Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Brunk Focused on Making Most of Tough Situation
3/2/2021 9:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Joey Brunk caught a tough break. There are worse ones, of course, than a bad back during a pandemic, but it still stinks, given this Indiana basketball senior season that never was.
Could it still be?
Hold that thought.
An injured back robbed Brunk, a 6-11 center, of his chance to play this season. December surgery sent him into unwanted player-assistant coach mode.
All he can do is watch while forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson bear an often brutal frontcourt load against often brutal Big Ten competition.
That will resume Tuesday night when the Hoosiers (12-12 overall, 7-10 in the Big Ten play at bruising Michigan State (13-10) with NCAA tourney stakes still in play.
"It's definitely been a frustrating deal, working my way back into practice," Brunk says via a Monday Zoom press conference opportunity. "When you're watching your guys compete, practice every day and play, you want to be out there with them.
"I'm trying to make the most out of it, see what I can get out of it and hopefully come out better at the end of it."
Imagine the possibilities of a guy who averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 52.2 percent from the field in his Hoosier debut season after a couple of solid years at Butler joining forces with Jackson-Davis (19.8, 9.3) and Thompson (9.6, 6.5).
It could have been a difference maker in a season that has included three overtime losses and three other defeats by seven or fewer points.
It was not, and Brunk does what he can.
"My focus has been to get healthy and try to continue to help us win in any way possible.
"I want to knock my rehab out every day, keep getting better and try to figure out how I can encourage and lead the guys even though I can't be out there."
Brunk was fine over the summer, but as the fall arrived, back issues developed that gradually worsened. He says it was a "wear-and-tear issue," the result of years of playing high-contact basketball.
For now, Brunk runs underwater every day under the watchful eyes of veteran team trainer Tim Garl. He also does selective weight training, with this goal in mind:
"I want to keep playing basketball for the foreseeable future."
Brunk earned his bachelor's degree at Butler, and will wrap up his master's this spring. He has the option to play a final college season, either at IU or somewhere else. He says he will wait until after the season to discuss it with Miller.
"When the timing is right," he says, "we'll have that conversation."
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers are facing three straight losses and a final regular season week of trips to Michigan State and then No. 23 Purdue (16-8) on Saturday. The struggles are not, Brunk says, from lack of effort.
"We have great guys in the locker room. We have guys who want to compete."
Brunk talks about the margin for error being so small and the quality of Big Ten competition so good.
"There are some small things we need to do to get back to winning and make sure we finish this out strong."
Despite its three-game losing streak, IU remains in the NCAA Tourney at-large bid hunt. Its kenpom.com rating of No. 37 -- 25 spots better than Michigan State's -- reflects a strength of schedule that ranks No. 3 nationally as well as its two huge wins over top-10 Iowa.
The only teams to play stronger schedules are also in the Big Ten -- No. 1 Northwestern and No. 2 Penn State.
Michigan State's postseason-making surge (including wins over top-5 Ohio State and Illinois) was derailed 73-55 on Sunday by a Maryland team making its own late push.
Still, the Spartans remain formidable with players such as Aaron Henry, Joshua Langford and Gabe Brown, who combined for 55 points in their 78-71 win over IU a couple of weeks ago.
"We've got to be a lot better against them because they've done what we're trying to do," Miller says.
"Michigan State looks like the team at the beginning of the season a lot of people thought could make a really deep run."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Joey Brunk caught a tough break. There are worse ones, of course, than a bad back during a pandemic, but it still stinks, given this Indiana basketball senior season that never was.
Could it still be?
Hold that thought.
An injured back robbed Brunk, a 6-11 center, of his chance to play this season. December surgery sent him into unwanted player-assistant coach mode.
All he can do is watch while forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson bear an often brutal frontcourt load against often brutal Big Ten competition.
That will resume Tuesday night when the Hoosiers (12-12 overall, 7-10 in the Big Ten play at bruising Michigan State (13-10) with NCAA tourney stakes still in play.
"It's definitely been a frustrating deal, working my way back into practice," Brunk says via a Monday Zoom press conference opportunity. "When you're watching your guys compete, practice every day and play, you want to be out there with them.
"I'm trying to make the most out of it, see what I can get out of it and hopefully come out better at the end of it."
Imagine the possibilities of a guy who averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 52.2 percent from the field in his Hoosier debut season after a couple of solid years at Butler joining forces with Jackson-Davis (19.8, 9.3) and Thompson (9.6, 6.5).
It could have been a difference maker in a season that has included three overtime losses and three other defeats by seven or fewer points.
It was not, and Brunk does what he can.
"My focus has been to get healthy and try to continue to help us win in any way possible.
"I want to knock my rehab out every day, keep getting better and try to figure out how I can encourage and lead the guys even though I can't be out there."
Brunk was fine over the summer, but as the fall arrived, back issues developed that gradually worsened. He says it was a "wear-and-tear issue," the result of years of playing high-contact basketball.
For now, Brunk runs underwater every day under the watchful eyes of veteran team trainer Tim Garl. He also does selective weight training, with this goal in mind:
"I want to keep playing basketball for the foreseeable future."
Brunk earned his bachelor's degree at Butler, and will wrap up his master's this spring. He has the option to play a final college season, either at IU or somewhere else. He says he will wait until after the season to discuss it with Miller.
"When the timing is right," he says, "we'll have that conversation."
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers are facing three straight losses and a final regular season week of trips to Michigan State and then No. 23 Purdue (16-8) on Saturday. The struggles are not, Brunk says, from lack of effort.
"We have great guys in the locker room. We have guys who want to compete."
Brunk talks about the margin for error being so small and the quality of Big Ten competition so good.
"There are some small things we need to do to get back to winning and make sure we finish this out strong."
Despite its three-game losing streak, IU remains in the NCAA Tourney at-large bid hunt. Its kenpom.com rating of No. 37 -- 25 spots better than Michigan State's -- reflects a strength of schedule that ranks No. 3 nationally as well as its two huge wins over top-10 Iowa.
The only teams to play stronger schedules are also in the Big Ten -- No. 1 Northwestern and No. 2 Penn State.
Michigan State's postseason-making surge (including wins over top-5 Ohio State and Illinois) was derailed 73-55 on Sunday by a Maryland team making its own late push.
Still, the Spartans remain formidable with players such as Aaron Henry, Joshua Langford and Gabe Brown, who combined for 55 points in their 78-71 win over IU a couple of weeks ago.
"We've got to be a lot better against them because they've done what we're trying to do," Miller says.
"Michigan State looks like the team at the beginning of the season a lot of people thought could make a really deep run."
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