8 points and 40.9 percent shooting with eight starts. But he was a three-point-shooting liability at 28.6 percent.
That had to change, and given his 14-percent three-point-shooting improvement, it has. Durham is tied with Morgan for second in team three-point shooting accuracy, behind only graduate transfer Evan Fitzner (45.0 percent).
Improvement starts, Durham says, with confidence.
"My teammates and coaches have confidence in me. The multiple reps we had over the summer, during our year of practice, I feel it was basically confidence and multiple reps."
Miller offers more in-depth perspective.
"I don't think he changed anything. He's got obviously a year under his belt. He's had an off-season in our program where we take a lot of shots in the off-season and summer, he's got a lot of repetitions, and he's a good shooter.
"He was a good shooter coming in who as a freshman went through normal freshman up and downs and had a streak there where he wasn't shooting the ball well.
"He's much improved in shooting. I think it's a repetition thing with him. I think he has confidence in himself. He's worked really hard on his game. He loves the game, so he's a self-made kind of guy.
"We're pleased where he's at with us, and hopefully he has some more big moments."
Morgan says Durham is ready for more.
"He played a lot of games last year, a lot of minutes. He's one of those guys that's been through it. He's been through the fire. He was with us when we were finally getting it to click, and he was there at the beginning of it when things were going bad."
As a Georgia high school standout, Durham scored more than 1,000 career points and averaged at least 15 points in each of his final three seasons. But he was thin at just 175 pounds, and lacked the strength necessary to consistently compete at the elite college level.
While he remains thin at 181 pounds, he's far better able to handle Big Ten battles.
"He's a stronger player physically," Miller says. "He's not as light. I think that helps him.
"He's a more confident shooter than he was a year ago. I think he feels really good about his confidence level offensively and scoring on all three levels. He can do that for us. He can make plays for us. He understands what we're looking for.
"I hate to say he's a veteran, because he's only a sophomore, but he's a veteran guy. He's about the right things every day, practices really hard every day. He's going to have a big role on this team."
As with all the Hoosiers, Durham faces his coach's defend-better mandate, especially with Saturday's Crossroads Classic game against Butler (7-2) looming at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
"We need him to be on the floor more defensively where he's not getting beat or reaching or fouling," Miller says. "He had a couple unnecessary ones against Northwestern that limited his minutes, but he's a big piece."
And if he's a loud one, all the better.
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