Hoosiers lose ‘will to fight’ against Iowa

IU has been an underdog for two seasons, and it didn’t respond well to the concept of being a team expected to win.

The Hoosiers were outworked in their 58-43 loss to Iowa on Sunday.

Its stamp has come in the area of effort, but Iowa out-rebounded IU, 39-23.

Iowa gained 20 of its 58 points on the offensive glass, compared to the Hoosiers’ seven second-chance points. IU coach Tom Crean said he was most disturbed with the numbers out of the paint.

“What bothers me is the rebounding,” Crean said. “You may have seen the end of the three-guard lineup right now. We can’t do that. We had two rebounds between our three guards.”

Sophomore guard Verdell Jones scored 14 points to lead IU, but he only had one rebound in the game. Together, the five IU guards who saw playing time tallied only five rebounds.

IU had won two consecutive Big Ten contests, averaging 39 rebounds per game, before falling to Iowa.

Despite their flat start and constant references to effort, IU coach Tom Crean said he would be stunned if anyone on his team had expected an easy win from Iowa.

“I told them this after the game: I’d be just dead shocked if anybody would be ridiculous enough to overlook Iowa based on where we’re at in this program’s time,” he said.

Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers had no rebounds in the game but averages more than five on the season.

“I don’t really know exactly how that happened,” he said. “I felt like I was getting down there, blocking people out. I probably just need to attack the rim a little bit more.”

Crean hinted on multiple occasions at shaking up the lineup that currently plays Jones, Rivers and freshman guard Jordan Hulls together. He said the Hoosiers will drown if their output does not improve.

“If we don’t get guard rebounds, we can’t compete,” Crean said. “Not over a 40-minute game.”

IU was led in rebounding by Pritchard with seven boards and was followed by freshman forward Christian Watford with five.

Watford said IU has to place more stake in its work on the glass.

“It’s pride,” he said. “It’s one-on-one; you box out your guy. It’s a collective thing. If everybody on the team’s doing it, you’re going to get the ball.”

The Hawkeyes, thanks to 18 offensive rebounds, scored 34 points in the paint, where the Hoosiers managed only 16.

“This all came down to our lack of being willing to fight today,” Crean said.