Late in IU's victory against Michigan last Saturday, IU sophomore guard Maurice Creek drove hard through the lane with confidence he rarely had shown throughout the season and scored easily.
It was one of those flashes that showed, slowly but surely, he was on his way back.
Even later in the game, on a fast break layup, it all came crashing back down.
"It," as it were, was Creek's right patella, which slammed into the Assembly Hall floor in an eerily similar fashion as his left patella did against Bryant last season. IU coach Tom Crean said Creek is now out indefinitely with a stress fracture, not ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
It's obviously a huge blow to Creek, who had worked so hard to get back on the court after a stellar start to his freshman season. But Creek never looked exactly the same, and even his once-deadly 3-point shot was as inconsistent as it could have been.
Although it was disheartening for fans to see, it is the lone silver lining for this year's Hoosiers.
No team ever likes to go with one fewer option, but Creek's injury this year does not hurt the team nearly as bad as it did last season, and it might even make them a bit more dangerous.
Last year, Creek was sidelined as the team's leading scorer and was gaining a reputation as one of the best freshmen in the country. His return has been, in terms of productivity, a disappointment. He heads back to the bench averaging 8.3 points per game, shooting 38 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line.
It's been a season of check-and-see from Creek, who seemed eager to hoist up 3-pointers. But they have rarely fallen. Since Big Ten play has started, Creek is just 4-of-18 from behind the arc.
With Creek now out of the picture, a spot has opened for a hotter shooter also coming back from a season-ending injury a year ago - junior guard Matt Roth.
Roth hasn't had ample opportunity to fully show his worth, playing just 6.3 minutes per game. His time on the bench is due mainly to the limitations of his game. He is lethal from deep, but driving and defending aren't his greatest strengths.
But Creek, who had been averaging 20 points per game, had similar limitations as he continually recovered from his knee injury.
Roth is shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line this season, up from 37.3 percent in his freshman season. Because of a sheer need for bodies, Roth's playing time will increase. If it isn't accompanied by a decrease in shooting percentage, Roth can make IU even better than it was with a healthy Creek.
In Crean's high-screen, drive-and-kick offensive philosophy, Roth will - like Creek did - get open shots. If he can make the shots Creek didn't it will open space in the lane and take pressure of freshman guard Jordan Hulls, probably IU's best shooter.
Every team needs its role players, and if Roth plays out his own assignment, the loss of Creek will be greatly minimized.
