Indiana University Athletics
GRAHAM: Hoosiers Making Plays at Winning Time
12/9/2018 7:24:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - He hit the 3 that finally gave Indiana the lead.
Then he hit the 3 that gave Indiana the lead for good.
Rob Phinisee is not afraid. He is a winner.
Fellow Indiana freshman Romeo Langford, who is also all about winning, remains the real deal.
And this current crew of Indiana Hoosiers has a collective will to win – as demonstrated by three consecutive victories secured by a combined total of five points.
All those truisms above bore repeating yet again Saturday as the host Hoosiers pulled out another hard-earned win, this time by a 68-67 count over a tough and intrepid Louisville team.
How tough and intrepid? Well, besides leading three-fourths of the game, Louisville scored nine points in the final 11.1 seconds.
So it was yet another nail-biter, presuming Indiana fans have any fingernails left.
And if IU's newcomers were key down the stretch, there are also key new names on Louisville's roster this season – but they're not all new to college basketball. Several are transfers, veterans of the hoops wars.
The seasoned Cardinals came into a Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall packed with electricity and promptly pulled the plug. They subdued the crowd with an 8-2 start and fought off every Hoosier run, leading until just 8:36 remained.
But after Louisville demonstrated considerable maturity, then Indiana did.
Including Indiana's freshman guards. Which augurs well.
Louisville was nursing its final lead at 58-57 with 1:25 left before Phinisee arose from the top of the key to bury a bodacious 3.
"The play really wasn't designed for that," Phinisee said. "I saw my guy drop back in. I just took the open shot and made it. Really I just tried to, I mean, make the shot for my team so we can do whatever we can to win."
Chris Mack, doing a bang-up job in his first year coaching the Cardinals, praised Phinisee for taking proper advantage of the situation.
"It all started with a cross-screen for bringing their best player to the block, Juwan Morgan," Mack said. "I think our guard was trying to help out our big, who was probably struggling to get through the screen, and (got) caught up in the screen and
doesn't get out there in time.
" … Give (Phinisee) a lot of credit. That was a big-time shot. That's why they are in the winner's circle."
That along with the fact Langford subsequently found Morgan inside for a bunny to make it 62-58 at 0:40, and then Langford hit four consecutive free throws in over the final 0:16.7.
(He and IU needed all of them, too, given that U of L's Christen Cunningham bombed home a 3 from midcourt at the buzzer.)
Langford drew 10 fouls, overall, and shot 14 free throws, making nine – including the clutch charities.
"I really didn't think too much while I was on the line," Langford recalled. "Cleared my head. I knew the last two free throws I shot were crucial and I had to knock them down."
Langford and Phinisee also showed some sangfroid during post-game interviews, giving their responses a measured "all in the line of duty" tone.
Morgan took note.
"It started in the summer, when they came in willing to work, willing to learn," Morgan said of the frosh. "Closer and closer to the Big Ten (schedule resuming in January) they're becoming more like veterans.
"We can't call them freshmen anymore because the plays they're making down the stretch are big plays for us. They still have mistakes here or there, but they always make up for them."
Such as the sequence where Langford, after missing two free throws with 2:24 to play, responded with a steal and layup for a 57-56 IU edge.
"He's fearless," Hoosier coach Archie Miller said of Langford. "I knew when he was going up for the late (free throws) in the game he was going to be able to step up, because that's what he does. He's a gamer. He's able to finish.
"He's approached the month of December as good as you can as a young guy that has enough on his shoulders (as a much ballyhooed-recruit). Gotten better in October to November, November to December. Now let's get December to January. He knows that. He's got to put himself in a situation where he gets better every month of the season. He has a great attitude."
Miller is naturally appreciative of his other freshman guard, too.
"(Some look at Phinisee) without realizing how physically strong he is, how sturdy he is as a guard," Miller said. "There are very few freshmen guards that can do what he does for 33 minutes, in terms of the defensive side of the ball, which we ask him to do, (and running the team.)
"He's also a tough kid. You don't really know how tough a guy is, what they're made of, until you get them (on campus). He's taking advantage of the opportunities he's been given. He's played well. He's had a great work ethic about it … he's been a great, great addition to the program all the way around, on and off the floor."
Miller correctly noted that IU's major contributions weren't limited to freshman – or guards -- Saturday.
Senior forward Morgan was his usual stalwart self with 15 points (hitting 6 of 9 shots from the field and 3 of 4 free throws). Junior center De'Ron Davis delivered a very valuable 14 minutes (eight points, 3 of 4 from the field and 2 of 3 at the line.
And sophomore forward Justin Smith supplied his second straight nine-rebound game, this time adding nine points and making zero turnovers.
"And I'll tell you what, again, Justin has delivered a really good defensive performance," Miller said of Smith. " … I thought he really competed late in the game. He was able to rebound the ball again … if Justin is getting nine rebounds, playing 30 minutes, he gets nine points, doesn't turn it over, that's the guy he has to be for us now.
"De'Ron's 14 minutes tonight were really, really big. He did a great job. To be honest with you, to credit him, he's had to fight through that body pain, soreness, getting in shape while you're injured (and recuperating an Achilles tear). Without question, De'Ron is a big part of what we're doing."
What Indiana is doing is winning. Finding a way.
"It's … finding a way to hang in there when things aren't going well, make some adjustments on the fly, then finding a way to get to the last couple minutes of the game," Miller said. "There was a lot of winning plays, again.
"We've been in this situation it seems like for the last few weeks. I anticipate it being this way for the rest of the season. So to know a group can finish, or find a way to finish, with its offense or defense, is good.
"I'm hopeful, to be honest with you … as long as we continue to stay as healthy as possible, that we can even take it to another level because we have such a long gap in terms of the potential, of how much better we can actually get. But there were some really, really hard plays in (today's) game that guys had to make. I was proud of them. They did a great job."
They were not afraid.
They were winners.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - He hit the 3 that finally gave Indiana the lead.
Then he hit the 3 that gave Indiana the lead for good.
Rob Phinisee is not afraid. He is a winner.
Fellow Indiana freshman Romeo Langford, who is also all about winning, remains the real deal.
And this current crew of Indiana Hoosiers has a collective will to win – as demonstrated by three consecutive victories secured by a combined total of five points.
All those truisms above bore repeating yet again Saturday as the host Hoosiers pulled out another hard-earned win, this time by a 68-67 count over a tough and intrepid Louisville team.
How tough and intrepid? Well, besides leading three-fourths of the game, Louisville scored nine points in the final 11.1 seconds.
So it was yet another nail-biter, presuming Indiana fans have any fingernails left.
And if IU's newcomers were key down the stretch, there are also key new names on Louisville's roster this season – but they're not all new to college basketball. Several are transfers, veterans of the hoops wars.
The seasoned Cardinals came into a Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall packed with electricity and promptly pulled the plug. They subdued the crowd with an 8-2 start and fought off every Hoosier run, leading until just 8:36 remained.
But after Louisville demonstrated considerable maturity, then Indiana did.
Including Indiana's freshman guards. Which augurs well.
Louisville was nursing its final lead at 58-57 with 1:25 left before Phinisee arose from the top of the key to bury a bodacious 3.
"The play really wasn't designed for that," Phinisee said. "I saw my guy drop back in. I just took the open shot and made it. Really I just tried to, I mean, make the shot for my team so we can do whatever we can to win."
Chris Mack, doing a bang-up job in his first year coaching the Cardinals, praised Phinisee for taking proper advantage of the situation.
"It all started with a cross-screen for bringing their best player to the block, Juwan Morgan," Mack said. "I think our guard was trying to help out our big, who was probably struggling to get through the screen, and (got) caught up in the screen and
doesn't get out there in time.
" … Give (Phinisee) a lot of credit. That was a big-time shot. That's why they are in the winner's circle."
That along with the fact Langford subsequently found Morgan inside for a bunny to make it 62-58 at 0:40, and then Langford hit four consecutive free throws in over the final 0:16.7.
(He and IU needed all of them, too, given that U of L's Christen Cunningham bombed home a 3 from midcourt at the buzzer.)
Langford drew 10 fouls, overall, and shot 14 free throws, making nine – including the clutch charities.
"I really didn't think too much while I was on the line," Langford recalled. "Cleared my head. I knew the last two free throws I shot were crucial and I had to knock them down."
Langford and Phinisee also showed some sangfroid during post-game interviews, giving their responses a measured "all in the line of duty" tone.
Morgan took note.
"It started in the summer, when they came in willing to work, willing to learn," Morgan said of the frosh. "Closer and closer to the Big Ten (schedule resuming in January) they're becoming more like veterans.
"We can't call them freshmen anymore because the plays they're making down the stretch are big plays for us. They still have mistakes here or there, but they always make up for them."
Such as the sequence where Langford, after missing two free throws with 2:24 to play, responded with a steal and layup for a 57-56 IU edge.
"He's fearless," Hoosier coach Archie Miller said of Langford. "I knew when he was going up for the late (free throws) in the game he was going to be able to step up, because that's what he does. He's a gamer. He's able to finish.
"He's approached the month of December as good as you can as a young guy that has enough on his shoulders (as a much ballyhooed-recruit). Gotten better in October to November, November to December. Now let's get December to January. He knows that. He's got to put himself in a situation where he gets better every month of the season. He has a great attitude."
Miller is naturally appreciative of his other freshman guard, too.
"(Some look at Phinisee) without realizing how physically strong he is, how sturdy he is as a guard," Miller said. "There are very few freshmen guards that can do what he does for 33 minutes, in terms of the defensive side of the ball, which we ask him to do, (and running the team.)
"He's also a tough kid. You don't really know how tough a guy is, what they're made of, until you get them (on campus). He's taking advantage of the opportunities he's been given. He's played well. He's had a great work ethic about it … he's been a great, great addition to the program all the way around, on and off the floor."
Miller correctly noted that IU's major contributions weren't limited to freshman – or guards -- Saturday.
Senior forward Morgan was his usual stalwart self with 15 points (hitting 6 of 9 shots from the field and 3 of 4 free throws). Junior center De'Ron Davis delivered a very valuable 14 minutes (eight points, 3 of 4 from the field and 2 of 3 at the line.
And sophomore forward Justin Smith supplied his second straight nine-rebound game, this time adding nine points and making zero turnovers.
"And I'll tell you what, again, Justin has delivered a really good defensive performance," Miller said of Smith. " … I thought he really competed late in the game. He was able to rebound the ball again … if Justin is getting nine rebounds, playing 30 minutes, he gets nine points, doesn't turn it over, that's the guy he has to be for us now.
"De'Ron's 14 minutes tonight were really, really big. He did a great job. To be honest with you, to credit him, he's had to fight through that body pain, soreness, getting in shape while you're injured (and recuperating an Achilles tear). Without question, De'Ron is a big part of what we're doing."
What Indiana is doing is winning. Finding a way.
"It's … finding a way to hang in there when things aren't going well, make some adjustments on the fly, then finding a way to get to the last couple minutes of the game," Miller said. "There was a lot of winning plays, again.
"We've been in this situation it seems like for the last few weeks. I anticipate it being this way for the rest of the season. So to know a group can finish, or find a way to finish, with its offense or defense, is good.
"I'm hopeful, to be honest with you … as long as we continue to stay as healthy as possible, that we can even take it to another level because we have such a long gap in terms of the potential, of how much better we can actually get. But there were some really, really hard plays in (today's) game that guys had to make. I was proud of them. They did a great job."
They were not afraid.
They were winners.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
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