Indiana University Athletics
GRAHAM: No Time For Empathy Sunday
2/10/2019 8:41:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Ohio State's Buckeyes and Indiana's Hoosiers could likely empathize with each other a bit.
At the turn of the year both:
And then January happened.
Ohio State lost six times in seven outings, including five straight. Indiana had a Jan. 3 win over Illinois then lost seven straight.
But the Buckeyes (15-7 overall, 5-6 Big Ten) have now won three of their last four games. And the Hoosiers, who host OSU for a 1 p.m. tipoff Sunday, had an epic overtime win at Michigan State last week.
IU (13-10, 4-8) wasn't able to follow up that victory with another, falling 77-72 Thursday at home in a well-fought game with No. 20-ranked Iowa.
Today's tussle might well determine which team can further create and sustain some positive momentum into a crucial February to each's post-season hopes.
It would help the Hoosiers to start holding serve at home, where five of their last eight games transpire, and where the Iowa game marked their third straight setback.
IU 6-foot-8 senior stalwart Juwan Morgan said his team needs to harness the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall ambiance better.
"Just harnessing the crowd in there, the energy, really getting over that hump where we get the (deficit) from 10 to six to four to three," Morgan said post-Iowa. "I think that's when we really need to use the crowd behind us and really get that one stop they've been looking for the whole game, and then going to capitalize on offense."
The Hoosiers couldn't withstand the late clutch scoring of Iowa juniors Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook, but Indiana's offense has done more capitalizing lately, breaking out of its January doldrums a bit.
IU's 38 assists combined against MSU and Iowa matched its total for the previous four games.
Junior center De'Ron Davis has helped in regard. He had four assists at MSU, then seven more against Iowa, with zero turnovers in both games.
Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann – the Big East Coach of the Year his final season at Butler and the Big Ten Coach of the Year last season in his Buckeye debut – feels Indiana has gotten a lift from the return of Davis (off an ankle injury that cost Davis almost all of January) and classmate Devonte Green (after a 3-game suspension).
"They've got some bench now," Holtmann said after OSU edged Penn State, 74-70, Thursday. "They've had a lot of injuries, but they've got a couple of those guys back. Davis is back. Romeo (Langford, IU's scoring leader), obviously, is terrific.
"Archie does a great job and that environment there is one of the best in our league, and we know that. We're going to need to play really well. I think they've probably gotten a lot of life from just how they played at Michigan State.
"That was a tremendous road win at Michigan State, goodness gracious. Tremendous road win. I think they're really talented with Morgan, who's tremendous, and tremendous mismatch."
Morgan was limited to 22 minutes against Iowa due to foul trouble but still managed to post 17 points (hitting 7 of 9 shots from the field) and five boards. He averages 15.9 and 7.8.
Langford, the 6-6 freshman, averages 17.6 points and got 22 against Iowa, 15 after intermission to help the Hoosiers rally from a 10-point halftime deficit into contention down the stretch.
"He is phenomenal," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said afterward of Langford. "The kid has got unbelievable skill, but I think it's his confidence level. You talk about a guy that plays at his pace. Can you get a quiet 22? He got a quiet 22. He doesn't force anything. He goes off the dribble, makes 3s and gets to the free throw line.
"He impacts the game in a lot of ways. They go to him late. He is a late game guy. We were up six, and then he hits the big 3. You're not surprised. We know that's where they are going, anyway, and he makes it. That says a lot about him. He is special."
But if Indiana is going to make what is likely its only season with Langford – he is a projected lottery pick in the NBA Draft – and final season with Morgan special, the Hoosiers probably need to beat a Buckeye team that comes in on a roll.
OSU beat Indiana twice last season, including handing the Hoosiers an 80-78 overtime loss on Senior Night at Assembly Hall.
C.J. Jackson hit a decisive 3 at the Hall last season, and the 6-1 senior guard is one of three Buckeyes currently averaging in double-figure scoring at 13.0. He's shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc, 80 percent at the foul line and leads OSU in assists with 79.
Kaleb Wesson, the powerfully-built 6-9 sophomore, leads Ohio State in both scoring (14.9) and rebounding (6.5). He shoots .525 from the field and can hit 3s (.413).
Luther Muhammad, a 6-3 freshman, is becoming an OSU standout. He supplied 20 points, five boards and four assists in the win over Penn State. He's shooting .452 from 3-point range and has upped his scoring average to 10.2.
Andre Wesson, a 6-6 junior, averages 8.6 points. And 6-5 sophomore Musa Jallow, who starred for Bloomington North and graduated early to join the Buckeye last season, has emerged as a starter in recent games and averages 3.0.
Kyle Young (6-8 soph, 7.2), Duane Washington (6-3 frosh, 7.0), Keyshawn Woods (6-3 grad student and Wake Forest transfer, 6.8) and 6-9 frosh Jaedon LeDee (2.9) are also in the regular rotation.
IU is deeper now than at any point since December, but is still without the services of senior co-captain Zach McRoberts (back and foot issues) and freshman Jerome Hunter (out for the season), though redshirt-freshman Race
Thompson is practicing again after appearing in just Nov. 9 Montana State game before entering concussion protocol.
Coach Miller knows this is no time for empathy or sympathy. Sunday's outcome will loom large.
As he exited the press conference Thursday night, Miller fielded a question about the Ohio State game being a big one regarding NCAA tournament hopes. His reply applied to the balance of February and into March:
"Every game's a big game."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Ohio State's Buckeyes and Indiana's Hoosiers could likely empathize with each other a bit.
At the turn of the year both:
- Had secured strong starts though December – OSU at 12-1, with the lone loss to Syracuse in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge – and Indiana at 12-2.
- Were ranked nationally, OSU at No. 14 and IU at No. 21.
- Had posted 2-0 starts in Big Ten play.
And then January happened.
Ohio State lost six times in seven outings, including five straight. Indiana had a Jan. 3 win over Illinois then lost seven straight.
But the Buckeyes (15-7 overall, 5-6 Big Ten) have now won three of their last four games. And the Hoosiers, who host OSU for a 1 p.m. tipoff Sunday, had an epic overtime win at Michigan State last week.
IU (13-10, 4-8) wasn't able to follow up that victory with another, falling 77-72 Thursday at home in a well-fought game with No. 20-ranked Iowa.
Today's tussle might well determine which team can further create and sustain some positive momentum into a crucial February to each's post-season hopes.
It would help the Hoosiers to start holding serve at home, where five of their last eight games transpire, and where the Iowa game marked their third straight setback.
IU 6-foot-8 senior stalwart Juwan Morgan said his team needs to harness the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall ambiance better.
"Just harnessing the crowd in there, the energy, really getting over that hump where we get the (deficit) from 10 to six to four to three," Morgan said post-Iowa. "I think that's when we really need to use the crowd behind us and really get that one stop they've been looking for the whole game, and then going to capitalize on offense."
The Hoosiers couldn't withstand the late clutch scoring of Iowa juniors Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook, but Indiana's offense has done more capitalizing lately, breaking out of its January doldrums a bit.
IU's 38 assists combined against MSU and Iowa matched its total for the previous four games.
Junior center De'Ron Davis has helped in regard. He had four assists at MSU, then seven more against Iowa, with zero turnovers in both games.
Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann – the Big East Coach of the Year his final season at Butler and the Big Ten Coach of the Year last season in his Buckeye debut – feels Indiana has gotten a lift from the return of Davis (off an ankle injury that cost Davis almost all of January) and classmate Devonte Green (after a 3-game suspension).
"They've got some bench now," Holtmann said after OSU edged Penn State, 74-70, Thursday. "They've had a lot of injuries, but they've got a couple of those guys back. Davis is back. Romeo (Langford, IU's scoring leader), obviously, is terrific.
"Archie does a great job and that environment there is one of the best in our league, and we know that. We're going to need to play really well. I think they've probably gotten a lot of life from just how they played at Michigan State.
"That was a tremendous road win at Michigan State, goodness gracious. Tremendous road win. I think they're really talented with Morgan, who's tremendous, and tremendous mismatch."
Morgan was limited to 22 minutes against Iowa due to foul trouble but still managed to post 17 points (hitting 7 of 9 shots from the field) and five boards. He averages 15.9 and 7.8.
Langford, the 6-6 freshman, averages 17.6 points and got 22 against Iowa, 15 after intermission to help the Hoosiers rally from a 10-point halftime deficit into contention down the stretch.
"He is phenomenal," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said afterward of Langford. "The kid has got unbelievable skill, but I think it's his confidence level. You talk about a guy that plays at his pace. Can you get a quiet 22? He got a quiet 22. He doesn't force anything. He goes off the dribble, makes 3s and gets to the free throw line.
"He impacts the game in a lot of ways. They go to him late. He is a late game guy. We were up six, and then he hits the big 3. You're not surprised. We know that's where they are going, anyway, and he makes it. That says a lot about him. He is special."
But if Indiana is going to make what is likely its only season with Langford – he is a projected lottery pick in the NBA Draft – and final season with Morgan special, the Hoosiers probably need to beat a Buckeye team that comes in on a roll.
OSU beat Indiana twice last season, including handing the Hoosiers an 80-78 overtime loss on Senior Night at Assembly Hall.
C.J. Jackson hit a decisive 3 at the Hall last season, and the 6-1 senior guard is one of three Buckeyes currently averaging in double-figure scoring at 13.0. He's shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc, 80 percent at the foul line and leads OSU in assists with 79.
Kaleb Wesson, the powerfully-built 6-9 sophomore, leads Ohio State in both scoring (14.9) and rebounding (6.5). He shoots .525 from the field and can hit 3s (.413).
Luther Muhammad, a 6-3 freshman, is becoming an OSU standout. He supplied 20 points, five boards and four assists in the win over Penn State. He's shooting .452 from 3-point range and has upped his scoring average to 10.2.
Andre Wesson, a 6-6 junior, averages 8.6 points. And 6-5 sophomore Musa Jallow, who starred for Bloomington North and graduated early to join the Buckeye last season, has emerged as a starter in recent games and averages 3.0.
Kyle Young (6-8 soph, 7.2), Duane Washington (6-3 frosh, 7.0), Keyshawn Woods (6-3 grad student and Wake Forest transfer, 6.8) and 6-9 frosh Jaedon LeDee (2.9) are also in the regular rotation.
IU is deeper now than at any point since December, but is still without the services of senior co-captain Zach McRoberts (back and foot issues) and freshman Jerome Hunter (out for the season), though redshirt-freshman Race
Thompson is practicing again after appearing in just Nov. 9 Montana State game before entering concussion protocol.
Coach Miller knows this is no time for empathy or sympathy. Sunday's outcome will loom large.
As he exited the press conference Thursday night, Miller fielded a question about the Ohio State game being a big one regarding NCAA tournament hopes. His reply applied to the balance of February and into March:
"Every game's a big game."
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballFB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16