IU Working Within Different Lineups to Get Results

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The first few games of the season have stretched head coach Archie Miller's ability to build lineups.

Although the same five players—Al Durham, Justin Smith, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Joey Brunk, and Armaan Franklin—have started every game for the Hoosiers, injuries have forced Miller and his coaching staff to work hard to juggle their rotation. Senior guard Devonte Green has yet to play a game, and sophomore Rob Phinisee is slowly working his way back into the lineup. Senior forward De'Ron Davis is slowly building his minutes, too.

With Troy coming to town Saturday night to take on the Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at 8 p.m., Miller will continue to count on an ever-shifting lineup, but he's pleased with what he has seen despite all the changes.

"I like what a lot of our guys are doing," Miller said. "Each guy is bringing something to the table right now. I think that helps our team. Not that each guy, we're not stressing the overall importance of improvement, but I would say here early on there's been some real guys that have really sort of hung their hat on what we're asking them to do."

Getting comfortable with the different looks the Hoosiers put on the floor starts in practice.

"We switch it up about every week so bigs will switch up teams, guards will switch up teams, so you're pretty much playing with everybody week-to-week," redshirt sophomore Race Thompson said. "It's always different every week. We work with it here all the time."

The good news is Green is getting closer to returning to the floor.

"Devonte is doing better," Miller said. "He was able to practice portions of yesterday. I wouldn't say he's unlimited in everything that he's doing, but he's the best he has been since the beginning of October, and hopefully today is another day he can build on."

Phinisee has played in every game, and he's starting to see more minutes. After starting 29 games last year, Phinisee has been coming off the bench has he works his way back into the rotation following a training camp injury, but he still is making a critical impact on defense.
Miller has been impressed with what the sophomore has brought to the floor.

"He's so important to what we do," Miller said. "He's a tone setter for our team defensively. He's yet to really be able to give us that, whether he's not starting or whether -- I think at certain points of the game in our last couple games when we've really needed some pick-me-up, he's been the guy to give it to us. He's a guy we count on to bring a toughness level to us and to bring a guy that everyone watches and knows how impactful he is with all that he brings to the table in particular his defensive leadership."

Guarding the perimeter will be critical vs. Troy, a team that has knocked down 22 shots from 3-point range in its first two games and is shooting 40.7 percent from the floor from beyond the arc. The Trojans have opened the season with losses to UAB and Chattanooga, but their ability to knock down shots from the outside can open some driving lanes, which means the Hoosiers are going to have to communicate defensively.

"A big challenge on Saturday night here with Troy," Miller said. "They're a terrific 3-point shooting team. Shoot it from five positions. They're going to present a lot of problems, and identifying what we're not doing well right now, they do well, which is obviously making the 3-point shot. I think they're maybe eighth nationally right now in where their points are generated from, which is the line, and we're not doing a very good job at all in defending the line, and that can become a very tricky thing."

Four Troy players—Darian Adams, Zay Williams, K.J. Simon, and Ty Gordon all average at least 12.5 points a game, and Adams, Simon, and Gordon are all shooting better at least 40 percent from the floor both overall and from 3-point range. The Trojans have been starting games quickly, outscoring their opponents by 16 points in the first half. Troy has struggled defensively after the break, and the depth the Hoosiers have developed early in the season could give them an advantage in this game and beyond.

"It's just kind of like we're trying to get everyone to bring their own little toolbox to work," Miller said. "If we can get each individual guy to add to that, great, which they're all trying to do. Our rotation is a work in progress here early in the year because we are trying to play a lot of guys, which I think is going to benefit our team later on in bigger games when you trust more people to play impactful minutes."

IU Working Within Different Lineups to Get Results

Players Mentioned

Joey Brunk

De'Ron Davis

Aljami Durham

Armaan Franklin

Devonte Green

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Rob Phinisee

Justin Smith

Race Thompson

Indiana University Athletics