NOTE: I meant to post this right after the Big Ten Tournament loss to Purdue, but didn't in a patented bonehead move. Please accept my apologies for the tardiness of this post. -Zach
Hey folks,
The Hoosiers and Boilermakers played a rough one at Conseco today, and it was the ladies from the north of Indy who came away winners, 64-54. The game was probably a must-win for each side, considering both IU and Purdue probably need(ed) to take home the tournament title this weekend to make the NCAA Tournament.
Much will be said about the Hoosiers' performance in my good friend Brian Buckey's game wrap when it is done, but the game basically came down to shooting - IU couldn't. The Hoosiers just couldn't find their shot (38 percent from the floor, 17 percent from behind the arc), and when Purdue went on a late run, IU just couldn't answer points with points.
Be sure to check out both Buckey's article and my piece about the Hoosiers' postseason hopes now that the NCAA Tournament is all but out of the question once they get posted to the Web site.
It's spring break, but seeing as training for that bike race in April will be keeping me in Bloomington, I'll try to get some new thoughts onto the blog soon. Just a few quick ones:
-It occurred to me that, despite all the questions and throughout all the setbacks, the Hoosiers have not used youth as an excuse this year. They are young, but they always sought to put that behind them rather than using it as a crutch. -On that note, I realized again today the class Felisha Legette-Jack has. Her team lost a tough, physical game to an in-state rival, but she raved about Purdue's FahKara Malone (who was nearly unstoppable, 23 points, eight steals) when asked about her in postgame. See quote: "It's really good to see great players shine on a stage like this. Even if they're not your players, you really get excited for her ability to be great on a big stage." That was all concering FahKara Malone, who practically torched IU single-handedly today. -As their shooting goes, IU goes. The Hoosiers can light it up when they're on, and they can do it inside and outside. But when the shots aren't falling, the team hurts, visibly. The obvious statistics are the percentages I mentioned above. But this year, IU has been at their best when their shots are falling, probably because, despite their two solid starting forwards, the Hoosiers aren't deep in the paint and they struggle to extend the defense when they can't hit long field goals. That was obvious late in the game, as Purdue collapsed down on IU numerous times through the afternoon.
That's about it from here for now. The Hoosiers won't know until after Selection Monday (one week from this coming Monday) whether they'll be playing in the postseason, as that's when WNIT bids are handed out. Until then, we'll try to keep the blog fresh.
Have a great break.
