DIPRIMIO: Indiana Aims to ‘Embrace the Moment’ against No. 4 Iowa
1/21/2021 1:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Hoosiers aren't backing off, guard Aljami Durham says.
Forget last week's disappointing Purdue loss and the upcoming Big Ten scheduling gauntlet, starting with Thursday night's trip to No. 4 Iowa.
Indiana is refreshed from its Covid-19-caused break (last Sunday's game at Michigan State was postponed due to a virus outbreak in the Spartans' program) and firm in its leadership and resolve.
"We've been doing a good job where I feel like our leaders have been leading," Durham says. "Keeping each other together. We've been real close. We've been working real hard together, so I feel like we've been doing a really good job."
The Hoosiers (8-6 overall, 3-4 in the Big Ten) will need to be at their best given what's coming.
Their next five opponents have a Final Four feel with Iowa, Rutgers, No. 7 Michigan, No. 22 Illinois and Iowa again.
To overcome that challenge, Miller says, "We have to put our hard hats back on. We need to be excited to play those teams and knock them off."
As for Iowa (12-2 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten, 9-0 at home), Miller says, "I think they are one of the best teams in the country. I also think they have a chance to not only win the Big Ten in an unprecedented year, but they also have an opportunity to compete for a national championship."
The Hawkeyes' losses have come to No. 1 Gonzaga and at No. 17 Minnesota.
"They have all the parts that are needed and Coach (Fran) McCaffery and his staff have done an incredible job with this group and their development," Miller says.
Better defense is a Hoosier must, especially from 3-point range. Opponents are shooting 40.4 percent beyond the arc. Purdue was 11-for-17.
"Just being able to close out and chase the ball," Durham says, "but also being able to find shooters in transition. We have to stop people from getting as many threes as they've had these last couple games. We've got to control that on the defensive end."
A defense that was so solid in December, so vulnerable in January, was addressed during the Hoosiers' unexpected break. It has to be at its peak, Miller says, against an Iowa team that averages 92 points a game.
"We have to give great effort on the ball. We are going to have to be there on shooters. We cannot get beat running transition, and at the end of the day in the one-on-one, we are going to have to have some pride that we are going to be able to do a pretty good job of being able to guard our man."
Beating Iowa means dealing with 6-11, 265-pound Luka Garza, the national-player-of-the-year favorite.
"He is one of the more unique players that you will see," Miller says
Garza averages a Big Ten-leading 26.9 points. He shoots 62 percent from the field and 47.9 percent from three-point range.
To put that three-point shooting in perspective, guard Joe Wieskamp shoots 42.1 percent beyond the arc. Guard Jordan Bohannon is at 40.6 percent.
The only Hawkeye shooting three-pointers at a better clip is guard C.J. Fredrick, at 51.0 percent.
"He can step out and shoot the three as consistent as their guards," Miller says. "He is more dangerous from there than he has ever been. He can shoot up to eight or 10 a game."
Garza's worst game still produced 16 points. Six times he's scored 30 or more points. He also averages 8.7 rebounds.
Such impressive numbers don't come from elite athleticism as much as hard work and determination.
"He has got great size and great physicality," Miller says. "He doesn't jump that high, and he probably doesn't run that fast. But you will never find a guy that you watch play on film that moves and works like he does. He never stops moving.
"The greatest compliment I can give him is that he never allows the defense to be off the hook."
Then there is the 6-6 Wieskamp (14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds), 6-1 Bohannon (10.5 points, team-leading 68 assists) and 6-3 Fredrick (9.8 points).
"Their team, their depth, the quality of the players that they have around him is terrific," Miller says. "It is a great blend. That's why they are so good. It's because you have to deal with somebody on every catch on their team."
Despite two losses in its last three games, IU is, Miller told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during his Monday night radio show, "A lot closer to being a really good team than being God-awful."
"The big key for this team is to embrace this moment, get back to practicing really hard, get our guys feeling good about themselves in terms of how they are working, and I think we will see improvement."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Hoosiers aren't backing off, guard Aljami Durham says.
Forget last week's disappointing Purdue loss and the upcoming Big Ten scheduling gauntlet, starting with Thursday night's trip to No. 4 Iowa.
Indiana is refreshed from its Covid-19-caused break (last Sunday's game at Michigan State was postponed due to a virus outbreak in the Spartans' program) and firm in its leadership and resolve.
"We've been doing a good job where I feel like our leaders have been leading," Durham says. "Keeping each other together. We've been real close. We've been working real hard together, so I feel like we've been doing a really good job."
The Hoosiers (8-6 overall, 3-4 in the Big Ten) will need to be at their best given what's coming.
Their next five opponents have a Final Four feel with Iowa, Rutgers, No. 7 Michigan, No. 22 Illinois and Iowa again.
To overcome that challenge, Miller says, "We have to put our hard hats back on. We need to be excited to play those teams and knock them off."
As for Iowa (12-2 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten, 9-0 at home), Miller says, "I think they are one of the best teams in the country. I also think they have a chance to not only win the Big Ten in an unprecedented year, but they also have an opportunity to compete for a national championship."
The Hawkeyes' losses have come to No. 1 Gonzaga and at No. 17 Minnesota.
"They have all the parts that are needed and Coach (Fran) McCaffery and his staff have done an incredible job with this group and their development," Miller says.
Better defense is a Hoosier must, especially from 3-point range. Opponents are shooting 40.4 percent beyond the arc. Purdue was 11-for-17.
"Just being able to close out and chase the ball," Durham says, "but also being able to find shooters in transition. We have to stop people from getting as many threes as they've had these last couple games. We've got to control that on the defensive end."
A defense that was so solid in December, so vulnerable in January, was addressed during the Hoosiers' unexpected break. It has to be at its peak, Miller says, against an Iowa team that averages 92 points a game.
"We have to give great effort on the ball. We are going to have to be there on shooters. We cannot get beat running transition, and at the end of the day in the one-on-one, we are going to have to have some pride that we are going to be able to do a pretty good job of being able to guard our man."
Beating Iowa means dealing with 6-11, 265-pound Luka Garza, the national-player-of-the-year favorite.
"He is one of the more unique players that you will see," Miller says
Garza averages a Big Ten-leading 26.9 points. He shoots 62 percent from the field and 47.9 percent from three-point range.
To put that three-point shooting in perspective, guard Joe Wieskamp shoots 42.1 percent beyond the arc. Guard Jordan Bohannon is at 40.6 percent.
The only Hawkeye shooting three-pointers at a better clip is guard C.J. Fredrick, at 51.0 percent.
"He can step out and shoot the three as consistent as their guards," Miller says. "He is more dangerous from there than he has ever been. He can shoot up to eight or 10 a game."
Garza's worst game still produced 16 points. Six times he's scored 30 or more points. He also averages 8.7 rebounds.
Such impressive numbers don't come from elite athleticism as much as hard work and determination.
"He has got great size and great physicality," Miller says. "He doesn't jump that high, and he probably doesn't run that fast. But you will never find a guy that you watch play on film that moves and works like he does. He never stops moving.
"The greatest compliment I can give him is that he never allows the defense to be off the hook."
Then there is the 6-6 Wieskamp (14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds), 6-1 Bohannon (10.5 points, team-leading 68 assists) and 6-3 Fredrick (9.8 points).
"Their team, their depth, the quality of the players that they have around him is terrific," Miller says. "It is a great blend. That's why they are so good. It's because you have to deal with somebody on every catch on their team."
Despite two losses in its last three games, IU is, Miller told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during his Monday night radio show, "A lot closer to being a really good team than being God-awful."
"The big key for this team is to embrace this moment, get back to practicing really hard, get our guys feeling good about themselves in terms of how they are working, and I think we will see improvement."
Players Mentioned
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