“Ahhhhhh!”
This is the sound of a shout.
There are many different types of shouts, such as the there-is-a-clown-in-my-closet screech, or perhaps you prefer the driver-in-front-of-you-is-going-20-miles-per-hour-under-the-speed-limit yell. One of my favorites is the shriek when you finally realize it is in fact not butter and the container was correct the entire time.
IU did some shouting against Illinois Saturday night, and it was junior guard James Blackmon Jr. and sophomore center Thomas Bryant in particular who made noise.
After hitting a three to put IU up 10-0 at the 17:48 mark in the first half, Blackmon pumped his fists and howled toward the rafters in an attempt to exorcise the demons of the past three games for the Hoosiers.
Seconds after a drawn charge by junior guard Robert Johnson, Bryant did the same thing at the 16:29 mark. He roared and Assembly Hall joined in his rapturous glee.
After trailing 13-0 to start Tuesday’s game against Wisconsin, IU took a 15-0 lead against Illinois on Saturday.
The Hoosiers never looked back.
The first four minutes of the game were vital for the Hoosiers. After three consecutive losses, a general malaise could be felt around the program. IU deafeningly broke out of that funk with the most energetic and animated stretch we’ve seen from the team since the North Carolina game.
Illinois wore the bright orange jerseys, but IU’s play was much louder.
This wasn’t just a matter of making shots. Everything from the passes to the defensive pressure was just crisper and had with it a sense of purpose.
“I think it was a mentality thing,” Blackmon said. “We were talking a lot more. Guys were engaged and helping each other out, and then when we get stops like that we get out and run.”
It’s this type of play that makes the 120 minutes of gameplay preceding it so disappointing. When the ball is moving unselfishly, IU should be able to take it to any team in college basketball, especially in the raucous Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall.
With a final score of 96-80, the Hoosiers stopped the bleeding and provided some momentum heading into the rest of the Big Ten season.
A 3-pointer by freshman guard Devonte Green with just more than a minute left in the first half provided the heralded arena another opportunity to become boisterous.
Fans stood and cheered, strength coach Lyonel Anderson waved his arms up and down like a bird in a windstorm, and Bryant strummed an air guitar with the 3-point insignia on both hands.
A release valve had been opened. The Hoosiers shouted into the Big Ten void that they still had some life.
The second half didn’t go as well. Poor man-to-man defense combined with a sudden halt in ball movement reduced the effect of that spirited first half. This should be Coach Tom Crean’s worry. The current iteration of the Hoosiers has not been a 40-minute team. The ebbs and flows are agonizing.
Nonetheless, those first six minutes in the first half signified a small resurgence for a zombified team as of late.
A few shots and shouts went a long way for the Hoosiers.
gigottfr@indiana.edu
@gott31
