Enjoying even more basketball now, watching my Hawks blow a very winnable game against Kirby's Bulls. I'm going to put another caveat on our discussion this evening, and ask that we assume most of these intangible qualities the Hoosiers might be struggling with aren't fixable merely in practice, but must be learned over time or simply done in the end.
It occurs to me, however, that this game is a perfect illustration of the first of three major intangibles I'll touch on here, so let's waste no time.
Intangibles
Momentum The Hoosiers can't hold it. They have spurts when they score in bunches and periods when they force three or four stops in a row defensively, but they can't bring those two together long enough to inflict sustained damage.
I mention the Hawks game, because like most NBA games, it's a game of runs, with Atlanta going on a run, then Chicago hitting right back. The Hoosiers don't know how to hit back.
They flashed that skill against Michigan in the first half, so it's certainly there. But against Penn State, they couldn't get the same results. They fell back by seven or eight points, and could never cut into that lead. One of the intangibles winning teams must possess is that ability to not just flow off of momentum but use it to produce physical results. A greater comfort with the offense might help this one, as well as a better grasp of certain situations and, of course, greater maturity, something Crean touched on after the Penn State game.
Sustained focus Former England left back Stuart Pearce, respected as one of the best English players of his generation at the position, wrote in his autobiography of his first match on the national squad, against Brazil. Confident in his form and skill, Pearce was caught completely off guard by Brazil's right-wing player, who spun around him and set up a goal.
The point Pearce made was that that moment made him realize how important constant focus becomes every time the level of competition steps up. Right now, these Hoosiers are still in a learning pattern concerning said focus.
Assuming we consider the first half of the Michigan game the holy grail of what IU is capable of right now, it is also fair to assume that half was probably the most focused of the year. IU stopped Michigan's offense cold -- it was abetted by some poor shooting, but the Hoosiers do deserve plenty of credit for their defensive doggedness in the first half, particularly in keeping Manny Harri and Deshawn Sims quiet.
Beyond that, there were moments against Iowa and Penn State, and even Ohio State as well. But every single Big Ten loss (and all non-conference losses save Gonzaga and perhaps Kentucky) has come about because, for a period of game minutes, the Hoosiers lost focus and allowed their opponents to take control of the game on the court and on the scoreboard.
Against Michigan, it was the last 18 minutes of regulation; against Penn State, it was brief moments in the first and second halves; against Illinois, it was pretty much the entire game. The amount of time the Hoosiers have spent trying to regain their focus and intensity has varied, but it has nevertheless presented a problem for them all season.
Focus and intensity, while not always the same, are things Tom Crean has talked about his team struggling with since the first day of practice, and it makes sense. This team has no role models to look at, no standard bearer who can stand in a huddle and lean on years of experience in big-game, bright-light situations. Kyle Taber and Devan Dumes are really the only two players with extensive experience -- Taber was little more than a walk-on afterthought until last year, and Dumes played one year of Division I basketball, at Eastern Michigan.
Gaining a greater understanding of the level of focus/intensity needed in every possession will obviously grow with experience, perhaps moreso than any other single skill this team must collectively possess. Still, don't expect it to get better by leaps and bounds this year. Next year, with a year of experience and another veteran leader in Jeremiah Rivers, and this weakness could turn quickly into a strength.
Intensity I know I mentioned this one above, so I'll be brief. The Hoosiers certainly hustle plenty, and I don't think they've really looked outworked all that much this year. But there have been moments when their intensity wanes, whether it was fatigue, lack of focus or simply because these young Hoosiers look overwhelmed every once in awhile.
Hustle and intensity aren't always the same, and like focus (which I admit again are closely related), the intensity with which they attack and defend can wax at moments, particularly late in games. I think it's fair to say intensity and focus will come along together, so I'll just leave it at that. See, brief as promised.
Now your turn. Sound off. Oh hey, the Hawks won. First-ever season sweep of the Bulls. Take that, Kirby!
