Hoosiers conquer Commodores behind Wright's 31

IU men's basketball coach Mike Davis described Bracey Wright's double digit scoring as "quiet" in last Saturday's win over University of Illinois-Chicago. The freshman guard managed to score 16 points with little fanfare as teammate Jeff Newton grabbed his third double-double.\nMonday night, the packed Assembly Hall couldn't help but notice Wright, who came out firing in the first half to help the No. 7 Hoosiers pick up their seventh straight victory.\nThe Hoosiers defeated Vanderbilt 73-56.\nThe Hoosier fans expressed their pleasure in Wright's game with a standing ovation as he headed to the sidelines for a rest. Wright had 18 points when he took a break.\nAnd there were still more than 25 minutes left in the game.\n"I couldn't miss," Wright said. "A lot of plays were collapsing in the post, and they were just kick-outs. I was wide open on the backside a lot, and I was able to backdoor cut my man because they were playing tight."\nWright, who finished with a season- and career-best 31 points, came out firing almost immediately, draining a three-point bucket just under a minute into the game. His trey was the first of his next three consecutive shots as he solely built the Hoosier lead to eight.\nThe Commodores watched as Wright made his way inside for his second score of the game. Off a pass from junior center George Leach, Wright reversed and hit the shot under the basket. Wright continued to punish Vanderbilt with a pull-up three-point jump shot.\n"He's an incredible player," senior guard Kyle Hornsby said. "To come out and score our first eight points, I'm sure it sent Vanderbilt into a shellshock at the beginning. They tried to really focus on him for the rest of the game, but he already got his feel, and you weren't going to slow him down much."\nThe Dec. 1 Big Ten Player of the Week has drawn rave reviews from coaches, teammates and outsiders alike. ESPN commentator Dick Vitale listed Wright as one of his "Diaper Dandies." Davis constantly expresses his love for the freshman's game. Hornsby has praised Wright for his ability to make his shots and overall playmaking appear effortless.\nWhile Newton, who had his fourth double-double against the Commodores, and senior guard Tom Coverdale, who was named Big Ten Player of the Week Monday following his 30-point performance against Maryland, have been drawing more noise, Wright has managed to score in double digits since the start of the season.\nUntil Monday night's performance, Wright's previous season and career highs stood at 21 points. Wright scored his previous best in back-to-back games, first against Virginia in the Maui Invitational, and then at home against North Texas. Wright has also had at least one assist in each of the games, and more than three rebounds.\n"We knew it was coming tonight," freshman guard Marshall Strickland said after the game. "The way Bracey looked out there; he looked so smooth. He was on his game tonight, and when he gets like that, not many people can play with him. He's real smooth, he gets his shots and he makes it look easy"\nAfter his initial eight consecutive points, Wright was quiet for about four minutes before continuing to hit the three-point jump shot. Finishing 11-for-20, including 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, Wright hit back-to-back three-point shots to extend the Hoosiers lead to 15 in the first half.\nWright finished the first 20 minutes with 20 points, but wasn't quite done. Even with fatigue setting in -- he played in all but two minutes in the game -- Wright started the second half where he ended the first.\nPulling up to shoot a three-pointer at a spot that appeared to be at least six-feet away from the three-point line, Wright's shot hit nothing but net.\n"He took one shot, I thought he was at half court," Davis said, smiling after the game. "It takes a lot of nerve to take that shot. That was a really big shot, but he's made plays like that over and over again in practice."\nBut even with a career-best game, Wright continues to take it all in stride with his "laidback, nonchalant" attitude.\n"That's just how I am, both on and off the court," Wright said. "I don't really get excited about anything. I am excited (about this), but as a player, it's what you want to expect of yourself"