If this IU men’s basketball team has learned one thing from last year, it’s how to win close games.
That phrase has become almost cliché in the sports world, but it really is a mental skill that teams need to learn.
Last year, in games decided by six points or less the Hoosiers finished 4-7. This year, IU has gone 6-3 in those games, including Sunday’s victory against Michigan.
IU junior Yogi Ferrell said the difference between this year’s team and last year’s is mental toughness.
“The difference has been mindset,” Ferrell said. “Going into a close game like that, we’ve got to get a stop. And whatever’s necessary to get it, we’re going to get it. We fight for our team and we come out with the outcome we want.”
The 70-67 win maybe wasn’t as clutch as IU Coach Tom Crean may have hoped for, but regardless, IU got the job done and secured an important win in Big Ten play.
How important was it? In the new Big Ten tournament, four teams will receive a double-bye thanks to the additions of Rutgers and Maryland. A 7-4 conference record goes a lot farther toward one of those spots than a 6-5 record with how cluttered the Big Ten is after Wisconsin.
After they play Wednesday’s game at Maryland, IU will have four of their last six games at home, where IU is 14-1 this season. The road contests will be at Northwestern and Rutgers, the two worst teams in the Big Ten.
The four home games are against Minnesota, Purdue, Iowa and Michigan State, all of which IU can win.
This team’s problems are far from solved. ?The Hoosiers’ interior defense looked better Sunday, but there’s still progress to be made. Michigan doesn’t have a solid interior presence to exploit IU’s weakness.
However, it appears the Hoosiers will be getting a little taller in the next few games. IU junior forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea suited up and played four minutes in his first action since Jan. 10 after his knee injury.
His return certainly won’t solve all of IU’s defensive issues, but it will help against taller forwards that have taken advantage of IU.
However, I can’t emphasize enough how important this Michigan game was mentally for this Hoosier team. After a tough four game stretch in which IU went 1-3, it was important for them to get back on the right track and start this last stretch with some momentum.
The goal of this Hoosier team has to be one of those double-byes in the Big Ten Tournament.
That would all but guarantee a decent berth in the NCAA Tournament. A healthy Hoosier squad in March could potentially wreak havoc.
crkrajew@indiana.edu
