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Published Jan 26, 2021
Indiana looks to reinvent defensive identity
Alec Lasley  •  Hoosier Huddle
Senior Writer
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@allasley

Indiana had built its identity on the defensive end of the floor throughout the first three and a half years of Archie Miller's tenure.

99.0 (65), 95.4 (32), 92.7 (26) and now 91.9 (26) are Indiana's defensive efficiency numbers and national rank since Archie Miller took over in Bloomington.

While his numbers are very good overall, there is a concerning trend that continues to pop up and that is what the IU defense looks like in Big Ten play.

100.4 (4), 103.6 (9), 102.2 (8) and now 106.2 (9) are the conference only rating and conference rank over the last four seasons.

This year, it is even more evident how the defense has started to fold in games when IU needs it most.

After a terrific defensive performance against Iowa, holding the Hawkeyes without a FG for 11 minutes, it turned around and gave up 75 points and 1.194 points per possession to a Rutgers team on a five-game losing streak which saw five of its six worst offensive rating outings of the season.

"It was an effort thing," IU head coach Archie Miller said. "Part of it was that we had some break downs in terms of communication. Every team is different. It’s not like every team runs the same plays when you are guarding the ball."

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