With his shot totals declining, Dumes playing better

Senior guard Devan Dumes can scare IU fans every once in a while.

As a supremely confident player and the Hoosiers’ chief 3-point shooter, Dumes has put up long-range attempts at inopportune times.

But the player who once seemed unpredictable has gradually begun to rein in his shot selection in the last few IU contests. The past three games have seen two of his best outputs this season because of it.

He and IU coach Tom Crean have used the creed “time to score” to help him decide when it is the right time to punish a team from the outside.

“‘Time to score’ is basically knowing when to shoot the right shot and knowing when to take it and when not to,” he said.  

Dumes averaged 5.9 points through 16 games, but scored 13 against Minnesota and had 15 points against Penn State.

In those games, Dumes shot 39 percent from the field and provided scoring spurts that allowed IU to pull out victories against two Big Ten teams.

The best of those contests came against Penn State, where Dumes was 3-of-7 from the 3-point line and provided defensive pressure on the Nittany Lions’ Talor Battle in a 67-61 road win.

“What he did tonight was he brought assurance to his teammates,” Crean said. “And that’s what leaders do.”

It didn’t always seem Dumes would have the opportunity to reaffirm his position as a leader on this IU team.

Crean has said repeatedly things were given to players last season, and that they’d need to earn playing time in this season.

After taking the most field-goal attempts and 3-point shots last season, Dumes led the team in scoring 12.7 points per game.  

Despite his 2008-09 numbers, though, he began this season on the bench.
But freshman guard Maurice Creek’s injury left a scoring void, and Dumes has stepped in to fill it.  

More importantly, he, as a senior, is becoming a leader for the young Hoosiers team. As long as his shot selection continues to improve, freshman guard Jordan Hulls said he can continue to rise and fire.

“We’re going to try to get him shots,” Hulls said. “He’s one of the scorers. If he’s just patient and waiting for ball screens, waiting for screens and taking shots when they’re open he’s going to be really effective for us.”

He’s in his last season with IU, but Dumes is still learning from his coach.  
At the end of the Penn State game, he said Crean and junior guard Jeremiah Rivers told him it was a “time to score” moment.

The advice he got in that contest is part of Dumes’ progression. He said he and Crean have continued to talk about when it is best to take a shot.

“We’ve been working with each other about ‘time to score,’” Dumes said. “It’s my experience; learning. He’s teaching me and he’s helping me.”

Dumes’ mentality is also part of his learning curve.

In most cases when Dumes held the ball, he felt out his own shooting opportunities before thinking pass. In other instances, he came off a screen with an intent look on his face, ready to jack up a 3-pointer.

If the improvement Dumes and Crean spoke of continues, Dumes might look to pass or drive the next time he comes off a screen with that same look of determination.
Dumes had already started to embrace the idea of team in post-game interviews.  

“It may be hard for people to see, but we’re a confident team together,” Dumes said. “We’re not a selfish bunch at all. It doesn’t matter who gets the lead role that night, we’re all satisfied with a ‘W.’”