My Two Cents: Indiana Not Final Four Team, But Didn’t We Know That Already?

LAWRENCE, Kan. — There have been many good causes behind taking part in a a lot more durable nonconference schedule this season. The targets have been to higher put together Indiana for the Massive Ten wars, to have some enjoyable highway journeys for gamers and followers alike, and to see the place they stood amongst a number of the greatest packages in faculty basketball.

That mission has been achieved. We have realized loads — and it isn’t all good. Not even shut, actually. However the purpose was to study, and we have finished that.

There have been 4 video games that mattered through the first six weeks of the 2022-23 season, and Indiana gained two of them, and misplaced the opposite two. They beat Xavier — a 9-3 group whose solely losses are to Indiana, No. 6 Duke and No. 8 Gonzaga — and beat them on their house court docket, a spot the place they win 86 % of their video games.

They usually beat North Carolina, too, the preseason No. 1 group within the nation who reached the NCAA Event championship sport a 12 months in the past. The Tar Heels are 8-4 now, and beat No. 23 Ohio State in extra time in Saturday. These have been nice studying classes.

However we additionally realized loads the previous two weeks, too. 

Indiana dug itself an enormous gap towards Arizona — a legit Remaining 4 group in my guide — final Saturday in Vegas, falling behind by 19 factors early. However the Hoosiers did a whole lot of good issues the remainder of the way in which, chopping the result in three at one level earlier than dropping 89-75. It was a disappointing loss, however man, we had enjoyable in Vegas, did not we? Hoosier Nation traveled properly, and a very good time was had by all. That was an enormous ”thumbs-up” to the schedule-makers.

IU trustworthy traveled properly to Lawrence, too. There have been a number of thousand followers there within the iconic Allen Fieldhouse, and so they made a whole lot of noise earlier than the sport. Kansas followers have been impressed by the turnout, some saying that they had by no means seen so many opposing followers of their constructing.

Sadly, the Hoosiers did not give their followers something to cheer about through the sport. They missed their first 5 photographs, have been in an early 12-2 gap and by no means recovered in a 22-point loss. The 84-62 beatdown was ugly, as a result of this was extra of their doing. That they had 23 turnovers and mainly gave this one away with torpid play on each ends of the ground.

It wasn’t a very good look, and it was extraordinarily disappointing. Regardless of what’s been termed a very good week of observe throughout last exams and a very good sport plan, Indiana’s execution was terrible. And it confirmed. 

The loss bordered on embarrassing. 

“I simply suppose that we have got to be extra assertive. We have to be extra able to play, truthfully,” Indiana senior ahead Trayce Jackson-Davis mentioned. “Particularly in a hostile atmosphere like this towards a terrific group like Kansas, as a result of in the event that they leap on you early, that crowd’s going to hold that momentum all through the sport, and that is what they did.

“I simply suppose all in all, we have simply obtained to be extra prepared, truthfully. And that does not go on coach (Mike) Woodson, he ready us. He had a terrific sport plan going into the sport, and we did not execute.”

Jackson-Davis had a team-high 13 factors, however by way of the primary 18 minutes of the sport, he did not have any and had solely taken two photographs. Indiana’s submit feeds have been horrible — it is the place a whole lot of these turnovers got here — and when he was stationary on the block, double-teams got here instantly. He hit a number of wide-open shooters, and so they all stored lacking. Jackson-Davis solely had one help all day, which is totally not his fault in any respect. Different folks need to make photographs. 

The 23 turnovers have been an actual drawback, after all, as a result of, as Woodson mentioned, ”that is 23 instances you aren’t getting the chance to attain the ball. They usually got here in bunches. That is one thing we have to wash up as a result of we’re not an enormous turnover group.”

He is proper, too. Indiana was averaging solely 11.5 turnovers a sport coming in, which is completely acceptable. However 23 shouldn’t be. Not even shut. 

Much more disturbing to me was the shortage of effort and physicality on protection. Kansas just about did what it needed to all sport, scoring 18 baskets proper on the rim with layups and dunks. 

Smooth? You betcha. Unprepared? I do not go there, as a result of I am not behind closed doorways throughout observe. I take the gamers on their phrase that they have been ready properly.

However the execution was terrible. Typically I do suppose the largest challenge with Indiana is that there are a whole lot of good children on this group, and so they play a sure approach. Exterior of possibly Xavier Johnson, nobody has an actual imply streak on this group. Nobody needs to knock somebody to the ground when it’s a necessity.

So that is the lesson to be realized from this nonconference slate. The intel we have garnered the final two weeks is that when Indiana goes on the highway, they need to be able to punch somebody within the mouth — figuratively, not actually — proper from the opening tip. They need to defend exhausting and field out even more durable. They need to make photographs and discover higher methods to get Jackson-Davis extra concerned. That is loads simpler if they’re making photographs, after all.

To me, Arizona is a Remaining 4 group and their big entrance line was an issue for Indiana. I did not really feel almost as unhealthy about that loss as I did the loss at Kansas on Saturday, for 2 causes. For one, Kansas and North Carolina are mainly equals in my guide. Indiana introduced power at house and gained by 12. They introduced no power in Lawrence, and obtained their butts handed to them. Shedding by 22, that is a 34-point swing, and a whole lot of that’s primarily based strictly on effort. That is a ”look within the mirror, please” unhealthy signal.

Being life like is a tough factor to do, particularly for an Indiana fan base that desires good issues however then whines like loopy after each single loss. This Indiana group was by no means going 31-0, so the losses will occur.

Arizona and Kansas are higher, plain and easy. The Hoosiers have been ranked No. 13 within the preseason, and that sounded about proper. Kansas has been No. 3 at one level, Arizona No. 4. And what we have realized these previous two Saturdays is that Indiana shouldn’t be at their degree.

I actually do not suppose Indiana is overrated, as a result of these rankings — which imply completely nothing — have been primarily based on potential. Indiana has performed nowhere close to its potential. Jackson-Davis does a whole lot of good issues regardless of getting mugged each sport, and Miller Kopp has had a number of good capturing nights. However who else are you able to say has actually performed properly to this point this 12 months? I can not consider anybody.

These two losses have uncovered Indiana’s weaknesses. They actually missed Jalen Hood-Schifino’s ball-handling capability through the three video games he was out, together with the losses to Rutgers and Arizona. He was again on Saturday, however then level guard Xavier Johnson obtained harm, and would possibly miss a while with a foot damage. The ball strikes properly when they’re on the ground collectively; it will get caught far too typically once they aren’t.

Being ranked the place they’re, which means they’re a 4 or 5 seed come NCAA Event time, and the purpose could be to search out your approach to the second weekend and take your probabilities. That is an affordable projection, however we’re a great distance from that proper now. 

That is not what Hoosier Nation needs to listen to, after all. Indiana at its greatest may be harmful, particularly at house, however we’ve not actually seen this group at its greatest to this point. There was far an excessive amount of inconsistency up and down the roster. That should change.

There is no want to leap off the bandwagon but as a result of the meat of the season hasn’t even began. I nonetheless suppose Indiana can contend for a Massive Ten title, as a result of Purdue is the one group within the league to look good from begin to end, and that is saying one thing for a group that wanted extra time to beat Nebraska and struggled to place away Davidson on Saturday night time.

All the remaining have some critical flaws too, very similar to Indiana. So let’s depart it at that. Classes realized from the previous two Saturdays. We have seen what Remaining 4 groups appear like, and that is not Indiana proper now.

However the NCAA Event is in March, not mid-December. There are items right here, and there are reputable weapons. You performed these video games to get higher.

So go do this. Get higher.

• GAME STORY: Indiana needed to beef up its schedule to see the place it stands towards Remaining 4-caliber groups, however the Hoosiers obtained thumped for the second straight Saturday, dropping at Kansas 84-62 in an unsightly sport with 23 turnovers and a number of other defensive lapses. CLICK HERE
• WHAT MIKE WOODSON SAID: Indiana obtained blown out by a top-10 group for the second weekend in a row, and Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson wasn’t pleased about it. He was particularly upset about their 23 turnovers and energy. Here is the video of his postgame press convention, and the complete transcript as properly. CLICK HERE
• WHAT JACKSON-DAVIS SAID: Trayce Jackson-Davis completed with 13 factors on 4-for-8 capturing, 9 blocked photographs, six rebounds and three turnovers in Indiana’s 84-62 loss at Kansas on Saturday. Here is what Jackson-Davis mentioned after the sport. CLICK HERE
• KANSAS DEFENSE ‘BEST IT’S BEEN: Kansas turned 23 Indiana turnovers into 28 factors and held the Hoosiers to 37.7 % capturing. Coach Invoice Self mentioned the Jayhawks’ protection was the most effective it has been this season, resulting in an 84-62 win over No. 14 Indiana on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA SCHEDULE: Right here is Indiana’s full 2022-23 males’s basketball schedule, with dates, opponents, sport instances and TV data, plus hyperlinks to all of the tales from video games performed to this point. CLICK HERE
• JACKSON-DAVIS MOVES UP TO NO. 8: Trayce Jackson-Davis had 13 factors towards Kansas and moved as much as No. 8 on Indiana’s all-time scoring checklist on Saturday, passing Hoosier legends Kent Benson and Damon Bailey. Here is the place he stands on the checklist of scorers. Alan Henderson up subsequent. CLICK HERE