Starting or Not, Phinisee Retains Key Hoosier Role
12/30/2021 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana starting role is likely gone.
Rob Phinisee understands that.
Impact opportunity certainly is not.
The senior guard understands that, too.
Welcome to his new Cream 'n Crimson basketball world.
"I know I still have a big role on the team," he says. "Sometimes I may play 30 minutes, sometimes I may play 15 minutes.
"My role is to effect the game on the defensive end and then get guys in the right positions and score on offense. I have to lock in on what I'm doing and just keep doing what I'm doing, keep leading and getting better each day."
More and more as a calf injury heals and confidence grows, he's doing that at a high level for a 10-2 team with Big Ten title contention aspirations.
"I have to take it game by game," Phinisee says. "I feel like I've slowly progressed these past couple of games. Whether it's getting into the paint, getting more assists. I've had a couple of lobs to Trayce (Jackson-Davis) in the past two to three games, so just getting downhill and creating for others."
Phinisee will enter Sunday's Big Ten game at Penn State (5-5) coming off his two best performances of the season.
Against Northern Kentucky, he totaled a season-high 10 points in 17 minutes, including a pair of three-pointers.
Against Notre Dame, he had six points, five rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes.
Is he back all the way?
Not quite.
"I know I'm not going to get it fully back in one game," he says.
Still, coach Mike Woodson likes what he's seeing.
"He's a hell of a defender," Woodson says, "and he can make shots. He can make plays for other people. That's what point guards do.
"I've just got to get him more comfortable and get him more love and confidence that he can do those things."
Comfort comes as the calf injury suffered against St. John's becomes less of a problem, but bucks against this reality:
Phinisee is no longer IU's main point-guard answer.
The arrival of transfer point guard Xavier Johnson -- who totaled 1,192 points, 425 assists, 311 rebounds and 124 steals during three seasons at Pitt -- signaled a change for this former Indiana prep all-star out of Lafayette who had started 69 of his 86 career IU games.
Phinisee now leads the second unit, which under Woodson gets significant playing time, although he also plays with the first.
Johnson averages 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds with 51 assists against 29 turnovers. He shoots 45.3% from the field, a career-best 36.4% from three-point range. He attacks defenses off the dribble better than any other Hoosier.
Phinisee averages 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds with 22 assists and 15 turnovers. He shoots just 29.2% from the field, 30.4% on three-pointers. Past struggles don't necessarily predict future ones. Phinisee works to regain his offensive form while continuing to learn all the nuances of Woodson's NBA-style approach.
"That's the big thing, adjusting with the new coaching staff because everything is still new," Phinisee says. "We're still learning, and we're getting better each game. Just taking the open shot and knowing the right shots to make and getting to spots where I know I can make them.'"
Johnson and Phinisee played together for substantial minutes against Notre Dame, something that might be repeated when Big Ten play resumes Jan. 2 at Penn State.
"I see two guys who can make plays together,'" Phinisee says. "The game speeds up a little and we can both run the floor and make plays for each other. (Against Notre Dame), our shots didn't fall, but I feel like we can make shots, too."
Associate head coach Dane Fife was a defensive terror during his IU playing days, capable of getting into opponents' heads as well as bodies.
He sees impressive defensive ability from Phinisee, something he first noticed as a Michigan State assistant coach before joining the Hoosiers last spring.
"I've always respected him back when he used to whip us when I was with Michigan State," Fife says from a recent session during Woodson's weekly radio show. "He single-handedly beat us. It felt like two or three games, he just took (Michigan State point guard) Cassius Winston right out of the game.
"I go back to those games when he took an NBA guard out of the game, exerting his will and overwhelming him. That's the Rob I want to see."
As for the Phinisee who has scored as many as 18 points and made as many as four three-pointers, Fife adds, "I've been trying to help Rob understand that he doesn't have to be a big scorer. I think he knows that, but he doesn't sometimes understand the impact he can have as a defensive player."
Phinisee does understand.
"That's the big thing the coaches emphasize with me when I come in the game, to try to pick up the energy on the defensive end.
"Whether it's picking up guys full court, to trying to dictate the offense to get them out of their sets, that's the big thing I want to do when I come in the game."
While Phinisee might never score 20 points as a Hoosier, he can still make big shots, deliver key passes and get crucial defensive stops. The 11-day break between games caused by Wednesday's cancelation of the UNC Ashville game because of COVID-19 concerns won't change that.
"I don't really look at it whether I'm scoring the ball or not anymore," he says. "I feel like just making the right plays, doing what the team needs me to do, that's what my job is when I'm out there."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana starting role is likely gone.
Rob Phinisee understands that.
Impact opportunity certainly is not.
The senior guard understands that, too.
Welcome to his new Cream 'n Crimson basketball world.
"I know I still have a big role on the team," he says. "Sometimes I may play 30 minutes, sometimes I may play 15 minutes.
"My role is to effect the game on the defensive end and then get guys in the right positions and score on offense. I have to lock in on what I'm doing and just keep doing what I'm doing, keep leading and getting better each day."
More and more as a calf injury heals and confidence grows, he's doing that at a high level for a 10-2 team with Big Ten title contention aspirations.
"I have to take it game by game," Phinisee says. "I feel like I've slowly progressed these past couple of games. Whether it's getting into the paint, getting more assists. I've had a couple of lobs to Trayce (Jackson-Davis) in the past two to three games, so just getting downhill and creating for others."
Phinisee will enter Sunday's Big Ten game at Penn State (5-5) coming off his two best performances of the season.
Against Northern Kentucky, he totaled a season-high 10 points in 17 minutes, including a pair of three-pointers.
Against Notre Dame, he had six points, five rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes.
Is he back all the way?
Not quite.
"I know I'm not going to get it fully back in one game," he says.
Still, coach Mike Woodson likes what he's seeing.
"He's a hell of a defender," Woodson says, "and he can make shots. He can make plays for other people. That's what point guards do.
"I've just got to get him more comfortable and get him more love and confidence that he can do those things."
Comfort comes as the calf injury suffered against St. John's becomes less of a problem, but bucks against this reality:
Phinisee is no longer IU's main point-guard answer.
The arrival of transfer point guard Xavier Johnson -- who totaled 1,192 points, 425 assists, 311 rebounds and 124 steals during three seasons at Pitt -- signaled a change for this former Indiana prep all-star out of Lafayette who had started 69 of his 86 career IU games.
Phinisee now leads the second unit, which under Woodson gets significant playing time, although he also plays with the first.
Johnson averages 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds with 51 assists against 29 turnovers. He shoots 45.3% from the field, a career-best 36.4% from three-point range. He attacks defenses off the dribble better than any other Hoosier.
Phinisee averages 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds with 22 assists and 15 turnovers. He shoots just 29.2% from the field, 30.4% on three-pointers. Past struggles don't necessarily predict future ones. Phinisee works to regain his offensive form while continuing to learn all the nuances of Woodson's NBA-style approach.
"That's the big thing, adjusting with the new coaching staff because everything is still new," Phinisee says. "We're still learning, and we're getting better each game. Just taking the open shot and knowing the right shots to make and getting to spots where I know I can make them.'"
Johnson and Phinisee played together for substantial minutes against Notre Dame, something that might be repeated when Big Ten play resumes Jan. 2 at Penn State.
"I see two guys who can make plays together,'" Phinisee says. "The game speeds up a little and we can both run the floor and make plays for each other. (Against Notre Dame), our shots didn't fall, but I feel like we can make shots, too."
Associate head coach Dane Fife was a defensive terror during his IU playing days, capable of getting into opponents' heads as well as bodies.
He sees impressive defensive ability from Phinisee, something he first noticed as a Michigan State assistant coach before joining the Hoosiers last spring.
"I've always respected him back when he used to whip us when I was with Michigan State," Fife says from a recent session during Woodson's weekly radio show. "He single-handedly beat us. It felt like two or three games, he just took (Michigan State point guard) Cassius Winston right out of the game.
"I go back to those games when he took an NBA guard out of the game, exerting his will and overwhelming him. That's the Rob I want to see."
As for the Phinisee who has scored as many as 18 points and made as many as four three-pointers, Fife adds, "I've been trying to help Rob understand that he doesn't have to be a big scorer. I think he knows that, but he doesn't sometimes understand the impact he can have as a defensive player."
Phinisee does understand.
"That's the big thing the coaches emphasize with me when I come in the game, to try to pick up the energy on the defensive end.
"Whether it's picking up guys full court, to trying to dictate the offense to get them out of their sets, that's the big thing I want to do when I come in the game."
While Phinisee might never score 20 points as a Hoosier, he can still make big shots, deliver key passes and get crucial defensive stops. The 11-day break between games caused by Wednesday's cancelation of the UNC Ashville game because of COVID-19 concerns won't change that.
"I don't really look at it whether I'm scoring the ball or not anymore," he says. "I feel like just making the right plays, doing what the team needs me to do, that's what my job is when I'm out there."
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