Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: IU Needs ‘Killer Instinct’ as Big Ten Looms
1/3/2020 2:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana's basketball sky has not fallen.
Repeat as necessary.
Big Ten battles are back for the rest of the season – starting Saturday at No. 15 Maryland (11-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten play) -- and this much is clear:
Indiana (11-2, 1-1) has to learn the lessons from the Arkansas loss and the Notre Dame victory, which featured blown leads and end-of-game inefficiency.
Specifically, execute good offense (especially at crunch time), communicate on defense (as in defend the three-pointer) and, for goodness sakes, make free throws.
"Just have that killer instinct, that ability to keep your foot down and keep the pedal down and keep motoring through," coach Archie Miller says.
Do that, and all thoughts of a repeat of last year's January-February disaster (losing 12 of 13 games) go away faster than a Devonte Green cross-over.
As Miller puts it, "We put (the Arkansas loss) to bed. We have an 11-2 record, getting ready to get into the Big Ten. We've got to get better. Find a way."
Talent is there to do so.
Freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis continues to lead in scoring (15.4 points), rebounding (8.7), shooting (66.4 percent) and blocked shots (26). The 6-9, 245-pounder rates among the nation's best freshman in shooting, rebounding, free throws made and attempted, and blocked shots. He's already won three Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards.
Three other Hoosiers average in double figures -- Green (12.5), forward Justin Smith (12.2) and guard Aljami Durham (11.4).
Green leads IU in three-point baskets (22). Durham leads in assists (38) and three-point accuracy (39.0 percent).
The Hoosiers also get significant contributions from guards Rob Phinisee (7.9 points, 27 assists against 16 turnovers) and Armaan Franklin (5.4 points), and forward Joey Brunk (7.6 points, 5.9 rebounds)
In all, 10 Hoosiers average at least 12.6 minutes and 3.7 points.
IU has spent this week working to find the edge crucial to Big Ten success.
"We've got to really mature and grow up in terms of understanding you're going to have to be able to run good offense and execute and do a better job of doing some things to get quality looks," Miller says. "On the (defensive) end of the floor you've got to control what you can. You've got to communicate and work hard."
At times the Hoosiers have been, in Miller's terms, "a reluctant screening team" and a "very reluctant team to move without the ball."
Fixing that is a top priority.
"One of the things that we've worked hard as a group is to be able to move without the ball and play together," Miller says.
"I thought (against Arkansas) that vacated us a little bit. We stopped trusting the movement, the screening and being able to share it, and we got no inside/out. We got no off-the-lane catches for Justin. We didn't do enough offensively in the second half to run good enough offense."
Despite the 9-for-18 free throw shooting against Arkansas, IU has improved its from-the-line accuracy. This year it shoots 69.1 percent. Last year it was 65.5.
The Hoosiers are built to attack the basket and draw fouls, and that won't change, Jackson-Davis says.
"We have to get keep getting (free throw attempts). Even (if) we don't hit them, we can still get them in foul trouble. So, still a big emphasis for getting to the line."
As far as the Big Ten, all things are possible.
Michigan State leads with a 2-0 record. Twelve teams are 1-1. Northwestern is 0-2.
The conference has six ranked teams -- No. 5 Ohio State (11-2, coming off a loss to West Virginia), No. 12 Michigan (10-3), No. 14 Michigan State (10-3), No. 15 Maryland, No. 21 Penn State (11-2) and No. 23 Iowa (10-3).
Maryland opened with 10 straight victories and rose to No. 3 in the national polls before losing consecutive road games to Penn State and Seton Hall. The Terrapins bounced back with last week's Sunday's home win over Bryant.
Jalen Smith, a 6-10 sophomore forward, averages 13.1 points and 10.1 rebounds. He also has a team-leading 31 blocks.
Guard Anthony Cowan leads Maryland in scoring (16.7), assists (4.2) and three-point shooting (37.0 percent, 27 three-pointers).
Guard Aaron Wiggins averages 11.1 points and, at 6-6, 6.2 rebounds. He's second on the team with 22 three-point baskets.
Guard Eric Ayala averages 10.2 points. Guard Darryl Marshall averages 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Then there's 7-2 center Chol Marial, who is finally getting action after September leg surgery to alleviate a series of shin-splint injuries. He had six points and five rebounds in the 84-70 win over Bryant.
The Hoosiers won't have the inside size advantage they had for most of non-conference play, but they also won't have to worry as much about big men defending guards.
Winning at Maryland is a formidable challenge. IU has lost its last three games there, by three, three and six points. The Hoosiers haven't won there since 1934 (they've only played five times in College Park; the other was a 1933 victory).
To win there, or at any Big Ten venue, "You've got to play with great emotion and great toughness," Miller says.
In other words, find that killer instinct.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana's basketball sky has not fallen.
Repeat as necessary.
Big Ten battles are back for the rest of the season – starting Saturday at No. 15 Maryland (11-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten play) -- and this much is clear:
Indiana (11-2, 1-1) has to learn the lessons from the Arkansas loss and the Notre Dame victory, which featured blown leads and end-of-game inefficiency.
Specifically, execute good offense (especially at crunch time), communicate on defense (as in defend the three-pointer) and, for goodness sakes, make free throws.
"Just have that killer instinct, that ability to keep your foot down and keep the pedal down and keep motoring through," coach Archie Miller says.
Do that, and all thoughts of a repeat of last year's January-February disaster (losing 12 of 13 games) go away faster than a Devonte Green cross-over.
As Miller puts it, "We put (the Arkansas loss) to bed. We have an 11-2 record, getting ready to get into the Big Ten. We've got to get better. Find a way."
Talent is there to do so.
Freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis continues to lead in scoring (15.4 points), rebounding (8.7), shooting (66.4 percent) and blocked shots (26). The 6-9, 245-pounder rates among the nation's best freshman in shooting, rebounding, free throws made and attempted, and blocked shots. He's already won three Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards.
Three other Hoosiers average in double figures -- Green (12.5), forward Justin Smith (12.2) and guard Aljami Durham (11.4).
Green leads IU in three-point baskets (22). Durham leads in assists (38) and three-point accuracy (39.0 percent).
The Hoosiers also get significant contributions from guards Rob Phinisee (7.9 points, 27 assists against 16 turnovers) and Armaan Franklin (5.4 points), and forward Joey Brunk (7.6 points, 5.9 rebounds)
In all, 10 Hoosiers average at least 12.6 minutes and 3.7 points.
IU has spent this week working to find the edge crucial to Big Ten success.
"We've got to really mature and grow up in terms of understanding you're going to have to be able to run good offense and execute and do a better job of doing some things to get quality looks," Miller says. "On the (defensive) end of the floor you've got to control what you can. You've got to communicate and work hard."
At times the Hoosiers have been, in Miller's terms, "a reluctant screening team" and a "very reluctant team to move without the ball."
Fixing that is a top priority.
"One of the things that we've worked hard as a group is to be able to move without the ball and play together," Miller says.
"I thought (against Arkansas) that vacated us a little bit. We stopped trusting the movement, the screening and being able to share it, and we got no inside/out. We got no off-the-lane catches for Justin. We didn't do enough offensively in the second half to run good enough offense."
Despite the 9-for-18 free throw shooting against Arkansas, IU has improved its from-the-line accuracy. This year it shoots 69.1 percent. Last year it was 65.5.
The Hoosiers are built to attack the basket and draw fouls, and that won't change, Jackson-Davis says.
"We have to get keep getting (free throw attempts). Even (if) we don't hit them, we can still get them in foul trouble. So, still a big emphasis for getting to the line."
As far as the Big Ten, all things are possible.
Michigan State leads with a 2-0 record. Twelve teams are 1-1. Northwestern is 0-2.
The conference has six ranked teams -- No. 5 Ohio State (11-2, coming off a loss to West Virginia), No. 12 Michigan (10-3), No. 14 Michigan State (10-3), No. 15 Maryland, No. 21 Penn State (11-2) and No. 23 Iowa (10-3).
Maryland opened with 10 straight victories and rose to No. 3 in the national polls before losing consecutive road games to Penn State and Seton Hall. The Terrapins bounced back with last week's Sunday's home win over Bryant.
Jalen Smith, a 6-10 sophomore forward, averages 13.1 points and 10.1 rebounds. He also has a team-leading 31 blocks.
Guard Anthony Cowan leads Maryland in scoring (16.7), assists (4.2) and three-point shooting (37.0 percent, 27 three-pointers).
Guard Aaron Wiggins averages 11.1 points and, at 6-6, 6.2 rebounds. He's second on the team with 22 three-point baskets.
Guard Eric Ayala averages 10.2 points. Guard Darryl Marshall averages 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Then there's 7-2 center Chol Marial, who is finally getting action after September leg surgery to alleviate a series of shin-splint injuries. He had six points and five rebounds in the 84-70 win over Bryant.
The Hoosiers won't have the inside size advantage they had for most of non-conference play, but they also won't have to worry as much about big men defending guards.
Winning at Maryland is a formidable challenge. IU has lost its last three games there, by three, three and six points. The Hoosiers haven't won there since 1934 (they've only played five times in College Park; the other was a 1933 victory).
To win there, or at any Big Ten venue, "You've got to play with great emotion and great toughness," Miller says.
In other words, find that killer instinct.
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