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Indiana Basketball: Surprising Hoosiers continue to impress with win over Iowa

By Hashim R. Hathaway

Feb 11, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Collin Hartman (30) attempts to pass the ball to Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) during the second period of the game at Assembly Hall. Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 85 to 78. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Collin Hartman (30) attempts to pass the ball to Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) during the second period of the game at Assembly Hall. Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 85 to 78. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /
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With a big win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Indiana basketball program is proving they still belong in the conversation

I’ve been called a Tom Crean hater; it’s not something from which I particularly run.

Despite my intense, shall we say…passion…about the status of the Hoosiers’ head coach, it’s pretty undeniable that he has his team in a much better spot than expected after a disastrous appearance at the Maui Invitational last November.

The Indiana team that choked off a pair of losses to lowly Wake Forest and UNLV during the Invitational is but a shade of the far smarter, far superior team that exists today.

Despite an inexplicable loss on Feb. 6 to Penn State, the Hoosiers rallied back hard, making a statement by beating Iowa 85-78 in a game that not only thrusts IU back into the top of the Big Ten, but gives them a quality win that goes a long way towards solidifying their position in the NCAA Tournament.

Related Story: Michigan Basketball: Game vs. Purdue Will Determine Season

A big part of the Hoosiers’ resurgence has come in the form of true leadership from senior Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell, who’s averaging 17.3 points is the clear leader, but the difference is coming from the fact that finally, he has consistent help not just on offense, which was never a problem, but on the defensive end from freshman surprise O.G. Anunoby.

While Anunoby had his hands more than full defending Iowa national player of the year candidate Jarrod Uthoff, his presence created opportunities for turnovers that kept IU in the game, especially when things looked as if Iowa would dig out of the early hole and leave Assembly Hall with a win.

Anunoby is the product of the addition by subtraction that Indiana faced with the loss of sophomore James Blackmon, Jr. to a season-ending knee injury. While Blackmon was a key offensive component, in the worlds of ESPN analyst Dan Dakich, he couldn’t guard a chair.

Blackmon’s defensive woes spilled over to the rest of the team, making the poor showing in Maui possible. However now, with an eager and able Anunoby, the Hoosier defense is a reality, something the Hawkeyes learned early and often.

But for all of Indiana’s growth, there is still some growing to do for some team members, particularly freshman Thomas Bryant and junior Troy Williams.

Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers /

Indiana Hoosiers

Both players are passionate, but streaky. In the case of Bryant, his tendency to get into early foul trouble (vs. Iowa he had three fouls in the first half) and his subsequent whining every time the refs whistle in his direction is becoming a distraction that hurts a team that needs his dominating presence down low, where he is more than able to contribute meaningful minutes.

By contrast, the reliance on Williams’ athleticism is a mixed bag that divides itself into nights with good Troy and bad Troy. Luckily, against the Hawkeyes, IU got more good Troy than bad, who ended the game with 13 points, but there is a dangling question mark as to how much playing time Troy should have in light of the now necessary talents of Anunoby, who even as a freshman, is clearly a better defender than Troy.

Regardless, as an upperclassman, Williams is still a starter, and he’ll still get the big minutes, averaging between 19 and 25 a game, but a big learning curve for Tom Crean is just how long does he keep Williams in the game before things shift from good Troy to bad Troy. It’s a learning curve Crean is still trying to master; from a coaching perspective, it’s a riddle he’ll have to solve sooner than later if the Hoosiers are going to be a threat going into the final six games of the 2016 Big Ten season.

It’s those remaining six games that will determine whether or not the Hoosiers pack the gear to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament.

Starting with a Valentine’s Day match against at Michigan State, IU has to face the top of the Big Ten in the form of Purdue, a rubber match at Iowa and a home game against Maryland. If the Hoosiers can win even half of those four matches, in addition to wins against Nebraska and Illinois, they could come away with a Big Ten regular season championship, and a a comfortable seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

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But before any of that happens, Indiana is going to have to continue to spend time working out the remaining kinks in the team, because while beating the #4 team in the nation is an important achievement, there’s still a hard road to hoe before this team can find itself truly on the road to the Final Four.

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