Indiana University Athletics
GRAHAM: A Shakespearian Season?
3/27/2019 10:09:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Shakespeare's Romeo didn't get the ending he wanted, either.
The Bard of Avon might have appreciated the trace of tragedy afflicting the Indiana basketball season that concluded with Tuesday night's 73-63 loss to Wichita State in the NIT quarterfinals.
A rash of injuries rivaling the denouement of Hamlet – some of them particularly ill-timed, protracted and lethal to IU fortunes – along with some self-inflicted issues helped keep this 19-16 Hoosier team from developing to full fruition.
As it was, even with a brutal 1-12 stretch during Big Ten play only Lady Macbeth could've loved, IU likely finished just one win shy of a coveted NCAA tournament berth.
And it certainly finished one win shy of a trip to New York City's Madison Square Garden for the NIT semifinals, which would have served as a more uplifting ending to this Winter's Tale marked by adversity.
Romeo Langford's freshman season at Indiana – his only season if he enters the NBA Draft – concluded with a back injury and a seat on the bench in gray team sweats.
Langford, IU's scoring leader at 16.5 points per game, didn't play a minute of three NIT outings after sustaining the back issue in the Big Ten Tournament loss to Ohio State.
And Juwan Morgan certainly deserved a better ending.
What was left of a big and boisterously supportive audience Tuesday night again let Morgan know appreciated he was when he walked off Branch McCracken Court for the final time as a competitive Indiana player.
The standout senior, amid the cheers, waved a salute as he walked off stage.
"It felt kind of bittersweet, you know?" Morgan said of that final scene. "Feel like I failed in my job a little bit. But at the same time, there was never any question I was leaving it all out there. Day-in and day-out.
"At the end of the day, the results weren't what we wanted, but I couldn't be happier walking off knowing I'd done (about all I could).
"A lot of memories. Love the memories in here. I'll remember the fans. They were always great. Even with all the adversity we went through in my four years, they were always behind us, and I can't thank them enough."
Morgan tried to send them home happy one last time by supplying a co-game-high 21 points, six rebounds, a team-high three shot-blocks, a steal and an assist. And he drew five Wichita State fouls.
"I just didn't want it to be my last game," Morgan said. "I just wanted to win. I was doing everything I had to do. You have to give them credit. They made it really hard scoring in the post, made it hard to score in general, especially with the size they had at the 4 and 5 positions.
"They're a great team. They made it really tough to make plays, but I was just trying to make plays for my team tonight."
Morgan was proud of his team, proud of how the Hoosiers rallied from that excruciating January and February skid – including the hard-fought home losses to Purdue and Iowa that capped it – to win six of their last eight.
"I don't think any team could go through what we went through this year and still (then) have a chance to make the tournament," Morgan said. "That just speaks to the resiliency of the guys."
Morgan also appreciated the constancy of IU coach Archie Miller and staff, and the culture of hard-work and accountability Miller is trying to instill.
"I know it was hard for him, (working with) guys he didn't recruit," Morgan said. "Just trying to start a culture of hard work, just doing all the dirty work, and I think guys really picked that up – especially going through what we went through."
Miller has always made it clear the appreciation is mutual.
"He was an outstanding player," Miller said Tuesday night of Morgan. "He's an outstanding guy to be around every day … a guy that could add value to any locker room."
Freshman point guard Rob Phinisee echoed that. Asked what playing a season with Morgan had meant, Phinisee replied:
"A whole lot. Just him being our leader in practice, leading by example, going hard every day. If you had any questions, you could just go up and ask him. He's a really good person. Great player, too. He's going to be missed."
Phinisee also credited Morgan's classmate and co-captain, Zach McRoberts, whose final campaign was severely constrained by injuries, as helping him learn how to lead.
"I know I progressed a lot throughout the season, just being a leader," Phinisee said. "I mean, coming in, I wasn't that vocal. I know I'll be a lot more vocal (moving forward) losing J-Mo and Zach, our two captains.
"Just being a leader on and off the court. Just talking to guys, getting them together, is really a big thing going into the off-season."
Phinisee figures to get help in that regard from teammates such as junior guard Devonte Green, who battled an ankle injury and a cramping calf Tuesday night but still managed 12 points, four assists and three steals.
Green helped fuel Indiana's late-season resurgence and wants to do more earlier, and more consistently, next season.
"I think I've just got to keep going," Green said. "I can't get comfortable. I need to stay consistent in my work and it'll lead to a good season next year.
"There is always something I think I can take from my play to get better. I think just making decisions …. knowing my personnel better (and), I want to say, making better passes, smarter passes.
"And stay consistent throughout the season. This whole season I was wavering. Being consistent is one of the biggest things."
Green hopes the Hoosiers can attain more consistency through better luck with their physical well-being, collectively, too. He attributed the improved play toward season's end, in part, to a squad that finally got healthier.
And a squad that became determined not to let the sourness of January and early February be the season's only aftertaste.
"I think we knew how good we could be, and how good we are, and we knew we couldn't let our team down," Green said. "We couldn't go out like that.
"Once we started getting some of our guys back – because it felt like everybody was getting hurt at one point – I think just having everybody back at practice, seeing all the pieces we had together, built our confidence as a team. And having that confidence helped us play better, eventually."
Better enough to make the post-season, if not the preferred tournament.
Better enough to win more games, if not necessarily the games they really wanted or needed to win most.
All's not well that doesn't end well. Or something like that.
So some re-writes will ensue before next season opens. Some are probably necessary.
For example: Indiana didn't get enough movement – of either player or ball – to consistently get enough good looks out of its halfcourt offense this season.
Some of the actors will change, too.
Where for art Romeo is next season remains to be seen.
IU had a great 13-2 opening act, then eventually got its act at least somewhat back together when all had looked lost.
So difficult story arcs can instruct and even, eventually, inspire. If Morgan's final curtain call was bittersweet, he held his head high.
The retuning Hoosiers will get back to work. And by Mid-Summer's Night, the dream will be alive.
And a new script will be prepared. And it'll be once more unto the breach, amongst friends.
"The guys coming back, that's going to be a great group of guys," Morgan said. "They know work. They're no strangers to hard work. So I think it's going to be really great for them."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Shakespeare's Romeo didn't get the ending he wanted, either.
The Bard of Avon might have appreciated the trace of tragedy afflicting the Indiana basketball season that concluded with Tuesday night's 73-63 loss to Wichita State in the NIT quarterfinals.
A rash of injuries rivaling the denouement of Hamlet – some of them particularly ill-timed, protracted and lethal to IU fortunes – along with some self-inflicted issues helped keep this 19-16 Hoosier team from developing to full fruition.
As it was, even with a brutal 1-12 stretch during Big Ten play only Lady Macbeth could've loved, IU likely finished just one win shy of a coveted NCAA tournament berth.
And it certainly finished one win shy of a trip to New York City's Madison Square Garden for the NIT semifinals, which would have served as a more uplifting ending to this Winter's Tale marked by adversity.
Romeo Langford's freshman season at Indiana – his only season if he enters the NBA Draft – concluded with a back injury and a seat on the bench in gray team sweats.
Langford, IU's scoring leader at 16.5 points per game, didn't play a minute of three NIT outings after sustaining the back issue in the Big Ten Tournament loss to Ohio State.
And Juwan Morgan certainly deserved a better ending.
What was left of a big and boisterously supportive audience Tuesday night again let Morgan know appreciated he was when he walked off Branch McCracken Court for the final time as a competitive Indiana player.
The standout senior, amid the cheers, waved a salute as he walked off stage.
"It felt kind of bittersweet, you know?" Morgan said of that final scene. "Feel like I failed in my job a little bit. But at the same time, there was never any question I was leaving it all out there. Day-in and day-out.
"At the end of the day, the results weren't what we wanted, but I couldn't be happier walking off knowing I'd done (about all I could).
"A lot of memories. Love the memories in here. I'll remember the fans. They were always great. Even with all the adversity we went through in my four years, they were always behind us, and I can't thank them enough."
Morgan tried to send them home happy one last time by supplying a co-game-high 21 points, six rebounds, a team-high three shot-blocks, a steal and an assist. And he drew five Wichita State fouls.
"I just didn't want it to be my last game," Morgan said. "I just wanted to win. I was doing everything I had to do. You have to give them credit. They made it really hard scoring in the post, made it hard to score in general, especially with the size they had at the 4 and 5 positions.
"They're a great team. They made it really tough to make plays, but I was just trying to make plays for my team tonight."
Morgan was proud of his team, proud of how the Hoosiers rallied from that excruciating January and February skid – including the hard-fought home losses to Purdue and Iowa that capped it – to win six of their last eight.
"I don't think any team could go through what we went through this year and still (then) have a chance to make the tournament," Morgan said. "That just speaks to the resiliency of the guys."
Morgan also appreciated the constancy of IU coach Archie Miller and staff, and the culture of hard-work and accountability Miller is trying to instill.
"I know it was hard for him, (working with) guys he didn't recruit," Morgan said. "Just trying to start a culture of hard work, just doing all the dirty work, and I think guys really picked that up – especially going through what we went through."
Miller has always made it clear the appreciation is mutual.
"He was an outstanding player," Miller said Tuesday night of Morgan. "He's an outstanding guy to be around every day … a guy that could add value to any locker room."
Freshman point guard Rob Phinisee echoed that. Asked what playing a season with Morgan had meant, Phinisee replied:
"A whole lot. Just him being our leader in practice, leading by example, going hard every day. If you had any questions, you could just go up and ask him. He's a really good person. Great player, too. He's going to be missed."
Phinisee also credited Morgan's classmate and co-captain, Zach McRoberts, whose final campaign was severely constrained by injuries, as helping him learn how to lead.
"I know I progressed a lot throughout the season, just being a leader," Phinisee said. "I mean, coming in, I wasn't that vocal. I know I'll be a lot more vocal (moving forward) losing J-Mo and Zach, our two captains.
"Just being a leader on and off the court. Just talking to guys, getting them together, is really a big thing going into the off-season."
Phinisee figures to get help in that regard from teammates such as junior guard Devonte Green, who battled an ankle injury and a cramping calf Tuesday night but still managed 12 points, four assists and three steals.
Green helped fuel Indiana's late-season resurgence and wants to do more earlier, and more consistently, next season.
"I think I've just got to keep going," Green said. "I can't get comfortable. I need to stay consistent in my work and it'll lead to a good season next year.
"There is always something I think I can take from my play to get better. I think just making decisions …. knowing my personnel better (and), I want to say, making better passes, smarter passes.
"And stay consistent throughout the season. This whole season I was wavering. Being consistent is one of the biggest things."
Green hopes the Hoosiers can attain more consistency through better luck with their physical well-being, collectively, too. He attributed the improved play toward season's end, in part, to a squad that finally got healthier.
And a squad that became determined not to let the sourness of January and early February be the season's only aftertaste.
"I think we knew how good we could be, and how good we are, and we knew we couldn't let our team down," Green said. "We couldn't go out like that.
"Once we started getting some of our guys back – because it felt like everybody was getting hurt at one point – I think just having everybody back at practice, seeing all the pieces we had together, built our confidence as a team. And having that confidence helped us play better, eventually."
Better enough to make the post-season, if not the preferred tournament.
Better enough to win more games, if not necessarily the games they really wanted or needed to win most.
All's not well that doesn't end well. Or something like that.
So some re-writes will ensue before next season opens. Some are probably necessary.
For example: Indiana didn't get enough movement – of either player or ball – to consistently get enough good looks out of its halfcourt offense this season.
Some of the actors will change, too.
Where for art Romeo is next season remains to be seen.
IU had a great 13-2 opening act, then eventually got its act at least somewhat back together when all had looked lost.
So difficult story arcs can instruct and even, eventually, inspire. If Morgan's final curtain call was bittersweet, he held his head high.
The retuning Hoosiers will get back to work. And by Mid-Summer's Night, the dream will be alive.
And a new script will be prepared. And it'll be once more unto the breach, amongst friends.
"The guys coming back, that's going to be a great group of guys," Morgan said. "They know work. They're no strangers to hard work. So I think it's going to be really great for them."
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