IU men's basketball suffered an overwhelming defeat against Michigan on Sunday, marking the sixth true road loss for the Hoosiers. In each of those games, IU has trailed by at least 17 points. This Wednesday, it won’t get any easier as IU will be on the road once again with a trip to Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers are 10-3 at home and have scored at least 70 points in all but two of their conference wins inside Williams Arena. They've lost their last two games by a combined nine points, but each was against ranked competition.
“Playing in The Barn is always difficult,” IU head coach Archie Miller said. “We’ve got to play at a higher level, and we can’t turn it over up there.”
Last year, IU lost by 21 points at Minnesota. The Hoosiers gave up 12 3-pointers while allowing three different players to score at least 18 points. It was a performance that came toward the end of a five-game losing streak.
Last week, IU snapped a 4-game losing streak in a home win against then-No. 21 Iowa. But on Sunday, freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis wasn’t effective despite coming in as the team’s leading scorer.
He scored five points to go with two rebounds in 27 minutes. Jackson-Davis has scored 12 or more points in all but one Big Ten home game and in five of the team’s six road losses, he’s been held to single digits.
“We’ve got to get Trayce rolling on the road,” Miller said. “In some of our road games, he’s been a nonfactor.”
The Golden Gophers will come into the game relying on a star underclassman big man as well. Sophomore center Daniel Oturu leads Minnesota with 19.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He’s scored at least 15 points in 12 out of 14 Big Ten games. Oturu leads the Big Ten in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage.
But for Miller, it’s not about shutting down Oturu or making every shot, it’s about how the team responds while playing in the road environment.
“For us, it’s understanding that we don’t have to play a perfect game, but we have to have a perfect effort game,” Miller said.
Three of IU's next four games are all on the road. The past performances away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall has put the Hoosiers toward the bottom of a conference that’s projected to have around 10 teams make the NCAA Tournament.
Despite the Golden Gophers' 12-12 overall record, they’re tied at 6-8 in conference play with the Hoosiers. Whoever loses will be in sole possession of 12th place with an outside chance of significantly moving up the Big Ten standings going forward.
Minnesota isn’t a ranked team that’s chasing a Big Ten title, but it still represents another opportunity to pick up a quality win with March drawing near.
“That’s the frustrating part, dealing with the mental side,” Miller said. “When we go on the road, we’re not playing chopped liver. You have to be ready with your best effort.
