DAYTON, Ohio - It had been nearly a month since IU’s trusted shooter, senior guard Jordan Hulls, had scored in the double figures.
Against Illinois in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, Hulls managed to impact the game in ways other than scoring while he scored just a single point to go along with three rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Although in the Hoosiers’ loss to Wisconsin, the Bloomington native shot just 2-of-9 from the floor, including 1-of-7 on 3-pointer attempts, normally where Hulls is at his strongest.
Maybe it was the NBA-style gym in Chicago, as some questioned, but it was clear Thursday during IU’s open practice at the University of Dayton Arena that Hulls was back in his characteristic grove, stepping into 3-pointers that barely moved the net as they went in.
Friday, in the Hoosiers’ NCAA first round victory against James Madison, Hulls may not have been the star of IU’s offense - a role that freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell took on in the game’s opening minutes – but it was clear that the senior was back in a grove to make his final NCAA Tournament run.
Hulls shot 3-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, to go along with two free throws, giving him 10 points for the first time since IU’s loss at Minnesota on Feb. 26.
After returning to Bloomington after IU’s upset loss, as his shooting woes lingered, Hulls said he didn’t worry too much about changing anything in his shot in preparation for the NCAA Tournament. IU Coach Tom Crean has said all season that Hulls is one of several players who never takes a day off in the gym, and Hulls said it just took putting up some more shots to find his rhythm again.
“I was able to knock down shots that actually went in the basket this time,” Hulls said. “I didn’t let my confidence get down or anything like that, and my teammates were able to find me when I was open.”
Often, Hulls is the IU guard opponents have to key in on, but after fellow starting guard Ferrell scored 14 of IU’s first 16 points Friday, the Dukes realized that Hulls may not be IU’s biggest shooting threat for that day.
As the defense focused on Ferrell, the freshman took notice, as he drove to the bucket before dishing it out to his open teammates on numerous occasions for a couple of his six assists.
During the opening minutes of the second half, Ferrell drove down the left side of the lane – a move which started a couple of his early buckets – and the Dukes defense bit on Ferrell’s drive to the bucket.
Hulls stood unguarded on the right wing, and Ferrell was able to find him, and Hulls knocked down the open trey.
Although Hulls had struggled to find his normal rhythm the last several games, Ferrell said he was never afraid to dish the ball to Hulls when he saw his teammate had an open look.
“I was never worried about him,” Ferrell said. “I know he struggled a little bit, but I know Jordan has confidence, and he can knock it down. He’s the best 3-point shooter on our team by far. We know if we game him the ball, open or not, he’s going to knock down the three.”
Because the Hoosiers jumped out to an early lead on 16-seeded James Madison, neither Hulls or any of his teammates had to face a pressure-packed 3-pointer to pull off a close victory. But as some teams in the tournament have already found, having a clutch player who can be trusted to knock down a key trey when it matters most can mean the difference in a longer tournament run or a premature exit.
Even before Hulls’s shooting performance Friday, Ferrell said he and his teammates have known that Hulls can be trusted with the game on the line. Seeing him get back into the groove Friday gave Ferrell more confidence that if he has to dish the ball out for a last-second shot, Hulls is the guy to look for.
“We know in late situations, we can go to him, and he can knock it down,” Ferrell said. “If he knocks down that shot, it’s going to get everyone pumped up as well to get a stop or get the ball back so we can score again.”
Hulls finds rhythm in win against JMU
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