Archie Miller ready for schedule that could be 'toughest in entire country'
Indiana hasn't played five-on-five basketball since March 11 at the Big Ten Tournament following its win over Nebraska. Now, with just a little over a month until the 2020-21 campaign begins, the Hoosiers look to regain the stride they had at the end of last year.
With full preseason practice beginning on Wednesday, Indiana will not only need to be ready right away, but rarely take its foot off of the gas pedal throughout the season.
Earlier this fall, the NCAA approved a new schedule which allows for programs to play 27 games, less than the 32 games from the previous games. Now the season beginning on Nov 25, IU will not only have the brunt of the Big Ten slate, but also a non-conference schedule that will be near the top of the country in terms of difficulty.
"It's going to shake out to be the toughest schedule, maybe in the country," Archie Miller told Don Fisher last week. "With the games that were cut, due to the change of dates with the contractual obligated events that were in Maui coming up on this season, it just gives us very little room for for in all reality any games other than major, major opponents."
With the Maui Invitational bracket set up for Indiana to play Providence in the first round, either Texas or Davidson in the second round and the potential to face off against North Carolina in the Championship, if both teams get there, that schedule in itself is difficult enough. Now, add to that the Crossroads Classic where Indiana is expected to face off against Butler and then the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, an opponent yet to be named. That has IU slated to play possibly five high-major programs before the full Big Ten season starts.
"I think that we're gonna brace ourselves as we get ready to start, we have to be ready," Miller added. "But I like this group's mentality. I like their approach, even from the end of the season through the summer."
Part of Archie Miller's excitement for this season and a reason why he's embracing this schedule is due to the leadership and experience of this IU team.
"Younger guys are getting older, so you see there's some development from year to year. You have a lot of buy in by now because guys that obviously are here with us came for this for this reason," Miller said. "The biggest thing I think is (our) big game experience."
With a moving schedule, still yet to be fully set in stone, games against NJIT, Nebraska-Omaha and Robert Morris are still up in the air whether or not they will be added to the schedule. As for the Gavitt Games, the annual Big Ten/Big East challenge will not take place this season.
So, while Indiana could, in fact, hold the toughest schedule in college basketball this season, going up against the Big Ten year-after-year has them ready for the challenge. That, and a terrific mindset from not only the coaches, but the players too.
"They want to win, and they want to win even in our workouts as much as we've tried to put them to the test," Miller noted. "They are tough minded right now and they are going to have to be for this season.
"Worry about what you can control and don't worry about anything else."
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