Pritchard responds to benching with solid game

Tom Pritchard started all 31 games of IU coach Tom Crean’s inaugural campaign with the Hoosiers.

In the game against North Carolina Central on Saturday, a 81-58 victory for IU, he started somewhere he’s never started before – on the bench.

After being the best player by far in practice this past week, Crean said, Pritchard took a seat to start the game.

The reasoning? Pritchard’s practice performance hasn’t translated to games in its fullest form.

Still, he was set to bring out that potential in his time Saturday night.

“We’re privy to see what Tom Pritchard is capable of in practice,” Crean said. “I think you really started to see that. He responded to a challenge. “

Pritchard said he didn’t really know exactly how to characterize the problems he has going into game situations.

“I don’t know,” he said of what the main issue might be. “Maybe aggressiveness. I’m going to try to be more aggressive and just take my head out of the game. I think it’s really mental.”

Until that aggressive mentality manifests itself on the court, he won’t give Pritchard unearned minutes, Crean said.

“When you have real competition, you’ve got to go with it every day, and you’ve got to reward it,” he said. “There’s nobody in this building or in this town or in this state that has higher expectations of Tom than me.

"When you know somebody is capable of a lot, if you don’t hold their feet to the fire to get that, then you’re cheating them. I’ll have things said about me as time goes on, but I don’t want it to be that.”

IU freshman guard Jordan Hulls sees Pritchard’s intensity in practice nearly every day.

“He does well all the time – rebounds the ball, puts it up, dunks on people, that kind of thing,” Hulls said of Pritchard. “Just being really tenacious. That’s what we need from him (in games).”

Hulls also said he and his fellow Hoosiers have taken it upon themselves to get Pritchard to bring forth the level of intensity they see from him day-to-day when fans fill Assembly Hall's stands at game time.

“It’s different coming from a player telling him to pick up his offense or defense, whatever the case may be, rather than coming from a coach,” Hulls said. “They’re always on him, and if players get on him, as well, that’ll help him out.”

Pritchard admitted his play hasn’t been up to par – for fans, coaches, fellow players or himself. However, his concerns were eased by his 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in 21 minutes Saturday.

“Obviously, I don’t think it’s showing in games,” he said. “A lot of people are going to see that. But I think I’m starting to get a hang of it. New guys, new team chemistry – we’re all still bonding together. But things are going to come around … we’re going to be a great team.”

Hulls said there is little to worry about with Prtichard's future.

“He’s fine,” he said. “He’s fine. Tom’s a great player, and he’s going to do well for us.”