Hoosiers Turn It Up Late, Sneak By Rutgers 72-64
Jan 31, 2015; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Troy Williams (5) dunks the ball during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana was supposed to win this game. After two tough road loses, they needed to win this game. I can’t even think of what the fan base would be like following a three-game losing streak. Although coming into the game with one of the Big Ten’s worst records, the Scarlet Knights Hoosier fans quite a scare in Assembly Hall Saturday afternoon.
For about the first 30 minutes of the game, IU really never could find its rhythm from an offensive standpoint, and for a third straight game, Indiana’s perimeter defense forgot to show up. In the first half, it looked as the Rutgers was simply the team that wanted it more, and it showed, as the Hoosiers found themselves behind early.
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The thing that drives me nuts about this team, is without fail, they always play down to their opponent. This Rutgers team is simply not good. The difference in talent between the two teams is almost embarrassing, yet until the last several minutes of the contest, Indiana was in danger of losing its third game in a row, and only its second game this season in Assembly Hall.
The Cream and Crimson found themselves down by six points with about seven minutes left in the game, and then they finally flipped the switch on defense. Those watching the game obviously noticed a significant difference in the intensity level on that side of the ball at the end of the ball game. One has to ask though; why did it take that long for the Hoosiers to make up their mind that they were going to defend?
In my last article, I mentioned the need for the Hoosiers to play better perimeter defense. At the end of this contest, they did, and it paid off. Against better basketball teams, IU will not be so lucky. You can’t wait until the last five minutes of the game against most teams to suddenly decide you’re going to play defense. Luckily, they were playing Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights’ star shooting guard, Myles Mack dropped 24 on the home standing Hoosiers, on 4-7 shooting from beyond the arch. This marks the third game in a row that the Indiana has allowed the opponent’s starting shooting guard to score 20 points or more. This has to be a troubling stat to Tom Crean and his staff, and something that obviously needs to be fixed if the Hoosiers are going to have some sort of postseason success.
To their credit, the Hoosiers turned it on when they had to, and found a way to put up a “W.” James Blackmon led the way in the scoring department with 20 points, followed by 14 a piece by Yogi Ferrell and Troy Williams. Williams also inked his third double-double of the season, ripping down a game-high 12 rebounds. These guys have been routinely turning in the kind of offensive performances that the Hoosiers need to win games consistently, but to compete at the highest level, the Hoosiers have got to get the defensive side of the ball figured out.
A win is a win, but the Hoosiers will have to play better against Wisconsin later this week, or the ensuing carnage might not be a pretty sight. Wisconsin is the superior team, and IU playing in the Kohl center ranks right up there with root canals and pencils in the eye as my least favorite things in life. The Hoosiers can give them a game. The question is, will they bring their A game to Madison?
In the meantime, let’s simply enjoy the fact that the Hoosiers pulled this one out.