Indiana University Athletics
Recapping Coach Miller at Huber's Orchard and Winery, Part 2
6/3/2019 9:16:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio, IUHoosiers.com
BORDEN, Ind. - Sometimes, if you're Archie Miller, you have to throw out basketball coaching norm and go unconventional.
Case in point – Indiana's potential lineups for next season.
Miller figures to go multiple in his third Hoosier season to maximize an 11-player roster full of intriguing possibilities.
During the annual Huber's Orchard and Winery alumni gathering, Miller outlined those possibilities.
"We'll have to prepare this team to play a couple of different styles, which means one group of people probably won't be able to play one way," he said. "A different group could play a different way.
"They have to have a different feel of playing offensively, especially with different combinations. That will help our chemistry on the floor.
"Defensively we are who we are. We will continue to grow that area. (Defense) was a strength last year. It gave us a chance. As we evolve as a team, there will be a couple of different looks we have to be able to play with – small, big, you never know.
"There has to be a different combination when you have that many guys of equal height. A big part of this summer will be (getting) these guys to figure it out. How and what they do with one another? How they play off each other?"
The stakes are high after records of 19-16 and 16-15 in Miller's first two seasons. Strong summer preparation, he said, is crucial.
"We're excited to get back to work," Miller said. "We'll get some of these guys back for the majority of the summer and get things started.
"The month of May (was) very uneventful. There was a lot of recruiting and planning. We're looking forward to our summer."
Last season's 12-2 start that generated top-25 acclaim crashed against brutal Big Ten competition that included a Final Four team (Michigan State), an Elite Eight squad (Purdue), a Sweet 16 appearance (Michigan) and three second-round qualifiers (Maryland, Ohio State and Iowa).
It taught players and coaches valuable lessons that could produce significant benefits next season, and beyond, Miller said.
"You have to coach the day. You can't get caught up with everything that's going on. You learn how to control what you can. Block the noise out as much as you can.
"This past year, every night the competition level was amazing. It showed in the (NCAA Tournament) and the opportunities for Michigan State and Michigan, Purdue obviously going very deep, Maryland able to win a game.
"You have to focus on your guys, prepare your guys to play. If you get caught up in, 'Oh, man, who's the next one; we have six of eight on the road, what are we going to do?' If you start to play that game, you start to coach against your schedule rather than coach to get better every day.
"I think a big part of our team next year is to approach the season in a different manner. It's not about what's coming, it's about right now."
Few Hoosiers figure to benefit as much as Rob Phinisee and Aljami Durham.
"You get through that for a year, for a young guy like Rob, for a second-year player like Al, you get over that hump of what's next," Miller said. "This is how it goes. There's going to be a lot of hard work. You'll see a bit more mature team in terms of handling that stuff."
Better shooting will help. IU couldn't overcome struggles from three-point range and the free throw line.
That will be, Miller says, a major point of summer emphasis.
"The biggest thing is repetition. They have to get in the gym and do it every day. Shoot the shots you shoot in the game.
"We had guys really progress in their first two years and that has to continue. They have to develop.
"Our guys will be hitting the gym all summer. That's a big focus. To become a better shooting team, a better long-distance shooting team with more confidence. It's repetition. We put them in situations where they're repping it at game speed. It's my experience that the more you do it, the better you get."
It starts with this key concept -- IU will go as far as its guard play allows.
"Guard play is everything in college basketball," Miller said. "Look at the success of the teams that are achieving at a high level. They have terrific point-guard play, terrific shooting, terrific assist-to-turnover ratio."
The Hoosiers should have a strong backcourt with veterans Devonte Green, Phinisee and Durham.
Green led the Hoosiers with 48 three-pointers. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Durham averaged 8.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Phinisee had a solid freshman year, averaging 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds while totaling a team-high 94 assists. He was second on the team with 35 steals.
"Rob has to develop a bigger role offensively," Miller says. "Devonte has to elevate his game. He finished really well last season. He gave us a chance to be right there at the end. He has to come in with that attitude
"Al played a lot of minutes. He works extremely hard.
"With opportunity you'll get great confidence. I think you'll see guys change the complexion of their careers."
Miller also hopes for a boost from 6-7 Damezi Anderson and 6-7 Jerome Hunter, who can play guard as well as forward.
Anderson averaged 1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in limited action last year as a freshman. Hunter was sidelined all season with a leg injury. That was a big blow given he was rated as a top-50 prep prospect coming out of Pickerington, Ohio.
"They give you that flexibility of bigger guards," Miller says.
Don't forget about freshman Armaan Franklin of Indianapolis Cathedral. The 6-4 three-star prospect figures to have a significant guard role next season, and beyond.
Over his last two high school seasons, against strong competition, Franklin averaged 23.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
"We've got to bring him along," Miller says, "but he will contribute.
"I love the way he shoots. He works hard. He's really improved over the last 18 months. He wants to be challenged. He'll have a nice group of guys to learn from."
The frontcourt will feature veterans De'Ron Davis and Justin Smith, freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis and Butler transfer Joey Brunk.
The 6-10 Davis battled injuries while averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds, and shooting 60.0 percent from the field. The 6-8 Smith averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds.
The 6-9 Jackson-Davis averaged 22.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while earning Indiana Mr. Basketball and McDonald's All-America honors at Center Grove High School
The 6-11 Brunk averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 61.7 percent from the field for Butler last season.
"I'm really excited about Joey," Miller says. "He has a good personality. It will be much needed in our locker room. He has a great voice. He competes. He'll bring a different element. We need some personality with these guys. I'm happy he decided to join us. He's an experienced guy who has played at a high level."
Davis, Brunk and Jackson-Davis figure to share the center role.
"That's big ball," Miller says. "To have three guys really for the first time since I've been here to man that position is important. You want to have that depth to be able to play big guys on the floor. I think all three guys have unique games where they can play with one another.
"De'Ron is a very skilled passer. He's very good in the low post. Joey is very good in the low post, as well. He can move around.
"We're going to get those guys moving around. Trayce is going to play with both guys. Whichever two are out there, one of them will have to defend on the perimeter a little bit. That will determine what combinations work. To have that depth at that spot and have that type of size and strength is a positive."
Then there is 6-8 forward Race Thompson, who has world of potential if he can stay healthy.
Injuries limited him to just nine games and 63 minutes last season.
"He had a very difficult year," Miller said. "He was unlucky or whatever it may be. He chose not to redshirt. He chose to find a way to get onto the court. I think that's a credit to how he stayed with it. You saw toward the end of the year he was able to help us.
"He has to have a good offseason, health-wise. He has to continue to get his body back, and get in great shape.
"He has a good basketball IQ, a good feel. He can play on the perimeter and he can play inside. He has to develop the confidence offensively where he's starting to shoot the ball with range, play inside out, and be able to rebound.
"Staying healthy is the big thing. He has to rebuild his confidence level, his conditioning level, and hopefully get a little bit lucky."
BORDEN, Ind. - Sometimes, if you're Archie Miller, you have to throw out basketball coaching norm and go unconventional.
Case in point – Indiana's potential lineups for next season.
Miller figures to go multiple in his third Hoosier season to maximize an 11-player roster full of intriguing possibilities.
During the annual Huber's Orchard and Winery alumni gathering, Miller outlined those possibilities.
"We'll have to prepare this team to play a couple of different styles, which means one group of people probably won't be able to play one way," he said. "A different group could play a different way.
"They have to have a different feel of playing offensively, especially with different combinations. That will help our chemistry on the floor.
"Defensively we are who we are. We will continue to grow that area. (Defense) was a strength last year. It gave us a chance. As we evolve as a team, there will be a couple of different looks we have to be able to play with – small, big, you never know.
"There has to be a different combination when you have that many guys of equal height. A big part of this summer will be (getting) these guys to figure it out. How and what they do with one another? How they play off each other?"
The stakes are high after records of 19-16 and 16-15 in Miller's first two seasons. Strong summer preparation, he said, is crucial.
"We're excited to get back to work," Miller said. "We'll get some of these guys back for the majority of the summer and get things started.
"The month of May (was) very uneventful. There was a lot of recruiting and planning. We're looking forward to our summer."
Last season's 12-2 start that generated top-25 acclaim crashed against brutal Big Ten competition that included a Final Four team (Michigan State), an Elite Eight squad (Purdue), a Sweet 16 appearance (Michigan) and three second-round qualifiers (Maryland, Ohio State and Iowa).
It taught players and coaches valuable lessons that could produce significant benefits next season, and beyond, Miller said.
"You have to coach the day. You can't get caught up with everything that's going on. You learn how to control what you can. Block the noise out as much as you can.
"This past year, every night the competition level was amazing. It showed in the (NCAA Tournament) and the opportunities for Michigan State and Michigan, Purdue obviously going very deep, Maryland able to win a game.
"You have to focus on your guys, prepare your guys to play. If you get caught up in, 'Oh, man, who's the next one; we have six of eight on the road, what are we going to do?' If you start to play that game, you start to coach against your schedule rather than coach to get better every day.
"I think a big part of our team next year is to approach the season in a different manner. It's not about what's coming, it's about right now."
Few Hoosiers figure to benefit as much as Rob Phinisee and Aljami Durham.
"You get through that for a year, for a young guy like Rob, for a second-year player like Al, you get over that hump of what's next," Miller said. "This is how it goes. There's going to be a lot of hard work. You'll see a bit more mature team in terms of handling that stuff."
Better shooting will help. IU couldn't overcome struggles from three-point range and the free throw line.
That will be, Miller says, a major point of summer emphasis.
"The biggest thing is repetition. They have to get in the gym and do it every day. Shoot the shots you shoot in the game.
"We had guys really progress in their first two years and that has to continue. They have to develop.
"Our guys will be hitting the gym all summer. That's a big focus. To become a better shooting team, a better long-distance shooting team with more confidence. It's repetition. We put them in situations where they're repping it at game speed. It's my experience that the more you do it, the better you get."
It starts with this key concept -- IU will go as far as its guard play allows.
"Guard play is everything in college basketball," Miller said. "Look at the success of the teams that are achieving at a high level. They have terrific point-guard play, terrific shooting, terrific assist-to-turnover ratio."
The Hoosiers should have a strong backcourt with veterans Devonte Green, Phinisee and Durham.
Green led the Hoosiers with 48 three-pointers. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Durham averaged 8.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Phinisee had a solid freshman year, averaging 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds while totaling a team-high 94 assists. He was second on the team with 35 steals.
"Rob has to develop a bigger role offensively," Miller says. "Devonte has to elevate his game. He finished really well last season. He gave us a chance to be right there at the end. He has to come in with that attitude
"Al played a lot of minutes. He works extremely hard.
"With opportunity you'll get great confidence. I think you'll see guys change the complexion of their careers."
Miller also hopes for a boost from 6-7 Damezi Anderson and 6-7 Jerome Hunter, who can play guard as well as forward.
Anderson averaged 1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in limited action last year as a freshman. Hunter was sidelined all season with a leg injury. That was a big blow given he was rated as a top-50 prep prospect coming out of Pickerington, Ohio.
"They give you that flexibility of bigger guards," Miller says.
Don't forget about freshman Armaan Franklin of Indianapolis Cathedral. The 6-4 three-star prospect figures to have a significant guard role next season, and beyond.
Over his last two high school seasons, against strong competition, Franklin averaged 23.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
"We've got to bring him along," Miller says, "but he will contribute.
"I love the way he shoots. He works hard. He's really improved over the last 18 months. He wants to be challenged. He'll have a nice group of guys to learn from."
The frontcourt will feature veterans De'Ron Davis and Justin Smith, freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis and Butler transfer Joey Brunk.
The 6-10 Davis battled injuries while averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds, and shooting 60.0 percent from the field. The 6-8 Smith averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds.
The 6-9 Jackson-Davis averaged 22.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while earning Indiana Mr. Basketball and McDonald's All-America honors at Center Grove High School
The 6-11 Brunk averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 61.7 percent from the field for Butler last season.
"I'm really excited about Joey," Miller says. "He has a good personality. It will be much needed in our locker room. He has a great voice. He competes. He'll bring a different element. We need some personality with these guys. I'm happy he decided to join us. He's an experienced guy who has played at a high level."
Davis, Brunk and Jackson-Davis figure to share the center role.
"That's big ball," Miller says. "To have three guys really for the first time since I've been here to man that position is important. You want to have that depth to be able to play big guys on the floor. I think all three guys have unique games where they can play with one another.
"De'Ron is a very skilled passer. He's very good in the low post. Joey is very good in the low post, as well. He can move around.
"We're going to get those guys moving around. Trayce is going to play with both guys. Whichever two are out there, one of them will have to defend on the perimeter a little bit. That will determine what combinations work. To have that depth at that spot and have that type of size and strength is a positive."
Then there is 6-8 forward Race Thompson, who has world of potential if he can stay healthy.
Injuries limited him to just nine games and 63 minutes last season.
"He had a very difficult year," Miller said. "He was unlucky or whatever it may be. He chose not to redshirt. He chose to find a way to get onto the court. I think that's a credit to how he stayed with it. You saw toward the end of the year he was able to help us.
"He has to have a good offseason, health-wise. He has to continue to get his body back, and get in great shape.
"He has a good basketball IQ, a good feel. He can play on the perimeter and he can play inside. He has to develop the confidence offensively where he's starting to shoot the ball with range, play inside out, and be able to rebound.
"Staying healthy is the big thing. He has to rebuild his confidence level, his conditioning level, and hopefully get a little bit lucky."
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ 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