Editor's desk: Three observations from Sunday's win

Everyone wanted to know how the IU men’s basketball team would bounce back after a blowout loss at Michigan, but no one expected what happened Sunday.

The Hoosiers jumped out to double-digit leads – as big as 15 - multiple times during their contest with the Minnesota Golden Gophers and saw all of them disappear.

The momentum went back and forth, but it ended in IU’s favor when sophomore guard Verdell Jones hit a jumper falling away to take a 79-78 lead. After a Minnesota miss, freshman forward Christian Watford hit two big free throws and a Gopher prayer went unanswered to give IU an 81-78 win.

How did the Hoosiers go from welcome mats to victors in a matter of days? Here are some observations from the editor’s desk.

Big men on campus

One of the Hoosiers’ biggest downfalls this year has been their lack of a post presence, and in Sunday’s win, the frontcourt had a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance.

Freshman forward Christian Watford started the game turning the ball over with reckless ball control but finished with 16 points in 36 minutes played.

Sophomore forward Tom Pritchard pulled down 6 rebounds and provided some second-chance points, but he leaned in on shooters far too often and fouled out in regulation.

Even freshman forward Bobby Capobianco got into the mix, providing a huge spark with scrappy play and some big shots. But he, too, fouled out and had 2 turnovers in just 15 minutes of action.

Momentum slowed

Minnesota’s plan to keep the crowd down to a dull roar was evident throughout the game. After a big dunk, a dagger 3-pointer or any other standing-ovation-inducing play from IU, the Gophers hurried down the court to get a quick bucket.

The Hoosiers had no answer for the sudden burst of speed, and, most of the time, the strategy worked. Although the Hoosiers were jumping out to big leads and showed obvious intensity, very rarely did the crowd get to stand and cheer as the Gophers ran an offensive set.

Own the glass

When was the last time anyone could say the following? The Hoosiers dominated on the offensive boards.

The discrepancy (17-10) doesn’t tell the whole story. IU attacked the boards all game, earning second-chance points and controlling the pace of the game.

When Minnesota made its comeback, offensive rebounds had a very small part. The Hoosiers simply tried to save, not extend, their lead, and were forced several times to force up bad shots.

Player of the game - Verdell Jones - 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists

How could it go to anyone else? You could make the case for Devan Dumes or Christian Watford, but with the game on the line, Jones ran the offense. Down 78-73 in OT, Jones scored six unanswered points, including the game-winning shot with 32 seconds on the clock.