Indiana University Athletics
GRAHAM: Still Time for a Curtain Call
2/20/2019 2:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The attitude-adjustment went unrewarded Tuesday night.
But there was no doubt it had occurred. And that it needs to continue.
Indiana's host Hoosiers played their collective guts out – literally, in the case of freshman Romeo Langford's regurgitation before the start of the second half – but archrival Purdue played just as hard and got the W.
Both teams defended so ferociously, so physically, that the basketball was rarely aesthetically pleasing.
But it made for terrific theater.
And the drama played out to the final buzzer, when Juwan Morgan's 3-point attempt – a good look given the Hoosiers had just 3.1 seconds to go full court – came off front iron and left the Boilermakers 48-46 victors.
"It's probably as physical of a basketball game that I've ever been a part of," IU coach Archie Miller said. "Both teams, I thought, really competed hard, and at the end of the day, they make the winning play."
They did because Indiana, which overcame a lot Tuesday night, in the end couldn't overcome Matt Haarms being 7-foot-3.
Morgan had great defensive rebounding position to snag a Carsen Edwards miss in the waning seconds with the score tied 46-46, getting his hands above the rim, but Haarms was able to reach right over Morgan's back for the deciding tip-in.
Haarms' fiery on-court demeanor makes him an easy villain for opposing crowds but he had the final say.
IU still played in the manner that had brought overtime victory Feb. 2 at Michigan State, and which will bring victory again at some point – perhaps soon – if maintained.
That won't be easy. Not after 11 losses in 12 games. Not after leaving it all out on the floor against an archrival only to be denied.
Not with No. 21-ranked Iowa, itself the victim of a homecourt heartbreaker Tuesday against Maryland, awaiting at 9 p.m. (ET) Friday.
But if these Hoosiers have truly learned anything about themselves over the last two or three days, and if those lessons were taken to heart, it is the only way to move forward.
"I think it's a change in mentality, just that we have no choice but to maintain," Morgan said. "These last few games, we still have a chance. Everything we want is still in front of us, and I'm proud of how the guys fought today."
Pride wasn't in the lexicon after Saturday's desultory 84-63 loss at Minnesota. Nor was it evident often enough throughout much of January as the losses mounted.
Indiana started January with a win over an improving Illinois team to get to 13-2, then nearly got blown out before fighting back in an 11-point loss at No. 2-ranked Michigan.
IU followed that by shooting a solid 49 percent from the field, made all 16 of their free throws and just seven turnovers for the game at Maryland – but saw Anthony Cowan go off from outside, as he is wont to do, and didn't have 6-10 De'Ron Davis available to deal with 6-10 counterpart Bruno Fernando inside. And lost by three.
Then came the Nebraska game. The Hoosiers were home after a two-day turnaround and were not ready to play.
"I would say that losing at home in Nebraska in the way that we did shook us, shook our confidence," Miller said. "We've been trying to fight our way out of that a few times.
"You saw tonight, and obviously at Michigan State, we had a nice performance there, but in most of our other games, it's usually been about the confidence level of our team and forgetting at times what really, really matters – and that's the unquestioned max effort that you give, regardless of the circumstances."
Indiana played hard Feb. 7 in a 77-72 home loss to Iowa, but were undone in part by a fadeaway Jordan Bohannon 23-foot dagger.
Three days later, Ohio State's C.J. Jackson swished one from even farther out, a contested push shot from his chest with the shot-clock down right after IU had taken the lead in crunch time.
Tuesday night, with IU up 45-41 and the game heading toward its final two minutes, Purdue's Ryan Cline – a great shooter ever since his Carmel High School days – sent up a 3 that hit the front iron hard, caromed up into the air and then settled into the rim.
If that shot doesn't go in, and the Hoosiers rebound, Indiana has the ball and momentum and perhaps Purdue has to start fouling.
But it did go in. And Morgan's final shot did not.
So part of it, at least recently at home, is just not catching a break at the end. And make no mistake, Tuesday night was an absolute gut-punch in that regard.
Tuesday's loss came on a night Indiana's defense helped make Edwards, a terrific player, a 4-for-24 shooter.
It came despite Indiana winning the boards, 47-38, against a taller Purdue team that had out-rebounded 19 of its previous 25 opponents. That is an effort stat.
It came partly because an Indiana team that has troubles shooting the ball throughout most of conference play shot just .273 from the field and only .200 from 3-point range.
"A couple shots here, a couple shots there, and it's a different ballgame," Morgan noted. " … We went 7 for 27, whatever, in the paint, and we still were right there.
"We were still fighting on defense, fighting after loose balls, and I think just going for it when shots aren't falling. If we keep that mentality on the defensive end, then it's going to be a tough team to stop."
And that is the lesson. Tuesday's final result notwithstanding.
"For us, just proud of our effort level," Miller said post-game. "I was proud of our togetherness, and that's the one thing that we have to hold onto right now, as we continue to push through, and that starts tomorrow.
"You've got to have short-term memory. But the team that took the floor tonight had a great disposition, and that's the thing that needs to stay."
If it does, what has seemed an almost Shakespearian tragedy of a season since the turn of the year might still be worthy of an audience. And even maybe an ovation at the end.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The attitude-adjustment went unrewarded Tuesday night.
But there was no doubt it had occurred. And that it needs to continue.
Indiana's host Hoosiers played their collective guts out – literally, in the case of freshman Romeo Langford's regurgitation before the start of the second half – but archrival Purdue played just as hard and got the W.
Both teams defended so ferociously, so physically, that the basketball was rarely aesthetically pleasing.
But it made for terrific theater.
And the drama played out to the final buzzer, when Juwan Morgan's 3-point attempt – a good look given the Hoosiers had just 3.1 seconds to go full court – came off front iron and left the Boilermakers 48-46 victors.
"It's probably as physical of a basketball game that I've ever been a part of," IU coach Archie Miller said. "Both teams, I thought, really competed hard, and at the end of the day, they make the winning play."
They did because Indiana, which overcame a lot Tuesday night, in the end couldn't overcome Matt Haarms being 7-foot-3.
Morgan had great defensive rebounding position to snag a Carsen Edwards miss in the waning seconds with the score tied 46-46, getting his hands above the rim, but Haarms was able to reach right over Morgan's back for the deciding tip-in.
Haarms' fiery on-court demeanor makes him an easy villain for opposing crowds but he had the final say.
IU still played in the manner that had brought overtime victory Feb. 2 at Michigan State, and which will bring victory again at some point – perhaps soon – if maintained.
That won't be easy. Not after 11 losses in 12 games. Not after leaving it all out on the floor against an archrival only to be denied.
Not with No. 21-ranked Iowa, itself the victim of a homecourt heartbreaker Tuesday against Maryland, awaiting at 9 p.m. (ET) Friday.
But if these Hoosiers have truly learned anything about themselves over the last two or three days, and if those lessons were taken to heart, it is the only way to move forward.
"I think it's a change in mentality, just that we have no choice but to maintain," Morgan said. "These last few games, we still have a chance. Everything we want is still in front of us, and I'm proud of how the guys fought today."
Pride wasn't in the lexicon after Saturday's desultory 84-63 loss at Minnesota. Nor was it evident often enough throughout much of January as the losses mounted.
Indiana started January with a win over an improving Illinois team to get to 13-2, then nearly got blown out before fighting back in an 11-point loss at No. 2-ranked Michigan.
IU followed that by shooting a solid 49 percent from the field, made all 16 of their free throws and just seven turnovers for the game at Maryland – but saw Anthony Cowan go off from outside, as he is wont to do, and didn't have 6-10 De'Ron Davis available to deal with 6-10 counterpart Bruno Fernando inside. And lost by three.
Then came the Nebraska game. The Hoosiers were home after a two-day turnaround and were not ready to play.
"I would say that losing at home in Nebraska in the way that we did shook us, shook our confidence," Miller said. "We've been trying to fight our way out of that a few times.
"You saw tonight, and obviously at Michigan State, we had a nice performance there, but in most of our other games, it's usually been about the confidence level of our team and forgetting at times what really, really matters – and that's the unquestioned max effort that you give, regardless of the circumstances."
Indiana played hard Feb. 7 in a 77-72 home loss to Iowa, but were undone in part by a fadeaway Jordan Bohannon 23-foot dagger.
Three days later, Ohio State's C.J. Jackson swished one from even farther out, a contested push shot from his chest with the shot-clock down right after IU had taken the lead in crunch time.
Tuesday night, with IU up 45-41 and the game heading toward its final two minutes, Purdue's Ryan Cline – a great shooter ever since his Carmel High School days – sent up a 3 that hit the front iron hard, caromed up into the air and then settled into the rim.
If that shot doesn't go in, and the Hoosiers rebound, Indiana has the ball and momentum and perhaps Purdue has to start fouling.
But it did go in. And Morgan's final shot did not.
So part of it, at least recently at home, is just not catching a break at the end. And make no mistake, Tuesday night was an absolute gut-punch in that regard.
Tuesday's loss came on a night Indiana's defense helped make Edwards, a terrific player, a 4-for-24 shooter.
It came despite Indiana winning the boards, 47-38, against a taller Purdue team that had out-rebounded 19 of its previous 25 opponents. That is an effort stat.
It came partly because an Indiana team that has troubles shooting the ball throughout most of conference play shot just .273 from the field and only .200 from 3-point range.
"A couple shots here, a couple shots there, and it's a different ballgame," Morgan noted. " … We went 7 for 27, whatever, in the paint, and we still were right there.
"We were still fighting on defense, fighting after loose balls, and I think just going for it when shots aren't falling. If we keep that mentality on the defensive end, then it's going to be a tough team to stop."
And that is the lesson. Tuesday's final result notwithstanding.
"For us, just proud of our effort level," Miller said post-game. "I was proud of our togetherness, and that's the one thing that we have to hold onto right now, as we continue to push through, and that starts tomorrow.
"You've got to have short-term memory. But the team that took the floor tonight had a great disposition, and that's the thing that needs to stay."
If it does, what has seemed an almost Shakespearian tragedy of a season since the turn of the year might still be worthy of an audience. And even maybe an ovation at the end.
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