Indiana University Athletics
Opportunities Missed During Hoosiers' Trip to East Lansing
3/4/2021 11:53:00 AM | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Ever have one of those days were there isn't a lot that goes right?
That's the problem the Hoosiers ran into during a 64-58 loss to Michigan State in East Lansing, a game that saw Indiana struggle to shoot the ball on the offensive ball and stop MSU's Aaron Henry in the closing minutes.
IU simply couldn't get things going offensively despite having solid looks at the basket. Indiana went 2-of-20 from 3-point range, and both of those triples came from guard Rob Phinisee, who was the team's top scorer with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting overall.
The rest of the roster simply couldn't see a shot go down.
"The ball didn't go in," head coach Archie Miller said. "I mean, period. (The players') inside-out threes. Their drive-and-kick threes. Their one-two step t-ball threes. They didn't go in. There's not a lot to talk about the way Michigan State plays. They're going to give you some 3-point shots on the inside-out because of our inside game. When we curled it, when we drove it, when we hit the paint, we made the correct pass. Guys have to bang them. I mean, they didn't go in."
A tough shooting night can be contagious. One player sees a teammate miss a shot, and he presses all the more to get a shot to go down. When the second player misses, a third does what he can to make a shot.
It can snowball quickly.
It did for the Hoosiers in East Lansing, with IU going 1-of-13 from beyond the arc in the first half and 1-of-7 from distance after the break.
That's the bad news. The good news is the Hoosiers' defense was disruptive, holding MSU to 37.7 percent shooting on the night and a 4-of-17 shooting performance from 3-point range. Despite those offensive struggles, IU was tied at halftime, and it wasn't until Henry caught fire late that Indiana faltered.
That happens, too. Players get hot at the right time. The Hoosiers have seen it happen with forward Trayce Jackson-Davis this season. Same with guard Armaan Franklin and Phinisee and Race Thompson at times.
For Michigan State, it was Henry who answered the call at the right time for the Spartans.
"Aaron Henry is a very good player," Miller said. "He deserves a lot of credit for his development with his staff. He's physical, he's athletic, and he can dribble, pass, and shoot. He shoots the ball much better. He's a good player."
The loss was the Hoosiers' fourth-straight defeat, but they had their opportunities. The game was tied at 51 with 4:07 to play following a pair of free throws from guard Aljami Durham, but that's when Henry showed up. He scored MSU's next nine points, and by the time the dust settled, the Hoosiers were down by eight with just :45 to play.
"They were going through him pretty much every time," Phinisee said. "They had a lot of pin downs, and we probably didn't front the post like we should have to deny him the ball and limit his possessions."
The loss hurt, and IU's next battle will come on the road at Purdue. Indiana wants to close the season on a high note, and playing for each other should keep the Hoosiers motivated.
"We want to bounce back vs. Purdue," Phinisee said. "It's really big for Al and Race. They haven't beat them yet in their career, so we just have to bounce back tomorrow at practice, get after it, and get on to the next one."
That's the nice thing about a bad day. When the sun next comes up, there's a chance to put the past behind you and work toward the good days.
"I didn't think we took very many bad shots in the game," Miller said. "Next time out, you're going to get the same looks, going to have the opportunity to make more."
That's the problem the Hoosiers ran into during a 64-58 loss to Michigan State in East Lansing, a game that saw Indiana struggle to shoot the ball on the offensive ball and stop MSU's Aaron Henry in the closing minutes.
IU simply couldn't get things going offensively despite having solid looks at the basket. Indiana went 2-of-20 from 3-point range, and both of those triples came from guard Rob Phinisee, who was the team's top scorer with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting overall.
The rest of the roster simply couldn't see a shot go down.
"The ball didn't go in," head coach Archie Miller said. "I mean, period. (The players') inside-out threes. Their drive-and-kick threes. Their one-two step t-ball threes. They didn't go in. There's not a lot to talk about the way Michigan State plays. They're going to give you some 3-point shots on the inside-out because of our inside game. When we curled it, when we drove it, when we hit the paint, we made the correct pass. Guys have to bang them. I mean, they didn't go in."
A tough shooting night can be contagious. One player sees a teammate miss a shot, and he presses all the more to get a shot to go down. When the second player misses, a third does what he can to make a shot.
It can snowball quickly.
It did for the Hoosiers in East Lansing, with IU going 1-of-13 from beyond the arc in the first half and 1-of-7 from distance after the break.
That's the bad news. The good news is the Hoosiers' defense was disruptive, holding MSU to 37.7 percent shooting on the night and a 4-of-17 shooting performance from 3-point range. Despite those offensive struggles, IU was tied at halftime, and it wasn't until Henry caught fire late that Indiana faltered.
That happens, too. Players get hot at the right time. The Hoosiers have seen it happen with forward Trayce Jackson-Davis this season. Same with guard Armaan Franklin and Phinisee and Race Thompson at times.
For Michigan State, it was Henry who answered the call at the right time for the Spartans.
"Aaron Henry is a very good player," Miller said. "He deserves a lot of credit for his development with his staff. He's physical, he's athletic, and he can dribble, pass, and shoot. He shoots the ball much better. He's a good player."
The loss was the Hoosiers' fourth-straight defeat, but they had their opportunities. The game was tied at 51 with 4:07 to play following a pair of free throws from guard Aljami Durham, but that's when Henry showed up. He scored MSU's next nine points, and by the time the dust settled, the Hoosiers were down by eight with just :45 to play.
"They were going through him pretty much every time," Phinisee said. "They had a lot of pin downs, and we probably didn't front the post like we should have to deny him the ball and limit his possessions."
The loss hurt, and IU's next battle will come on the road at Purdue. Indiana wants to close the season on a high note, and playing for each other should keep the Hoosiers motivated.
"We want to bounce back vs. Purdue," Phinisee said. "It's really big for Al and Race. They haven't beat them yet in their career, so we just have to bounce back tomorrow at practice, get after it, and get on to the next one."
That's the nice thing about a bad day. When the sun next comes up, there's a chance to put the past behind you and work toward the good days.
"I didn't think we took very many bad shots in the game," Miller said. "Next time out, you're going to get the same looks, going to have the opportunity to make more."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballFB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16