IU takes 7-game slide to Minnesota

In one minute of basketball, a lot can change.

But within one season, the differences between one time and another can be difficult to find.

IU will take on Minnesota on Saturday, a rematch more than a month after the Hoosiers beat them 81-78 in overtime at Assembly Hall.

But the same team that squeaked by the Gophers will not be the one traveling to Minneapolis this weekend.

Back in January, the Hoosiers had gone through a three-game winning streak — two of those on the road — before the Gophers came to town. And it had been about two and a half weeks since IU beat Michigan on New Year’s Eve in the Big Ten opener.

Fast-forward eight games to the Hoosiers’ second Big Ten win against the Gophers, and they have gone 1-7 since.

But this team, fresh off its seventh consecutive loss, might have something to be optimistic about.

“We came to fight today,” sophomore guard Verdell Jones said after scoring a game-high 20 points against Michigan State on Tuesday.

They’ll have to keep the same fighting spirit they had against the Spartans this weekend.  

Minnesota is tied with No. 4 Purdue as the highest scoring team in the conference (74.5 points per game), while IU has the worst scoring defense in the Big Ten, allowing 70.2 points per game.

The Gophers also pose a challenge defensively, since they limit their opponents to 40.2 percent from the field. One of the biggest factors in Tuesday’s 72-58 loss to No. 11 Michigan State was IU’s 34.9 field-goal percentage.

Rebounding, which has been an ailment for the Hoosiers in the past, was a positive for them Tuesday. IU out-rebounded the Spartans, the best rebounding team in the Big Ten, 30-24. The Gophers, meanwhile, are virtually tied with the Hoosiers in rebounding.  
“We’re just going to have to keep building off that energy and take it to the next game,” freshman guard Jordan Hulls said after Tuesday’s game.  

And while the Hoosiers have struggled to win, they’ve found success at the free-throw line. During the past seven games, they’ve shot 74.4 percent from the charity stripe, a huge step up from their season percentage of 68.5 percent.

Heading into Saturday’s contest with Minnesota, the Hoosiers know their unity will be a constant in an up-and-down season. Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers said, despite their recent losses, the team is still holding on together.  

“Being together is the biggest thing for our team,” Rivers said. “It might be more off the court than on the court. I think we’ve done a pretty good job probably the past week or so, not straying away from each other, being able to put your arm around your next man, your next teammate and just believing in one another.”