At times during IU men’s basketball’s first two Big Ten games, they have looked lost.
Against Northwestern, IU wasn’t able to impose its will on defense — as it has done for most of the season — and its 16 turnovers doomed the offense. Versus the Illini, multiple scoring droughts plagued the Hoosiers and their inability to come up with critical defensive stops against junior guard Ayo Dosunmu down the stretch stopped their comeback attempt.
As IU looks forward toward its Penn State matchup Wednesday night, head coach Archie Miller emphasized that the team’s focus is more internal than who they are playing.
“At this point it’s not about Penn State, it’s got to be about us right now,” Miller said Tuesday on his radio show. “We have to be really locked in. We have to play super hard. We’re going to have to get some guys playing at a higher level with some desperation.”
That sense of desperation is key moving forward for the Hoosiers.
With the team projected to finish last in the conference during the preseason, Northwestern, already beating two top-25 teams — Michigan State and Ohio State — it’s clear there are no easy wins in the Big Ten this season.
As a result, Miller said the team has to be on it for all 40 minutes and they can’t have stretches, especially at the end of games, which allows teams to put them away.
“We know how important it is to stay in the race in the Big Ten,” freshman Trey Galloway said Tuesday on Zoom. “We know how challenging it is to be behind and work your way back into it. Every game is going to be difficult and we have to lock in and treat every game like it’s a championship game.”
In its losses this season, IU has often appeared flat on the court, devoid of energy which has caused them to fall behind early in games. At the beginning of the season, Miller often said IU would only be as good as sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis’ play and the energy he can provide for the rest of the team.
Despite showcasing how dominant he can be, nearly having two double-doubles in the Hoosiers’ two games this past week, nothing has come easy for the preseason All-American. During these struggles, Jackson-Davis’ frustration has been evident on the court, affecting both his own and his teammates’ play.
If IU is going to end this two-game skid and earn its first Big Ten win of the season, it will need Jackson-Davis to return to his spark-plug role as this Penn State squad has all the pieces which have caused the team problems early this season.
Despite losing Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins from last year’s team, Miller said this Nittany Lions team is more difficult to defend.
Penn State this season relies on a four-guard lineup, allowing them to space the court and open driving lanes while also being lethal from beyond the arc. The Nittany Lions this season are averaging just shy of 10 3-pointers per game.
“They’re explosive on offense,” Miller said. “They shoot the crap out of the ball from three. They put serious runs on. The Illinois game started off 19-4 and they beat Virginia Tech on the road by about 25, then the Michigan game on the road goes down to the wire.”
On defense, playing with four guards allows Penn State to be very aggressive with its pressure, and its speed allows them to quickly close out on shooters and cut off driving lanes.
“They play fast and they cause a lot of problems defensively with their switching so they’ll bring some pressure,” Miller said. “There are no nights off, right now there’s no nights off in this league. This league is an absolute bear this year and Penn State’s good. We have our work cut out for us. We definitely have our work cut out for us on Wednesday.”
