CHICAGO – James Blackmon Jr.’s slump is over.
That’s what freshman forward Max Hoetzel says, at least.
“That’s the James I know,” Hoetzel said after IU’s Big Ten Tournament win against Northwestern.
After an inconsistent run of form in Big Ten play dulled Blackmon’s freshman all-conference season, the freshman guard put together his most complete performance of the season Thursday. He finished with 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, six rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
The scoring outburst was his best since a 26-point performance against SMU on Nov. 20. That was Blackmon’s third career game.
Since that game, the former McDonald’s High School All-American submitted a typical freshman season, with each stretch of excellence offset by maddeningly inconsistent defense and streaky shooting.
That’s in the past, Hoetzel said. Against Northwestern on Thursday, Blackmon looked re-energized. The freshman who once faded in and out of games appeared locked in on both ends of the floor, and by consequence became the catalyst of IU’s 15-point win.
Hoetzel wouldn’t say it was Blackmon’s best game in an IU uniform, but didn’t hesitate to put another label on it.
“I think probably one of the most efficient, to be honest,” Hoetzel said. “He did a lot of good things on defense and offense.”
This season, the Hoosiers have won games because of their offense and in spite of their defense. They lead the Big Ten in scoring average, but are the conference’s worst team in preventing opponents from scoring.
Hoetzel said IU ran more defensive drills leading up to this game than it had all season, and it showed. The Hoosiers looked a different team than the one that had often placed more emphasis on quickly inbounding the ball after made baskets than defending.
Blackmon in particular showed a marked improvement on defense, freshman guard Robert Johnson said. It was that tenacity, he said, that allowed Blackmon to be so efficient on the other end of the floor.
“I think it was because of the way he set the tone defensively,” Johnson said. “I always tell him your defense is going to translate to your offense. He came out there with a focused mindset, wanted to get stops, was in there defensive rebounding.
“You do that, it translates good on offense.”
Now it becomes a question of continuing that effort. As IU tries to cling on to its NCAA Tournament spot, it’s going to need its star freshman.
Hoetzel, for one, isn’t worried about it. Thursday’s performance wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, he said. It’s the same James Blackmon Jr. he’s known all season, he said.
“It’s the James that everybody should get to know, you know what I mean?”
