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(03/03/10 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When the Hoosiers take on the No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers today, it will see a team that handed it a heartbreaking 78-75 loss at Assembly Hall in early February. This time though, the team’s fiercest rival will be without its star forward, Robbie Hummel.Hummel’s season-ending injury is a boon to IU, but the Hoosiers will need more than an injured starter if they want to beat the Boilermakers on the road.While IU managed to keep its first matchup with Purdue close the entire way, it won’t have a raucous Assembly Hall crowd backing it in West Lafayette. And with only one road win on its record — not including the victory against Pittsburgh in New York City — against lowly Penn State, the Hoosier team hasn’t proven itself to be a road warrior.During this 10-game losing streak — one that will become a record-low if it stretches to 11 — IU has lost by an average of 15.2 points per game in its road losses. Only one of those road games was lost by single digits, a 72-70 decision at Illinois. Since the team nearly beat the Boilermakers on Feb. 4, the Hoosiers have gone on a downward spiral, and it has lost an average of 20 points per game.And while the Hoosiers managed to stay competitive against Purdue at home, IU coach Tom Crean acknowledged the Boilermakers will be a different, and better, team at home.“In Mackey Arena, they take it up another notch,” he said.Playing without Hummel, Purdue lost to Michigan State at home Sunday, its fourth total loss — second at home — and first since Jan. 16. The Hoosiers are not the same team it would be if freshman guard Maurice Creek was still playing, but the Boilermakers are a strong unit even without Hummel, who had 21 points, shot 50 percent and grabbed 7 rebounds against the Hoosiers. Freshman guard Jordan Hulls, who had 6 points and 2 assists in the February contest, said Hummel’s absence will not be a huge difference Wednesday. “They have proven to be a great team,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who they put on the floor, they are going to be tough.”
(03/01/10 5:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IOWA CITY, Iowa — It all began here.The first game of this 10-game losing streak began against Iowa on Jan. 24, but it wouldn’t end there.IU dropped its 13th conference game Sunday, losing 73-57 on the road against the Hawkeyes. And with a road trip to Purdue on Wednesday and a home game against Northwestern, it doesn’t look like the Hoosiers have any easy chances of ending this drought. This loss began with Iowa getting a quick lead against IU and keeping it. But its own mistakes kept the game closer than most of the other recent blowouts.One of the Hoosiers’ biggest weaknesses this season — their turnovers — accounted for the Hawkeyes’ early run. Iowa scored 23 points — more than 30 percent of their total — off IU’s 20 turnovers.Even though the Hoosiers kept the Hawkeyes’ lead less than 20 points for most of the game, they couldn’t cut it to less than double digits.While the Hawkeyes didn’t make it easy for the Hoosiers, they also didn’t present the same problems that Wisconsin did on Thursday. IU continued to make the same mistakes that has plagued them in this stretch. There was a lack of rebounding (only three offensive rebounds in the first half), a plethora of turnovers (20 total) and bad shooting (12.5 from the three-point line). IU notched its 10th turnover by the 5:17 mark in the first half, while the Hawkeyes finished the game with 11 total turnovers. Freshman forward Christian Watford — the second-leading scorer with 13 points — said the early turnovers were a major factor in IU getting behind so quickly. “They got a great lead on us that hurt us, and it went on from there,” he said. The Hoosiers managed to knock down the Hawkeyes’ lead to nine by halftime, despite going eight minutes without scoring. But the Hawkeyes rebounded in the second half, shooting 56.3 percent from a first-half 40.6 percent. But it wasn’t the field goals that kept the Hawkeyes’ lead. It was the free throws. IU’s 23 second-half fouls led to 21 free-throws made for Iowa. Iowa’s overall offensive woes helped the Hoosiers, since the Hawkeyes shot 45.8 percent from the field, worse than any of IU’s other opponents during this losing streak (except for their first matchup with Iowa). The Hawkeyes also had the worst three-point percentage (17.6 percent) in any of IU’s games in this streak. Despite their struggles, it was still a big game for Iowa, who scored more than 70 points for the third time in their conference schedule. But Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said he could not credit his team’s win because of its offensive. “We had a lead because of defensive effort,” he said. The two teams continued to battle in the second half, recording 37 fouls — out of a total 55 — in the final 20 minutes. “For two teams near the bottom of the standings, that was a very hard-fought game,” IU coach Tom Crean said.
(02/26/10 6:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Too much went wrong, too soon. Like so many previous losses, this one happened quickly. Thursday’s 78-46 loss to Wisconsin marked IU’s worst loss in Assembly Hall, a stretch of 39 years. The demise began early. With five minutes left in the first half, Hoosiers were already down by 10 points and ended the first half with a 17-point deficit. And like so many of their previous 18 losses, they didn’t fare better in the second half. In their second-to-last home game of the season, the Hoosiers shot 35.3 percent, hit 0-of-5 3s and were 10-of-20 on the free throw line. None of those stats mattered as much as two fouls from the most unsuspecting member: IU coach Tom Crean. Crean got his first technical foul of the season at the 10:22 mark. Less than a minute later, he picked up his second and was ejected from the game. The fans chanted his name as Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes missed his free throw. Even though IU couldn’t stave off Wisconsin, Crean’s dismissal brought the rowdiness to Assembly Hall. After he left, Wisconsin only outscored IU by six for the remaining minutes. But at the 6:22 mark, Wisconsin took a 31-point lead. Before Crean’s ejection, his team was already down by a historic amount. At the 15:46 mark, Wisconsin more than doubled IU’s score as it took a 50-24 lead. Wisconsin kept a 20-plus lead for the rest of the game. And like Sunday’s 81-58 loss against Minnesota, the team’s top-two leading scorers couldn’t deliver. Sophomore guard Verdell Jones and freshman forward Christian Watford only hit 5-of-18 for 16 total points. 21 of Wisconsin’s points came off IU’s 18 turnovers, a problem that has plagued the Hoosiers since the beginning of the season. The Badgers’ 24 defensive rebounds kept IU from getting second chances and closing the gap, while their nine blocks also prevented IU from getting second looks at the rim. “Defensively, we tried to take certain things away from them,” Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. “We did a decent job of that.” One bright spot — if the only one — was freshman forward Derek Elston, who finished as the team’s leading scorer (12 points) and the only Hoosier in double digits. “I want to be around guys who make things happen,” Crean said of Elston.But as far as the whole team is concerned, Crean said his vision for IU’s rebirth is still too far-off to predict. “Every day, you just keep driving the same message,” Crean said. “Is it there? No.”
(02/25/10 5:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU is missing lots of weapons — a sharpshooter, a big man and a leader. Even coach Tom Crean, who said his eyesight has deteriorated since joining the Hoosiers, can see that.But the team is missing something bigger than one individual: depth. Throughout the season, IU has only been able to rely on two different players to carry the scoring load for the Hoosiers — freshman forward Christian Watford and sophomore guard Verdell Jones.When those two fail to deliver — as they did against Minnesota on Saturday — IU has to rely on other players. Which has been a problem.“We need to learn how to cover for one another,” Crean said.With the losses of sophomore guard Matt Roth, a 3-point specialist, and freshman guard Maurice Creek, the team’s leading scorer through December, to injury, has gone two of IU’s biggest scoring options. Now, Watford and Jones’ averages account for 40 percent of IU’s total points. For example, when they played Wisconsin on Feb. 13, Watford and Jones had 26 of IU’s 55 points – or 47 percent.But against Minnesota, the duo couldn’t be the only options for its team.Watford and Jones were a combined 3-of-20 from the field and had 13 points combined, though they individually average 12.3 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. “You can’t really plan for that,” freshman guard Jordan Hulls said when asked what the team can do if its stars go cold. Senior guard Devan Dumes (20 points) and junior forward Jeremiah Rivers (10 points) picked up the slack against the Gophers, but the Hoosiers only managed a 32-percent effort from the field. The depth problem doesn’t let Crean and his staff teach his players a lesson by benching them, either. With the luxury of a full and capable roster, coaches straighten questionable play by benching a player, something Jones said he experienced personally when his AAU coach — also his father — made him sit. “Being on the bench is a great motivator,” Jones said. “It’ll get you into it. When you finally get to play, you’ll give it your all because you don’t want to be on that pine anymore.” Crean said putting a player on the bench can be an effective strategy, but when the Hoosiers can only rely on the same few players, taking a starter out to prove a point isn’t always a realistic option if you want to win.Despite the team struggling offensively, Hulls said that shouldn’t matter when it comes to the other end of the floor. “You can always play defense if your shots aren’t falling,” he said. “You can always get a steal or a stop on defense, and that can create offense for us.”
(02/25/10 12:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s been a part of Kirkwood for more than 80 years, but Nick’s English Hut never fails to stand out. Since its inception, Nick’s has been the reliable neighborhood bar where you can get a burger, a beer and be surrounded by IU history.“It’s kind of an IU tradition,” Nick’s manager Pete Mikolaitis said. “It’s like a rite of passage.”The food draws many Nick’s followers. From the burgers and fries to fresh fish and salads and the most famous dish, the stromboli, Nick’s offers a menu that exceeds normal bar food. Unlike its Kirkwood neighbors, you can go to Nick’s for dinner, not just a drink.Also distinguishing Nick’s from its competitors is that it doesn’t only attract a college-age crowd. Most regulars are IU employees, alumni and older Bloomington residents. However, the bar doesn’t find it hard to attract the college crowd. “They cater to everybody,” said regular Paul Spade, a professor in the Department of Philosophy. Spade came into Nick’s one day in 1972 after moving to Bloomington. He now comes to Nick’s — where he can sit, read and relax — about three times a week. “I don’t have any sort of sense they’re trying to rush me out or that they need this seat,” Spade said. “There’s not a lot of places in Bloomington where you can do that.”Even though Spade and his fellow patrons can find solace in Nick’s, others go for a drastically different reason — to party. The bar has an upstairs area devoted to larger groups that might want to play “Sink the Biz” — Nick’s famous drinking game — listen to music and get a little rowdy.“With it being such a big bar, you can kind of pick and choose what kind of atmosphere you want,” Mikolaitis said.The upstairs walls are covered in signatures from famous visitors, either alumni or those just passing through Bloomington. After President Barack Obama came to the women’s race of the 2008 Little 500, he stopped by Nick’s.“If people come from out of town, they’re told to go to Nick’s,” Mikolaitis said. After students graduate, it is Nick’s they typically return to. Despite remodeling and expanding in the past few years, it still remains basically the same. “Coming to Nick’s, you don’t want to see too much change,” Mikolaitis said.
(02/24/10 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers are getting another addition — but not to the roster. The IU board of trustees announced Friday that Assembly Hall will get a new roof.Because of persistent leaks and after years of temporary repairs, the board authorized IU Athletics to spend the funds, about $2 million, needed to strip the roof down to its decking and replace the 40-year-old top with a new insulated membrane roof. “It has finally reached the point where we can’t find all the leaks and can’t stop them,” said Assistant Athletics Director for Facilities Chuck Crabb. “The membrane of the roof has just reached its life expectancy.”While this is not the first time attempts have been made to repair the roof, this is the first time that it will be replaced entirely.“If you were to go onto the roof, you would see that we have two or three different summers attempted to work in each quadrant of the building, trying to chase the leaks as best we could,” Crabb said.IU Athletics Director Fred Glass said engineers were hired to evaluate the roof back in the fall. They said while there was no immediate danger, they would have to fix the roof after basketball season. “If it wasn’t addressed fairly immediately, it could evolve into a public safety issue,” Glass said.Crabb said many basketball fans have had to endure the leaks during games. “There’s a lot of inconvenience for patrons attending events because it rains on them,” he said.The construction will be done during the summer and will be finished by the time players resume practice. Glass said there have been leaks during the current basketball season that have affected people in the stands, but the leaks have not hit the court or affected the players. Most of the leaks came earlier in the season during heavy rainfall or when the snow began to thaw.Glass said while the department does not have specific funding dedicated to this repair, it’s something that must be done.“If the furnace in the house breaks, you can’t let the kids freeze,” he said. “It’s part of being the owner and operator of buildings, and we’ll get it figured out. The important thing is to get it done.”
(02/22/10 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>MINNEAPOLIS — Well, at least they didn’t have a lot of turnovers. Despite the many things the Hoosiers (9-17, 3-11) did wrong Saturday night, the team managed to keep its turnovers down to nine, below its average of 15.2.But nothing else seemed to fall in place in the 81-58 loss at Minnesota on Saturday. IU shot less than 33 percent both from the field and the 3-point line. Its free throw shooting — which had been stellar in the previous seven losses — was a mere 14-of-22 in its eighth consecutive loss. Everything that went wrong for the Hoosiers started early in the first half and was not fixed in the second.The avalanche began quickly, as Minnesota took an 11-point lead nine minutes into the first half. The Gophers ended the first half with a 19-point lead. Despite cutting it briefly in the second half, IU was never able to get it back within single digits. With five minutes gone by in the second half, IU went down by 20 and was unable to get within 18 for the rest of the game. Still, the Gophers only outscored IU by four in the second half, while the Hoosiers had 18 rebounds and doubled their assists in the second half.“The light finally came on, and we moved it pretty well,” Dumes said. “It worked. We played a little bit faster. It worked in the second. Wish it would have worked in the first half, it might have been a different outcome.” Coming into the game, Minnesota averaged 74.5 points per game, and the Hoosiers had let their opponents score an average of 70.2.And while freshman guard Christian Watford said there are a lot of positives to take away from Saturday’s game, there were few to find on the stat sheet. Watford himself was not among the positives. The team’s second-leading scorer was 1-of-12 and had only 3 points, down from his usual average of 12.3 points per game.“There are going to be nights like this,” he said. Watford wasn’t alone in his slump. Sophomore guard Verdell Jones also struggled from the field, hitting only 2 of 8 shots. But offense wasn’t the only problem. IU coach Tom Crean said the team didn’t defend the Gophers the same way it did in its 14-point loss to Michigan State on Tuesday. “Energy and fight and toughness — those weren’t the issues,” Crean said. “Execution and defensive field-goal percentage were the issues for us tonight.”
(02/19/10 6:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In one minute of basketball, a lot can change. But within one season, the differences between one time and another can be difficult to find.IU will take on Minnesota on Saturday, a rematch more than a month after the Hoosiers beat them 81-78 in overtime at Assembly Hall.But the same team that squeaked by the Gophers will not be the one traveling to Minneapolis this weekend.Back in January, the Hoosiers had gone through a three-game winning streak — two of those on the road — before the Gophers came to town. And it had been about two and a half weeks since IU beat Michigan on New Year’s Eve in the Big Ten opener. Fast-forward eight games to the Hoosiers’ second Big Ten win against the Gophers, and they have gone 1-7 since. But this team, fresh off its seventh consecutive loss, might have something to be optimistic about. “We came to fight today,” sophomore guard Verdell Jones said after scoring a game-high 20 points against Michigan State on Tuesday.They’ll have to keep the same fighting spirit they had against the Spartans this weekend. Minnesota is tied with No. 4 Purdue as the highest scoring team in the conference (74.5 points per game), while IU has the worst scoring defense in the Big Ten, allowing 70.2 points per game. The Gophers also pose a challenge defensively, since they limit their opponents to 40.2 percent from the field. One of the biggest factors in Tuesday’s 72-58 loss to No. 11 Michigan State was IU’s 34.9 field-goal percentage.Rebounding, which has been an ailment for the Hoosiers in the past, was a positive for them Tuesday. IU out-rebounded the Spartans, the best rebounding team in the Big Ten, 30-24. The Gophers, meanwhile, are virtually tied with the Hoosiers in rebounding. “We’re just going to have to keep building off that energy and take it to the next game,” freshman guard Jordan Hulls said after Tuesday’s game. And while the Hoosiers have struggled to win, they’ve found success at the free-throw line. During the past seven games, they’ve shot 74.4 percent from the charity stripe, a huge step up from their season percentage of 68.5 percent.Heading into Saturday’s contest with Minnesota, the Hoosiers know their unity will be a constant in an up-and-down season. Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers said, despite their recent losses, the team is still holding on together. “Being together is the biggest thing for our team,” Rivers said. “It might be more off the court than on the court. I think we’ve done a pretty good job probably the past week or so, not straying away from each other, being able to put your arm around your next man, your next teammate and just believing in one another.”
(02/17/10 5:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It wasn’t a blowout, but it wasn’t a nail-biter. Just another run-of-the-mill, February loss.Michigan State celebrated Mardi Gras at Assembly Hall with a 72-58 win, further cementing its No. 1 spot in the Big Ten.While IU managed to outrebound the Spartans and shot 25-of-28 from the free-throw line, the Hoosiers also had their share of mistakes Tuesday. They had more turnovers (16 to eight), fewer points in the paint (18 to 40) and shot 34.9 percent from the field, compared to 59.3 percent for the Spartans. Tuesday’s loss once again revealed the differences between the elite of the Big Ten and the stragglers. One of the IU’s biggest factors was something it has struggled with all season: depth.Especially with the losses of freshman guard Maurice Creek and sophomore guard Matt Roth, the Hoosiers have been short on options all season. And that was even more pronounced against the Spartans, who had four players in double digits. IU only had two players in double digits, with sophomore guard Verdell Jones scoring 20 points — or 34.4 percent of IU’s total points.Another evident stat from Tuesday’s loss was the disparity in points off the bench. The Spartans had 27 while IU had 13.“That’s the difference in a program that’s got some depth,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “That’s one thing we have.”Unlike their last game — an 83-55 loss at Wisconsin — the Hoosiers didn’t lose the game in the first half. “You feel bad either way, but we can take some things away from this game,” freshman guard Jordan Hulls said. Entering Tuesday’s game, IU was on a six-game losing streak and had not won in Bloomington since its 81-78 overtime win against Minnesota on Jan. 17, almost a month ago.They’ll travel to Minnesota on Saturday to take on a team they’ve already beaten once this season. But they’ll need to do more than just rebound and shoot well from the foul line.While the final stats show IU outrebounded the Spartans by six, they struggled early with defensive rebounds.The Hoosiers did not record a defensive rebound until 8:11 remaining in the first half. IU toughened up in the second half, getting eight boards from the defensive end compared to four from the Spartans.IU coach Tom Crean said he considered outrebounding the Spartans one of the positives.“There are pluses and minuses to any game,” he said. “They are a great rebounding team, and that’s what we are going to become here.”
(02/16/10 5:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Most of the teams in the Big Ten have had a losing streak this season, but none have had it as bad as IU. As the Hoosiers enter tonight’s contest against the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans — No. 1 in the conference — they will be looking to end a six-game losing streak. But the Hoosiers have one reason to have a glimmer of hope: they’ve picked an opponent that has also been suffering lately. The Spartans come to Bloomington having lost three of their last five, two of which came on the road to No. 14 Wisconsin and Illinois. IU coach Tom Crean said while most of the Hoosiers’ conference rivals have gone through rough patches this season, their veterans and past experience has helped them buck the poor play, something the six-freshmen deep Hoosiers don’t have. “I don’t have a lot of options right now when things are not as smooth,” Crean said. In his pregame press conference on Monday, Crean mentioned three areas where the Hoosiers need to improve: defensive energy, rebounding and offensive unselfishness. They can see a good example of all those things from Michigan State. The Spartans are No. 4 in scoring margin and No. 1 in rebounding and in assists in the Big Ten. While the Spartans had a three-game losing streak — ended with a 65-54 win against Penn State on Saturday — those were also the team’s first conference losses all season. They can look at their record if they need a confidence booster, but IU doesn’t have that luxury. Instead, Crean said the team needs to regain a winners mentality. “We’ve got to get the believability that you can play and win,” he said. While their losses against Illinois and No. 4 Purdue were only by two and three, respectively, they lost the next three by a combined 62 points.The lack of winning doesn’t just hurt their record, but also team morale. Since his team has been struggling, freshman guard Jordan Hulls said he just tells himself that all the losses and hours of practice will eventually lead to a win. Still, Crean said the losses are taking a definitive toll on his team.“I think it’s hard to be close when you haven’t had a lot of success,” Crean said.
(02/10/10 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before every home game, he is there. On the same court where he shot 9-of-11 and scored 29 points against Ohio State.On the same court where he lost 10 games and won five.On the same court where this season he hoped to help the Hoosiers return to national prominence.He is in the same huddle, among the same candy-striped wearing teammates he played with, some for a whole season, some for only two games.His injury came before any of the team’s big moments. Before Maryland, Pittsburgh and Kentucky. Before the Big Ten season. Before their first loss.Before his injury he was supposed to be the veteran sharpshooter, in what was supposed to be season two of IU’s rebuilding year.But before he could, sophomore guard Matt Roth broke his foot in Puerto Rico during the team’s three-game schedule with Ole Miss, Boston University and George Mason. After Roth broke his foot during a practice in Puerto Rico, IU coach Tom Crean came and talked to him about how he could help the team, how he could still be a leader. After his surgery, he felt out of it. “He was definitely frustrated at first because I mean he’s a big part of our team, and it’s no good when anybody gets hurt,” said his roommate and fellow sophomore guard Daniel Moore. But a few days after the healing began, Roth was already getting used to his role as the newest assistant coach. Even though he can’t help the team make threes like he used to, Roth said he tries to help with scouting and calling out plays. Unable to help the team physically, he has become more vocal.“I can’t go out there and play, so I have to do something to help the team,” he said. Roth said the worst thing for an injured player is to disconnect from the team and what they’re doing. Even if he doesn’t call himself a “player-coach,” he still acts as another voice calling to his teammates. “I was able to stay engaged – that’s what you want to do,” Roth said. “Not necessarily being a player-coach, just being engaged, and making sure I helped the team progress.”He’s been out almost three months but could be back soon. Roth has participated in warm-up drills with the team, but whether he takes part in tonight’s game against No. 13 Ohio State - or later - will be a game-time decision.His teammates have been grateful for his presence. Sophomore guard Verdell Jones said the team was upset when it heard Roth would be out. But the team hasn’t abandoned their hurt leader. “Even when he was on crutches we always brought him to the court and made him feel part of practice,” Jones said.Moore sustained the same injury this past summer and talked to his roommate about the different stages of recovery. “I think he knows it doesn’t affect me any more so that’s a positive thing for him,” Moore said. If Roth is only able to come back for the Hoosiers’ last few games of this season, he’ll be able to play at No. 6 Purdue and Minnesota and at home games against No. 10 Michigan State and No. 11 Wisconsin. Either way, he’ll be glad to return.“When you lose something in life that means a lot to you, you cherish it more,” Roth said. “You always hold it closer. It’s the same thing with basketball.”
(02/08/10 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Evanston, Ill. – A blown whistle can end a team’s momentum. And Sunday, all those whistles killed IU’s chance of winning.IU’s fouls came quickly and added up for the Northwestern Wildcats (16-7, 5-6), who beat the Hoosiers (9-13, 3-7) 78-61 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. While the final stats show little discrepancy between the two teams, their timing was as different as their records.The Wildcats committed almost as many fouls as the Hoosiers – 21 to the Hoosiers’ 23 – but didn’t commit them as quickly. The Wildcats were able to get to the line earlier, which gave them another advantage against the already shorthanded Hoosiers.Northwestern’s first foul came at the 10:45 mark, almost nine minutes after junior guard Jeremiah Rivers committed IU’s first foul at 19:08. By the time Northwestern guard Jeremy Nash committed that first foul, the Hoosiers already had seven team fouls and were in the penalty. By contrast, the Hoosiers shot their first one-and-one free throws with 1:55 left in the first half.And while Northwestern shot 69 percent from the free-throw line to IU’s 85 percent, the early conversions helped the Wildcats add to an ever-growing lead.“They put us on the line and when we got to the line, we got guys that can make free throws,” Nash said. But the Hoosiers made free throws, too, hitting 7-of-8 from the line in the first half. Before Sunday, Northwestern was averaging 17.8 fouls a game, while IU had a 20.7 average. On Sunday, both teams finished above their averages. Despite the small differences at the end of the game, IU’s early fouls put the Wildcats at the line and let them build an early lead. “They hurt us a lot,” freshman forward Christian Watford said. “They run a type of offense that whenever it breaks down, they’re going to get fouls. We tried to limit those chances of going to the line, but they did a great job.” This isn’t the first time this season the Hoosiers have struggled with early fouls. Sophomore forward Tom Pritchard – who led IU with four fouls against the Wildcats – has had 74 fouls this season, 11 more than the second-highest fouling Hoosier.IU had nine fouls after the first half, while Northwestern finished with eight. But the Hoosiers didn’t stop fouling in the second half. They committed three fouls in the first three minutes and were in the penalty within seven minutes. And while IU can’t blame the loss on being too aggressive, it’s another area the team needs to focus on as it finishes out the Big Ten season.“There are too many times this year we’re like swiss cheese,” Crean said. “We have too many holes.”
(02/05/10 6:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All signs pointed to a win: a halftime lead, an aggressive defense and a strong offense.But as a prayer shot clanked off and the buzzer rang, the Hoosiers lost to their in-state rival Purdue, 78-75.Like their Saturday loss at Illinois, the Hoosiers couldn’t shake off their opponent. Purdue was looking for its fifth consecutive win, and unlike Saturday’s last-second defeat, IU couldn’t hit the free-throws needed down the stretch.With IU down by five with 11 seconds left, sophomore guard Verdell Jones hit a 3-pointer to make it 77-75. Purdue forward Robbie Hummel got his team up by three with one free throw, forcing a last-second heave from Jones.But the game didn’t have to come down to the final shot for the Hoosiers. IU missed three free throws and four field goals in the final five minutes.Coming into the game, IU had little reason to be optimistic. Based on numbers, IU should have folded over easily into Purdue’s waiting hands.Whether it was the homecourt advantage or sophomore forward Tom Pritchard’s 13 first-half points – his season high – the Hoosiers came into the second half with a two-point lead.“He was T-bone tonight,” junior guard Jeremiah Rivers said of his roommate Pritchard.With 5:22 left in the first half, Pritchard scored a layup to give IU an eight-point lead, its largest of the night. The staccato rhythm from fans pounding on the seats, railings and floor escalated into a pounding that rivaled the horns of the Big Red pep band.And about 20 minutes later, IU led the Boilermakers by three.But No. 8 Purdue, a team in the Top 25 all season, managed to retain its dominance in the end. While Pritchard had his best game of the season, one of his teammates continued to struggle. Freshman forward Christian Watford had his third bad shooting game in a row. In the past three games – all IU losses – he has shot 7-of-33. “He settled too much tonight,” Crean said of Watford. “He doesn’t need to take turn-arounds. He needs to impose his will.”When the boos started, so did the smiles. Just as the IU players thrive off a rowdy Assembly Hall crowd, the Boilermakers seemed to thrive off the fans’ hatred. As they walked off the court, Purdue guard Chris Kramer and Hummel reveled in the insults fans threw their way.The two teams have a little less than a month until their rematch at Purdue on March 3. But at that time, IU will have to face a boisterous Boiler crowd, no less loyal than what Purdue saw Thursday. And even though IU has another chance to beat Purdue this season, for Jones, it was the possible home win that he wanted more.“The first thing that went through my mind was Devan, Tijan, Steven, Brett Finkelmeier, they’ll never get another chance to play Purdue in here again,” Jones said. “For us to be so close to a ‘W,’ I’m hurting right now for them.”
(02/04/10 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It isn’t their first rivalry game. Kentucky has already been to Assembly Hall this season. It isn’t their first game against a ranked opponent, as the aforementioned Wildcats have also taken on the Hoosiers. But when No. 8 Purdue comes to town tonight, it won’t be like any other game this season.After losing 72-70 at Illinois on Saturday, the Hoosiers won’t have it any easier competing against a team that is fourth in the Big Ten and has been in the Top 25 all season.But at least they’ll enter an arena full of fans waiting to support them.“I would say that our guys are really excited to be playing their first Purdue-Indiana game inside of Assembly Hall,” IU coach Tom Crean said. “We’ve had a very good week of practice, and we’ve bounced back from a very tough loss in the sense of having great spirit, energy, enthusiasm.”Possibly the most excited out of the all the players is freshman guard Jordan Hulls, a Bloomington native. Because he grew up in town, Hulls said he understands the rivalry between the two schools is one of the most fierce and long-standing in the country. Purdue currently leads the rivalry at 108-84, but have only won three of the past 10 and seven of the past 20.Last year the Hoosiers and Boilermakers only met once in the regular season in West Lafayette, a game that Purdue won 81-67. In fact, the last time Purdue won in Bloomington was more than ten years ago – on Feb. 9, 1999.Back then, coaches Bobby Knight and Gene Keady were in charge of the respective programs. Since Knight and Keady have both left college basketball, the two schools aren’t as successful as they were back in the heyday. But the rivalry is still there.“We all know how big a rival this is and I’m sure the guys on Purdue know that as well,” Hulls said, “so it’s going to be a great matchup and it should be a good game.”But history isn’t an predictor of current events. The Hoosiers have lost three of the past five and hold a 3-5 record in the conference. The Boilermakers are 18-3 overall and 6-3 in the conference. While Hulls was hesitant to share some of the honest feelings on Purdue, freshman forward Derek Elston said he could understand the heated nature of the rivalry.“I wouldn’t say hate. I could definitely say I don’t like them,” Elston said. “I haven’t been here for a while, but I’ve been around Indiana long enough my whole life to know that if you go to Indiana, you just don’t like Purdue.”
(02/04/10 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It isn’t their first rivalry game. Kentucky has already been to Assembly Hall this season. It isn’t their first game against a ranked opponent, as the aforementioned Wildcats have also taken on the Hoosiers. But when No. 8 Purdue comes to town tonight, it won’t be like any other game this season.After losing 72-70 at Illinois on Saturday, the Hoosiers won’t have it any easier competing against a team that is fourth in the Big Ten and has been in the Top 25 all season.But at least they’ll enter an arena full of fans waiting to support them.“I would say that our guys are really excited to be playing their first Purdue-Indiana game inside of Assembly Hall,” IU coach Tom Crean said. “We’ve had a very good week of practice, and we’ve bounced back from a very tough loss in the sense of having great spirit, energy, enthusiasm.”Possibly the most excited out of the all the players is freshman guard Jordan Hulls, a Bloomington native. Because he grew up in town, Hulls said he understands the rivalry between the two schools is one of the most fierce and long-standing in the country. Purdue currently leads the rivalry at 108-84, but have only won three of the past 10 and seven of the past 20.Last year the Hoosiers and Boilermakers only met once in the regular season in West Lafayette, a game that Purdue won 81-67. In fact, the last time Purdue won in Bloomington was more than ten years ago – on Feb. 9, 1999.Back then, coaches Bobby Knight and Gene Keady were in charge of the respective programs. Since Knight and Keady have both left college basketball, the two schools aren’t as successful as they were back in the heyday. But the rivalry is still there.“We all know how big a rival this is and I’m sure the guys on Purdue know that as well,” Hulls said, “so it’s going to be a great matchup and it should be a good game.”But history isn’t an predictor of current events. The Hoosiers have lost three of the past five and hold a 3-5 record in the conference. The Boilermakers are 18-3 overall and 6-3 in the conference. While Hulls was hesitant to share some of the honest feelings on Purdue, freshman forward Derek Elston said he could understand the heated nature of the rivalry.“I wouldn’t say hate. I could definitely say I don’t like them,” Elston said. “I haven’t been here for a while, but I’ve been around Indiana long enough my whole life to know that if you go to Indiana, you just don’t like Purdue.”
(01/31/10 8:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Champaign, Ill. – His team down by two, only 22 seconds left in the second half, Jeremiah Rivers was on the line.At the loneliest place in basketball, the junior guard delivered. Rivers tied the game with his clutch shots, but he couldn’t save IU from a teardrop buzzer-beater from Illinois’ Demetri McCamey as IU lost, 72-70.Sophomore guard Verdell Jones said he had seen Rivers hit last-minute free throws in practice, and he had confidence his teammate would come through on his only two attempts from the line.“We knew going in he was going to hit those,” Jones said.Even though Rivers was on the spot in the final second, it was the Hoosiers’ previous free throws that put them in a position to win.The foul shots helped IU stay in the game while they missed from the field. IU shot 35 percent for the game, while Illinois hit a steady 49 percent, including 55 percent in the second half.The free throws were another story, as IU shot 19-of-23 from the line.Although the Hoosiers couldn’t scratch out a win, improving on their free-throw shooting is one positive that came from Saturday’s loss.Most importantly, the Hoosiers only missed one free throw out of 14 in the second half.“As long as we have a good free-throw percentage, that’s going to help us win the games,” freshman guard Jordan Hulls said.The Hoosiers’ 82 percent effort from the free-throw line was a vast improvement from its 65 percent average going in. It was also a better showing than its first game against Illinois, in which the team shot 10-of-18. No player missed more than two free throws. Freshman forward Bobby Capobianco, who hit a pair Saturday, said the team’s focus on free throws paid off.“We spent a lot of time working on free throws, and they ended up being clutch for us,” he said.Both Jones and freshman forward Christian Watford shot poorly everywhere except the charity stripe. Jones, who shot 5-of-20 from the field, hit 10-of-12 free-throws, including all six of his attempts in the second half. Watford was a mere 1-of-10 from the field but 4-of-4 from the line.“That’s something that we can lean on and know we’re going to need in the future,” he said. “It’s not just a one-game thing. We’re going to need to continue that to be in these types of games.”
(01/25/10 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>So much for a winning Big Ten record.With two consecutive conference victories and a .500 overall record going into Sunday’s game against Iowa, IU was favored to win. But the theme of defying expectations continued through the weekend, as IU dropped a 58-43 game to Iowa, which has the second-worst Big Ten record.The same Hoosiers team that beat Minnesota in overtime and Penn State on the road didn’t show up to Assembly Hall on Sunday. They were 0-of-9 on 3-point attempts, had seven second-chance points and 16 points in the paint. The same team that averaged 74 points in its previous two games only had 43 on Sunday. And the same team that averaged 15 assists in those same two games had only three against Iowa.“That’s the beauty of competition,” Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said. “You have to do it every night, and you don’t get anything for a previous outing.”In the last meeting between the two, IU beat Iowa in its lone Big Ten victory on Feb. 4, 2009. Whether Iowa came in looking for revenge or IU came in looking for an easy win, it’s hard to say. IU coach Tom Crean discounted the complacence theory in his postgame press conference.“Before you write the story that they were overconfident, overlooking Iowa, were full of themselves, none of that happened,” he said.If it wasn’t overconfidence, it was a lack of energy.“I don’t know if any of us overlooked this team, but when we came in tonight we weren’t prepared to fight at all,” said freshman forward Christian Watford, whose 10-point output against the Hawkeyes is his smallest since IU’s 66-60 loss to Illinois on Jan. 9.But a bigger streak was broken against Iowa. Sunday’s game broke a 277-game record where IU scored at least one 3-pointer. The last time IU did not make a 3-pointer was March 9, 2001. Iowa wasn’t perfect, either. They had zero fast break points, shot 60 percent at the free-throw line and had 21 turnovers. “If you would have told me we would have 21 turnovers and win, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Lickliter said.While Crean said a lack of toughness was to blame for the loss, he didn’t know how to fix that before Saturday’s game at Illinois. “We emphasize it all the time,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a magic drill.”
(01/22/10 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>STATE COLLEGE, PA. – Inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday night, revenge was served. Like a slow-cooker, it took time. But after 22 months, one coaching change and 40 minutes, IU got its first Big Ten road win since Feb. 23, 2008. The 67-61 win was not only coach Tom Crean’s first conference victory outside of Assembly Hall, it was the first time in five meetings – including three times last year – IU beat Penn State. The Nittany Lions (8-10, 0-6) never led during the game and it was the first time in their conference schedule that the Hoosiers (9-9, 3-3) did not relinquish the lead. The Nittany Lions managed to tie the game once in the second half, but IU never let its lead dip below three after that point. After the nail-biting 81-78 overtime win against Minnesota last Sunday, freshman guard Jordan Hulls said the team is better able to deal with tight games. “We’re getting used to that,” Hulls said. “That’s definitely something we’re working on and feel more comfortable with when it gets close.” IU’s offense was consistent throughout both halves; it scored 35 points in the first and 32 in the second. Senior guard Devan Dumes led the team with 15 points and three steals, while freshman forward Christian Watford had 11 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Verdell Jones closed out the trio in double digits with 14 points and four assists. Freshman forward Derek Elston, while not in double digits, was the most efficient by scoring eight points in seven minutes along with a team-high three blocks. The Hoosiers demolished Penn State at the 3-point line, shooting 45 percent on 9-of-20 shooting, compared to the Nittany Lions’ 18.2 percent on 4-of-22. While the win was important, it was not perfect. IU was outscored in the paint 34-18. It had nine offensive rebounds to Penn State’s 18 and 21 fouls compared to 13. Sophomore forward Tom Pritchard, who fouled out on Sunday, got in foul trouble early again and had four total. Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers, who averaged 2.8 fouls before Thursday’s game, fouled out with six minutes left in the second half. But the team wasn’t worried. “There was no panic in our guys’ voices,” Crean said. “There was no ‘deer in the headlights’ look.” After losing one of their starters, IU allowed a 7-2 run and was only up by three with 4:15 remaining. But the Hoosiers turned to a tried-and-true hero. After leading the team in overtime on Sunday, Jones responded with a 3-pointer and jumper to give IU a six-point lead. “The whole message was ‘We’ve got to be closers,’” said Rivers, who talked to the team in the huddle after he fouled out. Its second consecutive victory and third Big Ten win came at a good time. With only a third of its conference season over, IU still hasn’t competed against some of the toughest of the Big Ten – No. 6 Michigan State, No. 13 Purdue and No. 18 Wisconsin. “What it does, if we treat it right: It’s a spring board to getting better,” Crean said.
(01/21/10 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Halfway through the season, the Hoosiers have seen almost everything. A victory at Madison Square Garden. A loss to a nationally ranked opponent. And this past Sunday, an overtime conference win. But an away win? That’s yet to happen.Discounting their victory in New York City, which counts as neutral in the final standings, IU (8-9, 2-3) hasn’t managed to win on the road. But Thursday’s game against Penn State (8-9, 0-5) could be its first opportunity. “We won when we came back home,” freshman guard Jordan Hulls said. “We haven’t won on the road yet, so I guess that’s working for us.” This is the first time in its conference season IU will play against a team with the same overall record. It is also the first time its Big Ten opponent has a worse conference record. Despite the numbers advantage, IU coach Tom Crean warned his team not to be complacent against the Nittany Lions. “I don’t think we have one guy on our club right now who has anything to be overconfident about,” Crean said. Last year, IU lost to Penn State at home by 10, away by three and at the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis by 15. But with Penn State struggling to get wins in the conference, the Hoosiers could seek some revenge. Freshman forward Derek Elston said game tape showed the team hurt themselves more than their opponent. “A lot of it’s not the other team,” Elston said. “A lot of it’s us.” IU and Penn State have both played Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota – with the Hoosiers getting wins at home against the Wolverines and Gophers. The Nittany Lions lost at home to Michigan and on the road to Illinois and Minnesota. Despite its five losses, Penn State lost by nine or fewer points in four of those five games. “There’s no question right now they could have four wins in league play,” Crean said.Since the Big Ten season started, IU has alternated every game at Assembly Hall with one on the road. Crean said being on the road so often will only help his young team.“I think any time you’ve been on the road,” Crean said, “you become that much more accustomed to what it’s like being away from home.”Thursday’s game will be the first at home in two weeks for Penn State. Since Penn State is looking for its fifth consecutive win against the Hoosiers, IU won’t have an easy time getting its first conference road win. “They know they can beat us,” Crean said. “We haven’t struck fear in anybody’s heart in the Big Ten.”
(01/19/10 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When a group of IU fans noticed former Pacers center Rik Smits at Sunday’s matchup between IU and Minnesota, they yelled “We need you, Rik!” But the Hoosiers didn’t need help from Smits. Or from anyone else. IU’s big men controlled the Gophers in its 81-78 overtime win. The victory – its second conference win – was fueled by a team that didn’t let losing a double-digit lead hinder its chances of winning in overtime. And while Minnesota came into the game with a 12-5 record, it was the Hoosiers who kept their poise. “There were so many times in this game we could have folded up the tent and we didn’t,” IU coach Tom Crean said. It was only in overtime that IU found itself in a hole, trailing by five. But key rebounds from freshman forwards Christian Watford and Derek Elston gave IU a chance to get back. “Coach really said before the game we were going to win this on the free-throw line and rebounding,” Elston said. While the teams were almost even in free-throw percentage (62.1 percent for Minnesota compared to 62.5 percent for IU), IU outrebounded the Gophers 43-31. “The No. 1 key for us today was the rebounding,” Crean said. “That became a bigger battle cry after Northwestern out-rebounded Purdue.” In that game, Northwestern had 42 rebounds to No. 6 Purdue’s 23. To ensure more rebounds, Crean had double sessions with the big men on Friday, while sophomore center Tom Pritchard also had extra practice on Saturday and Sunday. The work paid off for Pritchard, who had 5 points and 4 rebounds in the first half. He finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds in 21 minutes before fouling out with 4:14 left in the second half. “The mindset he played with today is the mindset we need on a consistent basis,” Crean said. Pritchard’s mindset wasn’t the only one that was different. The Hoosiers held the Gophers down from their average of 36.5 boards a game, as their own rebounding average jumped from 37.06 to 37.4 after Sunday’s game. And at the end of the first half, the Hoosiers had 21 boards to the Gophers’ nine. “They were telling me, no matter what you do, just hit somebody and get the ball,” Elston said. Elston and his teammates followed through on those orders. He had 5 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes and replaced freshman forward Bobby Capobianco in overtime after Capobianco fouled out with 3:37 left in the second half. Watford, who led the team with 10 rebounds, said the game showed the players understand how to compete against other big men. “We’re starting to get it,” he said. “We’re starting to outrebound teams.”