Indiana head coach has been confident in the fact that all 11 scholarship players on the 2019-20 roster can contribute to the team on a game-by-game basis this season, and against Western Illinois in the season-opener, no player proved otherwise.
Indiana’s 98-65 win against Western Illinois to open its season Tuesday played out the way it was expected to play out, and the way it should have played out, against a team that was rated No. 295 in the nation by KenPom.com coming into the season.
The Hoosiers entered with as many question marks as it’s had entering any season during the Archie Miller Era, and while strength of the competition lends itself toward strengthening any weaknesses Indiana might have, many concerns – particularly on offense – have temporarily been tamed.
There were flashes of positive potential and also flashes of vulnerability, but the message Miller has stressed for the last month – the depth, how all 11 scholarship players can play – was confirmed Tuesday.
“We're off and running here,” Miller said after the game. “We played a lot of guys, which was good to see. And as we get a little bit more healthy and get Devonte (Green) back – I think everyone can tell that there's not a guy that doesn't belong out there.”
After the exhibition game, Miller said he had a moment where he looked on the floor and noticed the new faces from last season to this season are have become relied upon – faces like Jerome Hunter, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Armaan Franklin and Joey Brunk. All three newcomers, because of Devonte Green’s injury, were in the starting lineup against Western Illinois.
With concerns surrounding the injuries in the back court, Rob Phinisee and Al Durham had not played together on the floor before Tuesday, as Phinisee sat out most of October with a lower abdomen injury. But both guards cleared double-digit scoring and combined for a 6-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio as well as 13-for-17 shooting.
While Justin Smith, who scored a game-high 24 points, appeared to be comfortable within his new role at the three on offense and defense, and other experienced players, like Joey Brunk, seemed reliable, the younger players with questions about how much they can contribute – Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jerome Hunter, Armaan Franklin, Race Thompson – seemed to have an understanding of their roles and flashed potential at times.
Jackson-Davis had a couple big blocks at the rim and was poised in the post on offense. Franklin worked in 27 minutes next to Durham and Phinisee as the primary off-ball guard and recorded eight assists with no turnovers. Thompson showed an ability to work with strength and finesse inside, while Hunter hit 2-of-5 shots and showed his athleticism on defense.
With every passing minute, there was a milestone that a new Hoosier hit – the first check-in for Hunter, the first buckets at Indiana for Franklin, Jackson-Davis and Brunk, the first block for Jackson-Davis. There was more than enough inexperience on the floor for Miller and his team.
“They just got to get more experience,” Miller said about the young players. “They’ve got to get more game experience, more toughness into what they're doing.”
Defense is where Miller believes the team has the most to improve, he said. Even though Indiana out-rebounded Western Illinois, 47-28, and Western Illinois only shot 34 percent, there were still moments where the defense broke down or players were out of position and a more talented team would have taken advantage.
Miller has emphasized allowing the defense to feed the offense, and, as a whole, Indiana was able to do that, scoring 20 points off turnovers and 31 points in transition, and Indiana fast-tracked its way to a big lead with an 18-2 run in the first half. But before the run, Western Illinois was able to find lanes – and knock down a couple three-point shots – to gain a small and short-lived lead on the Hoosiers.
“We weren't applying any heat defensively there in the first six to eight minutes,” Miller said. “It was very methodical, and they were able to do what they wanted. We started to challenge some passing lanes, we were able to get some deflections, we got out in transition and got a cushion.”
On that run, Miller said it was the quickness in the lineup that allowed the Hoosiers to pull away – having players like Smith and Jackson-Davis who could run the floor. Indiana was able to show a lot of different looks Tuesday, and in the first half, like Miller said Monday, there were a lot of players getting into the game. Within the first eight minutes, every scholarship player had seen the floor.
But that’s been the goal for Miller all along, getting all of his scholarship players involved, because he believes they all can play, and none of them proved otherwise Tuesday. That’s that could have been asked of them.
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