With 7:31 left in the game, IU trailed Butler by 10 points, 70-60.
One 17-9 run later, the Bulldogs’ lead had diminished to two points. A pair of 3-pointers by junior guard James Blackmon Jr. led the charge for the Hoosiers as they rallied to that single bucket margin with just under 40 seconds left.
It wasn’t enough.
Most of the first half didn’t go the Hoosiers’ way. IU started zero-for-eight from the three point line and a dismal 32.1-percent from the field. Even with these early shooting woes, the team still had the opportunity to keep it close going into the half.
Ultimately falling short, it wasn’t those last 38 ticks on the clock that led to the team’s ill-fated loss at the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis. It was the last two minutes of the first half that did the Hoosiers in.
Down 32-28 with 142 seconds left before halftime, all IU had to do was hold the fort and make sure the game would be close for the last 20 minutes.
It was Butler guard Kelan Martin heating up that crushed the Hoosiers, hitting two straight from behind the arc and providing enough momentum and a cushion for Butler to hold onto near the end.
Multiple missed layups by junior guard Josh Newkirk and sloppy play by the entire team didn’t help the matter.
The end of the first half was a microcosm of everything wrong with this team. They have the talent to go toe-for-toe with anybody, yet the predictable turnovers and miscommunication leading to difficult shots has plagued this squad time and time again.
Over the past few weeks, excluding the North Carolina game, IU has had relatively easy competition ensuring that their bugs and glitches stay hidden.
Shoddy play in the first halves, carelessness with the basketball and a sense of superiority over weaker aptitude could be seen at times through the cracks, yet the constant drubbings and strong ends to each contest boosted IU more than the team deserves right now.
Yes, IU Coach Tom Crean’s Hoosiers at their best are a National Championship contender. But their incessant need to play to their competition and try to flip a switch from half to half spells downfall for any team, no matter how talented.
With that said, the season is still young. The Big Ten schedule hasn’t started yet and the youth of this team has nowhere to go but further mature.
Losing to Fort Wayne motivated this team to get back in the gym and improve as evidenced by the home victory over the Tar Heels.
This Butler game should have a similar consequence.
Both Top 25 teams in the AP Poll, this isn’t too disconcerting of a loss for the Hoosiers, especially with two early wins against top-five teams. It’s embarrassing to lose on a national stage with the massive expectations, but there’s optimism abound.
The next challenging game for IU is against Nebraska after Christmas. This gives the Hoosiers more than enough time to lick their wounds and rebuild.
Just as there’s room to improve in the first half, there’s plenty of room for IU to progress before Big Ten play.
gigottfr@indiana.edu
@gott31
