Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Stakes High As Indiana Faces Minnesota
3/4/2020 1:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana has Minnesota right where it wants it.
At Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
A Cream and Crimson regular season ending statement is there to be made.
The Hoosiers seem set to deliver.
"This is the best we've been since we really focused in on attitude and effort," coach Archie Miller said on his Monday night radio show. "You have to keep things in perspective in terms of winning and losing. It can't be highs and lows."
The good news -- the days of hostile crowds are, for the most part, over. IU doesn't have any remaining true road games.
Neutral site opportunity begins next week with the Big Ten tourney at Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse and then, the Hoosiers hope, in the NCAA Tournament.
For the next couple of days, though, it's Assembly Hall frenzy.
IU (18-11 overall, 8-10 in the Big Ten) already has beaten Minnesota (13-15, 7-11) once, 68-56 a couple of weeks ago in Minneapolis. That was one of its two victories in 10 road games.
A two-game losing streak has ratcheted up the Hoosier stakes. Beating Minnesota on Wednesday night and streaking Wisconsin (7-1 in its last eight games) Saturday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is crucial to NCAA tourney hopes.
IU currently projects as a No. 10 seed. It's fourth in the country with five wins over ranked teams. It's 18thnationally with six Quad 1 victories.
Miller calls this week the "last gasp of air" before postseason drama begins.
The Hoosiers were tough-minded in losses at Purdue and at Illinois last week, nearly pulling out victories.
That reflected a renewed approach spurred from potentially season-ruining disappointment. The lopsided mid-February loss at Michigan was a turning point -- in a good way, Miller said on his radio show.
"I've seen an unbelievable turn in terms of our guys' focus. We have a lot of guys rowing in the same direction."
Miller talks about commitment. He stresses that you've got to have an attitude that you don't give a (blank) about anything (but winning), that it's about competing and playing as hard as you can for as long as you can.
"Battle and compete," he says. "You can't budge or flinch."
That includes rim protection, which has struggled in recent games.
"We have to find a way to eliminate these layups when guards are driving in there," Miller said on his radio show.
Finding a way comes with a potential challenge. Miller said that standout freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has a "foot sprain," but will play through it.
Jackson-Davis is playing at an all-Big Ten level. He leads IU in scoring (13.7), rebounding (8.1), blocked shots (1.9), shooting (57.4 percent) and more. He's had double-doubles in three of his last four games, and has 10 on the season. That includes a 27-point, 16-rebound effort in the first Minnesota game.
There are signs that Indiana's shooting -- an Achilles' heel for much of the season -- is building into a strength.
Freshman swingman Jerome Hunter is shooting 44.8 percent from three-point range in his last 11 games. Junior guard Al Durham is at 40 percent beyond the arc in his last 11 games. Sophomore guard Rob Phinisee hit two of four three-point shots against Illinois.
And then there's senior guard Devonte Green, who can destroy defenses when he's on (see 30 points against Florida State and 27 against Iowa). He's shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range in his last six games.
As for Minnesota, a stretch of eight losses in nine games hasn't softened its fight. The Gophers lost consecutive heartbreakers last week -- 74-73 to Maryland and 71-69 to Wisconsin.
Minnesota's two best players were elite in those losses – an early sign of what Indiana will face.
Daniel Oturu, a 6-10, 240-pound center, had 26 points and 12 rebounds against Wisconsin, and 28 and 11 against Maryland.
Guard Marcus Carr had 21 points against Wisconsin and 19 against Maryland.
Oturu averages 20.2 points and 11.4 rebounds while shooting 57.3 percent from the field. Carr averages 15.7 points and has made 33 three-pointers on the season.
Guard Gabe Kalscheur averages 11.2 points and has made 66 three-pointers.
Gopher 3-point shooting has Miller concerned.
"When they make threes," he said on his radio show, "they can beat any team in the league. We cannot allow the three-point line to bury us."
The good news – IU has allowed its last four opponents (Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue and Illinois) to shoot just 17.6 percent beyond the arc.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana has Minnesota right where it wants it.
At Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
A Cream and Crimson regular season ending statement is there to be made.
The Hoosiers seem set to deliver.
"This is the best we've been since we really focused in on attitude and effort," coach Archie Miller said on his Monday night radio show. "You have to keep things in perspective in terms of winning and losing. It can't be highs and lows."
The good news -- the days of hostile crowds are, for the most part, over. IU doesn't have any remaining true road games.
Neutral site opportunity begins next week with the Big Ten tourney at Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse and then, the Hoosiers hope, in the NCAA Tournament.
For the next couple of days, though, it's Assembly Hall frenzy.
IU (18-11 overall, 8-10 in the Big Ten) already has beaten Minnesota (13-15, 7-11) once, 68-56 a couple of weeks ago in Minneapolis. That was one of its two victories in 10 road games.
A two-game losing streak has ratcheted up the Hoosier stakes. Beating Minnesota on Wednesday night and streaking Wisconsin (7-1 in its last eight games) Saturday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is crucial to NCAA tourney hopes.
IU currently projects as a No. 10 seed. It's fourth in the country with five wins over ranked teams. It's 18thnationally with six Quad 1 victories.
Miller calls this week the "last gasp of air" before postseason drama begins.
The Hoosiers were tough-minded in losses at Purdue and at Illinois last week, nearly pulling out victories.
That reflected a renewed approach spurred from potentially season-ruining disappointment. The lopsided mid-February loss at Michigan was a turning point -- in a good way, Miller said on his radio show.
"I've seen an unbelievable turn in terms of our guys' focus. We have a lot of guys rowing in the same direction."
Miller talks about commitment. He stresses that you've got to have an attitude that you don't give a (blank) about anything (but winning), that it's about competing and playing as hard as you can for as long as you can.
"Battle and compete," he says. "You can't budge or flinch."
That includes rim protection, which has struggled in recent games.
"We have to find a way to eliminate these layups when guards are driving in there," Miller said on his radio show.
Finding a way comes with a potential challenge. Miller said that standout freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has a "foot sprain," but will play through it.
Jackson-Davis is playing at an all-Big Ten level. He leads IU in scoring (13.7), rebounding (8.1), blocked shots (1.9), shooting (57.4 percent) and more. He's had double-doubles in three of his last four games, and has 10 on the season. That includes a 27-point, 16-rebound effort in the first Minnesota game.
There are signs that Indiana's shooting -- an Achilles' heel for much of the season -- is building into a strength.
Freshman swingman Jerome Hunter is shooting 44.8 percent from three-point range in his last 11 games. Junior guard Al Durham is at 40 percent beyond the arc in his last 11 games. Sophomore guard Rob Phinisee hit two of four three-point shots against Illinois.
And then there's senior guard Devonte Green, who can destroy defenses when he's on (see 30 points against Florida State and 27 against Iowa). He's shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range in his last six games.
As for Minnesota, a stretch of eight losses in nine games hasn't softened its fight. The Gophers lost consecutive heartbreakers last week -- 74-73 to Maryland and 71-69 to Wisconsin.
Minnesota's two best players were elite in those losses – an early sign of what Indiana will face.
Daniel Oturu, a 6-10, 240-pound center, had 26 points and 12 rebounds against Wisconsin, and 28 and 11 against Maryland.
Guard Marcus Carr had 21 points against Wisconsin and 19 against Maryland.
Oturu averages 20.2 points and 11.4 rebounds while shooting 57.3 percent from the field. Carr averages 15.7 points and has made 33 three-pointers on the season.
Guard Gabe Kalscheur averages 11.2 points and has made 66 three-pointers.
Gopher 3-point shooting has Miller concerned.
"When they make threes," he said on his radio show, "they can beat any team in the league. We cannot allow the three-point line to bury us."
The good news – IU has allowed its last four opponents (Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue and Illinois) to shoot just 17.6 percent beyond the arc.
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