Fans that yell at games sometimes just like to complain and be cranky.
Other times, they have a point.
Early in the first half of the IU basketball team’s 68-67 victory over Louisville, some of the cries from fans in the stands at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall encompassed the Hoosiers’ first half offensive struggles perfectly.
“Move,” one fan yelled.
“Cut,” another pleaded.
People were agitated by IU’s slow start to the game. They had good reason to be.
The Hoosiers’ half court offense was stagnant for most of the first half. There was little to no movement and cuts were non-existent. Instead of attacking toward the rim, players got stuck watching each other dribble, often times resulting in a ball-handler being left out to dry 30 feet from the basket as they got swarmed by multiple Louisville defenders.
No matter what level of basketball a team is playing at, whether it’s in the pros, college or high school, that kind of offensive approach isn’t going to make winning games easy.
Yet IU still managed to pull out the victory in the second half despite not leading until 8:24 remained.
Maybe those pleas to “move” and “cut” throughout Assembly Hall resonated with the players a bit heading into the locker room.
Or maybe they just realized how dangerous their team can be when they’re aggressive toward the rim.
That aggressiveness was evident from the start of the second half as players other than just freshman guard Romeo Langford attacked the basket without fear or second thought.
And when they weren’t driving, they made smarter cuts to the lane, often giving themselves a chance for an easy layup.
The offense just looked more fluid.
Early in the half, sophomore forward Justin Smith decided to come alive, exploding to the rim for an electric one-handed slam over a Louisville defender.
Later, Smith again benefitted from the offensive movement. When senior forward Juwan Morgan received an entry pass in the post, Smith made a nice cut for an easy layup on the opposite end of a precisely placed pass from Morgan.
With 7:48 left to play, the Hoosiers took a 51-50 lead when Langford drove baseline into the lane, drew the Louisville defense toward him and found Morgan down low for a three-point play.
Therein lies the secret as to whether IU has consistent offensive success moving forward: to maintain the level they demonstrated in the second half of Saturday’s game, it’s all about movement.
One way to do that is to allow Langford more free reign with the ball in his hands. Give him more opportunities in isolation situations and let him attack and create his own offense. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better finisher at the rim than him. He’s also tied for second in the Big Ten in free throw attempts, showing he’s one of the best at drawing fouls as well.
Saturday, he also demonstrated a knack for finding open teammates when defenses collapse on him on a drive, making cuts and the ability to spot up and shoot outside shots even more crucial for the other players.
But when Langford doesn’t have the ball, there’s still plenty of potential for offensive fluidity.
Entering the ball to Morgan in the post can be just as effective when the off-the-ball movement is in motion.
Morgan can obviously put defenders in a spin cycle of post moves, but he’s one of the best in the country at passing off the block. Saturday’s second half showed just how effective of a passer he can be when teammates are making cuts around him.
One solid half of offense obviously doesn’t guarantee anything. The lackadaisical and listless approach 20 minutes prior showed there’s a long way to go, but if Coach Archie Miller and his staff can find a way capture that second half performance in a bottle, this offense has the potential to be extremely fun and exciting.
Saturday showed they’re right on the cusp of figuring out how to be that team. If IU does sort it out, they’ll be more than just fun to watch.
They’ll also be hard to beat.
