COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- After collapsing late against Arkansas to lose a game it seemed to have control of, IU hits the road and resumes Big Ten play. That comes against No. 15 Maryland, a team that can match IU's strength on the interior with Jalen Smith and Chol Marial.
IU now has Big Ten play for the remainder of the season, and in a conference that is so deep that means a brutal schedule. IU has the toughest schedule in the country per ESPN's Basketball Power Index. That begins today in College Park. Follow along below for updates:
FINAL: IU is crushed 75-59 on the road aginst No. 15 Maryland. It was exposed. In a big, big way. Against a top 15 team, it couldn’t compete. It made 21-60 from two and 4-18 from three. IU was outclassed, through and through. IU falls to 11-3, drops its second straight. Still the toughest schedule in the nation per BPI the rest of the way.
4:25 to play, IU timeout: The run got up to 21-3 Maryland. IU is a mess. It is losing 69-41. It is getting outclassed by a top tier team. Maryland is quite good. Indiana is not at this level.
Under-8 timeout: Another big Maryland run and IU looks to be dead in the water. a 13-2 run for the Terps over the last 3:51 makes it a 57-38 lead. IU has just 16 points in the paint which percentage wise of IU's total points isn't all that bad, but it's late in the second half and IU has a really low point total because it can't score.
8:53 to play, IU timeout: Maryland is making IU pay in a big way for its turnovers. It has a 7-0 run in the last 60 seconds and leads 53-38. Terps have 20 points off 11 IU turnovers. That’s almost 40% of its points.
Under-12 timeout: IU hasn’t made a field goal in 2:42. These droughts have happened a lot today. Maryland is shooting well at only 33%, but IU has managed to be worse. It is 14-44 on 2s and 1-12 on 3s. Terps lead 44-34 as the Hoosiers offense continues to be ugly.
IU timeout, 18:39 left in the second half: So let’s take a look at how IU started this half. Joey Brunk foul, Jalen Smith 2-2 from the line, Devonte Green jump shot. Al Durham foul, Jalen Smith 1-2 from the line, Justin Smith turnover, Aaron Wiggins poster. IU timeout. So not exactly great. Maryland leads 33-22.
Halftime: Well that was a mess for IU. Down 28-20. When IU can’t get to the rim it simply cannot score. Plain and simple. That’s on full display right now. Against a team that can defend the paint that’s been exacerbated.
IU shot 28% in the first half. 8-29 on 2s and 1-6 on 3s. It only attempted six free throws, and only made three of them and it only has eight points in the paint. Those numbers just simply aren’t conducive to IU having success. It needs its post play to do anything.
IU closed the first half making just 1 of its final 12 field goals. Many of them were just not good shots when IU couldn’t get it inside or refused to. IU’s leading scorer is Joey Brunk with five. Scoring balance is great, but IU lacks a go-to guy, that’s been emphasized.
Trayce Jackson-Davis only had three shots. But he also only had 11 minutes because he got his second foul and sat for the rest of the half.
Maryland timeout, under 20 seconds to play in the half: IU is just a mess offensively. Chol Marial just came back in and played some great defense on Joey Brunk, but IU has thrown some really bad shot choices in this stretch of one field goal in the last eight-is minutes. IU can’t score. Down 27-20.
Under 4 timeout: IU hasn’t made a field goal in six minutes. The strategy is clear, swarm inside and force IU out of the paint. That’s been working for Maryland. Race Thompson got two offensive rebounds but had really tough put back looks and couldn’t finish. 24-18 Maryland lead.
IU timeout, 5:17 left in the half: Marylands takes a 22-16 lead on an 11-0 run. IU has had another stretch where it just can't do anything on offense. This happens with regularity. The inconsistency of of a lineup without a go-to guy.
Under-8 timeout: Devonte Green tried to take over a bit, and IU didn’t get much out of it. He shot three straight threes, and the only one he made was on the only good look he had. IU leads 16-14, but as this game has emphasized, IU needs to keep feeding the post to get offense.
Under-12 timeout: To win this game, IU has to control the post. So far, it's done that. Hoosiers head into the media timeout on a Trayce Jackson-Davis block on one end, then he runs down the floor to get the bucket on the other in transition. Maryland has made one of its last 10 field goal, and is already in foul trouble.
Under-16 timeout: Joey Burnk has played storng, bruising basketball in the post for IU. He has all four of IU's points in a 4-4 tie at the first media timeout. He got his second basket with a great pivot before tipping in his own miss on the first attempt.
Pregame: IU starts Al Durham, Devonte Green, Justin Smith, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk. That's become the normal starters of late as the team gets healthy. The Jackson-Davis-Jalen Smith matchup is going to be one of the most critical, and fun to watch.
Pregame: After missing the game with an injury in IU's loss to Arkansas, redshirt freshman forward Jerome Hunter was in uniform for pregame shootaround. In fact, all 11 scholarship players were dressed in uniform for warm ups.
