Hoosiers Get By North Alabama, 91-65

Tuesday, November 12

Bloomington, Ind.

7:00 PM

Indiana University

3-0,0-0Big Ten

North Alabama

1-2,0-0ASUN

North Ala.

Indiana

11/12/2019 9:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Trayce Jackson-Davis found near free-throw-shooting perfection.

Did he ever.

In fact, on a frosty Tuesday night, Indiana's freshman forward found another tool to punish opponents.

Yes, Jackson-Davis had free-throw shooting in his arsenal for years before North Alabama came to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, but he'd never had the college opportunity to fully exploit it.

During the 91-65 victory, he unleashed 14-for-15 excellence. The last Hoosier to make that many free throws in a game – Eric Gordon in 2007.

"That's a huge deal," coach Archie Miller said.

Jackson-Davis has worked on his free throw shooting with Miller and the payoff is obvious.

"It was concentration for me," he said.

In the season opener against Western Illinois, Jackson-Davis was 0-for-0 from the line. Against Portland State, he was 3-for-6.

Against North Alabama, he drew eight fouls in 21 minutes and seemed to live at the line.

"He was very active in how he drew fouls," Miller said. "He got going early with post-ups and drives. We try to get him the ball down low."

This was what Miller had envisioned when he began recruiting Jackson-Davis as a Center Grove High School sophomore.

"He's a unique player," Miller said. "Since 10^th grade I told him, 'You'll be fouled a ton.' He's athletic. He's talented. He's awkward. He turns into you a lot because he is left-handed. He can draw fouls. He's always done that."

Jackson-Davis added a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds in 22 ruthlessly efficient minutes. It was a strong response to his coach's demands to be more assertive.

"You always take it to heart," Jackson-Davis said. "Coach Miller wants me to be more aggressive. My teammates put me in position to score. I took advantage of it."

Tuesday night was his follow-up to his first college double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds against Portland State) and it showed the kind of progression you want from a player on the rise.

And the 6-10 Jackson-Davis is very much rising … literally. Did you see his soaring second-half alley-oop dunk that made highlight videos across the social media world?

"When you see Trayce point up," forward Damezi Anderson said with a smile, "you throw it up and he'll go get it. No matter if it's at the top of the backboard, he'll get it."

Bigger tests are coming, but for now this former Indiana Mr. Basketball and Parade All-America showcases what talent combined with work ethic (he's won three gold jerseys that symbolize practice dominance for a reason) can do.

That includes defense ranging from the post to the perimeter.

"It's about being able to guard my man and not get beat off the dribble," Jackson-Davis said. "Assert myself on the defensive end, especially if I'm going to play the 4 (power forward) position."

As far as guarding smaller, quicker players, Jackson-Davis said, "The transition has been difficult. Coach Miller believes in me that I'm athletic enough. I do my best to guard them."

Jackson-Davis was one of five Hoosiers to score in double figures against North Alabama (1-2). The others were Rob Phinisee (13 points, plus six assists), Jerome Hunter (12), Al Durham (11) and Anderson (10).

They helped IU (3-0) take leads as big as 27 points.

"They came at you in waves – their size, their physicality," North Alabama coach Tony Pujol said.

Tuesday night was an unwanted exhibition of fouls (54 total) and free throws (72 attempts). IU (3-0) was 37-for-45 from the line, 82.2 percent.

"The free-throw line became an advantage," Miller said. "We're finding ways to get there."

North Alabama played small, because that's its identity. No starter was taller than 6-7 or shorter than 6-1.

Guard Jabari Blackmon was the Lions' three-point-shooting catalyst. His three early long-range baskets were exactly what Miller didn't want to see given the way Portland State had burned the Hoosiers' perimeter defense three days earlier.

Early on, North Alabama was 6-for-7 beyond the arc. Blackmon was 4-for-4.

IU countered with strong free throw shooting.

Jackson-Davis led the way. At one point, he was 8-for-8 as the Hoosiers led 28-24.

The Hoosiers kept dominating at the line, and started thriving beyond the arc.

With three minutes left in the half, they were 14-for-16 from the line, 5-for-11 on three-pointers and led 41-31.

IU finished the half with a 26-11 edge in off-the-bench points and a 47-40 lead.

The Hoosiers spent the second half attacking and the Lions blinked, blinked again, then buckled. After shooting 53.8 percent in the first half, North Alabama shot just 27.8 percent in the second half.

IU held an opponent to just five second-half field goals for the first time since doing it to Ball State in 2012.

Blackmon, who had kept North Alabama in it with 15 first-half points, managed just four in the final 20 minutes.

The second-half defense was better, Miller said, but still not good enough.

"The defense wasn't there. Being able to execute with great intensity wasn't there.

"The second half was better, but we're not anywhere near where we need to be. Can we get there? Yes."

The next chance comes Saturday night against Troy.

"We're waiting for that moment when we get five to six (defensive) possessions in a row where the guys are really into it," Miller said. "We'll get it."