Indiana head coach Archie Miller has repeatedly expressed a desire for a "togetherness" in his team. After the toughest speed bump of the season to date, he found a version of it Saturday in the team's 66-54 win over No. 11 Ohio State.
Trayce Jackson-Davis attempted three field goals Saturday, Indiana shot 55 percent from the free throw line, Ohio State outrebounded Indiana 36-35 and the Buckeyes widely won the second-chance points battle 13-7.
But Indiana won, beating the No. 11 team in the country and the team that, for a large part of the the first half of the season, was thought to be the eventual Big Ten Champion.
It was never going to be a pretty game. Not with the physicality in Ohio State’s DNA and the inconsistency with which Indiana was playing, but, in the blink of an eye, Indiana nearly lost to what is expected to be the most vulnerable Big Ten opponent and three days later, defeated Ohio State.
“When you play against Ohio State, it comes down to one thing – you get manhandled,” Indiana head coach Archie Miller said. “You get manhandled when you play them.”
Ohio State brought it to Indiana. Four Buckeyes reached four fouls, and Luther Muhammed fouled out in 18 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk hit four fouls as well. It was likely the most physical game Indiana will play until it plays the Buckeyes again in conference play.
And the team that played against Northwestern on Wednesday, and also allowed Arkansas to come back and was down by 30 at Maryland shortly before, did not appear to be a team ready for that fight. Forward Kaleb Wesson is on his way to the NBA ranks, and Ohio State has seen its backcourt blow the roofs off of arenas for most of the season.
The Ohio State team that Indiana played Saturday is not the Ohio State team that was ranked No. 2 in the country just three weeks prior. It hasn’t scored more than 60 points in any of its last four games. The Buckeyes are struggling offensively in stifling ways.
The game Saturday – while being a road contest for the Buckeyes – could have been a course correction for Ohio State, but it wasn’t.
“I told the team after Northwestern, I'll play five guys the whole game, it's just got to be the right five,” Miller said about shrinking the rotation. “At some point in time, productivity, attitude, commitment, effort – all those things can't be in question when you're in the game.”
His team responded. Every contributor.
Armaan Franklin and Race Thompson played just 10 minutes between them, but when Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk were at four fouls, De’Ron Davis and Jerome Hunter stood their ground against a strong Ohio State interior for the public’s first view of what Indiana’s strategy will be if its two low-post starters hit foul trouble.
Brunk himself posted what could be considered his most impressive game of the season in battling Wesson down low, allowing just one score from inside the three-point arc all game.
What Miller said he liked the most out of the individuals on his team Saturday was that each found ways to contribute that didn’t involve shooting, which has been a struggle for Indiana in all regards this year. He highlighted Hunter, whom he told to “get out of the way” on offense and focus on defense. Hunter took one shot and made it to the free throw line for six attempts.
For once since the Florida State upset, Indiana showed a version of the togetherness Miller has repeatedly said he would like to see, and when considering the opponent Indiana was playing Saturday, that ‘s the most encouraging sign as the Hoosiers head for the road.
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