DIPRIMIO: Confidence Can Return Hoosiers To Their Winning Ways
1/7/2020 9:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana is struggling, but not broken. Forward Joey Brunk believes it. Coach Archie Miller demands it.
The key -- getting all the Hoosiers to play like it, starting Wednesday against Northwestern at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
A successful season depends on it.
"I think we need to stay confident in what we work on day in and day out," Brunk said. "We don't need to force the issue in trying to do things we don't work on. That's how it works. Be confident in ourselves, be confident in our teammates and we have the locker room and that's more than enough to win games."
The Hoosiers (11-3 overall, 1-2 in the Big Ten) have lost two straight games -- a fade-at-the-end defeat at home against Arkansas, a blow-out loss at Maryland.
Fixing what's wrong is a tough challenge, Miller said, but not an insurmountable one.
"You can't let the floor fall out on a couple plays, and then let it become a problem. Teams change throughout the course of the season. Our team's going through one right now. We have to find a way to get back out of it. We'll do that."
With 17 Big Ten games remaining, plus the conference tournament, IU has time and opportunity.
"It's a long league season," Miller said. "There's a lot of teams that are going to lose by one or lose by 20. Whatever it is, you have to navigate the road, and that's what we're trying to do right now."
Junior forward Justin Smith sets an example that goes well beyond the basketball court. He is the athletic department's Male Scholar Athlete of the Month for January.
He averages 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds while doing well enough in the Kelley School of Business to position himself to make the Dean's list.
Smith isn't the only Hoosier to make an impact.
Freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis continues to lead IU in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (8.4). Senior guard Devonte Green averages 13.0 points with a team-leading 25 three-point baskets, nine more than any of his teammates. Junior guard Aljami Durham averages 10.9 points and has a team-leading 38 assists. Guards Rob Phinisee and Armaan Franklin each have had difference-making moments.
More is needed.
The statistics suggest Indiana is a poor-shooting team. Not true, Miller said. The Hoosiers, he said during his Monday night radio show, are a poor passing team. The guards don't deliver the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there.
That explains the 30.7 percent three-point shooting, which rates 12th in the 14-team Big Ten. It is not that IU has bad shooters.
"I think that's complete B.S.," Miller said on his show. "I think we'll make good threes if we deliver the ball when it's supposed to be delivered."
It so often is not, which is why IU's assist rate of 13.5 per game is also 12th in the conference.
It's why the offense so often goes into second-half deep freezes (see the Connecticut, Notre Dame and Arkansas games).
The problem, Miller added, doesn't surface in practice.
"We are not getting enough rhythm, enough good looks in the course of a game," he said. "Sometimes we pass up a good shot just to put it down (and dribble)."
The bottom line – IU needs better guard play.
"Guys are reluctant, for whatever reason, to make those reads and passes," Miller said. "We've become a team that's standing around, letting the bigs catch the ball and do some things. Our guards aren't playing the game with one another as easily as they could.
"Our passing has to get better and our assist totals have to go up. If we can get two or three of our guards to play well at the same time, our team is so much better. That's the quest. That's the challenge."
The good news -- there's talent to meet that challenge.
"There's a lot of room for this team to continue to grow up and figure things out," Miller said.
"I do think we'll be a more confident shooting team on Wednesday."
A victory against Northwestern, and a lot more, could be riding on it.
"In this league, you're in a deep ocean," Miller said. "There are a lot of waves and you have to ride them out and figure out how your group can survive it and keep moving forward. For us, that's the way it is. I can't complain about our guys in their approach and what we're doing.
"One thing is you can't over complicate it and make it harder than it is. You've just got to keep working at it."
It helps to face a struggling Northwestern team that is 5-8 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats are without heralded freshman guard Boo Buie, sidelined by a stress fracture in his left foot. He averages 10.8 points, and was especially effective against Michigan State (26 points) and DePaul (25 points) in a three-day span in which he was 9-for-16 from three-point range.
Also out is guard Anthony Gaines (shoulder injury) and, possibly, forward A.J. Turner (thigh bruise).
That could leave the Wildcats with just seven healthy scholarship players. Of those, six are freshmen or sophomores.
Northwestern has four other players averaging in double figures. It's led by 6-7 sophomore Miller Kopp (12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds), 6-10 freshman Ryan Young (10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds), 6-10 sophomore Pete Nance (10.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 11 blocks) and 6-3 senior Pat Spencer (10.2 points, team-leading 52 assists).
The Wildcats have lost four straight games, all by nine or fewer points. They did beat Boston College 82-64 in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
IU is positioned to add to Northwestern's struggles, especially if the guards come through.
"I think our backcourt is due to break out and have some guys play well," Miller said.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana is struggling, but not broken. Forward Joey Brunk believes it. Coach Archie Miller demands it.
The key -- getting all the Hoosiers to play like it, starting Wednesday against Northwestern at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
A successful season depends on it.
"I think we need to stay confident in what we work on day in and day out," Brunk said. "We don't need to force the issue in trying to do things we don't work on. That's how it works. Be confident in ourselves, be confident in our teammates and we have the locker room and that's more than enough to win games."
The Hoosiers (11-3 overall, 1-2 in the Big Ten) have lost two straight games -- a fade-at-the-end defeat at home against Arkansas, a blow-out loss at Maryland.
Fixing what's wrong is a tough challenge, Miller said, but not an insurmountable one.
"You can't let the floor fall out on a couple plays, and then let it become a problem. Teams change throughout the course of the season. Our team's going through one right now. We have to find a way to get back out of it. We'll do that."
With 17 Big Ten games remaining, plus the conference tournament, IU has time and opportunity.
"It's a long league season," Miller said. "There's a lot of teams that are going to lose by one or lose by 20. Whatever it is, you have to navigate the road, and that's what we're trying to do right now."
Junior forward Justin Smith sets an example that goes well beyond the basketball court. He is the athletic department's Male Scholar Athlete of the Month for January.
He averages 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds while doing well enough in the Kelley School of Business to position himself to make the Dean's list.
Smith isn't the only Hoosier to make an impact.
Freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis continues to lead IU in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (8.4). Senior guard Devonte Green averages 13.0 points with a team-leading 25 three-point baskets, nine more than any of his teammates. Junior guard Aljami Durham averages 10.9 points and has a team-leading 38 assists. Guards Rob Phinisee and Armaan Franklin each have had difference-making moments.
More is needed.
The statistics suggest Indiana is a poor-shooting team. Not true, Miller said. The Hoosiers, he said during his Monday night radio show, are a poor passing team. The guards don't deliver the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there.
That explains the 30.7 percent three-point shooting, which rates 12th in the 14-team Big Ten. It is not that IU has bad shooters.
"I think that's complete B.S.," Miller said on his show. "I think we'll make good threes if we deliver the ball when it's supposed to be delivered."
It so often is not, which is why IU's assist rate of 13.5 per game is also 12th in the conference.
It's why the offense so often goes into second-half deep freezes (see the Connecticut, Notre Dame and Arkansas games).
The problem, Miller added, doesn't surface in practice.
"We are not getting enough rhythm, enough good looks in the course of a game," he said. "Sometimes we pass up a good shot just to put it down (and dribble)."
The bottom line – IU needs better guard play.
"Guys are reluctant, for whatever reason, to make those reads and passes," Miller said. "We've become a team that's standing around, letting the bigs catch the ball and do some things. Our guards aren't playing the game with one another as easily as they could.
"Our passing has to get better and our assist totals have to go up. If we can get two or three of our guards to play well at the same time, our team is so much better. That's the quest. That's the challenge."
The good news -- there's talent to meet that challenge.
"There's a lot of room for this team to continue to grow up and figure things out," Miller said.
"I do think we'll be a more confident shooting team on Wednesday."
A victory against Northwestern, and a lot more, could be riding on it.
"In this league, you're in a deep ocean," Miller said. "There are a lot of waves and you have to ride them out and figure out how your group can survive it and keep moving forward. For us, that's the way it is. I can't complain about our guys in their approach and what we're doing.
"One thing is you can't over complicate it and make it harder than it is. You've just got to keep working at it."
It helps to face a struggling Northwestern team that is 5-8 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats are without heralded freshman guard Boo Buie, sidelined by a stress fracture in his left foot. He averages 10.8 points, and was especially effective against Michigan State (26 points) and DePaul (25 points) in a three-day span in which he was 9-for-16 from three-point range.
Also out is guard Anthony Gaines (shoulder injury) and, possibly, forward A.J. Turner (thigh bruise).
That could leave the Wildcats with just seven healthy scholarship players. Of those, six are freshmen or sophomores.
Northwestern has four other players averaging in double figures. It's led by 6-7 sophomore Miller Kopp (12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds), 6-10 freshman Ryan Young (10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds), 6-10 sophomore Pete Nance (10.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 11 blocks) and 6-3 senior Pat Spencer (10.2 points, team-leading 52 assists).
The Wildcats have lost four straight games, all by nine or fewer points. They did beat Boston College 82-64 in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
IU is positioned to add to Northwestern's struggles, especially if the guards come through.
"I think our backcourt is due to break out and have some guys play well," Miller said.
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