Not too long ago, there were some fans calling for IU Coach Tom Crean’s job. Now, he might be Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Two months ago, IU was losing to Rutgers in the second half of its Big Ten opener. Now, Rutgers still doesn’t have a Big Ten win and IU has clinched a share of the Big Ten title.
If IU wins tonight at Iowa, it will win the Big Ten outright for the second time in four years, which hasn’t been done since IU won outright Big Ten titles in 1981 and 1983.
“We are proud to have won a share of the title but there is still so much more to play for," senior guard Yogi Ferrell said. "Our focus and mindset doesn’t change. It’s get better every day.”
This has also all been done without sophomore guard James Blackmon Jr., IU’s second leading scorer at the time he injured his knee in late December.
A number of things have changed for the Hoosiers since Big Ten play started. The defense has improved, with the Hoosiers only allowing 67.7 points a game in conference play.
The Hoosiers are also scoring 77.8 points a game, which is higher than IU’s average in its last Big Ten title-winning season when they scored 74.6 a game.
Something else that has changed since Big Ten play began has been the ball movement. It seems IU either credits its success to ball movement or explains its offensive struggles by a lack of ball movement after every game.
In IU’s 85-78 win against then-No. 4 Iowa earlier this season at Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers made use of good ball movement. This meant a balanced scoring attack, and all 10 Hoosiers who played scored. No one player scored more than 15 points.
The Hoosiers are tying to approach tonight's game with the same approach.
"The trick is, everybody knows what is at stake and nobody is really talking about it," Crean said. "There is no difference in our level of work, it is as high as it has been. It’s not higher and it’s not lower. Our sense of urgency has been really high."
That win also provided the Hoosiers with validation. Before that game, they didn’t have a win against a ranked opponent and had yet to play the Big Ten’s elite. Now, the Hoosiers are one win away from an outright Big Ten championship.
But there are still lingering doubts about the Hoosiers’ NCAA tournament resume. Despite a 23-6 record, most projections have the Hoosiers as a No. 5 seed in the tournament.
The reason for this is because bracket projectionists say the Hoosiers lack a quality road win. IU is undefeated at home, but NCAA Tournament games aren’t played in Assembly Hall. IU is 2-3 in neutral site games, but those also all took place before IU’s transformation in conference play.
A win tonight could give the Hoosiers that validation. A win could prove the Hoosiers are in the next level, much like IU’s last win against Iowa.
“I wasn’t on the championship team in 2013, so I’m excited to be part of one this year," junior forward Collin Hartman said. "We are building something special together."
