INDIANAPOLIS — IU head coach Archie Miller had to tell freshman guard Armaan Franklin to keep his head up. Franklin had made just four of his first 27 collegiate threes, and he didn’t think anyone knew who he was. It took a toll on the freshman, and his confidence hit bottom. Miller talked to Franklin about his confidence after the Dec. 13 win over Nebraska.
But with IU trailing in the final 30 seconds, junior guard Al Durham, Franklin’s captain, had the confidence to pass him the ball for the game’s biggest shot.
University of Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said his plan was to allow outside shots and focus more on containing IU’s strength in its interior presence. On the game's most pivotal possession, the defense collapsed on freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, leaving IU’s shooters open.
“We almost violated the basketball gods in terms of not guarding the arc,” Brey said.
Brey’s game plan backfired.
Jackson-Davis kicked the ball out to Durham, who found Franklin in the corner, wide open. Franklin held onto his follow through as the ball sailed toward the basket. IU’s bench rose to its feet behind him. Senior guard Devonte Green started to jog back on defense before the shot even came down.
It swished through. The bench erupted in celebration in front of an IU-heavy crowd doing the same.
Franklin’s head was up as he celebrated with his teammates back on the defensive end. The freshman’s three put his team up 62-60, the score by which IU would go on to beat Notre Dame.
“Even though I was in a slump, everybody was telling me to keep shooting,” Franklin said. “Putting in extra work after practice, before we practice really helps a lot, and we saw it helped a lot today.”
Franklin’s game-winning shot was part of a career high 17 points, a total which led both teams. His +/- rating was a game best +12. After making just four threes all season he made four of five threes against Notre Dame, and that doesn’t include making all of his foul shots after he was fouled shooting a three in the first half.
Those free throws capped off a personal 6-0 run, which gave IU breathing room. It led by as many as 17 points. But the lead dwindled all the way down late in the second half, IU again failed to maintain a lead. Franklin checked in with just under four minutes to play.
IU controlled the rebounding margin, leading Notre Dame 42-32. Despite Brey’s want to force IU outside, it found success in the post. All at least until Notre Dame began to roar back.
Miller turned to his youngest pieces, Franklin and Jackson-Davis. He looked to his hot-hands in the biggest moments, regardless of experience. Franklin didn’t start against Notre Dame. It was just the second time in the freshman’s first 12 games he wasn’t among the first five. But he provided IU a spark off the bench in a way he had never been able to do as a starter.
“I was confident our guys were going to make some plays,” Miller said. “We've been in that situation. We had great attitude, regardless of the circumstances in the game, which is what you like to see, and a couple key plays by two freshmen.”
Franklin hit a three to cut the deficit to two with just under three minutes to play. And as the clock ticked down to 15 seconds, he hit the biggest shot of his young IU career.
For a second straight year at the Crossroads Classic it was a true freshman hitting the game’s biggest shot, a three to win the game for Miller’s team.
“We were struggling offensively, and he was the one guy that had made a few plays for us,” Miller said. “Able to throw him right back in there, and it's not easy to do what he did.”
Franklin’s performance provided a public glimpse of what Miller saw in private. He saw a player that was a far better shooter than his percentages indicated. He described Franklin as a smooth offensive player, but one who was quiet and timid on the floor.
When Franklin hit the game-winning shot, he was none of that. He celebrated with his teammates and yelled as he ran back down the floor, arm still raised holding his follow through.
He had his confidence back.
