Published Nov 19, 2021
Miller Kopp's confident jump shot important for Indiana
Alec Lasley  •  Hoosier Huddle
Senior Writer
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Northwestern transfer wing Miller Kopp is still finding his groove with Indiana, but if Wednesday was any indication, he will be a critical piece to the Hoosiers' success moving forward.

Entering the St. John's game, Kopp was just 2-of-9 from the field and 0-of 4 from three in the first two games of the season.

Wednesday, he finished with 12 points with two made 3's. Despite shooting just 4-of-10 overall from the field, he was aggressive in seeking his shot out and did so in the second half when IU needed a spark.

“If I make three in a row, miss three in a row, I’m still gonna shoot the fourth one with the same confidence and the same rhythm," Kopp said. “It felt good to make one and kind of just see it go in, It felt good to help the team out.”

Kopp came to Indiana as a career 35 percent three point shooter and was expecting to add a new shooting dimension that the Hoosiers hadn't had in a few seasons. While Kopp knew that, it was Mike Woodson's desire to bring him in for the other parts in his game that excited Kopp.

"He (Coach Woodson) values shooting big time which is what I do best," Kopp said when he committed to Indiana. "But he’s talked to me about using my versatility to handle the ball and use my IQ to help make plays."

Kopp hit a few jumpers off of the dribble, had three blocks and got to the foul line twice in addition to knocking down two 3's against St. John's. He showcased a nice floater on the right baseline and seemed much more confident about his game.

In his career, though, Kopp has made 124 3's. And regardless of what he does inside the three point line, that shooting touch will be key for IU. That success comes with repetition and practice, so in the games he can take the thinking out of it.

"I just keep doing the same thing. It's continuing the same routine... it is what it is, sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't," Kopp said. "But at the end of the day it's about being consistent and doing the same thing. I know I put the work in and they will fall."

"I'm going to shoot my shots, and I feel like they are going to go in."

With Trayce Jackson-Davis expected to see multiple double-teams and extensive defensive pressure game in and game out, guys like Kopp will need to be ready to shoot when they get a pass from the All-American forward.

"It's the same thing every time. I just go in and don't have to mentally think about anything but just shooting," Kopp added. "My body just does the same thing over and and over and that's what shooting is. So when you go into the game, your brain's out of it and it's just shooting."

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