See the initial reaction by clicking here.
IDS multimedia editor Sean Morrison sat down to talk IU-Michigan hoops with Michigan Daily reporters Gjon Juncaj and Joe Stapleton. Click here to listen.
After losing its best scorer and outside shooter to injury, IU is placing more stake in making the smart play going into its 9 p.m. contest against Michigan. Where IU coach Tom Crean once emphasized pushing the ball up the court and getting quick shots, he’s now making sure his team manages possessions and gets open looks.
Technically speaking, the Hoosiers haven’t won a game all year.
Since beating Michigan 71-65 in their first Big Ten game two weeks ago, the Hoosiers have changed.
After a first half which ended with a 41-28 Hoosiers lead, constant fouls broke IU’s offensive rhythm and stopped the clock to allow Illinois time for a comeback.
IU coach Tom Crean said there were two teams fighting after IU played Illinois to a 66-60 loss Saturday night.
Saturday might have marked the Hoosiers’ third game already in conference play, but IU coach Tom Crean’s squad received a good taste of what it will be facing during the rest of the season.
The Hoosiers led Illinois by 13 at half, but the Illini, led by center Mike Tisdale's 27 points and 9 rebounds, took the game.
The Hoosiers will face the Illini in a Big Ten contest tonight at 8 p.m. in Assembly Hall.
After the way IU played against Ohio State on Wednesday, it had to feel good to return home.
After IU’s 79-54 loss against Ohio State, IU coach Tom Crean called it “a learning development.”
Ohio State coach Thad Matta took a timeout 47 seconds in the first half, after junior guard Jeremiah Rivers’ dunk.The 30-second speech worked.The Buckeyes went on an early 29-6 run and IU shot 30 percent from the field in the first half. In the end, the Hoosiers fell 79-54 in their Big Ten road opener.
Simply put, the IU men’s basketball team’s first Big Ten road game couldn’t have gone any worse. Aside from a 14-for-17 effort from the free throw line and a game-high 22 points from sophomore guard Verdell Jones, it’s hard to pinpoint anything else that went right for the Hoosiers.
Crean: “We were not aggressive enough on either end of the court, and we played like a team in its first road game and that’s disappointing.”
There were plenty of questions surrounding the health of Ohio State guard Evan Turner, but they were all for naught. He wasn’t needed.Turner began the game with a one-handed dunk, but the score was one of the only 3 points he scored in nine minutes of play in a first half that ended 38-20.More intriguing were the road struggles of IU. They had 14 first half turnovers and shot 6-of-20 from the field.
The Hoosiers face the Buckeyes for their first road Big Ten game this season. Follow live by clicking here.
For a team as young and inexperienced as IU, one building an actual NCAA Tournament resume in only the unlikeliest of scenarios, a win versus a top-level opponent is a win no matter the circumstances.
For the six freshman players on IU’s men’s basketball team, their Wednesday matchup against Ohio State will be a new experience.
The Buckeyes’ top scorer and Player of the Year candidate, Evan Turner, might hit the court for OSU.
