There’s a correlation between IU’s success and freshman guard James Blackmon Jr.’s shooting percentage.
In Hoosier wins, Blackmon shoots 49.2 percent. In losses, he shoots 30.7 percent.
That’s why when he starts slumping, Blackmon’s teammates tell him to keep shooting.
They know good things tend to happen when Blackmon heats up. That’s why when No. 10 IU plays No. 7 Wichita State on Friday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Blackmon said he won’t hesitate to let it fly.
“You can’t really think about it. You’ve just gotta be ready to shoot,” Blackmon said last week. “Each shot is different. You just gotta keep shooting.”
Shooting is what Blackmon has done best this season.
His 15.8 points per game is second on the team, trailing only junior guard Yogi Ferrell.
He’s fifth in the country in scoring among freshmen. He’s fourth in 3-pointers made.
Among all Big Ten players, he ranks eighth in scoring and sixth in 3-pointers made.
It’s his proven success that makes teammates believe in him even when he’s struggling.
“When you’re missing some shots, you’ve just gotta remind them, ‘Do what you do,’” sophomore guard Stanford Robinson said. “’Let it fly. No hesitation.’”
Blackmon said his routine wouldn’t change after scoring just six points on 2-for-12 shooting in IU’s Big Ten Tournament loss to Maryland.
He said the best way to move on is to start shooting again. He likes seeing the ball go through the net to boost his confidence.
Blackmon knows the makes are in him. Just 24 hours before struggling against the Terrapins, he scored 25 points and hit five 3-pointers in IU’s 15-point win against Northwestern.
“It’s tough as a shooter because shooters, it’s a big part of our offense,” sophomore forward Collin Hartman said. “Sometimes, you just can’t do it.”
Blackmon will look to regain his touch at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, which may prove to be tough for a player who is significantly better in Bloomington.
Away from home, Blackmon is shooting just 30.1 percent. That’s nearly 20 percent worse than his shooting percentage at Assembly Hall where he shoots 49.8 percent.
“I don’t know what that is at all,” Blackmon said when asked about the disparity. “Maybe just sometimes I’ve got to stay all the way locked in. I don’t know that at all, but I guess maybe it’s when I hit a big shot, the crowd can get me going a little bit. Maybe that’s it.”
Whatever the reason, Blackmon said he’s not concerned about it. He also said he’s not worried about any struggles from the Maryland game carrying over to the NCAA Tournament game against Wichita State.
Blackmon hasn’t had much trouble rebounding from poor shooting outings before. In six previous games where he’s been held to single-digit scoring, he’s averaged 15.2 points per game the following contest.
“You just put it behind you right away because there’s nothing you can do about it right now,” Blackmon said. “You just gotta be ready for that next shot, wherever that is.”
What about the NCAA Tournament?
“I’ll be ready,” he said.
