Published Nov 10, 2022
Kopp's scorching start to 2022 shows promise of IU's full potential
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Mason Williams  •  Hoosier Huddle
Senior Writer
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Indiana basketball's 2021 campaign was characterized by a lot of things. There was the defense, a staple of any Mike Woodson-led group. It was up and down, featuring the high highs of defeating Purdue at home and the magical Big Ten tournament run and the low lows of failing to close out multiple outings on the road, ultimately squandering opportunities to improve upon their record.

One of the few constants however? Indiana's struggles to shoot the ball from the outside.

They brought in transfers. They worked open shots, so much so that they were one of the nation's best at creating good looks from beyond the arc. It was a point of emphasis all season long, but for whatever reason nothing they did seemed to work.

Miller Kopp was one of those players that was tabbed to be responsible for the supposed jump forward in shooting and productivity from the outside. Yet, for most of the season, Kopp's game came through in flashes but lacked consistency. The Northwestern transfer struggled to adjust and get comfortable in Bloomington and in Woodson's offense.

Although it's early, Kopp's 2022 campaign is off to a much different start. If his play continues at the level it's at right now, Miller could be a driving force for what would be a very formidable Indiana squad this season.

"Well, he's making shots,” Woodson said during his Wednesday afternoon press conference. “He hasn't taken a lot of them, but the shots that he's taken, he’s made.”

“That's just all the work that he's put in this summer leading up to this point. I mean, Miller works; that's what he does in the gym. He comes early, stays late. I'm expecting him, when he's got shots, he's going to knock them down. That's kind of how I feel."

Kopp finished his outing on Thursday night with 12 points on 4-7 shooting, but all of his points came on his 66 percent shooting from beyond the arc. There was zero hesitation in his shot tonight, finding his looks early and often throughout the Hoosiers' 101-49 rout of Bethune Cookman, Including exhibitions. Due to the nature of the contest, Kopp and the starters weren't required to play a lot in order to put away the visiting Wildcats. Yet, Kopp's 18 minutes on the floor netted some of the most fun, flowing basketball we saw all evening.

"He's been making them in practice, so I'm not surprised he's making them in a game," Woodson said Thursday night. "He's in a good space mentally-wise, and it's kind of nice to see him knocking them down because it helps us."

Kopp shot the ball with confidence, utilizing his game to create space for himself -- and when the defense finally honed in on him individually -- others too. He was effective off the dribble, filled lanes nicely in transition to find his spot, and was a machine in the catch-and-shoot department. The concept of shooting the ball freely when presented the opportunity to do so, especially in years past, is one that the Hoosiers have struggled to fully grasp and embrace.

Now, as Kopp and his cohorts have shown so far, the mentality is different.

"I think just shooting the ball with confidence is a big thing for us because we know we've got guys that can make shots," said Trey Galloway following Thursday night's game.

That's the key.

Indiana has had guys in the past that can make shots, but it's either been too late in the year before they noticed it, or they just didn't shoot it at an efficient enough clip. This year, they've got a punch from the perimeter and no one knows it better than they do.

In fairness, the offense is better suited for a shooter like Kopp this season as well. In theory, last season appeared to be set up nicely for him and Parker Stewart both, surrounding Xavier Johnson with shooters he could kick to if the drive wasn't there. What resulted, however, was a variance of clunky misses and offensive inefficiency that saw Indiana pigeon-holed into a certain brand of offense that very rarely produced high-scoring outputs, caused by an unhealthy reliance on Trayce Jackson-Davis.

While nothing was ever made public about a comfort issue with Kopp and his fit in the offense, it was evident that his struggles from a season ago wore on him as the season went on. His flashes of brilliance faded, becoming fewer and further between, and it seemed as if the pressure only grew on him.

This year, with two guards on the floor for almost every scenario that guys like Kopp see the floor, opportunities on the offensive end of the floor are abundant. Johnson and Jalen Hood-Schifino are still working to figure out how their play styles mesh on the court, but so far, the Hoosiers have seen more flow, more efficiency, and more shots go down form the outside.

It's no secret that a well-constructed roster makes everyone better. It's partially why Kopp is reaping the benefits this season.

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However, Kopp's bounce back -- and possible leap forward -- isn't just a system that anybody can be plugged into and succeed in. Kopp took it upon himself to make this summer one that was full of work aimed toward being the best version of himself that he could. Yet, with the struggles of last season still fresh on his mind, Kopp also found value in things away from the basketball court to help clear his slate heading into 2022.

So, what exactly did that entail?

"I did a lot of work on my golf swing this summer and tried to get outside and get tan a lot," Kopp said Thursday night. "So mentally I think that helped, and I think, if you look at the best basketball players, they all -- Michael Jordan, Steph Curry -- they all are great golfers too."

Kopp's offseason work has him finally seeing the fruits of his labor as his game has progressed, whether that work came on the basketball court, fairways, or sandy shores of a body of water. He's playing in rhythm and is a threat each time the ball is in his hand. He's showing glimpses of the shooter that Indiana has always desperately needed, and more importantly, the one he was brought in to be when he arrived from a rival school in conference.

"I think for me this summer was a big focus," Kopp said. "Obviously you always want to shoot better. You can always dribble better. You can always just be better. Going into the off-season was big for me, just focusing on getting reps and mentally being cognitive of how big shooting is mentally, I guess."

It's early on, and Indiana's two victories have been over teams that Indiana is more than just a little bit better than. Make no mistake about it, though, this Hoosier team is much different than the ones many Indiana fans have become accustomed to.

They're fun and they fly all over the court. They have bounds of chemistry, two solid units, and a stable of players who know, understand, and completely shine in their role. They play like they're better than their opposition, and they're going to make sure that you know it, too. Long story short, they play with copious amounts of panache.

The shooting element may be the final piece they need to make the long-awaited run Indiana fans have dreamt of for years. As they've seen countless teams come and go, saying, "What could've been" if they just had a shooter or two that was consistent from the outside, the early reports show that the Hoosiers may finally have something of a rebuttal back.

If Miller Kopp continues to play at this level, the country should be on notice.

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