It’s Time

It’s time. In almost every season there comes a pivotal point where some decisions need to be made about what needs to happen moving forward to give the team the best chance at having a successful season and to be dancing in March. I think we’ve reached that point in Indiana University’s season.

IU entered last nights game against Northwestern sporting an 11-3 record. Which in most seasons would classify as a pretty good start. But so many questions haven’t been answered as of yet, so getting a good gauge of just how good or how bad the Hoosiers are continues to be very hard. They have at times shown the potential to be an above average team, but they have also shown they could just as easily be beat on any given night, by anybody.

Long scoreless droughts within games is becoming all to familiar. Which in turn is also effecting things on the defensive end of the floor. The second part of that is the most troublesome thing for me. Offense can come and go. Shots can sometimes just not fall. But defense is as much about effort as anything. You have to first and foremost have the “want to” to be a good defender. Awareness and understanding are obviously key factors as well. And communication can’t be forgotten either. But even if have all of those things, if you don’t have it in you to dig down deep and be nasty on that end of the floor, you won't be a good defender and therefore the team will suffer. as well.

Last night the Hoosiers appeared to have things rolling on both ends of the floor at one point in the first half and had built a 10 point lead. Some substitutions were made and not only did the ball stop moving, the players did as well. After about a seven or eight minute stretch of some pretty solid basketball on both ends of the floor the Hoosiers appeared to forget what they had been doing to build the lead in the first place.

This is not a bash certain players article, but constructive criticism should always be welcomed, and no one should be immune to it. Senior co-captain Devonte Green is where I’ll start. Green, skill wise, is probably IU’s most talented player. But basketball IQ wise he is way down the list. Last night he started and the Hoosiers were a little slow out of the gate. The 2nd unit entered, things ratcheted up on both ends of the floor, and they built the lead to 10. He reentered the game and everything came to a screeching halt. The movement that on offense that had been enjoyable to witness for a change ceased. He had to show off his dribbling skills in a 4 foot circle without making an actual move for a few seconds before deciding to finally pass it, or shooting a fade away jumper. When Devonte is on, he’s on. When he’s not, he’s not. But the worst part is, he either doesn’t realize he’s not, he doesn’t care, or he believes he’s getting ready to get hot. No matter what, because of those things he is a huge asset, or detrimental to the success of the team.

This is where coach Miller comes in. He has to recognize when good Devonte showed up, and when bad Devonte showed up. I’m not sure if that was the case last night or not, but the unit that finished the game, and finished it strong on both ends of the floor, did not include Green. Coincidence? You tell me. Green appeared to be a little put off and not supportive of his teammates while spending the stretch run of the game on the bench. To that I say, “play the game the way it’s supposed to be played and you’ll be on the floor. Don’t, and you can sit and pout.

I’m old. I grew up seeing the bench used as a motivator. I believe in that philosophy. I’ve long wanted coach Miller to believe in it to. Maybe that wasn’t the case last night. Maybe he just decided to stick with the guys that were giving the most effort. Saturday against Ohio St. will tell the reason more. Play hard and you play. Don’t and you sit. It really can be that simple.

Lackluster effort is just as contagious as hustle is. When Al Durham started picking up his man full court he not only disrupted Northwestern’s offense, everyone else seemed to feed off of that. They were just much more active on both ends of the floor. They suddenly started getting the 50/50 balls that they got very few of for the first 30 minutes of the game. They closed out on open shooters quicker. They rebounded better. They acted like they cared about winning and each other.

Let’s face it, without a consistent shooter from the perimeter, it’s not always going to be pretty on the offensive end. But when a basketball team is scrapping and fighting on every possession it’s a lot more enjoyable to watch them play. This team has that ability, they just don’t do it consistently enough. Defensive effort HAS to be this teams identity. They are too offensively limited without a shooter. Their offense picks up when their defense does.

I’ve seen some people already saying that coach Miller is in over his head. I respectfully disagree. At the very least I think until the Indiana Men’s Basketball teams roster consists of only players he recruited, that can’t be determined. The three signed recruits coming next year fit the bill of what everyone is screaming this team needs. Toughness and shooting. Yes they will be freshman, and yes they will make freshman mistakes. But be honest for a minute here, watching freshman Armaan Franklin taking an ill advised shot, or making a bad pass is easier to deal with because he’s busting his hump every second he’s on the floor than watching a 4th year senior co-captain do it and just go through the motions while doing so.

Rob Phinisee needs to get healthy, and he did look a more comfortable last night. That’s the hardest he’s played this year. He has a ways to go but the last ten minutes was as close to the Rob we expected to see this year that we’ve seen so far. Joey Brunk needs to quit hedging the ball screen so far out. He rides it about 2 or 3 steps further than he needs to and then has a hard time recovering back to the paint. He’s usually a step or to late, which he would make up if he didn’t ride the ball handler those two extra steps. Brunk plays hard every play though. Justin Smith needs to understand what his strengths are and not venture away from them. He is a kid that doesn’t realize his physical gifts sometimes. When he gives maximum effort he is a huge part of IU success.

Al Durham needs to be a little more under control when he drives the lane. He anticipates the contact too soon sometimes and gets off balance. The contact doesn’t come and it ends with a shot that has very little chance of going in. But damn that young man can disrupt an offense with his defense when he sets his mind to it, and last night he did just that. Trayce Jackson-Davis doesn’t take plays off. He is leaning how to play against guys that are as big, as athletic, and as strong as him, and he is more than holding his own. He does needs to demand the ball more though in my opinion.

Armaan Franklin is learning on the fly and doing a pretty good job of it in my opinion. Does he have flaws? Absolutely. Does he hang his head and pout? Nope. He bust his ass to try and make up for it. The game can be too fast for Jerome Hunter sometimes right now, but it is for most first year players. But you can see his basketball instincts in little flashes. Race Thompson is not the most skilled player, nor is he the most athletic, but Race plays hard and battles. He has a knack for getting a hand on a rebound that is out of his area and keeping it alive. He gets beat on D occasionally, but it’s not because of a lack of effort.

All of that you already know, but I mentioned these things because the rotation during Indiana’s closing stretch run that not only got them back in the game, but ultimately won them the game, were these very players. It should not be soon forgotten by anyone, coaches included. These guys gave effort and they fed off of each other. They encouraged each other. They weren’t all of a sudden an offensive juggernaut, but they made the plays they needed to make on offense and they made life miserable for Northwestern. They were a team.

Eleven minutes of pretty good basketball is not going to get it done most nights, but maybe some things were learned during those eleven minutes that can get this team consistently giving the effort it takes to win at this level. I think we can all agree…IT”S TIME!

GO Hoosiers!