Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Cliffhanger Kings
12/16/2018 9:35:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio, IUHoosiers.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- Sometimes it's about toughness.
It's just that simple.
Play smart, play tough and take your chances with everything else.
Yes, it doesn't hurt to have a record-breaking dose of Juwan Morgan, get a clutch three-point stunner from Robert Phinisee and deliver enough difference-making defense to make even Butler, as gritty a basketball program as the sport has seen over the last 20 years, blink.
Under NCAA tourney-like conditions -- high stakes, packed house, neutral court (Bankers Life Fieldhouse), national TV broadcast -- Indiana unleashed all its program-on-the-rise potential. Its 71-68 Crossroads Classic victory over Butler on Saturday -- thanks to a 21-9 closing run -- was another crucial NCAA tourney resume booster.
"We have a trust in each other, a trust in the system," Morgan said. "We're all bought in."
How could they not be?
The No. 25 Hoosiers (9-2) have become cliffhanger kings. They are a group of dialed-in guys who, no matter how many mistakes they make, and they made so many against Butler, just as they did in their previous three wins over Northwestern, Penn State and Louisville, that Miller lamented about how they "muddy it up," still find a way.
That's four straight wins coming down to the last possession by a combined eight points. IU has had to overcome deficits in its last five victories.
The only one it couldn't overcome was superpower Duke at Duke.
Yes, this is very Cream 'n Crimson cool, but it comes with this reality:
You can't keep living on the edge.
Eventually the edge wins.
The next evolutionary step is to win by, like, six points, by double digits. Win decisively enough so coach Archie Miller can empty the bench in the closing minutes instead of having to coach up a crunch-time storm.
For now, though, victory is enough.
"It comes down to the little things," Miller said. "I think our guys believe if we continue to play and work together defensively, we can win when we're not playing well. We've had to do that. When we get to the last eight (minutes), the last four minutes, guys have confidence that we're okay."
IU was "okay" enough to register its fifth Crossroads Classic victory in eight attempts, tying Butler for the most event wins, and ahead of Notre Dame (three) and Purdue (two).
"These guys have a confidence about each other," Miller said. "Sometimes it's a different guy. Sometimes it's the same guy.
"There was a lot of great attitude throughout a very tough game."
If ever a player has tried to will his team to victory, it was Morgan. Butler (7-3) couldn't stop him even with one of the nation's better defenses.
The senior forward had a Crossroads Classic record 35 points on 12-for-14 shooting. That's one more point than his record of 34 set last year against Notre Dame, and it enabled him to become the 52nd Hoosier to surpass 1,000 career points. He's now at 1,020.
Morgan came in as a free-throw shooting liability (48.3 percent) and went 7-for-7. He made the free throws that gave IU its first tie, at 64-64 with 3:54 left, and the basket 49 seconds later that gave the Hoosiers their first lead.
His steal set up those tying free throws.
"Juwan had as good a game as I've been involved in in a long time," Miller said.
Added Butler coach LaVall Jordan: "Morgan competed. He willed in some shots, some free throws."
Then there was Phinisee, who came up big when nothing was working on the final possession.
In that last play, Miller wanted to get the ball to Langford, and Butler "blew it up." Guard Devonte Green got the ball with seven seconds left, and was instantly in trouble. Phinisee sprinted into view and Green got him the ball. Phinisee quickly shot over the Bulldogs' Aaron Thompson, who did everything but foul him.
Phinisee was 30 feet away, perhaps 35. You get so far out and does it matter?
In this case, the ball hit nothing but net as the clock hit zero, and the celebration began.
This shouldn't be a shocker. Phinisee, after all, did hit a game-tying three-pointer in the final minute at Arkansas, scored seven straight late-in-the-game points at Penn State and hit the go-ahead three-pointer against Louisville with 1:22 left.
"Phinesee has been as impressive as any guard I've seen," Jordan said.
If you want to quibble, IU freshman guard Romeo Langford continued to have stretches where he pushes sharing over selfish, which is fine if you're vying for humanitarian of the year, but not necessarily what you want from your leading scorer.
Hey, it's hard to balance let-the-game-come-to-you patience with taking it over.
Of course, when you have Morgan doing everything but coach the team, it's fine to defer.
Langford, by the way, still finished with 13 points (five below his average), seven rebounds (two above his average), four assists and two blocked shots. He's the only Hoosier to score in double figures in every game.
"Romeo does a great job of just playing within himself," Miller said.
IU is left with Central Arkansas and Jacksonville in non-conference play before Big Ten action resumes on Jan. 3 against Illinois.
The Hoosiers remain far from a finished product, which is fine. The goal is to peak in March than December.
The Hoosiers are building for a very good March.
It's as simple as that.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Sometimes it's about toughness.
It's just that simple.
Play smart, play tough and take your chances with everything else.
Yes, it doesn't hurt to have a record-breaking dose of Juwan Morgan, get a clutch three-point stunner from Robert Phinisee and deliver enough difference-making defense to make even Butler, as gritty a basketball program as the sport has seen over the last 20 years, blink.
Under NCAA tourney-like conditions -- high stakes, packed house, neutral court (Bankers Life Fieldhouse), national TV broadcast -- Indiana unleashed all its program-on-the-rise potential. Its 71-68 Crossroads Classic victory over Butler on Saturday -- thanks to a 21-9 closing run -- was another crucial NCAA tourney resume booster.
"We have a trust in each other, a trust in the system," Morgan said. "We're all bought in."
How could they not be?
The No. 25 Hoosiers (9-2) have become cliffhanger kings. They are a group of dialed-in guys who, no matter how many mistakes they make, and they made so many against Butler, just as they did in their previous three wins over Northwestern, Penn State and Louisville, that Miller lamented about how they "muddy it up," still find a way.
That's four straight wins coming down to the last possession by a combined eight points. IU has had to overcome deficits in its last five victories.
The only one it couldn't overcome was superpower Duke at Duke.
Yes, this is very Cream 'n Crimson cool, but it comes with this reality:
You can't keep living on the edge.
Eventually the edge wins.
The next evolutionary step is to win by, like, six points, by double digits. Win decisively enough so coach Archie Miller can empty the bench in the closing minutes instead of having to coach up a crunch-time storm.
For now, though, victory is enough.
"It comes down to the little things," Miller said. "I think our guys believe if we continue to play and work together defensively, we can win when we're not playing well. We've had to do that. When we get to the last eight (minutes), the last four minutes, guys have confidence that we're okay."
IU was "okay" enough to register its fifth Crossroads Classic victory in eight attempts, tying Butler for the most event wins, and ahead of Notre Dame (three) and Purdue (two).
"These guys have a confidence about each other," Miller said. "Sometimes it's a different guy. Sometimes it's the same guy.
"There was a lot of great attitude throughout a very tough game."
If ever a player has tried to will his team to victory, it was Morgan. Butler (7-3) couldn't stop him even with one of the nation's better defenses.
The senior forward had a Crossroads Classic record 35 points on 12-for-14 shooting. That's one more point than his record of 34 set last year against Notre Dame, and it enabled him to become the 52nd Hoosier to surpass 1,000 career points. He's now at 1,020.
Morgan came in as a free-throw shooting liability (48.3 percent) and went 7-for-7. He made the free throws that gave IU its first tie, at 64-64 with 3:54 left, and the basket 49 seconds later that gave the Hoosiers their first lead.
His steal set up those tying free throws.
"Juwan had as good a game as I've been involved in in a long time," Miller said.
Added Butler coach LaVall Jordan: "Morgan competed. He willed in some shots, some free throws."
Then there was Phinisee, who came up big when nothing was working on the final possession.
In that last play, Miller wanted to get the ball to Langford, and Butler "blew it up." Guard Devonte Green got the ball with seven seconds left, and was instantly in trouble. Phinisee sprinted into view and Green got him the ball. Phinisee quickly shot over the Bulldogs' Aaron Thompson, who did everything but foul him.
Phinisee was 30 feet away, perhaps 35. You get so far out and does it matter?
In this case, the ball hit nothing but net as the clock hit zero, and the celebration began.
This shouldn't be a shocker. Phinisee, after all, did hit a game-tying three-pointer in the final minute at Arkansas, scored seven straight late-in-the-game points at Penn State and hit the go-ahead three-pointer against Louisville with 1:22 left.
"Phinesee has been as impressive as any guard I've seen," Jordan said.
If you want to quibble, IU freshman guard Romeo Langford continued to have stretches where he pushes sharing over selfish, which is fine if you're vying for humanitarian of the year, but not necessarily what you want from your leading scorer.
Hey, it's hard to balance let-the-game-come-to-you patience with taking it over.
Of course, when you have Morgan doing everything but coach the team, it's fine to defer.
Langford, by the way, still finished with 13 points (five below his average), seven rebounds (two above his average), four assists and two blocked shots. He's the only Hoosier to score in double figures in every game.
"Romeo does a great job of just playing within himself," Miller said.
IU is left with Central Arkansas and Jacksonville in non-conference play before Big Ten action resumes on Jan. 3 against Illinois.
The Hoosiers remain far from a finished product, which is fine. The goal is to peak in March than December.
The Hoosiers are building for a very good March.
It's as simple as that.
Players Mentioned
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