hmhernan

All week around campus, there was a buzz about Thursday night’s game. Would IU pull off the upset? Would it get demolished on its home court? I have to admit, I was nervous to see which IU team would show up. But nevertheless, IU would get a chance to play a top-five team, at home and in front of a national audience. The energy, the stage and the opportunities cannot be matched anywhere else. The fans played a big part of it and once that energy gets rolling, there is no slowing down, Niego said. Niego only had two points in seven minutes, but it’s guys like him that gave the Hoosiers the depth to rally back against Iowa. Despite a 16-point lead in the first half, IU ended up trailing by 4 points in the second half. But that’s where the bench came in. IU had 28 bench points, while Iowa had 0. Nick Zeisloft, Max Bielfeldt, OG Anunoby, Juwan Morgan and Niego all played, and all scored for the Hoosiers. With Yogi Ferrell struggling to make shots, Thomas Bryant in foul trouble and yet another unpredictable and unreliable performance from Troy Williams, the IU bench is what keeps this team grounded. Coach Tom Crean admits Ferrell plays too many minutes. Crean also admits that it is his fault. Niego is good, but he’s still young. He doesn’t have the confidence and experience yet to give him more playing time. It’s obvious for one to see Niego is overthinking things out on the court, passing up opportunities to score. He still looks timid. “Sometimes Niego is his own worst enemy and we just wanted him to play fast,” Crean said. “I wouldn't say reckless, but try to play fast and be really, really cognizant of moving the ball to people and be confident that he's out there and not worry about who he's matched up with, just do his best job.” I’ll admit I was really worried for this year when news got out James Blackmon Jr. would be out for the season. But the problem now seems to be that the Hoosiers have too many guys who can fill Blackmon’s spot. Other freshmen like Anunoby and Morgan play more than Niego because they are bigger and they have more versatility, but that isn’t to go against Niego and say that he’s not capable. “[Niego] is tough,” Crean said. “He's a tough, young guy. And he's got to play more. I mean, it's been me, not him. I’ve just been playing those other guys more. But we have to have another guy that can handle the ball. And I was really proud of the way he played.” Niego’s only points, and only shot, came with about 9 minutes left in the second half off of a baseline jumper to decrease Iowa’s lead to two. He’s a good shooter, but he still remains just a little too shy on offense. However, I’d rather have him be too timid than be too out-of-control. As we’ve seen with Williams, it is not a good habit to have too much confidence and the mindset that one can do no wrong. It seems as though all Niego needs is a little encouragement to spark his attack on offense. He plays the best when he trusts his instinct. “Yogi is a great leader, he always tells me to be aggressive and look for my shot,” Niego said. “But when these guys instill confidence in me like they always do, it's real easy just to kind of revert back and knock down a shot or two to help us. IU really showed its depth on Thursday night and they proved again, that Assembly Hall is a tough place to play if you’re the visiting team. Sure, Ferrell, Williams, Robert Johnson and those guys get some of the credit, but without IU’s bench, these wins wouldn’t be happening. This wasn’t the first big victory for IU this season, and I definitely don’t think it will be the last. IU has balance in its lineup and that will come to make a big difference down the stretch. The fact that so many guys can contribute makes this win nothing less but a team effort. It wasn’t an easy victory for IU, but it was a meaningful one. Despite talk of the ‘easy schedule,’ the Hoosiers have earned their wins. And at this point in the season, I’ll take a win, no matter how they come.

IU did what it is known to do in Assembly Hall, knock off ranked opponents. The Hoosiers took down No. 4 Iowa 85-78 on Thursday night and it is games like this, which convinced freshman walk-on Harrison Niego to pass up scholarship offers and choose to come play for IU. All week around campus, there was a buzz about Thursday night’s game. Would IU pull off the upset? Would it get demolished on its home court? I have to admit, I was nervous to see which IU team would show up. But nevertheless, IU would get a chance to play a top-five team, at home and in front of a national audience.   The energy, the stage and the opportunities cannot be matched anywhere else. The fans played a big part of it and once that energy gets rolling, there is no slowing down, Niego said.   Niego only had two points in seven minutes, but it’s guys like him that gave the Hoosiers the depth to rally back against Iowa. Despite a 16-point lead in the first half, IU ended up trailing by 4 points in the second half. But that’s where the bench came in. IU had 28 bench points, while Iowa had 0.   Nick Zeisloft, Max Bielfeldt, OG Anunoby, Juwan Morgan and Niego all played, and all scored for the Hoosiers. With Yogi Ferrell struggling to make shots, Thomas Bryant in foul trouble and yet another unpredictable and unreliable performance from Troy Williams, the IU bench is what keeps this team grounded.   Coach Tom Crean admits Ferrell plays too many minutes. Crean also admits that it is his fault. Niego is good, but he’s still young. He doesn’t have the confidence and experience yet to give him more playing time.   It’s obvious for one to see Niego is overthinking things out on the court, passing up opportunities to score. He still looks timid.   “Sometimes Niego is his own worst enemy and we just wanted him to play fast,” Crean said. “I wouldn't say reckless, but try to play fast and be really, really cognizant of moving the ball to people and be confident that he's out there and not worry about who he's matched up with, just do his best job.”   I’ll admit I was really worried for this year when news got out James Blackmon Jr. would be out for the season. But the problem now seems to be that the Hoosiers have too many guys who can fill Blackmon’s spot.   Other freshmen like Anunoby and Morgan play more than Niego because they are bigger and they have more versatility, but that isn’t to go against Niego and say that he’s not capable.   “[Niego] is tough,” Crean said. “He's a tough, young guy. And he's got to play more. I mean, it's been me, not him. I’ve just been playing those other guys more. But we have to have another guy that can handle the ball. And I was really proud of the way he played.”   Niego’s only points, and only shot, came with about 9 minutes left in the second half off of a baseline jumper to decrease Iowa’s lead to two. He’s a good shooter, but he still remains just a little too shy on offense.   However, I’d rather have him be too timid than be too out-of-control. As we’ve seen with Williams, it is not a good habit to have too much confidence and the mindset that one can do no wrong.   It seems as though all Niego needs is a little encouragement to spark his attack on offense. He plays the best when he trusts his instinct.   “Yogi is a great leader, he always tells me to be aggressive and look for my shot,” Niego said. “But when these guys instill confidence in me like they always do, it's real easy just to kind of revert back and knock down a shot or two to help us.   IU really showed its depth on Thursday night and they proved again, that Assembly Hall is a tough place to play if you’re the visiting team. Sure, Ferrell, Williams, Robert Johnson and those guys get some of the credit, but without IU’s bench, these wins wouldn’t be happening.   This wasn’t the first big victory for IU this season, and I definitely don’t think it will be the last. IU has balance in its lineup and that will come to make a big difference down the stretch. The fact that so many guys can contribute makes this win nothing less but a team effort.   It wasn’t an easy victory for IU, but it was a meaningful one. Despite talk of the ‘easy schedule,’ the Hoosiers have earned their wins. And at this point in the season, I’ll take a win, no matter how they come. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/basketball/harrison-niego-continues-to-add-depth-to-iu-r310]Click here to view the article[/url]

Although it is a small role right now, I agree I think he's done a good job with the experience and ability he has right now. At the beginning of the season, I didn't think we would be seeing as much as Niego as we have been lately.

I agree. I don't think Yogi is necessarily in a "slump" of any sorts, but it is nice for Yogi to have the chance to come out of the game, take a breather, and see the game from the event for another perspective. When Yogi comes out of the game, he usually catches on to what needs to be fixed pretty quickly. I think this helps IU makes in-game changes without getting too far off track as well. 

  I never expected him to have the impact or playing time that he has seen so far this season. I don't think Niego even expected it for himself. It's more of a pleasant surprise to most people to see him have some potential as a walk-on. But don't get me wrong, I think he definitely has a lot of room to grow and improve as well.     

Thank you, I appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!

The Hoosier came to play, but will have to bring their own energy when playing Iowa on the road. That will be a true test and even when down 16, we've already seen Iowa doesn't give up.

It was a big, Big Ten road win and I think the Hoosiers will look back at this one on selection Sunday as a turning point in the season. This could be the game that allowed IU to silence its doubters, proving it can handle whatever the conference throws its way. Finally fans agree on something, this IU team is a lot more fun to watch than the beginning of the season foreshadowed. Yes, Yogi Ferrell had 17 points and Robert Johnson had 16 to lead the way for the Hoosiers. But it has been the fact that they are getting everyone to contribute that is making a difference. At this point, Ferrell, Johnson and Troy Williams leading in the box score is not a surprise, it is an expectation. In my opinion, a more important stat from Tuesday night is that freshman OG Anunoby had 11 of the team’s 26 bench points. Getting guys to contribute all around is making IU a much stronger team with depth on offense and yes, finally on defense. They have found ways to pick up the slack when the starters are in foul trouble or having an off night. Senior transfer Max Bielfeldt admitted it was a little weird walking into the visitor’s locker room at the Crisler Center. It was a unique situation nonetheless, for him to travel back to Ann Arbor, this time wearing cream and crimson. But what was even more unique on Tuesday night was IU’s 25-0 run to close out the first half. This gave the Hoosiers a 21-point advantage going into halftime. A 25-0 run like that is almost unheard of in the Big Ten, but with IU’s ability on offense, I honestly I can’t say I’m too surprised. “We played an incredible team game together,” Bielfeldt said. “Everyone brought something different and it was so much fun to be out there. The energy was great.” The players admitted they had no idea at the time they were on that sort of a run. After starting off trailing 15-4, I have to admit I was a little nervous. But coach Tom Crean said there was no sense of panic. I think this is one way IU has grown over the course of this season. Earlier on, once things started to fall apart, it was hard for IU to get back on track. We saw it in Maui, we saw it at Duke and we almost saw it at home against Minnesota. But lately, IU has shown it’s able to adapt and make changes during in-game situations, and it has proved to work well. That 25-0 run eventually led to an 80-67 win for the Hoosiers, who are now 9-1 in the conference. They have proved time and time again, that once they get going, they are not slowing down. Michigan stood no chance when IU’s offense caught fire, as we have seen many times already. “The defense generates the offense,” Johnson said. “Everyone was in there playing with energy and it translated into the offense side and everyone got a part of the run.” Yes, one can argue that Yogi carries this team, but now he has guys who can back him up. The Hoosiers have realized the importance of defense, and I could not be happier. It has worked wonders for them in conference play and helped them to gain more confidence on both ends. Even watching from home, you could definitely feel the energy during that 25-0 run, and during the course of the game. It’s clear to see the players are focusing on each other and getting better everyday. “We know how good we can be and we really trust each other,” Anunoby said. “My teammates and coaches give me a lot of confidence.” IU looks smooth on the court, in sync, and locked in. And that’s one thing that the Hoosiers have on their side right now, confidence. After that 25-0 run, Crean said his team was just getting started. But after their 19th overall win, I think the Hoosiers are just getting started at what is shaping up to be a successful, yet exciting season to watch.

I love the fact that the players are beginning to acknowledge this ^. They aren't playing selfish basketball anymore, and look where it's got them. 

IU led by 27 at one point in the second half, giving Michigan its largest deficit of the season. To say the Hoosiers made a statement on Tuesday night would be almost an understatement. Here’s my latest story on how IU has managed to turn itself around from a team that embarrassed itself at Duke, to a team that is now a legitimate contender for the Big Ten title. It was a big, Big Ten road win and I think the Hoosiers will look back at this one on selection Sunday as a turning point in the season. This could be the game that allowed IU to silence its doubters, proving it can handle whatever the conference throws its way.   Finally fans agree on something, this IU team is a lot more fun to watch than the beginning of the season foreshadowed.   Yes, Yogi Ferrell had 17 points and Robert Johnson had 16 to lead the way for the Hoosiers. But it has been the fact that they are getting everyone to contribute that is making a difference. At this point, Ferrell, Johnson and Troy Williams leading in the box score is not a surprise, it is an expectation.   In my opinion, a more important stat from Tuesday night is that freshman OG Anunoby had 11 of the team’s 26 bench points. Getting guys to contribute all around is making IU a much stronger team with depth on offense and yes, finally on defense. They have found ways to pick up the slack when the starters are in foul trouble or having an off night.   Senior transfer Max Bielfeldt admitted it was a little weird walking into the visitor’s locker room at the Crisler Center. It was a unique situation nonetheless, for him to travel back to Ann Arbor, this time wearing cream and crimson.   But what was even more unique on Tuesday night was IU’s 25-0 run to close out the first half. This gave the Hoosiers a 21-point advantage going into halftime.   A 25-0 run like that is almost unheard of in the Big Ten, but with IU’s ability on offense, I honestly I can’t say I’m too surprised.   “We played an incredible team game together,” Bielfeldt said. “Everyone brought something different and it was so much fun to be out there. The energy was great.”   The players admitted they had no idea at the time they were on that sort of a run. After starting off trailing 15-4, I have to admit I was a little nervous.   But coach Tom Crean said there was no sense of panic.   I think this is one way IU has grown over the course of this season. Earlier on, once things started to fall apart, it was hard for IU to get back on track. We saw it in Maui, we saw it at Duke and we almost saw it at home against Minnesota.   But lately, IU has shown it’s able to adapt and make changes during in-game situations, and it has proved to work well.   That 25-0 run eventually led to an 80-67 win for the Hoosiers, who are now 9-1 in the conference.   They have proved time and time again, that once they get going, they are not slowing down. Michigan stood no chance when IU’s offense caught fire, as we have seen many times already.   “The defense generates the offense,” Johnson said. “Everyone was in there playing with energy and it translated into the offense side and everyone got a part of the run.”   Yes, one can argue that Yogi carries this team, but now he has guys who can back him up.   The Hoosiers have realized the importance of defense, and I could not be happier. It has worked wonders for them in conference play and helped them to gain more confidence on both ends.   Even watching from home, you could definitely feel the energy during that 25-0 run, and during the course of the game. It’s clear to see the players are focusing on each other and getting better everyday.   “We know how good we can be and we really trust each other,” Anunoby said. “My teammates and coaches give me a lot of confidence.”   IU looks smooth on the court, in sync, and locked in. And that’s one thing that the Hoosiers have on their side right now, confidence.   After that 25-0 run, Crean said his team was just getting started. But after their 19th overall win, I think the Hoosiers are just getting started at what is shaping up to be a successful, yet exciting season to watch. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/basketball/column-iu-continues-to-grow-against-michigan-r305]Click here to view the article[/url]

I agree with you. Williams has his moments of highlight reel, but he hasn't been able match the defense that OG brings. With IU's talent, offense can be replaced pretty quickly, as we've seen in the case with Blackmon. Defense is what counts.   Williams, and even the whole team, could learn from OG. 

He still has a lot to learn, but I think Bryant has come a long way since beginning his freshman year. They all have. Part of that comes from the leadership with Yogi and guys taking responsibility. I really like that OG and Juwan Morgan are getting deserved time because they have proven they know how to defend. 

On a team with this much dominance offensively, it's nice to see they haven't gotten selfish. I agree, defense and fundamental improvements have been crucial so far.  

Thanks for reading. Although this season was a little bit of a rough start, I agree with you- I think they are definitely on the right track. 

He certainly has made a lot of change and improvements this year, and I think this team is one that really wants to grow, learn and continue to improve. It's not the same situation when they make mistakes anymore. Now, Crean takes them out of the game pretty quickly and you'll see Crean or someone else jumping on them right away to fix the problem. It's hard for a coach to teach guys who don't have any desire to learn. Thankfully, this team doesn't seem to have this problem, they all look pretty coachable. 

Thank you for reading! I think the timeouts have been huge. It's not something Crean typically did much in the past, and I've heard him mention Yogi has taken the lead in huddles, too. The whole team is showing they can make improvements, and that they WANT to make improvements. With new guys like OG, Max Bielfeldt, and Juwan Morgan making some impact, that new energy has been huge for them. 

Thanks for reading!! After the OT loss at Wisconsin, I'm glad this team was able to get back on the road and start off February with a win like this.

Anunoby doesn’t necessarily always look like a key player in the box scores, but no doubt, he is making a difference for the Hoosiers. It is no accident they have won their last three home games by more than 25 points. On Saturday against Northwestern, Anunoby finished with three points, three rebounds, two assists and one block in 12 minutes. But he’s the kind of player that can be defined as being at the right place at the right time. He’s versatile, but quiet. Yet he does the little things right, and the little things go a long way. “We're starting to expect a lot more out of him,” coach Tom Crean said. “We're as nit-picky with him as we are with the older guys because he's capable. He's smart. His energy is a little mysterious sometimes because he doesn't always talk and he's not as vocal as he needs to be, though he's playing hard. We need more of that from him.” Anunoby is averaging 14.2 minutes per game since it was announced Blackmon would miss the remainder of the season with another knee injury. In Big Ten games, the forward now averages 7.3 points per game, compared to 2 points per game before Blackmon was sidelined. It seems Anunoby has it all, with the ability to show a good performance on both ends of the court. In a time where IU was looking for guys to play defense, Anunoby took the opportunity. But now, he has shown some offensive capabilities that will likely make him one of the most important pieces off the IU bench. “He can shoot the ball, but he's on the court because he can defend numerous people, and you can do a lot of different things with him,” Crean said. “When he's aggressive to the glass and aggressive defensively he can split out and challenge shots and keep the dribble in front of you, he's really, really important to have on the floor.” When a guy like Blackmon goes down, Anunoby had to make the choice pretty quickly to fill the position. Seniors like Yogi Ferrell note Anunoby’s importance, even if Anunoby doesn’t exactly realize it yet. “I think OG's awareness has gone up tremendously,” Ferrell said. “Being aware of what you need to do offensively and what you need to do defensively. I think that's sky rocketed for OG. Definitely was a quicker turnaround than I think people thought.” Simply stated, IU was presented with a challenge to fill Blackmon’s role, and Anunoby stepped up to that challenge. If IU wants to keep winning, it is going to have to continue to look to guys like Anunoby to fill in the missing pieces. In his first few games, Anunoby was given some chance to get comfortable on the floor and figure out what he needs to improve. Without Blackmon, Anunoby has gotten a chance to really expand his abilities and show the team what he can really do. “A guy with a 7'6" wing span can jump out the gym,” Ferrell said. “We saw his potential being as high as it can be. And I feel like O.G. has definitely stepped up in that way for us.” Anunoby has come a long way so far this season, and one thing to remember, the season for IU is only half way over.

When word got out that James Blackmon Jr. would be out for the season, it seemed fitting for Indiana basketball, and its fans, to begin to panic. But with the absence of their leading scorer, the Hoosiers have managed to find strength in numbers through their starters and off their bench. Freshman OG Anunoby has become a replacement for Blackmon, and so far through the Big Ten season, he has done his job well. Anunoby doesn’t necessarily always look like a key player in the box scores, but no doubt, he is making a difference for the Hoosiers. It is no accident they have won their last three home games by more than 25 points.   On Saturday against Northwestern, Anunoby finished with three points, three rebounds, two assists and one block in 12 minutes. But he’s the kind of player that can be defined as being at the right place at the right time.   He’s versatile, but quiet. Yet he does the little things right, and the little things go a long way.   “We're starting to expect a lot more out of him,” coach Tom Crean said. “We're as nit-picky with him as we are with the older guys because he's capable. He's smart. His energy is a little mysterious sometimes because he doesn't always talk and he's not as vocal as he needs to be, though he's playing hard. We need more of that from him.”   Anunoby is averaging 14.2 minutes per game since it was announced Blackmon would miss the remainder of the season with another knee injury.   In Big Ten games, the forward now averages 7.3 points per game, compared to 2 points per game before Blackmon was sidelined. It seems Anunoby has it all, with the ability to show a good performance on both ends of the court.   In a time where IU was looking for guys to play defense, Anunoby took the opportunity. But now, he has shown some offensive capabilities that will likely make him one of the most important pieces off the IU bench.   “He can shoot the ball, but he's on the court because he can defend numerous people, and you can do a lot of different things with him,” Crean said. “When he's aggressive to the glass and aggressive defensively he can split out and challenge shots and keep the dribble in front of you, he's really, really important to have on the floor.”   When a guy like Blackmon goes down, Anunoby had to make the choice pretty quickly to fill the position. Seniors like Yogi Ferrell note Anunoby’s importance, even if Anunoby doesn’t exactly realize it yet.   “I think OG's awareness has gone up tremendously,” Ferrell said. “Being aware of what you need to do offensively and what you need to do defensively. I think that's sky rocketed for OG. Definitely was a quicker turnaround than I think people thought.”   Simply stated, IU was presented with a challenge to fill Blackmon’s role, and Anunoby stepped up to that challenge. If IU wants to keep winning, it is going to have to continue to look to guys like Anunoby to fill in the missing pieces.   In his first few games, Anunoby was given some chance to get comfortable on the floor and figure out what he needs to improve. Without Blackmon, Anunoby has gotten a chance to really expand his abilities and show the team what he can really do.   “A guy with a 7'6" wing span can jump out the gym,” Ferrell said. “We saw his potential being as high as it can be. And I feel like O.G. has definitely stepped up in that way for us.”   Anunoby has come a long way so far this season, and one thing to remember, the season for IU is only half way over. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/basketball/iu-finds-missing-piece-with-og-anunoby-r300]Click here to view the article[/url]

Anunoby certainly hasn't been a disappointment for me to watch. Seeing how far he's come, in just a month, shows he definitely has big things ahead of him.    He has continued to improve from seeing a few minutes in non-conference, to really making an emergence in the Big Ten, and IU still has a lot of game left. I'm excited to see how much he can still improve during the rest of the season this year.  

I think the injury to Blackmon might have been the best thing for Anunoby, to really realize his potential early on.   He's taking advantage of his opportunities right now. Everyone expected Thomas Bryant to come out and be the big man for IU, and I think Anunoby was overlooked at first. 

I agree, with the way the season started, I never thought OG would be averaging 7 points in the Big Ten. It's been fun to see him develop as a player thiis season, so I can only imagine how much he will improve once this season ends.    If Blackmon was never injured, I'm not sure Anunoby gets this much playing time in the Big Ten, but nevertheless, people are starting to realize he has potential and he has been making a difference.

1. Thomas Bryant Bryant had nine points and four rebounds for the Hoosiers on Tuesday night. This wasn’t a particularly standout performance for Bryant, but he had one 3-pointer in the first half and shot 3 of 5 from field goal range. He has continued to make consistent improvement offensively since the beginning of the Big Ten schedule and has shown he can hold his own in the paint. As the season has progressed, it’s not unusual to have a Thomas Bryant dunk featured on the highlight reel for the Hoosiers, but that is frankly what’s expected of him now. He goes up strong and hard and is an essential piece to the IU offense. One problem Bryant still has is that once he is tired, he gives up completely on defense. Guarding a simple pick and roll isn’t one of Bryant’s specialties. One point in particular stood out to me after Bryant made his three, he looked completely exhausted on the court. IU made 19 threes on Tuesday night, which is the reason Bryant was a little quieter than normal. On night’s where IU’s outside shooting is on fire, they don’t necessarily need Bryant as much to contribute down low. However, Bryant proved again he has the ability to dominate in the paint. He can score and get rebounds, which is what the Hoosiers need to be successful down the stretch. No matter if he is a freshman or not, Bryant looks strong and assertive and earns his shots. He doesn’t expect the ball on every play, but if he is open and wants the ball, he is going to let the rest of the IU offense know. If Bryant continues to be able to handle his own against some of the matchup he still has to face in the Big Ten, IU should be feeding him the ball more. Especially on nights where it is struggling from the outside, giving Bryant the ball down low can be an effective way to change the tempo and keep IU in the game. @AssemblyCall tweeted on Tuesday night: “I do look forward to the first foul that Thomas Bryant agrees with … ;-)” And that is also something we’ve come to expect from the freshman. Bryant is known and recognized as an energetic and emotional player and although at times he may be exaggerating or a little out of hand, he hasn’t been penalized for arguing a call yet, so I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. He celebrates on the floor ‘raising the roof’ and on the bench with the ‘bow and arrow,’ and he is just one player who plays with excitement. You have to admit he’s been fun to watch, especially if the Hoosiers continue to play how they are. 2. OG Anunoby Anunoby has been seeing an increase in playing time over the past few games due to James Blackmon Jr. being out from knee surgery. Anunoby had 12 minutes of play against Illinois with nine points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal. He plays with hustle and has shown that he deserves to be a contender for IU’s sixth man. He is the sort of player who has a big impact on the court, even if it is not always represented in the box scores. He does all of the little things right, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time to get a key rebound or steal for the Hoosiers off the bench. Against both Minnesota and Illinois, Anunoby picked up two quick fouls off the bench, which is something he needs to be more careful on if he wants to continue to see increasing minutes. Getting into foul trouble for taking unnecessary risks isn’t a habit I want Anunoby to pick up. Out of IU’s five freshmen, I think it is appropriate to make the case that Anunoby has made the most improvement. He makes the IU bench a lot deeper than I think people realized at first. He is an athletic player that looks consistent and calm on the court, both on offense and defense. Anunoby hasn’t had necessarily a lot of experience at this level of play, but he has shown he can keep his composure in a variety of situations. I don’t see his playing time decreasing anytime soon, especially when he shoots a perfect 4 for 4 from the field and he also made his only 3-point attempt to help IU tie its school record of 18 3-pointers in a game. @IndianaOnBTN tweeted Tuesday night: “Degree of difficulty on the spelling of OG Anunoby’s name: 9.5. Degreee of difficulty on his reverse dunk: 10. WATCH!” After a breakaway pass from Max Bielfeldt, Anunoby finishes with an impressive reverse dunk in the second half to force an Illinois time out and bring Assembly Hall to its feet. Anunoby has become one of my favorite players to watch and I think IU fans are starting to realize now just how good he can really be. 3. Harrison Niego Niego finally got some more playing time for IU and had 10 minutes against Illinois and he made it count. The walk-on freshman finished with the three point shot from the left corner with 51 seconds left in the game to give IU a new school record of 19 3-pointers made in a game, and bring Assembly Hall to its feet yet again. He also had one defensive rebound and two steals. In addition to his offense, Niego sticks out to me in particular for his defense. It seems as though as soon as Niego is in the game, IU’s defense steps up a few notches. @Justin_Albers tweeted: “Harrison Niego can guard. That’s why he’s earning minutes. #iubb” And I agree with that. The Hoosiers struggled on defense early on, but once the Big Ten season started, it looks like they are starting to get things figured out and guys who can play defense, will continue to get more minutes. I don’t expect Niego to have more than 10-12 minutes per game right now, but if he continues to take advantage of his opportunities and continues to improve, he has the potential to be a contender to step up and fill Yogi Ferrell’s shoes next year. 4. Juwan Morgan Morgan had nine minutes against Illinois for one assist, one block and two offensive rebounds. He doesn’t look as confident on the court as the rest of the freshmen, but in his defense, he hasn’t really had much playing time recently. Specific things that stuck out to me in the Illinois game were that Morgan didn’t shoot the ball when he had an opportunity and his defense was still a little sloppy. Right now, it’s clear Morgan still has some things to improve on, and until then, I don’t see him getting an increase in playing time, except in situations when IU has a 30-point lead. 5. Quentin Taylor Taylor, another walk-on finally had two minutes on the court against Illinois and had one defensive rebound and one assist. These were Taylor’s first minutes since Dec. 22, 2015 against Kennesaw State and his first career action in the Big Ten.

1. Thomas Bryant Bryant has show he can hold his own against competition in the Big Ten and his performance Saturday afternoon against Minnesota was no exception. After recording his first career double-double against Ohio State last weekend, Bryant was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. Against Minnesota, Bryant finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and one block. Bryant also shot 5 of 7 from the field and is leading the Big Ten, making 72 percent of his field goals. I’m not sure why Bryant didn’t play the last seven minutes of the game when the Hoosiers could have used his presence, but he was still effective on matchups down low. Bryant proved again he has the ability to dominate in the paint. He can score and get rebounds, which is what the Hoosiers need. If Bryant continues to be able to handle his own, IU should be feeding him the ball more. Especially if they are struggling from the outside, giving Bryant the ball down low can be an effective way to keep the Hoosiers in a game. By now, Bryant is recognized as an emotional and energetic player and more than once, he showed he was frustrated with the refs against Minnesota. He was called for two fouls away from the basket, when he really had no business being up that far. After a dramatic flop on the floor, I was reminded that Bryant is still a freshman, playing in his first handful of Big Ten conference games. He is shooting over 70 percent for a reason, so why not give him the ball more? It’s not all his fault, though. If he isn’t getting the ball, he really can’t do anything with it. 2. OG Anunoby Anunoby has been seeing an increase in playing time over the past few games due to James Blackmon Jr. being out from knee surgery. Anunoby had 14 minutes of play against Minnesota with two points, one rebound and two steals. He plays with hustle and has shown that he deserves to be a contender for IU’s sixth man. He is the sort of player who has a big impact on the court, even if it is not represented in the box scores. He does all of the little things right, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time to get a key rebound or steal for the Hoosiers. Anunoby’s two points came after he got a steal and drove in for an easy dunk. He is a player that looks consistent and calm on the court, both on offense and defense. For a freshman, Anunoby hasn’t had necessarily a lot of experience at this level of play, but he has shown he can keep his composure in a variety of situations. Anunoby left the game to be examined in the locker room, after taking an elbow to the head, and according to coach Tom Crean, he is fine. I expect Anunoby to continue to improve over the course of the Big Ten schedule for the Hoosiers, and his contributions to the team will only become more significant with the absence of Blackmon Jr. 3. Juwan Morgan In just nine minutes of play, Morgan didn’t have his best game against Minnesota. Morgan had two fouls and struggled some on defense. I think he has some trouble getting into a rhythm on the court because his playing time is so sporadic. Anunoby started out the same way, being inconsistent and he improved over time, in the same way Morgan will with more experience. 4. Quentin Taylor and 5. Harrison Niego did not play against Minnesota.