Indiana University Athletics
Unexpected Time Off Gives Hoosiers Opportunity to Refresh
1/17/2021 10:16:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sometimes the unexpected can provide an opportunity.
The Hoosiers' 81-69 loss to Purdue at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Thursday night saw Indiana struggle to knock down shots from the 3-point line, and the team looked a step slow defensively. Purdue shot 53.2 percent overall and 64.7 percent from beyond the arc—tangible signs of IU's defensive issues.
The game was also Indiana's fourth game in the past 10 days and sixth outing since Christmas. Since Santa shimmied down the chimney, the Hoosiers haven't gone more than four full days off between games. Considering the major minutes Indiana's starters have been putting in lately—Trayce Jackson-Davis (35.9 mpg), Aljami Durham (35.4), and Race Thompson (29.7) have seen a lot of time in Big Ten play—fatigue has been a concern for head coach Archie Miller.
Worst of all, the rapid pace of the schedule means little downtime for a team that has dropped four of its first seven outings. Road trips to Michigan State and Iowa are on the slate in the next week, and a battle vs. Rutgers in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Jan. 24 makes it four games in 10 days.
That's just a brutal grind, one that is doubly difficult due to aches and pains suffered by guards Armaan Franklin and Rob Phinisee over the past couple of weeks.
Then came news that this Sunday's battle at Michigan State would have to be postponed due to COVID-19 issues in East Lansing, giving Indiana a full week off between the Purdue game and the trip to Iowa. An unfortunate situation for the Spartans also means a chance at some much-needed rest for the Hoosiers, whose game vs. Purdue was the only home tilt in a five-game stretch dating back to Jan. 7.
Miller certainly understands the benefits the extra time could bring.
"This is the first time all season long we have been put in this situation where we were going to have some kind of disruption in the schedule," Miller said after the Purdue loss. "We have been pretty smooth all the way through. We don't have another game scheduled until Iowa next Thursday. This is the first time all season our guys would look at say there is a week in between games that they are not in school. It is a mental grind with very few times off. The testing, the practices, the games… we had three games in seven days last week. We were getting ready to do three more in six days next week. It comes at a time where I look at it and say, number one, we have a couple guys that are banged up, couple guys playing too many minutes, let's make sure we are smart with them."
Phinisee got banged up at Nebraska, but he has stayed in the lineup thanks to his toughness, but a little downtime could do wonders. Franklin returned to the lineup vs. Purdue, but he still needs some time to get back into the swing of things.
Listen to Franklin's week so far.
"A lot of treatment three times a day," Franklin said after the Purdue game. "Icing, stretching, trying to get my range of motion back. I think I practiced on… was that Tuesday? I did not feel that great. It was just because I was stiff. I had not done anything in about a week. Yesterday, I felt pretty good. Today, I woke up, felt good enough during shoot around. I felt like I could get out there and do some things, help the team out."
Jackson-Davis played just 27 minutes vs. Purdue, minutes that were limited due to foul trouble. A week ago, he played 49 minutes at Wisconsin, and he followed that up three days later with 38 minutes at Nebraska. The focus of Indiana's offense—and, therefore, every opponent IU faces—Jackson-Davis' minutes aren't easy. He has to battle on every possession, and that, over time, can take its toll.
The unexpected break could be exactly what the Hoosiers need to mentally and physically refresh before getting back to work at Iowa next Thursday. Miller was blunt about his team's outing vs. Purdue and the impact some time off could have to help the Hoosiers improve.
"We did not deserve to win the game," Miller said after the Purdue defeat. "We will have to take this one and eat it. It hurts. I'm disappointed in the performance, and that is on me. We are going to have to go back to work. We will not have the game against Michigan State hanging in front us on Sunday, and sometimes that is the best answer. For our team, we need to go back to work. We are going to have to figure some things out defensively, because if we do not have that, then we will be in big trouble going forward."
The Hoosiers' 81-69 loss to Purdue at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Thursday night saw Indiana struggle to knock down shots from the 3-point line, and the team looked a step slow defensively. Purdue shot 53.2 percent overall and 64.7 percent from beyond the arc—tangible signs of IU's defensive issues.
The game was also Indiana's fourth game in the past 10 days and sixth outing since Christmas. Since Santa shimmied down the chimney, the Hoosiers haven't gone more than four full days off between games. Considering the major minutes Indiana's starters have been putting in lately—Trayce Jackson-Davis (35.9 mpg), Aljami Durham (35.4), and Race Thompson (29.7) have seen a lot of time in Big Ten play—fatigue has been a concern for head coach Archie Miller.
Worst of all, the rapid pace of the schedule means little downtime for a team that has dropped four of its first seven outings. Road trips to Michigan State and Iowa are on the slate in the next week, and a battle vs. Rutgers in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Jan. 24 makes it four games in 10 days.
That's just a brutal grind, one that is doubly difficult due to aches and pains suffered by guards Armaan Franklin and Rob Phinisee over the past couple of weeks.
Then came news that this Sunday's battle at Michigan State would have to be postponed due to COVID-19 issues in East Lansing, giving Indiana a full week off between the Purdue game and the trip to Iowa. An unfortunate situation for the Spartans also means a chance at some much-needed rest for the Hoosiers, whose game vs. Purdue was the only home tilt in a five-game stretch dating back to Jan. 7.
Miller certainly understands the benefits the extra time could bring.
"This is the first time all season long we have been put in this situation where we were going to have some kind of disruption in the schedule," Miller said after the Purdue loss. "We have been pretty smooth all the way through. We don't have another game scheduled until Iowa next Thursday. This is the first time all season our guys would look at say there is a week in between games that they are not in school. It is a mental grind with very few times off. The testing, the practices, the games… we had three games in seven days last week. We were getting ready to do three more in six days next week. It comes at a time where I look at it and say, number one, we have a couple guys that are banged up, couple guys playing too many minutes, let's make sure we are smart with them."
Phinisee got banged up at Nebraska, but he has stayed in the lineup thanks to his toughness, but a little downtime could do wonders. Franklin returned to the lineup vs. Purdue, but he still needs some time to get back into the swing of things.
Listen to Franklin's week so far.
"A lot of treatment three times a day," Franklin said after the Purdue game. "Icing, stretching, trying to get my range of motion back. I think I practiced on… was that Tuesday? I did not feel that great. It was just because I was stiff. I had not done anything in about a week. Yesterday, I felt pretty good. Today, I woke up, felt good enough during shoot around. I felt like I could get out there and do some things, help the team out."
Jackson-Davis played just 27 minutes vs. Purdue, minutes that were limited due to foul trouble. A week ago, he played 49 minutes at Wisconsin, and he followed that up three days later with 38 minutes at Nebraska. The focus of Indiana's offense—and, therefore, every opponent IU faces—Jackson-Davis' minutes aren't easy. He has to battle on every possession, and that, over time, can take its toll.
The unexpected break could be exactly what the Hoosiers need to mentally and physically refresh before getting back to work at Iowa next Thursday. Miller was blunt about his team's outing vs. Purdue and the impact some time off could have to help the Hoosiers improve.
"We did not deserve to win the game," Miller said after the Purdue defeat. "We will have to take this one and eat it. It hurts. I'm disappointed in the performance, and that is on me. We are going to have to go back to work. We will not have the game against Michigan State hanging in front us on Sunday, and sometimes that is the best answer. For our team, we need to go back to work. We are going to have to figure some things out defensively, because if we do not have that, then we will be in big trouble going forward."
Players Mentioned
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