Quick Hitters: Takeaways from IU's loss to Florida State
Indiana led for just over five minutes on Wednesday night, yet it still feels like IU let that one slip away in a two-point overtime loss to No. 20 Florida State.
The Hoosiers fall to 3-2 on the young season, with both losses coming at the hands of ranked opponents, albeit much different results.
Through five games, teams start to form a trend. For IU, toughness on the defensive end of the floor is what this team is going to hang its hat on.
Here are the main takeaways from the 69-67 loss to FSU.
Struggle to close: IU was in many one-possession or single-digit games last year and failed to win many of them. Once again, IU led down the stretch but failed to come away with a win in regulation. In OT, the Hoosiers led right off of the bat but failed to keep that lead. It's something that needs to be fixed heading into Big Ten play.
The backcourt needs to step up: It was another inconsistent performance for the IU guards, combining 8-of-29 from the field, seven assists and six turnovers. There were a few times when they stepped up and hit big shots, but it was again a game in which the backcourt failed to make the plays needed to win.
Rebounding... is STILL an issue: Despite being equal with Florida State on the glass, the Hoosiers gave up 19 offensive rebounds. Off of free throws, threes, close by the rim and some just extra hustle plays by FSU. Joey Brunk can't get back quick enough.
Bench production non-existent: IU had 43 bench minutes in the OT loss and the three reserves combined for six points on 2-of-8 shooting. Jerome Hunter hit two 3's in the first half and that was the end of that.
Jackson-Davis is a NPOY candidate: Already a preseason All-American, Trayce Jackson-Davis has shown through five games that he is not only one of the best players in the Big Ten, but the entire country. He is averaging 22.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He had 25 points and 17 rebounds on Wednesday night.
Something has to give with Jerome Hunter: As mentioned above, he had the only bench points for IU last night. He is also known as one of the better shooters on the team. His ability to stretch the floor showed last night in his 16 minutes on the floor. It's his defense, however, that keeps him off of the floor. At some point Archie Miller may have to live with a bit of a drop-off on the defensive end if that means the offense will have an added dimension.
Race Thompson needs more shots: Last night at times the guards forgot about the big men and the best part of the IU offense. Yes, Jackson-Davis got his, but let's not forget the strong start to the season that Race Thompson has had. He is averaging 11.0 points per game on 60.6 percent from the field. He had just five shot attempts last night, however. On the season, he's averaging 6.6 shot attempts per game and I think seeing that closer to 8.0/game would benefit IU a lot more.
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