Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: IU Seeks ‘Big Jump’ against Florida State
12/3/2019 3:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Now it gets tough.
Are the Indiana Hoosiers ready for it?
We're about to find out, starting with Tuesday night's Big Ten/ACC Challenge clash with No. 17 Florida State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
"From this point forward things get a lot more difficult for us," coach Archie Miller said. "It will be a great opportunity to play against a terrific ACC team. They have depth and size at the highest level."
The Seminoles (7-1) have won seven straight games since losing their season opener at Pittsburgh. They are thoroughly tested, with half their games away from home.
Indiana (7-0), which is 7-11 in this event, cruised through November, winning every game by double figures, all at home.
"Our team has got to keep getting better," Miller said. "I think as we continue to evolve here, you're starting to see a lot of different guys contribute, which I'm happy about, but I think we can still make a big, big jump."
The Hoosiers will need it against Florida State, which has become a perennial NCAA tourney participant under coach Leonard Hamilton.
He is 361-217 in 18 seasons at Florida State. His overall record with stops at Miami and Oklahoma State is 561-427. He's won three national coach-of-the-year awards.
His teams have beaten 18 ranked opponents while being unranked. No other coach in history has done that.
The Seminoles did it twice this season with wins over then No. 6 Florida and No. 17 Tennessee before cracking the top 20.
Pressure defense is the key. Florida State forces opponents into 18.4 turnovers a game. It allows 59.9 points and 35.8 percent shooting, 27.7 percent from three-point range.
Three Seminoles have at least 12 steals.
Miller is very much aware of that, especially given Hoosier turnover struggles last week.
"Our guard play in terms of taking care of the ball hasn't been very good," Miller said. "We've got to get better in the simple play.
"Can we run efficient offense without turning the ball over? If we do, we can get to the foul line and have a lot of different players who can impact it. But if we turn it over, that's a recipe for disaster.
"Florida State is going to turn you over like crazy. Their size, their switching, their length at the basket, it's going to be impossible to get 2-point baskets.
"Our guards have got to take care of it."
It would help if guard Rob Phinisee returns from injury. He's missed multiple games, and his status for Florida State is uncertain. He can help with ball security as well as backcourt defense.
That's left a heavy burden on veterans Devonte Green and Al Durham, and freshman Armaan Franklin.
"At the end of the day, our lack of depth at guard is really going to get exposed as we start to play the talent level and the guards on other teams," Miller said. "Hopefully we can get Robert back at some point. That's undecided.
"Armaan, Al and Devonte have got to continue to do a great job of being better on the ball (defensively)."
Florida State is the last team you want to play in overtime. The Seminoles have won seven straight such games, including a 63-60 win over Purdue over the weekend to win the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida.
Florida State has offense-busting length, led by 7-1 Balsa Koprivica (who's from Serbia) and 7-foot Dominik Olenjiczak (who's from Poland).
Koprivica is a freshman. Olejniczak transferred from Mississippi.
The Seminoles thrive with balance and depth. Twelve players average at least 10 minutes a game. No one averages more than 31.
Guard Devin Vassell averages 12.5 points and 4.4 rebounds. Guard Trent Forrest averages 12.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. He has a team-leading 32 assists. Guard M.J. Walker averages 10.2 points and 3.0 rebounds.
IU counters with freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, who continues to play at an elite level. He was named Big Ten freshman of the week for the second time by averaging 20 points and 12.5 rebounds in last week's victories over Louisiana Tech and South Dakota State.
Jackson-Davis leads the Hoosiers in scoring (15.6 points), rebounding (9.6), shooting (66.1 percent), blocked shots (16) and double-doubles (4).
Among freshmen nationally Jackson-Davis ranks second in field-goal percentage, third in blocks and fourth in rebounding.
Junior forward Justin Smith averages 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. His team-leading 14 steals equals the combined total of Jackson-Davis, Green and Durham.
Durham averages 13.7 points and has a team-leading 20 assists. Green averages 12.3 points.
As a team, Indiana leads the nation in made free throws per game (21.0) and free throw attempts (29.0). It ranks sixth in scoring (86.4 points) and seventh in field goal percentage (51.4).
The bottom line, Miller says, is Durham and Green have to lead the way.
"They're going to have to do a lot for us," Miller says.
So will Franklin, Jerome Hunter and Damezi Anderson.
"Armaan has to get his confidence back," Miller says. "He's not playing with a lot of confidence shooting, which is not a big deal. That comes and goes with young guys. It will come.
"We've got to get Damezi and Jerome in there. Part of their struggles is they're not playing enough minutes. As we play bigger, better teams, those two guys have got to get in there."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Now it gets tough.
Are the Indiana Hoosiers ready for it?
We're about to find out, starting with Tuesday night's Big Ten/ACC Challenge clash with No. 17 Florida State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
"From this point forward things get a lot more difficult for us," coach Archie Miller said. "It will be a great opportunity to play against a terrific ACC team. They have depth and size at the highest level."
The Seminoles (7-1) have won seven straight games since losing their season opener at Pittsburgh. They are thoroughly tested, with half their games away from home.
Indiana (7-0), which is 7-11 in this event, cruised through November, winning every game by double figures, all at home.
"Our team has got to keep getting better," Miller said. "I think as we continue to evolve here, you're starting to see a lot of different guys contribute, which I'm happy about, but I think we can still make a big, big jump."
The Hoosiers will need it against Florida State, which has become a perennial NCAA tourney participant under coach Leonard Hamilton.
He is 361-217 in 18 seasons at Florida State. His overall record with stops at Miami and Oklahoma State is 561-427. He's won three national coach-of-the-year awards.
His teams have beaten 18 ranked opponents while being unranked. No other coach in history has done that.
The Seminoles did it twice this season with wins over then No. 6 Florida and No. 17 Tennessee before cracking the top 20.
Pressure defense is the key. Florida State forces opponents into 18.4 turnovers a game. It allows 59.9 points and 35.8 percent shooting, 27.7 percent from three-point range.
Three Seminoles have at least 12 steals.
Miller is very much aware of that, especially given Hoosier turnover struggles last week.
"Our guard play in terms of taking care of the ball hasn't been very good," Miller said. "We've got to get better in the simple play.
"Can we run efficient offense without turning the ball over? If we do, we can get to the foul line and have a lot of different players who can impact it. But if we turn it over, that's a recipe for disaster.
"Florida State is going to turn you over like crazy. Their size, their switching, their length at the basket, it's going to be impossible to get 2-point baskets.
"Our guards have got to take care of it."
It would help if guard Rob Phinisee returns from injury. He's missed multiple games, and his status for Florida State is uncertain. He can help with ball security as well as backcourt defense.
That's left a heavy burden on veterans Devonte Green and Al Durham, and freshman Armaan Franklin.
"At the end of the day, our lack of depth at guard is really going to get exposed as we start to play the talent level and the guards on other teams," Miller said. "Hopefully we can get Robert back at some point. That's undecided.
"Armaan, Al and Devonte have got to continue to do a great job of being better on the ball (defensively)."
Florida State is the last team you want to play in overtime. The Seminoles have won seven straight such games, including a 63-60 win over Purdue over the weekend to win the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida.
Florida State has offense-busting length, led by 7-1 Balsa Koprivica (who's from Serbia) and 7-foot Dominik Olenjiczak (who's from Poland).
Koprivica is a freshman. Olejniczak transferred from Mississippi.
The Seminoles thrive with balance and depth. Twelve players average at least 10 minutes a game. No one averages more than 31.
Guard Devin Vassell averages 12.5 points and 4.4 rebounds. Guard Trent Forrest averages 12.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. He has a team-leading 32 assists. Guard M.J. Walker averages 10.2 points and 3.0 rebounds.
IU counters with freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, who continues to play at an elite level. He was named Big Ten freshman of the week for the second time by averaging 20 points and 12.5 rebounds in last week's victories over Louisiana Tech and South Dakota State.
Jackson-Davis leads the Hoosiers in scoring (15.6 points), rebounding (9.6), shooting (66.1 percent), blocked shots (16) and double-doubles (4).
Among freshmen nationally Jackson-Davis ranks second in field-goal percentage, third in blocks and fourth in rebounding.
Junior forward Justin Smith averages 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. His team-leading 14 steals equals the combined total of Jackson-Davis, Green and Durham.
Durham averages 13.7 points and has a team-leading 20 assists. Green averages 12.3 points.
As a team, Indiana leads the nation in made free throws per game (21.0) and free throw attempts (29.0). It ranks sixth in scoring (86.4 points) and seventh in field goal percentage (51.4).
The bottom line, Miller says, is Durham and Green have to lead the way.
"They're going to have to do a lot for us," Miller says.
So will Franklin, Jerome Hunter and Damezi Anderson.
"Armaan has to get his confidence back," Miller says. "He's not playing with a lot of confidence shooting, which is not a big deal. That comes and goes with young guys. It will come.
"We've got to get Damezi and Jerome in there. Part of their struggles is they're not playing enough minutes. As we play bigger, better teams, those two guys have got to get in there."
Players Mentioned
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Guard
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Forward
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Forward
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Guard
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Forward
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