Analysis: Now that's the Indiana team we thought we would see last week

It’s amazing to me how much things can change in the course of less than a week.

Six days ago, Indiana fans were mourning the performance that Indiana had against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament, a loss that knocked the top-seeded Hoosiers out on the first day, prevented IU from facing Purdue for a second time and likely dropped the Hoosiers a seed line or two in the NCAA Tournament.

After that performance, Indiana fans worried just what team they were going to see in the NCAA Tournament. And I think that was a fair criticism. The Hoosiers didn’t look anything last Friday like they had looked for the majority of January and February this season.

Fast forward to Thursday night and the 99-74 beating that Indiana put on Chattanooga, a team that had won 29 games and beaten a few decent teams along the way. But Indiana was great at times Thursday night. It played with passion, it played with energy and it was the Indiana team that Hoosier fans had hoped they were going to see last weekend in Indianapolis playing out before their eyes.

Chattanooga coach Matt McCall placed heavy praise on the Hoosiers after the game almost prophesizing that he expects IU to move to the Sweet Sixteen and beyond.

“We just ran into, by far, hands down, the best team that we've played all year,’’ McCall said. “No question the most talented team we've played all year and all the credit goes to Coach Crean and Indiana on how well they played tonight.’’

McCall said the Mocs had no answer for what IU was doing offensively.

“We had some chances I thought we could cut into the lead,’’ McCall said. “We got it down to 13 and 12 and they always seemed to have an answer and that's by far the best team that we've faced all year and we've played some really, really good ones. So give Coach Crean and Indiana credit as far as how they played and prepared and came into this game. There is no question that I think they're going to make a really deep run into this thing with how talented with the ball, and Yogi Ferrell did an unbelievable job controlling the game. And that's why he is one of the best point guards in the country.

“So give Indiana credit the year they had. It's no question they won the Big Ten for a reason because of how good they are and I could see those guys making a deep run into this thing so give them credit.’’

There were a few statistics that jumped off the page in the box score for me in this one:

****Yogi Ferrell had his FIRST CAREER DOUBLE DOUBLE with 20 points and 10 assists. Let that one sink in for a second. His first career double-double. He had two previous double digit assist games in those games had seven and nine points.

****OG Anunoby was spectacular. He had a 360 dunk early and then that last one was just sick. He made a move into the lane and then just found a way to elevate and throw down a reverse jam. He finished with 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting from the field.

****The Hoosiers shot 60.7 percent from the field in the first half and then decided that wasn’t good enough and hit 69 percent in the second half (20 of 29 field goals). They finished at 37 of 57, 64.9 percent.

****Indiana had 23 assists on 37 baskets.

****The Hoosiers made 10 of 16 3-pointers.

****Robert Johnson looked really good in his first game back. He made all three of his field goal attempts including a 3-pointer. He had seven points and six assists and no turnovers. He also had a blocked shot. In fact, he did a really nice job on the defensive end in particular.

But this wasn’t one outstanding performance over another. This was a nine-man, team victory by an Indiana basketball team absolutely needed the kind of performance it exhibited Thursday night.

If IU plays like this on Saturday, Matt McCall’s prediction could quite possibly come true.