Indiana University Athletics
Newcomers Continue to Build Critical Depth for Hoosiers
1/9/2021 10:34:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Indiana's 80-73 double overtime loss to No. 8/10 Wisconsin saw the Hoosiers shoot 48.4 percent from the floor overall, 38.1 percent from 3-point range, and commit just 13 turnovers vs. 19 assists in 50 minutes of basketball.
Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to go with four assists and three blocks. Senior Aljami Durham packed the box score with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, four rebounds, and five assists. Junior Rob Phinisee added 10 points and six assists.
IU's defense was solid, its offense flowed, and Indiana gave itself a chance to win at the end of regulation and overtime on the road vs. one of the top 10 teams in the country.
It was a thrilling game, but nothing may have been more thrilling than the play of freshman Anthony Leal because of what it means for IU's depth.
Leal scored nine points on 3-of-6 shooting—all his shots coming from 3-point range—and he added a rebound, an assist, and a block in 35 minutes of action. He was the only Hoosiers to post a positive plus/minus number on the day, finishing with a plus-5, and he turned in solid minutes in key moments in the game.
After playing 10 minutes in the first half, Leal entered the lineup with 15:13 left in the second half, and he never went back to the bench. For the rest of regulation and both overtimes, Leal was on the floor turning in his best work of the season.
Heading into the Wisconsin game, Leal had appeared in just six of IU's 11 games, never playing more than 18 minutes—and he did that more than a month ago vs. Stanford. But with the Hoosiers facing a tough grind in the coming weeks and the team needing more depth, Leal more than proved he was ready to go.
"Anthony Leal… It's a credit to him on what a winner he is," said head coach Archie Miller following the loss. "He gave us a chance to really play, sparked us. He's another guy who came in and made some big shot and helped us stay in the game. He did a great job on both ends of the floor."
Leal is the latest freshman to make an impact this season. Guard Trey Galloway has already worked his way into the starting lineup, and although he isn't putting up eye-popping numbers just yet, he's playing a critical role for the Hoosiers' offense and more than holding his own defensively. The addition of Leal to the lineup will only give IU some much-needed depth as the Hoosiers work through the grind of the Big Ten.
With guard Armaan Franklin down with an injury, the Hoosiers' bench has been forced to take on bigger roles, and they've responded.
"Those guys were contributors tonight," said Durham when asked about the play of Leal and junior Jerome Hunter. "They stepped up when their name was called, knocked down some shots, and they made some plays. They did all the right things. We definitely needed them."
Getting Leal some confidence-building minutes is critical. The Bloomington native was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2020—the same honor earned by Jackson-Davis last season and former Hoosier Romeo Langford two years ago—but his transition hasn't seen immediate minutes. Going from a starring role in high school to a support role in college can be difficult for some, but the fact Leal needed little time to get comfortable on the floor in his first major minutes in weeks is a positive.
Miller expects his other freshmen, Khristian Lander and Jordan Geronimo, who combined to play 10 minutes at Wisconsin, to follow suit.
"I think the fact that our four freshmen can continue to play a role is only going to get greater," Miller said. "We're going to need more guys. We needed some guys to step up, and it can only help us as the season continues to go on. These guys need to have confidence in pressure situations that they can be out there. I think in general, a big key to this season—and it has been all season long—is overall contributions and consistency, and we're getting better consistency right now for more guys."
Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to go with four assists and three blocks. Senior Aljami Durham packed the box score with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, four rebounds, and five assists. Junior Rob Phinisee added 10 points and six assists.
IU's defense was solid, its offense flowed, and Indiana gave itself a chance to win at the end of regulation and overtime on the road vs. one of the top 10 teams in the country.
It was a thrilling game, but nothing may have been more thrilling than the play of freshman Anthony Leal because of what it means for IU's depth.
Leal scored nine points on 3-of-6 shooting—all his shots coming from 3-point range—and he added a rebound, an assist, and a block in 35 minutes of action. He was the only Hoosiers to post a positive plus/minus number on the day, finishing with a plus-5, and he turned in solid minutes in key moments in the game.
After playing 10 minutes in the first half, Leal entered the lineup with 15:13 left in the second half, and he never went back to the bench. For the rest of regulation and both overtimes, Leal was on the floor turning in his best work of the season.
Heading into the Wisconsin game, Leal had appeared in just six of IU's 11 games, never playing more than 18 minutes—and he did that more than a month ago vs. Stanford. But with the Hoosiers facing a tough grind in the coming weeks and the team needing more depth, Leal more than proved he was ready to go.
"Anthony Leal… It's a credit to him on what a winner he is," said head coach Archie Miller following the loss. "He gave us a chance to really play, sparked us. He's another guy who came in and made some big shot and helped us stay in the game. He did a great job on both ends of the floor."
Leal is the latest freshman to make an impact this season. Guard Trey Galloway has already worked his way into the starting lineup, and although he isn't putting up eye-popping numbers just yet, he's playing a critical role for the Hoosiers' offense and more than holding his own defensively. The addition of Leal to the lineup will only give IU some much-needed depth as the Hoosiers work through the grind of the Big Ten.
With guard Armaan Franklin down with an injury, the Hoosiers' bench has been forced to take on bigger roles, and they've responded.
"Those guys were contributors tonight," said Durham when asked about the play of Leal and junior Jerome Hunter. "They stepped up when their name was called, knocked down some shots, and they made some plays. They did all the right things. We definitely needed them."
Getting Leal some confidence-building minutes is critical. The Bloomington native was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2020—the same honor earned by Jackson-Davis last season and former Hoosier Romeo Langford two years ago—but his transition hasn't seen immediate minutes. Going from a starring role in high school to a support role in college can be difficult for some, but the fact Leal needed little time to get comfortable on the floor in his first major minutes in weeks is a positive.
Miller expects his other freshmen, Khristian Lander and Jordan Geronimo, who combined to play 10 minutes at Wisconsin, to follow suit.
"I think the fact that our four freshmen can continue to play a role is only going to get greater," Miller said. "We're going to need more guys. We needed some guys to step up, and it can only help us as the season continues to go on. These guys need to have confidence in pressure situations that they can be out there. I think in general, a big key to this season—and it has been all season long—is overall contributions and consistency, and we're getting better consistency right now for more guys."
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