IU head coach Archie Miller said that IU men’s basketball can play a lot better with more players contributing — and that means giving more opportunities to the team’s four freshmen.
After sophomore guard Armaan Franklin went down against Maryland on Monday with a rolled ankle, the need for the younger players to step up has become more urgent. Since Franklin will be out for a couple games, the team is looking to its underclassmen.
“I think we need to be able to play our guys more and give them more opportunities in games to develop that, because what we see in practice every day isn’t enough,” Miller said in a press conference Sunday.
Aside from freshman guard Trey Galloway, who made his way into the starting lineup over junior guard Rob Phinisee, the other three freshmen combined for 18:54 total minutes of play against Maryland.
Related: [Big second half propels IU men’s basketball to 63-55 win over Maryland]
Guard Anthony Leal saw the second-most minutes of action among the freshmen with 11:51 played. He said adjusting from being a feature player in high school to the bench in his first year at IU has been a process, but it’s a process he’s familiar with.
“My first game in high school, my team only had six players, and I was the only one that didn't start. So that was, that was a little bit embarrassing,” Leal said in a press conference Wednesday. “I learned that in high school … knowing that just whenever I get in, I have to play my role and play as hard as I can.”
That preparation for the game starts through hard work in practice, and Miller said he’s been impressed by Leal’s work ethic.
Lately, Leal has started trying to make 500 3-pointers every day.
“I try to hold myself accountable to doing that every day because I know it's gonna not only make me a better shooter, but it's gonna increase my confidence,” Leal said.
That confidence is even more important now as the team heads further into conference play. Leal said playing in the Big Ten is really on another whole level because everyone on the court is a great player.
What’s the key to success in the Big Ten? Playing the full 40 minutes of the game. Leal said the team has to come out strong and ready to play, but also finish with the mindset that they will do whatever it takes to win.
“You can't have games where you're just slacking off, or you're taking plays off or anything like that because in the Big Ten, it's going to come back to bite you,” Leal said.
As IU heads to Madison, Wisconsin, to play No. 8 Wisconsin on Thursday, the team’s ability — especially the freshmen — to step up and play hard the whole game will prove instrumental.
It’s been almost 23 years since IU last defeated Wisconsin in Madison. The Hoosiers are 1-17 all-time playing at the Kohl Center against the Badgers.
Since Miller has taken over, the Hoosiers have only defeated the Badgers once in the last three years.
Wisconsin is coming off a seven-day layoff since its game against Penn State was postponed due to health and safety concerns within the Nittany Lions’ program. The Badgers already have three wins over AP Top-25 teams this season and have gone 3-1 in the Big Ten.
However, the team’s lone conference loss was to Maryland at the Kohl Center — a team that IU just defeated in Bloomington, 63-55.
Although playing without fans has been a detriment for IU at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Leal said the lack of fans can be an advantage on the road.
Related: [Assembly Hall to be one of six host venues for NCAA Tournament]
“I think it opens up a lot of opportunities for us because there's no home court advantage really, so you can go on the road and win in conference,” Leal said.
As the Hoosiers move forward without Franklin — who has averaged 18.8 points in his last five games — they’ll be counting on the freshmen in Madison. Leal said all four of them contrast each other perfectly and their time spent off the court together as roommates helps them on the court.
“So I think that definitely is going to pay off for us in the long run, because we're so close off the court, and we love being around each other as you know,” Leal said. “As our roles continue to grow in the program, and you start to get older, I think it's gonna really help us.”
