DIPRIMIO: Indiana Aims to ‘Will’ Its Way Past Notre Dame

By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It's about imposing your will.

You know that, right?

Indiana's Crossroads Classic matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday comes down to that, and if that seems be-more-man-than-the-other-guy simple, well, nobody said elite college basketball was quantum physics complex.

The Hoosiers (10-1) want to dictate with tempo and depth, force turnovers, thrive in transition, dominate from the free throw line and deal the Irish three-point shooting misery.

The problem -- Notre Dame (8-3) is one of the nation's best in assist-to-turnover ratio, limiting turnovers, defending without fouling and punishing from beyond the arc.

So, again, it will come down to this at Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse -- which team can best impose its will.

"It's a game within a game," IU coach Archie Miller says. "Your style versus their style."

The Hoosiers' style has produced 10 victories, and if it hasn't always been basketball as art (occasional perimeter-vulnerable defense, inconsistent outside shooting), there have been flashes when they've impressed on a national scale.

See the 80-64 win over then-No. 17 Florida State as Exhibit A.

"You look at our style of play, what we try to do with our depth and hopefully our transition game, our ability to attack offensively," Miller says. "We're trying to get fouled.

"Can we execute? Can we do a good job of finding a way to run good offense? Can we do a good enough job of working longer into the clock offensively to find good possessions where you can find a way to get fouled?"

Miller and his staff have devised a plan. The players must implement it against a team that averages 10 three-point baskets, and that has six players who have made at least 10 three-pointers.

"When you're playing a team that has everybody who can shoot and can spread you out," IU forward Joey Brunk says, "you've got to stay disciplined and be sound in your principles.

"I think this will be a great test for us. It will be a chance to show what we've been working on in practice."

Notre Dame is more than an offensive team. It holds opponents to 63.9 points (IU allows 67.0) and has forced 153 turnovers.

"They play really good team defense," Miller says. "They're very smart. They're disciplined. They don't beat themselves in terms of unnecessary fouling. It's a big thing for us on the other end obviously to attack.

"It will be one of the story-lines in the game -- can we get to the foul line, can we find a way to continue the way we've been playing offensively to dictate that? Our hope is that we're able to."

IU should have all four guards available. Miller says senior Devonte Green is back from the Achilles issue that kept him out of the late stages of the Dec. 13 overtime win over Nebraska.

"Devonte is fine. He's worked his way back into practice. I would say he's not 100 percent. He's dealing with some soreness, but he did practice. Barring any setbacks, he should be available."

That will give IU a guy who averages 12.5 points and a team-leading 42.5 percent from three-point range. Green is a veteran presence joining with Rob Phinisee (9.7 points, 24 assists), Aljami Durham (12.8 points, team-high 32 assists) and Armaan Franklin (4.4 points, 25 assists).

Injuries have limited the time all four guards have been available, which has hurt consistent high-level backcourt play.

For IU to win Saturday and contend for a Big Ten title, that has to change.

"We have to find a way to get those guys to play together as a unit," Miller says. "We have to evaluate them as a unit during the game. How are they playing assist-to-turnover? How is their shot selection? How are they defending? Those are key elements."

As far as rotating the guards, Miller says, "Now that they are together, how do they play off one another and make guys better? That's huge for our team.

"Our guard play isn't so much about scoring as it is ball-handling and assists to turnovers. They don't have to score to play well. That's my message to them.

"Add to that the defense. We've got to do a better job of defending the other team's backcourt one-on-one."

If you thought IU spent the week between games engaged in long, grueling practices, think again. Besides wrapping up finals, the goal was to have the players physically and mentally ready for what lies ahead.

"It's about being fresh, about being energetic," Miller says. "It's about working to get better.

"We have to be energized for Notre Dame. The Crossroads game is really big. It's a great environment. Notre Dame is a really good team, and we have to be ready, much better than we were (against Nebraska)."

How big a challenge is Notre Dame?

It starts with 6-9, 245-pound senior forward John Mooney, who leads the nation in rebounding (13.4) while averaging 14.8 points. He's recorded eight double-doubles (second most in the country) and is the only major college player to average more than 14 points and more than 13 rebounds.

"We've got to keep boxing out," forward Trayce Jackson-Davis says. "He goes after the ball, so we've been doing a lot of rebounding drills in practice to get ready for that. We've got to attack the glass."

Mooney is more than an inside threat. He has 11 three-point baskets and 22 assists against 10 turnovers.

"Without question he's as productive a player as there is in the country," Miller says.

Sophomore guard Dane Goodwin is a major off-the-bench force. He averages 11.7 points, and shoots a team-leading 42.2 percent from three-point range.

Guard T.J. Gibbs averages 12.6 points and has 42 assists against 13 turnovers. Guard Prentiss Hubb averages 11.3 points and has 52 assists against 22 turnovers.

Then there's shot-blocking forward Juwan Durham, who is 6-11 and 223 pounds. He has 30 blocks while averaging 8.3 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Notre Dame lost at North Carolina and at Maryland, and by one point at home to Boston College. It is coming off a 75-61 home win against UCLA.

The Irish lead the country in assist-to-turnover ratio, at 1.82. They also average just 9.72 turnovers. That's second in the nation behind Washington State (9.7).

Still, it's the three-point shooting that most concerns Miller.

"They have a lot of guys who aren't just OK shooters, they have a lot of great shooters. They have guys who can make them in bunches.

"Can you defend the three? You have to do things that require intelligence and communication. That's a big deal because if Notre Dame hits the three and doesn't turn it over, they're tough to beat."

Indiana University Athletics

DIPRIMIO: Indiana Aims to ‘Will’ Its Way Past Notre Dame

Players Mentioned

Joey Brunk

Aljami Durham

Armaan Franklin

Devonte Green

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Rob Phinisee

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