After what might have been his worst game of the year, junior forward Troy Williams and IU Coach Tom Crean had a conversation.
Three days after he missed all five of the shots he took from the field, Crean told Williams to be more aggressive and attack the basket.
And after being held scoreless Sunday at Michigan State, Williams scored 18 points to lead IU in its 80-64 win against Nebraska on Wednesday night at Assembly Hall.
“We just decided to get back to being aggressive with an attacking mindset,” Williams said. “Playing like that, I see the results it gets me.”
He started quickly, scoring five of IU’s first eight points in a slow start to the game.
But still, the start wasn’t perfect for Williams. He turned the ball over twice in the first five minutes.
Williams started the second half quickly as well, finishing through contact on IU’s first possession. Ten seconds later, he blocked a shot out of bounds.
Thirty seconds after the block, he made another layup. In total, he scored nine points, blocked a shot, recorded a steal and grabbed a rebound in the first five and a half minutes. He didn’t miss a shot and turned the ball over only once in the second half.
“Troy has got unique talents and sometimes he’s his own worst enemy with the things he tries to do,” Crean said. “What he did in the second half was what we were trying to get him to do in the first half.”
Crean’s complaint after Williams’ scoreless performance wasn’t just his lack of scoring. It was how it effected the rest of his game. Not only was he not scoring, he wasn't playing good basketball.
He didn’t attempt another shot after converting a 3-point play with 15:27 left in the game. But he recorded two assists and played solid defense after that point.
He was constantly attacking, even if he wasn’t always scoring. With three minutes left, he drove from the wing and drew the attention of Nebraska’s big men.
That meant freshman forward Juwan Morgan was left open on the baseline, and Williams was able to lay it off to him for his final assist.
This is where the aggressiveness could reap the most benefits. When he attacks the rim, it draws defenders and opens up his teammates.
“When he’s flying down the court like that, it’s really hard to guard him,” sophomore guard Robert Johnson said. “Especially when we have so many shooters like we do. It they come off of us he kicks it and if they don’t he goes to the rim.”
Williams said he discovered his first step. He realized how quick his first step can be, and how he can get around defenders and to the basket.
But none of this came from criticism. Williams said he doesn’t pay attention to anything negative or try to use it as motivation.
“I just don’t pay attention to it,” Williams said. “Really. It’s not like I go out there and search for it. I don’t search for criticism, I don’t search for positive quotes or anything like that from people. Like I said before, family, team and coaches are all I need to motivate me.”
