Balancing Act Makes Hoosiers Tough to Defend

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - When Indiana takes on Louisiana Tech in the third game of the Indiana Challenge Monday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, the Bulldogs will face some choices.

Will they focus on trying to contain junior forward Justin Smith, who leads the Hoosiers by averaging 15.8 points a game? Or will guard Al Durham and his 14.6 points a game be where they turn their attention? Maybe it will be freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is scoring 13.8 points an outing through his young career. Or, maybe La. Tech will look to control senior guard Devonte Green first and foremost after score 22 points in his first two games this season.

There's no clear answer, and the Hoosiers' balance is one of the reasons Indiana is averaging 90.6 points a game during their 5-0 start. Nine of Indiana's 11 scholarship players have scored in double figures at least once this young season, which leaves defenses scrambling.

Head coach Archie Miller has juggled his lineup a bit due to some nagging injuries from preseason camp, but it also has provided opportunities for the Hoosiers to take a turn in the spotlight.

"We're playing a lot of guys," head coach Archie Miller says. "There's a lot of sacrifice going on, a lot of inconsistency in the minutes being played. I think as our guys are realizing, the best that we can do is push each other every day and on game day be prepared and mentally ready and take advantage of it. If you take advantage of your opportunities in the game, you're going to find your opportunities are more. And if you're not, then those opportunities will be a little bit less."

The Hoosiers are doing a decent job of taking advantage of their opportunities. Take Smith, for instance. After scoring 40 points on 18-of-31 shooting in the first two games of the season, Smith scored just three points in 20 minutes vs. North Alabama. It wasn't a down game. He just didn't force the issue and make mistakes. He attempted just two shots from the field and made other contributions where he could.

He followed up that outing by scoring a combined 26 points on 14-of-18 shooting in his last two games.

Being willing to do what is asked of you without trying too hard to step in the spotlight is the hallmark of a balanced team that is on the same page.

Then you have redshirt sophomore forward Race Thompson. He is played between 15-23 minutes in all five games this year, he has scored between 4-10 points in every outing, and has yet to take more than five shots. Meanwhile, he's rebounding, blocking shots, making steals, and being an all-around pest on defense.

"We've got a lot of different guys," Miller says. "We've got to keep getting better, keep getting a more experienced level. And we need to work through what I would call inconsistency off guys coming into the game. Guys coming into the game have to be ready to roll. If they're not, it stands out. And then we have to go to another guy."

For all the balance, there's not a lot of duplication. Green is fantastic creating off the dribble and finding guys in the drive-and-kick game. Smith is athletic in transition and can clean up on the boards. Durham is an improving 3-point shooter who also can finish at the basket. Guards Armaan Franklin and Rob Phinisee are both great with the ball, but they bring different skillsets to the floor.

Then there's redshirt junior forward Joey Brunk, who brings an old-school low-post presence to the floor. Brunk is efficient when he gets the ball on the low block, and he's willing to be physical on both ends of the floor. He isn't the main focus on offense, but he's a fantastic hub who is key when teams throw a zone at the Hoosiers.

Miller thinks Brunk can be even more effective once he gets more comfortable.

"Joey's a good offensive player," Miller said. "He just hasn't' been aggressive or assertive in games. In many ways, we need Joe to be selfish down there. He can score the ball with either hand. He has good feet."

Louisiana Tech, meanwhile, has opened the season 4-1 with its only loss coming at Creighton Nov. 16, and the Bulldogs feature four players who average double figures in scoring. They also score 82-plus points a game, which will put pressure on IU's defense to slow down the Bulldogs and force some turnovers.

The Hoosiers will focus on taking care of the ball and turning rebounding into offense on the other end. They tip off vs. Louisiana Tech at 8:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

Indiana University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Joey Brunk

Related Videos