Hoosiers Claim Third-Straight Win at Crossroads Classic

Saturday, December 21

Indianapolis, IN

12:00 PM

Indiana University

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Notre Dame

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Indiana

Hoosiers Claim Third-Straight Win at Crossroads Classic

12/21/2019 2:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Armaan Franklin was fearless.

Did you expect that?

Did anyone?

On Saturday afternoon, with sunlight streaming into Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana's freshman guard morphed into backcourt teammate Devonte Green in a Crossroads Classic to remember. His three-pointer, with the Hoosiers on the brink of a gut-wrenching defeat to Notre Dame, delivered a 62-60 victory.

"We're fortunate to be in the winner's circle," IU coach Archie Miller said. "I was confident our guys would make some plays down the stretch. They had a great attitude. That's what you like to see."

Indiana (11-1) went from dominating to fading in stunning fashion against the Irish (8-4). A 17-point, second-half lead became a five-point deficit that could have devastated a young team.

Instead, it became a third-straight tough-minded cliff-hanger win.

"For a while we looked like a good team," Miller said. "For a while, we didn't."

Franklin's 17 points on 5-for-6 shooting, 4-for-5 from three-point range was huge. So were freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis' 14 points and seven rebounds, junior forward Joey Brunk's nine points and 14 rebounds and Green's 11 points.

It almost wasn't enough.

"We let our offense frustrate us against a team that can get back in it quick," Miller said. "We were not getting back on defense. We weren't organized. We really struggled for a big part of the second half."

Enter Franklin.

The former Indianapolis Cathedral High School standout arrived as a three-point afterthought. He was just 14.8 percent for the season, 0-for-6 in his last three games.

Combine that with the Hoosiers' rugged inside presence – see their 34-24 in-the-paint scoring advantage – and no wonder Notre Dame coach Mike Brey chose inside defensive help over perimeter emphasis, especially when Franklin got the ball.

"We felt we had to give looks outside because they are so potent inside," Brey said. "They are so physical down there. You have to help and jam it up."

As for Franklin, "He stepped up and made some big ones," Brey said.

The biggest was Franklin's game-winning corner three-pointer with 15.7 seconds remaining from an Al Durham assist.

"It was a big-time play," Brey said.

Added Miller: "Armaan showed his courage and what he means to the team, how he's embraced his role. He's a terrific player and person."

There was no guarantee Franklin would get a hero's chance.

With 3:42 left, the Hoosiers were reeling. Notre Dame was on a 12-0 run, led 59-54 and had the ball. But standout big man John Mooney, en route to a 15-point, 10-rebound effort, was called for traveling.

Miller replaced veteran guard Rob Phinisee with Franklin, who had 14 points to that point to Phinisee's zero.

That decision, Miller said, reflected assistant coaching input as well as Miller's instinct.

"Staff is everything," Miller said. "Armaan was playing well all game.

"Sometimes in those situations you go with older guys with more experience. But we were struggling offensively. Armaan was the one guy who had made some plays."

Franklin had one play left to make.

"It's not easy to do what he did," Miller said. "To his credit, he had a great attitude. You pull for guys like that."

Added Franklin: "I was in the corner, Al found me, I went up with it and knocked it down."

Franklin did it without the hesitation you'd expect from a freshman in a shooting slump. He'd scored just 17 points total in his previous four games.

"He needed to stop walking around with his head down because he wasn't shooting well," Miller said. "He can shoot it. He'd gotten off to a tough start. It happens to all players. With young players, they can let it steamroll them. He hasn't let it impact his attitude or coachability.

"We talked about confidence. He works at (shooting) every day. His mindset was good. He's a smooth offensive player.

"His percentage didn't dictate the kind of shooter he is. As most guys do, he was taken aback by it. He was worrying about it too much. What was he going to do? Go down to 12 percent? It's like, stop worrying about it. Your percentage will eventually climb because you're a good shooter. Just hang in there."

In the aftermath, former Hoosier All-America and current Indiana Pacer Victor Oladipo offered this advice:

"He told me to keep my confidence up and keep shooting no matter how many times you miss," Franklin said.

For 25 minutes the Hoosiers dominated the rebounding, neutralized Notre Dame's formidable three-point shooting attack and dictated with full-roster ferocity.

It flipped fast.

The Irish, one of the nation's top three-point shooting teams, were just 3-for-21 at one point beyond the arc before closing 3-for-6.

Still, IU found a way.

"We had to hold each other accountable," Jackson-Davis said. "We started to get selfish. We got that worked out."

Added Brunk: "We had a lot of belief between all of us. "We had to stay the course. We had to stay connected through all of that."

Mission accomplished.

The game's first basket was a war between the 6-11, 245-pound Brunk and the 6-9, 245-pound Mooney. Brunk won, spurring the Hoosiers to early leads of 7-0 and 13-6.

Notre Dame needed five minutes to make its first three-pointer, another 13 to make its second.

But Hoosier turnovers and the Irish ability to get to the line altered momentum. With 7:53 left in the half, IU led just 17-16.

Then the Hoosiers rocked the Irish into near submission.

They forced consecutive Notre Dame turnovers. Franklin hit a three-pointer, drew a foul while attempting another, and made all three free throws.

Brunk followed with consecutive baskets. Franklin added another three-pointer. IU pushed ahead 32-20 before settling to a 34-23 halftime advantage.

The Hoosiers scored the first six points of the second half, dominating the boards along the way.

Trailing by 17, Notre Dame was seemingly finished.

It was not.

The Irish closed within three points at 48-45 as the clock ticked under eight minutes.

A tough Green fade-away jumper and a Justin Smith basket blunted that surge, but didn't stop it.

A 12-0 Notre Dame run pushed the Irish ahead 59-54.

Franklin buried a three-pointer. Jackson-Davis dunked.

With a minute left, it was a 59-59 tie.

Notre Dame inched ahead by one point with a free throw before Franklin's game-winner.

"We're finding different ways to gut it out," Miller said. "Different guys are doing it."

IU has an eight-day break before hosting Arkansas and then resuming Big Ten play.

"We'll take this (holiday) break, take a deep breath," Miller said. "Arkansas is next for us. A great opponent. It will be a great night for us to play before we open Big Ten play."