Lost in the excitement of Tom Pritchard's game-winning tip and Jordan Hulls' clutch shooting is the job the IU defense did in shutting down No. 20 Illinois in its 52-49 victory Thursday night.
The most obvious accomplishment is the sheer amount of points given up. Illinois is the No. 3 scoring team in the Big Ten at 74.8 points per game, and IU was just coming off a game in which it allowed 91 points to Iowa, the worst scoring team in the conference.
The subtleties that added up to the low point total sometimes go unnoticed by the naked eye, so let's break down some of the Hoosiers' keys to the upset.
Caging McCamey
First and foremost, the Hoosiers had to stop guard Demetri McCamey, the Illini's leading scorer. Sticking to his hip was senior guard Jeremiah Rivers, who has been tabbed as IU's top defender this season.
Rivers said the goal coming into the game was simple: stay in front of McCamey and stay alert.
"He's probably one of the craftiest players in the nation, just the way he handles the ball and lulls you to sleep," he said. "I kept telling myself, 'Don't relax.' Because when you relax is when he makes you pay. I was watching tape of people guarding him and how he just kept killing them because he's just so methodical with the ball and then, boom, he's gone."
McCamey ended the night with one of his worst stat lines of the season: 2-of-11 form the field, six points and three assists.
"This is the epitome of what Jeremiah Rivers is all about," IU coach Tom Crean said. "It is not about his statistics. His role has changed, obviously, but when you put his speed, his strength and toughness with that mindset, a lot of good things can happen."
Two is better than three
Illinois came into the game ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten, and IU was notorious for getting burned by the long-range game this season.
But before the Illini could begin licking their chops, the Hoosiers took the 3-point shot away with a zone defense tight around the perimeter. It opened space in the post, and Illinois forward Mike Davis took full advantage with a team-high 14 points, but Illinois' life-blood was taken away.
The Illini finished 5-of-20 from the 3-point line, including several airballs from Mike Tisdale and Bill Cole.
Communication and urgency
There was no doubt Crean was sickened by his team's defensive performance in Iowa last Sunday.
Not only did the offensively-challenged Hawkeyes nearly reach 100 points, but they did so by driving the lane with ease, particularly on the fast break. After the embarrassment on the road, Rivers said the team was optimally focused to turn the tide at home.
"I think there was a sense of urgency more than there's ever been here with our team," he said. "We really wanted this win. The crowd, the atmosphere was so amazing. I think it really played in our advantage and we were really able to come off that."
The Hoosiers responded by holding Illinois to just four fast-break points, keeping their opponents in half-court sets. Rivers said that, despite the booming crowd, the team did a much better job communicating defensively on switches and double teams.
Seldom did Illinois have an uncontested shot or pass, and the Illini finished with 32 percent shooting from the field and had 13 turnovers.
Despite the dominating effort Thursday, IU still ranks eighth in the Big Ten in scoring defense and seventh in field goal percentage defense. But Rivers said shutting down one of the better offensive teams in the conference confidence that it can be replicated in the 10 remaining regular season games.
"That speaks a lot to what we can do when we can do when we lock in and play 'D'," he said. "That's going to be our sticker now. That's going to be what gets us wins"
