No surprises as IU struggles without leading scorer Wright

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Coming into Saturday's game, many IU fans wondered how the Hoosiers would play without their leading scorer, Bracey Wright.\nEleven minutes and a 17-point deficit later, the faithful received their answer as IU fell behind 20-3 and went on to lose 60-47 against No. 1 Illinois. \nIU coach Mike Davis said if Wright would've played, he wouldn't have made that much of a difference.\n"This (Illinois) team is a great basketball team," Davis said.\nIn Wright's place, Davis started James Hardy, IU's fourth starting freshman. It was the first time IU started four freshmen since 1990.\nMinus Wright, the Hoosiers scored their second-lowest point total of the season and often lacked a go-to-guy on the offensive end. Their lowest offensive output came when IU only scored 45 points against Notre Dame Dec. 8.\nThe Hoosiers mainly showed their inexperience without Wright at the beginning of each half. In the first 20 minutes, IU fell behind 20-3 before battling back for a 26-20 halftime score.\nIn the second half, the Hoosiers fell behind by 17 three times and 18 once, which was the largest deficit. Just like the first half though, IU countered without Wright's offensive prowess and cut the lead to 10 with seven minutes left. The Hoosiers never could, however, cut the lead to single digits in the second half after the Illini's 17-6 run to start.\n"Bracey opens up a lot of things," junior Marshall Strickland said. "Today, we didn't have as many opportunities without him on the floor. Guys really key on him, and he opens up a lot of shots for everybody else."\nDespite Wright's absence, Davis gave his team a lot of credit for battling back after the early deficits in both halves.\nTo make up for Wright, Davis wanted to go inside to freshman D.J. White, IU's second leading scorer, to help take up some of the offensive production. White was on a roll recently as the freshman scored 23 points in back-to-back games.\nWhite has been receiving more defensive attention recently, scoring only six points against Penn State Wednesday. White struggled again Saturday against the Illinois' defense, which held the freshman to 12 points on only 3 of 10 shooting.\nBoth Davis and White credited the Illini's James Augustine and Roger Powell for their defensive performances inside against White and the rest of the Hoosiers.\n"They threw a lot of stuff at me defensively," White said. "They had a good defensive plan."\nDavis' main offensive plan was held in check by Illinois coach Bruce Weber's club.\nWatching the Hoosiers' ups and downs was Wright, in street clothes, sitting at the end of the Hoosier bench, right next to the Illinois' student section. Wright was into the game throughout, often seen standing and cheering for his Hoosiers while the Illini students heckled him.\nIllinois' Deron Williams played high school basketball in Texas with Wright. Williams said even if Wright played, he wouldn't have been able to make up the double-digit deficit.\n"I think if he would've been playing we would've had to raise our game too," Williams said. \nWilliams, the Pre-Season Big Ten Player of the Year, only finished with one point but did a total of 11 assists.\nAfter the game, Wright talked with his former high school teammate after Williams came out of the Illini locker room. \nDown Assembly Hall's tunnel, White addressed the media. The difference between the two was only a few yards, but the Hoosiers' youngest statesman, White, said the team missed Wright not being next to them on the floor.\n"In some areas we did well without him and some areas we didn't," White said. "We did miss him a lot though."\n-- Contact Staff Writer John Rodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu