GRAHAM: Hoosiers Need To Be 'Rock Steady'
3/7/2019 10:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Andy Graham, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - "Rock steady."
The late and so great Aretha Franklin sang about it for a danceable hit single back in 1971.
And if Indiana wants to attend 2019's Big Dance, the Hoosiers will have to stay steady Thursday night at Illinois.
That won't be the least bit easy. Not with the style Illinois plays, and especially the way the Illini have played lately.
Illinois (11-18 overall, 7-11 Big Ten) is a young team growing ever more confident executing coach Brad Underwood's unrelentingly physical approach to play, as evidenced by five wins in their last eight games.
Included in that stretch is a four-game winning streak, featuring a 79-74 home win over Michigan State and a 63-56 road win at Ohio State. And the Illini enter Thursday's 8 p.m. tipoff off an 81-76 victory over in-state rival Northwestern.
"Our record, right now, doesn't show how much we've improved and how much better we've got," coach Brad Underwood said Wednesday of his Illini. "I love going to practice every day because I love the guys in the locker room.
"I've said it many, many times – we're a much better basketball team now (than when Illini fell at Indiana, 73-65, Jan. 3.) We had a very small and selective part of (our) offense in. And that was evident. And they're very, very good defensively. We had four or five shot-clock violations in that game. The game was transition and offensive rebounding."
And Romeo Langford.
Indiana freshman Langford set a career-high with 28 points that day.
"You look at their last four games, they're offensive-rebounding at a very high clip (and) Romeo is playing extremely well," Underwood said of the Hoosiers. " … I think they're a little more healthy.
"We'll see (Rob) Phinisee in the lineup, and he didn't play in the first game. He's a really steady player. Great poise for a young guy. And they're fighting for their (NCAA tournament) lives. So we'll get a very, very good Indiana team."
Freshman point guard Phinisee was in concussion protocol Jan. 3, and he was absent nearly a month – and subsequently missed five days with illness heading into Indiana's Feb. 16 game at Minnesota, the last outing in which the Hoosiers were never really competitive.
As Mike Schumann of the Daily Hoosier noted this week, if one accepts the premise that Phinisee wasn't really 100 percent back physically till the Feb. 19 Purdue game (a 48-46 home loss), then Indiana is 11-4 with a fully healthy Phinisee and 4-10 without him (including 4-2 with and 2-10 without in Big Ten play.)
Here is partly how Miller described Phinisee when meeting the media Wednesday:
"Rob is safe. In many terms, you want your point guard to be rock steady, and I think that's probably the term I would use for him on both ends of the floor.
"He is rock steady … he doesn't turn the ball over a ton, and he makes the simple plays, and I think he just tries to play within the constraints of what you're trying to do."
And not turning the ball over looms large Thursday night.
Illinois, applying constant defensive pressure all across the court (including out of a 1-2-2 press), forces 16.4 opposition turnovers per game.
"Their style is so unique, it's hard to prepare for … the big thing is you just have to try to be organized," Miller said. "I think when you go down there, it's a different feeling than when you play them at home (where Illinois is 9-5).
"Their man-to-man pressure is one thing – which is obviously on top, chin on shoulder – and they're willing to give up some offensive rebounds and some baskets and commit some fouls for the turnover margin.
"They want to turn you over. They want you to not be able to do anything that you practice. They don't want you to have any semblance of organization. So you have to be organized and keep things very simple for your guys and understand that it's going to be a hard game … they've rapidly really improved offensively, as well. So they're a much different team than we played in January."
Illini 6-5 winger Ayo Dosunmu and 6-9 post Giorgi Bezhanishvili have both excelled as freshmen. They combined for 38 points and 15-of-22 shooting from the field in their first game against Indiana.
Dosunmu's 14.0 scoring average matches that of splendid sophomore guard Trent Frazier. Bezhanishvili is at 11.9 points per game.
Andres Feliz, a JUCO transfer, is also coming into his own. The 6-2 guard had 26 points, hitting 16 of 17 free throws and 5 of 9 shots from the field, while adding five rebounds, three assists and three steals against Northwestern.
"They're doing a much better job at running their offense," Miller said of the Illini. "They're playing extremely fast. Their three perimeter guys in Frazier, Felis and Ayo, those guys are really hard attacking, pushing. And inside, big Georgi is terrific for a young freshman. He's a physical guy that they've been able to establish."
Illinois surged to a 12-point halftime lead against Northwestern, then hit 23 of 25 free throws after intermission to hold the Wildcats off (finishing 33 of 38 at the stripe).
The Illini also had 16 assists on their 21 baskets for a season-best .762 assist percentage, and tied a season-high with 27 fast-break points.
"We played probably our best half of basketball all year in the first half against Northwestern," Underwood said. "Both ends of the court, we were tremendous. Our defensive efficiency was 0.70.
"We're going to show up (Thursday), play as hard as we can, and hope to have one more point on the scoreboard than they do at the end."
That is pretty much exactly how it's been for Indiana over the last four games, including Saturday's 63-62 win over No .6-ranked Michigan State.
None of those four games – including a 48-48 loss to Purdue, an overtime loss at Iowa, a double-overtime win over Wisconsin – have seen the teams separated by more than two points at the end of regulation time.
But Miller feels his Hoosiers have upped their effort level over that entire stretch, and will need to again Thursday night.
Asked specifically about the performances against Michigan State of sophomore forward Justin Smith (a career-high 24 points) and junior guard Devonte Green (11 of his 13 points fueling the second-half rally), Miller replied:
"You know, at the end of the day, it's attitude. It's work ethic. It's everything. I think Justin has gotten over some of the doom and gloom of not playing well there for a while, and all of a sudden he just got away from it. His attitude changed, and he became more the guy that has helped us win a lot of games this season with his effort level, some of his athleticism in transition, his offensive rebounding, his defense. He's focused in on doing those things again, so if he stays with that, he'll be fine.
"Devonte is a guy that has a scoring punch for us. He's one of our more talented players. When he plays well, he has good moments for us. He gives us an added dimension from behind the 3-point line, and he gives us another guard. He's going to play a big role this week, especially going to Illinois, with their pressure play. (He can) make some plays that other guys, so to speak, can't make. Devonte in the Michigan State game, he really stepped up. He made some really big shots for us.
"We've got to approach things the same way we've been approaching things. I think everyone understands that there's a lot to play for, for a lot of teams, but we've had a lot to play for, for a long time now. And being able to get up off the mat last week and get two big wins was great to see – that we're still right there in terms of our disposition and what we're playing for and the focus of our group – and it won't be any different this week."
After the trip to Illinois, Indiana (15-14, 6-12) concludes regular-season play by hosting a suddenly very hot Rutgers team Sunday for a 12 p.m. tipoff.
Beating a pair of ranked foes last week has the Hoosiers at least back in the conversation regarding the NCAA tournament bubble, but a loss this week might prove fatal to chances for earning a bid. And all Big Ten teams are still jockeying for conference tournament seeding.
"You can't make it any bigger than it was last week," Miller said of the situation. "Each game feels bigger because the season continues to get longer, and everyone is striving for something right now, at this time of year.
"And in the case of our league, it doesn't matter if it's team 1 or team 14. Everyone is good."
Underwood concurred.
"The Big Ten Tournament, I don't know how you pick a team to win that," Underwood said. "Right now, I don't know if you're better off playing the top four teams or the bottom four. And that's exciting for the fans and it's exciting for us. You want to be playing your best (this time of year)."
As Aretha might have sang, quoting Otis Redding, every Big Ten team this season is worthy of:
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - "Rock steady."
The late and so great Aretha Franklin sang about it for a danceable hit single back in 1971.
And if Indiana wants to attend 2019's Big Dance, the Hoosiers will have to stay steady Thursday night at Illinois.
That won't be the least bit easy. Not with the style Illinois plays, and especially the way the Illini have played lately.
Illinois (11-18 overall, 7-11 Big Ten) is a young team growing ever more confident executing coach Brad Underwood's unrelentingly physical approach to play, as evidenced by five wins in their last eight games.
Included in that stretch is a four-game winning streak, featuring a 79-74 home win over Michigan State and a 63-56 road win at Ohio State. And the Illini enter Thursday's 8 p.m. tipoff off an 81-76 victory over in-state rival Northwestern.
"Our record, right now, doesn't show how much we've improved and how much better we've got," coach Brad Underwood said Wednesday of his Illini. "I love going to practice every day because I love the guys in the locker room.
"I've said it many, many times – we're a much better basketball team now (than when Illini fell at Indiana, 73-65, Jan. 3.) We had a very small and selective part of (our) offense in. And that was evident. And they're very, very good defensively. We had four or five shot-clock violations in that game. The game was transition and offensive rebounding."
And Romeo Langford.
Indiana freshman Langford set a career-high with 28 points that day.
"You look at their last four games, they're offensive-rebounding at a very high clip (and) Romeo is playing extremely well," Underwood said of the Hoosiers. " … I think they're a little more healthy.
"We'll see (Rob) Phinisee in the lineup, and he didn't play in the first game. He's a really steady player. Great poise for a young guy. And they're fighting for their (NCAA tournament) lives. So we'll get a very, very good Indiana team."
Freshman point guard Phinisee was in concussion protocol Jan. 3, and he was absent nearly a month – and subsequently missed five days with illness heading into Indiana's Feb. 16 game at Minnesota, the last outing in which the Hoosiers were never really competitive.
As Mike Schumann of the Daily Hoosier noted this week, if one accepts the premise that Phinisee wasn't really 100 percent back physically till the Feb. 19 Purdue game (a 48-46 home loss), then Indiana is 11-4 with a fully healthy Phinisee and 4-10 without him (including 4-2 with and 2-10 without in Big Ten play.)
Here is partly how Miller described Phinisee when meeting the media Wednesday:
"Rob is safe. In many terms, you want your point guard to be rock steady, and I think that's probably the term I would use for him on both ends of the floor.
"He is rock steady … he doesn't turn the ball over a ton, and he makes the simple plays, and I think he just tries to play within the constraints of what you're trying to do."
And not turning the ball over looms large Thursday night.
Illinois, applying constant defensive pressure all across the court (including out of a 1-2-2 press), forces 16.4 opposition turnovers per game.
"Their style is so unique, it's hard to prepare for … the big thing is you just have to try to be organized," Miller said. "I think when you go down there, it's a different feeling than when you play them at home (where Illinois is 9-5).
"Their man-to-man pressure is one thing – which is obviously on top, chin on shoulder – and they're willing to give up some offensive rebounds and some baskets and commit some fouls for the turnover margin.
"They want to turn you over. They want you to not be able to do anything that you practice. They don't want you to have any semblance of organization. So you have to be organized and keep things very simple for your guys and understand that it's going to be a hard game … they've rapidly really improved offensively, as well. So they're a much different team than we played in January."
Illini 6-5 winger Ayo Dosunmu and 6-9 post Giorgi Bezhanishvili have both excelled as freshmen. They combined for 38 points and 15-of-22 shooting from the field in their first game against Indiana.
Dosunmu's 14.0 scoring average matches that of splendid sophomore guard Trent Frazier. Bezhanishvili is at 11.9 points per game.
Andres Feliz, a JUCO transfer, is also coming into his own. The 6-2 guard had 26 points, hitting 16 of 17 free throws and 5 of 9 shots from the field, while adding five rebounds, three assists and three steals against Northwestern.
"They're doing a much better job at running their offense," Miller said of the Illini. "They're playing extremely fast. Their three perimeter guys in Frazier, Felis and Ayo, those guys are really hard attacking, pushing. And inside, big Georgi is terrific for a young freshman. He's a physical guy that they've been able to establish."
Illinois surged to a 12-point halftime lead against Northwestern, then hit 23 of 25 free throws after intermission to hold the Wildcats off (finishing 33 of 38 at the stripe).
The Illini also had 16 assists on their 21 baskets for a season-best .762 assist percentage, and tied a season-high with 27 fast-break points.
"We played probably our best half of basketball all year in the first half against Northwestern," Underwood said. "Both ends of the court, we were tremendous. Our defensive efficiency was 0.70.
"We're going to show up (Thursday), play as hard as we can, and hope to have one more point on the scoreboard than they do at the end."
That is pretty much exactly how it's been for Indiana over the last four games, including Saturday's 63-62 win over No .6-ranked Michigan State.
None of those four games – including a 48-48 loss to Purdue, an overtime loss at Iowa, a double-overtime win over Wisconsin – have seen the teams separated by more than two points at the end of regulation time.
But Miller feels his Hoosiers have upped their effort level over that entire stretch, and will need to again Thursday night.
Asked specifically about the performances against Michigan State of sophomore forward Justin Smith (a career-high 24 points) and junior guard Devonte Green (11 of his 13 points fueling the second-half rally), Miller replied:
"You know, at the end of the day, it's attitude. It's work ethic. It's everything. I think Justin has gotten over some of the doom and gloom of not playing well there for a while, and all of a sudden he just got away from it. His attitude changed, and he became more the guy that has helped us win a lot of games this season with his effort level, some of his athleticism in transition, his offensive rebounding, his defense. He's focused in on doing those things again, so if he stays with that, he'll be fine.
"Devonte is a guy that has a scoring punch for us. He's one of our more talented players. When he plays well, he has good moments for us. He gives us an added dimension from behind the 3-point line, and he gives us another guard. He's going to play a big role this week, especially going to Illinois, with their pressure play. (He can) make some plays that other guys, so to speak, can't make. Devonte in the Michigan State game, he really stepped up. He made some really big shots for us.
"We've got to approach things the same way we've been approaching things. I think everyone understands that there's a lot to play for, for a lot of teams, but we've had a lot to play for, for a long time now. And being able to get up off the mat last week and get two big wins was great to see – that we're still right there in terms of our disposition and what we're playing for and the focus of our group – and it won't be any different this week."
After the trip to Illinois, Indiana (15-14, 6-12) concludes regular-season play by hosting a suddenly very hot Rutgers team Sunday for a 12 p.m. tipoff.
Beating a pair of ranked foes last week has the Hoosiers at least back in the conversation regarding the NCAA tournament bubble, but a loss this week might prove fatal to chances for earning a bid. And all Big Ten teams are still jockeying for conference tournament seeding.
"You can't make it any bigger than it was last week," Miller said of the situation. "Each game feels bigger because the season continues to get longer, and everyone is striving for something right now, at this time of year.
"And in the case of our league, it doesn't matter if it's team 1 or team 14. Everyone is good."
Underwood concurred.
"The Big Ten Tournament, I don't know how you pick a team to win that," Underwood said. "Right now, I don't know if you're better off playing the top four teams or the bottom four. And that's exciting for the fans and it's exciting for us. You want to be playing your best (this time of year)."
As Aretha might have sang, quoting Otis Redding, every Big Ten team this season is worthy of:
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T."
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