Energy + Effort = IU Win vs. OSU
I’ve made countless trips North on highway 37 to Assembly Hall in Bloomington in my life as a hoosier fan that I could probably drive it with my eyes closed. Yet each one has a slightly different feel to it. Saturday was no different. Driving in a downpour the last hour and a half of Saturday’s trip slowed me down and allowed me to think about both Indiana, and the days opponent, Ohio State.
In regards to IU my thoughts were centered on whether or not they could come out with energy and then sustain it for 40 minutes. After all, to me that has been the biggest issue thus far in the season. Let’s face it, they’re not going to all of a sudden become a consistent shooting team, so having maximum energy and giving maximum effort, especially on the defensive end, are the keys to this teams success going forward.
Saturday they showed they are capable of doing both. This was by far the most complete game on the defensive end that they’ve played. Even more so than the early season matchup with Florida State, because in the FSU game they were clicking on all cylinders on the offensive end as well, and after building a big lead they lost a little of their edge on the defensive end.
Saturday their sophomore point guard, Robert Phinisee, getting his first start of the season, set the tone right out of the gate when he buried a 3 pointer and “The Hall” erupted. Both fans, AND the players on the bench. Prior to that opening shot there was somewhat of an apprehension in the building. You could sense a little bit of a not knowing what to expect from the Hoosiers. How would they respond after the lackluster win against Northwestern earlier in the week.
Phinisee’s shot was just what EVERYONE needed I think. He obviously hasn’t been himself in the first half of the year, even to the point that I’ve seen his toughness questioned. Well the answer to that question was answered Saturday in my opinion. He came up a little hobbled after an OSU runout that resulted in a turnover, and he went to the bench. There was attention being paid to his lower abdomen on his right side. Yet he gave the nod that he was okay a few minutes later and reentered the game. There was still some obvious discomfort, but he toughed it out.
Saturday’s game still had what has become the norm for IU this season, a relatively long scoring drought in both halves. The difference this time was that it didn’t effect them on the defensive end. Well, not negatively like it has in previous games. When the shots quit falling they dug down a little deeper and they defended a little harder. And they have now strung together about 50 minutes of high level defense going back to the final 10 minutes or so of the Northwestern game where their sudden desire to get after it got them back in the game, and eventually won them the game. The ability has always been there, the desire hasn’t been.
Quite possibly the loudest that Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall has been all year was Saturday when the Hoosiers needed a stop, and when they got a stop. Indiana fans appreciate good defense and hustle. Just like players and coaches, they don’t like losing. But watching your team lose knowing they aren’t giving maximum effort is demoralizing to a fan base like IU’s. There are some things you can’t control, but having energy and giving aren’t two of them.
Indiana didn’t play without flaws. In fact, had they lost this game the free throw line is where you would have looked first. 20-36 from the line. That stat line will put you in the loss column most nights. The fact that OSU wasn’t much better in going just 11-19 helped the Hoosiers seal the win though.
Devonte Green came off the bench to lead the Hoosiers with 19 points & 5 rebounds and Phinisee chipped in 13 points & 7 rebounds. So the much talked about poor guard play for the Hoosiers this year ended up being the lead crew in Saturdays win. But every single player that stepped on the floor for IU contributed something positive. Maybe not necessarily something that showed up in the boxscore, unless it was the fact they all helped hold OSU to 33% (17-52) from the field. Keep in mind that the Buckeyes are a solid offensive team too. Indiana disrupted them and they contested shots. They were active and they were a little quicker in their recovery to open shooters. This was a team win and something to build on.
I’m not sure how many games IU can win with Trayce Jackson-Davis getting only three shots, but they won this one, which I think says something about their balance, as well as their defense. Joey Brunk was solid with 7 points & 5 rebounds. And although a lot of people will point at Justin Smith’s 6 points on 2-11 shooting, he played 31 minutes and defended as well as I’ve seen him defend in his 3 years in Bloomington.
Holding serve these past two games were huge for Indiana, conference wise, and post season wise. Because things sure don’t get any easier. The next two games, Rutgers & Nebraska, are on the road, and those are followed by a visit to Bloomington from conference leading Michigan State.
I’ll be honest, I’m going to enjoy this win for the rest of the weekend, and then I’ll turn my sites to Rutgers. And I hope the players and the rest of the fans do as well. There has been a lot of complaining this year, and rightfully so, but Saturday, other than the free throws, there wasn’t much to complain about. Especially not the Hoosiers effort.
The Indiana Hoosiers are 13-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big10, which has them in a tie for 3rd right now. With how brutal and unpredictable the Big10 is this year, try to savor and enjoy each win. And remember, energy + effort = wins.
GO HOOSIERS!