Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Here Comes Iowa – Jerome Hunter Builds for Big Finish
2/13/2020 3:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jerome Hunter shot and Maryland coach Mark Turgeon raged.
Indiana's freshman swingman had cut his way to the baseline corner, as open as you'd see in a game of H-O-R-S-E.
As Hunter's 3-point shot swished through the net, Turgeon pivoted and smacked the padded Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall scorer's table with both hands.
As Turgeon made clear to his players, that was NOT part of the Terrapins' defensive game plan.
Hunter made two more 3-pointers that game, then two against Ohio State and two more last Saturday against Purdue.
More and more, Hunter has become a player to game plan against.
"He looks like a guy that we saw a few years ago in terms of what he can be," coach Archie Miller says. "He's not anywhere near where he needs to be. He's not anywhere where he's going to be, but I think you just see a natural progression of a freshman."
It didn't start out natural. Last year's serious leg condition cost Hunter an entire season. It left him way behind in strength, conditioning, basketball timing and development.
But he's catching up ... fast.
"I'm proud of Jerome," Miller says. "He's had a very difficult situation. All players go through their own ups and downs, but his has been a long road back."
Even as the Hoosiers (15-8) have lost their collective way -- four straight losses entering Thursday night's home game against No. 21 Iowa (17-7) -- Hunter has found his.
He scored 12 points against Maryland, nine against Ohio State and 10 against Purdue. He is 7-for-16 from beyond the arc in those three games. Before that, he was 6-for-31.
Bottom line – he's averaged 10.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in his last three games.
For the season, it's 4.5 and 2.0.
"We're confident that he's playing hard," Miller says. "I think he knows what to do. You can see he's got his legs under him a little bit offensively for the first time, where he's confident in being able to take some shots.
"He gotten to the basket a few times. He's got to get better at rebounding."
Hunter's improved play has come with increased playing time. He had a season-high 28 minutes against Maryland, then followed that with 27 against Ohio State and 24 against Purdue.
"He's earned them," Miller says. "He's done it the old-fashioned way, and he's kept them by being able to get on the floor and be effective. I'm hopeful that as we keep going here, he continues to give us good things."
Lack of conditioning limited Hunter's playing time early on.
Not any more.
"Jerome is unique with his minutes because he asks to come out quite a bit," Miller says. "Sometimes it's fatigue, sometimes it's more of a soreness that he has to deal with because of his leg injury.
"He's not a guy that stays out there a ton of minutes. Usually, Jerome gives you a look like, 'Hey, I need a break, I'm tired or whatever.'
"But as his conditioning level went up, his game minutes went up because he's been able to handle them for longer stretches."
Beyond that, Hunter has the passion all great players have.
"He found his way through October and November," Miller says. "You get through December and you head into conference play, and you start to learn a lot about your team and your guys.
"He's stayed with that very consistent approach. He loves the game. He shows up to practice every day ready to go. He's not afraid. He will compete. He battles.
"More importantly, he loves the game. He loves basketball. He can play all day long. He's the guy when practice is over you're trying to get off the floor to come to the film room because he still wants to shoot a little bit more."
Hunter isn't the only battling Hoosier. Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis' Purdue performance (16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks) earned him his fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week award.
Jackson-Davis averages 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds on the season while shooting 59.6 percent from the field.
And yet, it hasn't been enough. A once all but certain NCAA tourney bid is in jeopardy.
There are multiple reasons, but Miller has used his Monday night radio show to express concern over passion, and a lack of togetherness.
Freshman guard Armaan Franklin insists the Hoosiers are unified.
"There's a sense of togetherness for sure. When you lose four straight, all you have is each other. You have to progress every day with each other. You can't listen to outside sources and noises."
What you do have to do, Miller says via his radio show, is show mental toughness.
"Sometimes, you have to be able to get up from getting knocked in the mouth," he says. "There are certain guys on this team that have been knocked in the mouth a few times, but have they really been able to … work through it? Has it worked out for them well when they've worked through it?"
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jerome Hunter shot and Maryland coach Mark Turgeon raged.
Indiana's freshman swingman had cut his way to the baseline corner, as open as you'd see in a game of H-O-R-S-E.
As Hunter's 3-point shot swished through the net, Turgeon pivoted and smacked the padded Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall scorer's table with both hands.
As Turgeon made clear to his players, that was NOT part of the Terrapins' defensive game plan.
Hunter made two more 3-pointers that game, then two against Ohio State and two more last Saturday against Purdue.
More and more, Hunter has become a player to game plan against.
"He looks like a guy that we saw a few years ago in terms of what he can be," coach Archie Miller says. "He's not anywhere near where he needs to be. He's not anywhere where he's going to be, but I think you just see a natural progression of a freshman."
It didn't start out natural. Last year's serious leg condition cost Hunter an entire season. It left him way behind in strength, conditioning, basketball timing and development.
But he's catching up ... fast.
"I'm proud of Jerome," Miller says. "He's had a very difficult situation. All players go through their own ups and downs, but his has been a long road back."
Even as the Hoosiers (15-8) have lost their collective way -- four straight losses entering Thursday night's home game against No. 21 Iowa (17-7) -- Hunter has found his.
He scored 12 points against Maryland, nine against Ohio State and 10 against Purdue. He is 7-for-16 from beyond the arc in those three games. Before that, he was 6-for-31.
Bottom line – he's averaged 10.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in his last three games.
For the season, it's 4.5 and 2.0.
"We're confident that he's playing hard," Miller says. "I think he knows what to do. You can see he's got his legs under him a little bit offensively for the first time, where he's confident in being able to take some shots.
"He gotten to the basket a few times. He's got to get better at rebounding."
Hunter's improved play has come with increased playing time. He had a season-high 28 minutes against Maryland, then followed that with 27 against Ohio State and 24 against Purdue.
"He's earned them," Miller says. "He's done it the old-fashioned way, and he's kept them by being able to get on the floor and be effective. I'm hopeful that as we keep going here, he continues to give us good things."
Lack of conditioning limited Hunter's playing time early on.
Not any more.
"Jerome is unique with his minutes because he asks to come out quite a bit," Miller says. "Sometimes it's fatigue, sometimes it's more of a soreness that he has to deal with because of his leg injury.
"He's not a guy that stays out there a ton of minutes. Usually, Jerome gives you a look like, 'Hey, I need a break, I'm tired or whatever.'
"But as his conditioning level went up, his game minutes went up because he's been able to handle them for longer stretches."
Beyond that, Hunter has the passion all great players have.
"He found his way through October and November," Miller says. "You get through December and you head into conference play, and you start to learn a lot about your team and your guys.
"He's stayed with that very consistent approach. He loves the game. He shows up to practice every day ready to go. He's not afraid. He will compete. He battles.
"More importantly, he loves the game. He loves basketball. He can play all day long. He's the guy when practice is over you're trying to get off the floor to come to the film room because he still wants to shoot a little bit more."
Hunter isn't the only battling Hoosier. Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis' Purdue performance (16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks) earned him his fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week award.
Jackson-Davis averages 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds on the season while shooting 59.6 percent from the field.
And yet, it hasn't been enough. A once all but certain NCAA tourney bid is in jeopardy.
There are multiple reasons, but Miller has used his Monday night radio show to express concern over passion, and a lack of togetherness.
Freshman guard Armaan Franklin insists the Hoosiers are unified.
"There's a sense of togetherness for sure. When you lose four straight, all you have is each other. You have to progress every day with each other. You can't listen to outside sources and noises."
What you do have to do, Miller says via his radio show, is show mental toughness.
"Sometimes, you have to be able to get up from getting knocked in the mouth," he says. "There are certain guys on this team that have been knocked in the mouth a few times, but have they really been able to … work through it? Has it worked out for them well when they've worked through it?"
Indiana has had impressive victories, specifically against national title contender Florida State, Ohio State and Michigan State.
But the Hoosiers have struggled to sustain that momentum, a source of frustration for everyone concerned.
"This team has enough in the tank, that on a given day, when your heads are right, (it) can beat anybody," Miller says. "Consistency is something you're always on a quest to get."
Quest is fine, but achieving it is what matters, especially for a program yearning for a return to NCAA tourney relevance.
Miller continues to push that theme and continues to get roller-coaster response.
Patience, he says, has limits.
"At some point, the coach needs to be not only getting responded to, but the coach needs to figure out who is responding. It's not equal opportunity as you are struggling. It may be as simple as this guy is not playing well, let's not play him anymore. Let's play this guy a little bit more, let's figure some things out.
"We need some guys out there that really want it. That will help our team respond when we see guys giving max effort, doing some things we've seen our team do a few times this season."
Miller has threatened to cut the 10-player rotation before, but hasn't carried it out.
Could Thursday night be different?
"At some point," he says, "you have to draw the line. If you don't want to be part of winning, you have to not be a part of what we are doing."
Veteran guard Al Durham understands the urgency.
"If that's what it is, and if it's for the betterment of the team, then it is what is.
"But I feel everyone can contribute. Everyone can step up, play well and unite."
IU will need major contributions against Iowa, which has the Big Ten's best big man in 6-11, 260-pound center Luka Garza. He averages 23.1 points and 9.9 rebounds. He's blocked 40 shots, shoots 55.3 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range and 84.7 percent from the line.
Coach Fran McCaffery praises Garza's work ethic and the way he has physically developed since arriving in Iowa City.
Miller is equally impressed.
"If it ended today and I had a vote, Luka Garza would be the national player of the year. To go through our league, and to be averaging (what he does) is about as impressive as we've seen."
Forward Joe Wieskamp averages 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds. Guard C.J. Fredrick averages 11.1 points.
The Hawkeyes push the pace to average 79.1 points while shooting 550 three-pointers at 35.1 percent accuracy.
"Iowa is a terrific team," Miller says. "They've had an unbelievable year. Garza is a first-team All-American, but they have a slew of other guys playing well."
IU needs to match that strong play, and then surpass it.
"We've got to find a way to get off that mat," Miller says. "We need guys to respond.
"I'm sure every coach plays Dr. Phil every day with your guys. You're always looking for different ways to motivate them. You can play a lot of mind games.
"But at the end of the day, you have to have a group that's really together, really tough.
"It's a tough league and you're never going to get out of it unless you do it together. That's the one thing I do know."
But the Hoosiers have struggled to sustain that momentum, a source of frustration for everyone concerned.
"This team has enough in the tank, that on a given day, when your heads are right, (it) can beat anybody," Miller says. "Consistency is something you're always on a quest to get."
Quest is fine, but achieving it is what matters, especially for a program yearning for a return to NCAA tourney relevance.
Miller continues to push that theme and continues to get roller-coaster response.
Patience, he says, has limits.
"At some point, the coach needs to be not only getting responded to, but the coach needs to figure out who is responding. It's not equal opportunity as you are struggling. It may be as simple as this guy is not playing well, let's not play him anymore. Let's play this guy a little bit more, let's figure some things out.
"We need some guys out there that really want it. That will help our team respond when we see guys giving max effort, doing some things we've seen our team do a few times this season."
Miller has threatened to cut the 10-player rotation before, but hasn't carried it out.
Could Thursday night be different?
"At some point," he says, "you have to draw the line. If you don't want to be part of winning, you have to not be a part of what we are doing."
Veteran guard Al Durham understands the urgency.
"If that's what it is, and if it's for the betterment of the team, then it is what is.
"But I feel everyone can contribute. Everyone can step up, play well and unite."
IU will need major contributions against Iowa, which has the Big Ten's best big man in 6-11, 260-pound center Luka Garza. He averages 23.1 points and 9.9 rebounds. He's blocked 40 shots, shoots 55.3 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range and 84.7 percent from the line.
Coach Fran McCaffery praises Garza's work ethic and the way he has physically developed since arriving in Iowa City.
Miller is equally impressed.
"If it ended today and I had a vote, Luka Garza would be the national player of the year. To go through our league, and to be averaging (what he does) is about as impressive as we've seen."
Forward Joe Wieskamp averages 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds. Guard C.J. Fredrick averages 11.1 points.
The Hawkeyes push the pace to average 79.1 points while shooting 550 three-pointers at 35.1 percent accuracy.
"Iowa is a terrific team," Miller says. "They've had an unbelievable year. Garza is a first-team All-American, but they have a slew of other guys playing well."
IU needs to match that strong play, and then surpass it.
"We've got to find a way to get off that mat," Miller says. "We need guys to respond.
"I'm sure every coach plays Dr. Phil every day with your guys. You're always looking for different ways to motivate them. You can play a lot of mind games.
"But at the end of the day, you have to have a group that's really together, really tough.
"It's a tough league and you're never going to get out of it unless you do it together. That's the one thing I do know."
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