COLUMBUS, Ohio — The slump finally ended for junior guard Robert Johnson.
After struggling with his shooting for the past month, Johnson exploded Saturday in the last regular season game for IU men’s basketball.
Johnson’s game-high 26 points helped IU close out the regular season on a high note by beating Ohio State, 96-92, at Value City Arena.
“You could say that he was due, and you would be right,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “It’s just an anomaly that he has not played as well with his shooting.”
Johnson made his first six shots of the afternoon. Three of those shots came from beyond the arc.
“I think my teammates did a good job of finding me and getting me involved early,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to come out aggressive and try to attack.”
Since scoring 27 points in a triple-overtime victory against Penn State in early February, Johnson had gone 20 of 67 from the field.
In his last four games, Johnson missed 17 of his last 20 shots from three, but against Ohio State, he made five of eight from deep. Through Johnson’s dry spell in February, his teammates said they remained confident in Johnson’s abilities.
“None of us were worried about his shot at all,” junior guard James Blackmon Jr. said. “So today felt like we all were in movement, he was in movement and he was just in a flow.”
Johnson was an integral part of one of the best IU offensive efforts in months, as his six assists were also a team-high. The Hoosiers shot 58.6 percent from the field and made 12 threes against the Buckeyes, in part because of the strong ball movement of Johnson and company.
“I think I was just in the flow of things, offensively and defensively,” Johnson said. “I think I had the right mindset today from start to finish.”
During his recent struggles, Johnson was prone to turning the ball over. For the first time since the Jan. 21 victory against Michigan State, Johnson had zero turnovers Saturday. He had been averaging more than three turnovers a game in the last nine contests.
Ohio State Coach Thad Matta had high praise for Johnson but said the slump-busting performance was nothing new for a Buckeye opponent.
“We’re a get-well card for guys,” Matta said. “You’re struggling? Play Ohio State and get out of your slump.”
Johnson can break through his struggles right at the perfect time for the Hoosiers, with IU headed into the Big Ten Tournament next week.
“Really happy for him because that’s the kind of player that he is,” Crean said of Johnson. “It’s unfortunate that’s not always seen when he’s missing some shots. He’s a humble guy. He’s a team guy. It was absolutely fun to watch him play today.”
