Analysis: Attention IU Fans, don't look ahead to Iowa

[IndyHutch 1,718]

Indiana's game with Iowa next Thursday at Assembly Hall has the potential to be a big one. But IU has to take care of business against Penn State first.

I’ve seen a few references in the last couple of days about Indiana’s big week coming up that includes Iowa on Thursday at Assembly Hall and Michigan State Sunday in the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

 

And yes, it does have the potential to be a big week. But anyone that is just automatically chalking up this Saturday night’s game at Penn State as a ‘W’ in the win column just doesn’t know Big Ten basketball.

 

Should Indiana beat Penn State? Absolutely. Will Indiana beat Penn State? Most likely. But I think many of us have witnessed a disturbing trend at times with this Indiana basketball team in playing to its level of competition. And the Hoosiers simply cannot afford to do that Saturday night in Happy Valley.

 

One of the things I’ve liked about this particular Indiana basketball team of late is that it doesn’t seem to be looking ahead. The loss to Wisconsin looks better all the time when you see that the Badgers are currently on a five-game winning streak. You can’t be ashamed of losing in the Kohl Center. It’s just a difficult place for a lot of teams to play – and especially IU for some reason.

 

Still, the 9-1 start and a tie atop the Big Ten standings is a great beginning to the conference season. But there are still eight games to go and in order for those last few games of the regular season against Iowa and Maryland to have the significance that Hoosier fans are hoping they will, Indiana needs to take care of business against teams like Penn State on the road.

 

This needs to be a business trip for the Hoosiers. IU needs to pack its lunch pail, go out and take care of business against the Nittany Lions, head back to Bloomington and then have a few days to prepare for the Hawkeyes.

 

The problem for me is that I’ve covered Indiana basketball so long that I just know of the dangers of looking ahead. The good news is that I’m 100 percent confident that Tom Crean and his staff view this the same way. There’s no way they’ll allow this IU team to look past Penn State.

 

Now the Hoosiers just have to execute and knock down a few more shots than they have in the recent past.

 

One thing working in IU’s favor, too, is the fact that Indiana has had a pretty impressive track record against the Nittany Lions in history. Indiana is 35-10 all-time against Penn State and IU has won in its last four trips to State College.

 

But I can’t help but remember as recently as the 2012-13 season when the Hoosiers would eventually win the Big Ten title outright on the last day of the regular season with a win at Michigan. That year, the Hoosiers started Big Ten play 8-1. The eighth win was an 81-73 victory over No. 1 Michigan on a day when IU was on College Game Day. IU was No. 3 in the nation before winning that game and moved up to No. 1 the following week.

 

The next game up was a road game at Illinois, a game that IU was expected to win. And that was the game with the debacle on the inbounds play in the closing seconds that led to an Illini uncontested layup at the buzzer and a 74-72 Illinois win.

 

I’m not saying that Indiana was looking past the Illini to a date on Sunday against No. 10 Ohio State, but the point is you can’t look past any team in the Big Ten. So IU needs to buckle down and take care of business on Saturday.

 

If the Hoosiers can get past Penn State and improve to 10-1 in conference play, we’ll have plenty of time next week to talk about that Thursday night matchup with the Hawkeyes in Assembly Hall when you can bet the Hall will be rocking.

[url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/basketball/analysis/analysis-attention-iu-fans-dont-look-ahe-r306]Click here to view the article[/url]

[MartintheMopMan 7,765]

In defense of the 2012-13 team (and a little in defense of fans like myself), the situations are comparable, but distinguishable.

 

The 2012-13 team went into Illinois off their great win against Michigan and looking ahead to traveling to Ohio State, no doubt. It was the definition of a trap game. But, they were also playing an Illinois team who wasn’t ranked, but they weren’t bottomfeeders either. KenPom had them at 56th, but they had beaten a top-10 ranked OSU (an Elite Eight team) and a top-10 ranked Gonzaga earlier in the year. Ironically two teams who were knocked out of the tourney by that white-hot Witchita State team, but I digress. Illinois closed the second half of the Big Ten season going 6-3. Gonzaga entered the Tourney at 32-2 with Illinois as one of those losses.

 

They weren’t a great team, they weren’t top of the pack, but they were a tournament team. Losing to them was heartbreaking and I won’t forget watching the last shot go in on the easy lay-up, but it’s much more akin to losing to Michigan earlier this week.

 

Penn State is 148th in KenPom. Their best win is at 86th ranked Northwestern. They don’t have any other wins within the Top-100… or Top-140. Sure, maybe this is the game they get hot and turn their whole season around but… it sure does not look like it. They’re sick (don’t kiss any of the players) and injured and generally having a terrible terrible season. Iowa destroyed them without breaking a sweat and if we want a nice protected seed, we should be doing the same.

 

But, I get it, upsets happen every day and I was at the Penn State game two years ago and experienced the worst basketball feelings. So, I don’t want the players looking past this game, they have to stay focused and take each team as they are put in front of them.

 

As a fan though… there is only so much you can ask of me.

 

There are three ways this game can go: 1) We dominate and win by 30; 2) We struggle and barely squeak one out; 3) We lose.

 

None of those are fun options. Beating them like we should makes for nice basketball to watch, but eventually it’s just like playing another cupcake. Whether they call themselves Penn State or Austin Peay, watching a college team play against an intermural squad is not an experience anyone gets pumped about after the first 15 times.

 

Struggling means another game of nervousness, not knowing how the team will fare in future matchups, arguments about the players, nail-biting the whole time, anger at our defense, anger at our offense, generally just negative garbage but us all reassuring each other afterwards with a “Don’t care how we get the W, just glad we got it”.

 

Losing means all of the struggle and the pain of losing. The doubt and frustration with the team. Losing a game you should win easily is a horrible experience.

 

So, which option should we look forward to? Which option should we focus on so we don’t start looking at Iowa and saying “there is going to be a great game, I can’t wait to watch some real basketball”?

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love how the team is playing this year, I love everything they are doing, but this season has been a struggle in a lot of spoiled fan ways. It’s great watching the team win and play better together, but eventually you just want them to play someone. It’s the same feeling we all get towards the end of the non-con season. Like, finally, we will get to watch a basketball game instead of one dominant team beating up on some kids who don’t want to be there.

 

Michigan was a great appetizer, but I am anxious and hungry for the main course. I want the meat of the schedule. So, maybe the waiter put this Penn State salad in front of me and I’ll begrudgingly eat it, but there is little opportunity for enjoyment. I just want it off my plate so I can get chowing down.

 

Boy, I did not expect that to be so long. I sure hope I turned off my timer and didn’t bill someone for that… 

[IndyHutch 1,718]

In defense of the 2012-13 team (and a little in defense of fans like myself), the situations are comparable, but distinguishable.

 

The 2012-13 team went into Illinois off their great win against Michigan and looking ahead to traveling to Ohio State, no doubt. It was the definition of a trap game. But, they were also playing an Illinois team who wasn’t ranked, but they weren’t bottomfeeders either. KenPom had them at 56th, but they had beaten a top-10 ranked OSU (an Elite Eight team) and a top-10 ranked Gonzaga earlier in the year. Ironically two teams who were knocked out of the tourney by that white-hot Witchita State team, but I digress. Illinois closed the second half of the Big Ten season going 6-3. Gonzaga entered the Tourney at 32-2 with Illinois as one of those losses.

 

They weren’t a great team, they weren’t top of the pack, but they were a tournament team. Losing to them was heartbreaking and I won’t forget watching the last shot go in on the easy lay-up, but it’s much more akin to losing to Michigan earlier this week.

 

Penn State is 148th in KenPom. Their best win is at 86th ranked Northwestern. They don’t have any other wins within the Top-100… or Top-140. Sure, maybe this is the game they get hot and turn their whole season around but… it sure does not look like it. They’re sick (don’t kiss any of the players) and injured and generally having a terrible terrible season. Iowa destroyed them without breaking a sweat and if we want a nice protected seed, we should be doing the same.

 

But, I get it, upsets happen every day and I was at the Penn State game two years ago and experienced the worst basketball feelings. So, I don’t want the players looking past this game, they have to stay focused and take each team as they are put in front of them.

 

As a fan though… there is only so much you can ask of me.

 

There are three ways this game can go: 1) We dominate and win by 30; 2) We struggle and barely squeak one out; 3) We lose.

 

None of those are fun options. Beating them like we should makes for nice basketball to watch, but eventually it’s just like playing another cupcake. Whether they call themselves Penn State or Austin Peay, watching a college team play against an intermural squad is not an experience anyone gets pumped about after the first 15 times.

 

Struggling means another game of nervousness, not knowing how the team will fare in future matchups, arguments about the players, nail-biting the whole time, anger at our defense, anger at our offense, generally just negative garbage but us all reassuring each other afterwards with a “Don’t care how we get the W, just glad we got it”.

 

Losing means all of the struggle and the pain of losing. The doubt and frustration with the team. Losing a game you should win easily is a horrible experience.

 

So, which option should we look forward to? Which option should we focus on so we don’t start looking at Iowa and saying “there is going to be a great game, I can’t wait to watch some real basketball”?

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love how the team is playing this year, I love everything they are doing, but this season has been a struggle in a lot of spoiled fan ways. It’s great watching the team win and play better together, but eventually you just want them to play someone. It’s the same feeling we all get towards the end of the non-con season. Like, finally, we will get to watch a basketball game instead of one dominant team beating up on some kids who don’t want to be there.

 

Michigan was a great appetizer, but I am anxious and hungry for the main course. I want the meat of the schedule. So, maybe the waiter put this Penn State salad in front of me and I’ll begrudgingly eat it, but there is little opportunity for enjoyment. I just want it off my plate so I can get chowing down.

 

Boy, I did not expect that to be so long. I sure hope I turned off my timer and didn’t bill someone for that… 

 

I like your Penn State salad comment. As you say, hopefully it is something that is digested very quickly before we get to the meat.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 87,501]

I like your Penn State salad comment. As you say, hopefully it is something that is digested very quickly before we get to the meat.

And it's not from Chipotle!!

[Alford Bailey 12,781]

This is such an obvious trap game that I think even the players will get it. O, and that Illinois game still gives me heart burn.  Just a total collapse in the last 5 min.

[IndyHutch 1,718]

One thing I've noticed about the Big Ten this year as compared to a few years recently is that it's just not as good top to bottom as it has been. I know that's a Mr. Obvious point by the way. But there are some teams at the bottom of the pack that you just have to beat. The interesting thing tough is that I would include Illinois in that group and somehow that team beat Purdue and that still makes no sense at all to me.

[Hovadipo 59,071]

One thing I've noticed about the Big Ten this year as compared to a few years recently is that it's just not as good top to bottom as it has been. I know that's a Mr. Obvious point by the way. But there are some teams at the bottom of the pack that you just have to beat. The interesting thing tough is that I would include Illinois in that group and somehow that team beat Purdue and that still makes no sense at all to me.

The thing about Illinois is they have a couple guys that are legitimate B1G players (Hill and Nunn) and can go off on any night with not much - but some - help, but they just can't really put it together for whatever reason. My guess is Groce because I think he's a joke, but that's a different story. The Minnesota, Rutgers, and maybe PSU (I haven't watched them) group really just have no talent.

[IndyHutch 1,718]

The thing about Illinois is they have a couple guys that are legitimate B1G players (Hill and Nunn) and can go off on any night with not much - but some - help, but they just can't really put it together for whatever reason. My guess is Groce because I think he's a joke, but that's a different story. The Minnesota, Rutgers, and maybe PSU (I haven't watched them) group really just have no talent.

 

And yet IU had two competitive games with Minnesota. Sometimes you scratch your head.

[Hovadipo 59,071]

And yet IU had two competitive games with Minnesota. Sometimes you scratch your head.

Lol true. When basketball is supposed to make sense, it never makes sense.

[jmhbone 18]

IndyHutch -- your article was spot on in terms of how the Hoosiers needed to address the business at hand.  It appeared IU didn't have its head totally in the game with 15 turnovers and 36% shooting.

Jim