Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Defense Fuels Indiana's National Ranking Rise
12/13/2018 10:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana as offense wrecker.
Has it come to that?
Will it come to that?
Let's take a look.
The Hoosiers don't unleash 40 minutes of defensive havoc, but they do it often enough these days, particularly in crucial game stretches, to bode well for Saturday's Crossroads Classic game with Butler, and beyond.\
"I would hope (the Hoosiers) would think our defense can carry us when things aren't going well," coach Archie Miller says. "It doesn't mean you're going to shut (opponents) out.
"When you need a run, when you need the ability to get back in the game or you need something to happen, sometimes it's not offense, sometimes it's defense."
This is another big step for a program that has finally cracked the national rankings in Miller's second season. The Hoosiers are No. 25 in this week's Associated Press poll with an 8-2 record and a three-game winning streak. Two of the wins came against Big Ten opponents, one against a solid Louisville squad.
Defense sets the tone.
"There's the go-to ability to get some stops at times," Miller says. "Not that we're perfect, but we've been able to dig in in a lot of games, find a way to get our defense to be able to give us a little offense."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana as offense wrecker.
Has it come to that?
Will it come to that?
Let's take a look.
The Hoosiers don't unleash 40 minutes of defensive havoc, but they do it often enough these days, particularly in crucial game stretches, to bode well for Saturday's Crossroads Classic game with Butler, and beyond.\
"I would hope (the Hoosiers) would think our defense can carry us when things aren't going well," coach Archie Miller says. "It doesn't mean you're going to shut (opponents) out.
"When you need a run, when you need the ability to get back in the game or you need something to happen, sometimes it's not offense, sometimes it's defense."
This is another big step for a program that has finally cracked the national rankings in Miller's second season. The Hoosiers are No. 25 in this week's Associated Press poll with an 8-2 record and a three-game winning streak. Two of the wins came against Big Ten opponents, one against a solid Louisville squad.
Defense sets the tone.
"There's the go-to ability to get some stops at times," Miller says. "Not that we're perfect, but we've been able to dig in in a lot of games, find a way to get our defense to be able to give us a little offense."
Once upon a time, good defense was determined by how well teams limited opponents' points and shooting percentage. So if you held a team to, say, under 50 points or less than 40 percent shooting, all was well.
Now, in this 21st Century age of analytics, when no statistic is too obscure to use, we have terms such as adjusted defensive efficiency, points per possession, points per minute, points per breath, points per hair follicle, and so on.
Specifically for IU, it has held eight opponents to less than a point per possession.
For those who don't live for numbers, this is good.
For those who do live for numbers, this is e=mc2 awesome.
Only Duke and Louisville scored at a better rate against the Hoosiers this season. Louisville, at exactly 1.00 points per possession, still was held to a points-per-possession season low in its 68-67 loss.
Then consider Indiana ranks No. 22 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency according to kenpom.com, a highly regarded rating system that has been around since 2002.
Last year, the Hoosiers were No. 65 and finished 16-15.
This leads to the obvious question -- what is adjusted defensive efficiency?
Basically, it's points allowed per 100 possessions after adjusting for the quality of the opponent. IU allows 93.5 points per 100 possessions.
Michigan, which leads the nation in this category, allows 87.9 points per 100 possessions.
For those preferring old-fashioned defensive statistics, IU holds teams to 64.7 points and 40.7 percent shooting, 28.0 percent on three-pointers.
However you define it, the Hoosiers have shown dramatic improvement.
Some of that comes from having a year in Miller's system, some the fact new players such as Romeo Langford and Rob Phinisee have quickly adapted.
"The one thing that's been evident with this group is we're much better," Miller says. "We're much tougher, we're much bigger at times on the floor than we've been in the past. We're able to get key stops at times to help us."
He points to the Louisville victory.
"I think we had a window of about four minutes where I don't think they got a field goal in that stretch. That's what you need to have, especially as you start to look towards January and February in the Big Ten. It's going to be tough. You have to hang your hat on that."
The Hoosiers are doing just that, with this hope -- the best is still ahead.
"It's just getting cleaner with our system, making less mistakes off the ball, continuing to get our young guys more experience against different types of offenses which they haven't seen before," Miller says. "As we continue to evolve, getting cleaner with our rules and principles where we don't have to explain everything or scout everything that we do. It (becomes) kind of a habit."
A habit, Miller hopes, that is impossible to break
"We're not that sophisticated as a group, as a unit with our system. It takes time.
"We're not that sophisticated as a group, as a unit with our system. It takes time.
"Our base stuff is better than it was a year ago at this time. If you look at our numbers a year ago at this time through about the same amount of games, it's a drastic difference just in terms of the ability to defend for longer stretches, be more organized in the half court. We're better there. We still have a long way to go, though."
IU's grueling early run has hit a holiday lull. After playing 10 games in a month, the Hoosiers will play just three in the next three weeks.
Much of this is by academic design. IU is wrapping up finals week. It faces Butler (7-2) at Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse a week after beating Louisville at Assembly Hall.
It's a welcome break for a team slowly rounding into shape after a tough run of injuries left Miller with as few as seven available scholarship players. It provides time for rest and quality practice opportunity along with classroom preparation.
"We have to be mindful of our players," Miller says. "You have to give them enough time, enough attention, make sure their exams are being taken care of.
"We've always approached the finals week with our team as being able to give them multiple days off to concentrate on the testing. But it's like I told them, when we work, we're going to work. We have to get better this week as we approach our next opportunity against Butler. We can take a few steps here if we're smart in terms of our team."
Figure Miller and his staff will be very smart given the Big Ten challenge IU will face starting in January. The Hoosiers are one of six ranked conference teams. The others are No. 5 Michigan, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 16 Wisconsin and No. 22 Iowa.
"I think as long as we approach the everyday process the right way," Miller says, "we're going to continue to get better because we do have a lot of upside and room to grow."
Players Mentioned
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