After a nine-day break, the IU men’s basketball team will be back on the hardwood Tuesday night to play its second game against No. 12 Illinois.
“We're excited to get back on the floor,” IU head coach Archie Miller said. “It's difficult to have these types of long pauses in the middle of conference play. I think every once in a while, a deep breath and the ability to work on yourself is good.”
Back in December, the Hoosiers fell 69-60 to the Illini on the road. Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu tallied 30 points for the Illini, followed by 15 from 7-foot center Kofi Cockburn.
[Related: Dosunmu, Cockburn the difference as IU men’s basketball falls 69-60 to No. 18 Illinois]
Miller said looking back at that game, there’s a lot the team can take from it. But the main concern for Miller about preparing for Illinois is that his team has to be smart.
The versatility of Dosunmu’s play will force IU to be smart on defense because there isn’t just one way the Hoosiers can guard him. He shoots the ball well in transition and from the perimeter, but his size and athleticism also help him get to the basket.
Junior guard Rob Phinisee said guarding Dosunmu has to be a team effort since he can shoot from anywhere on the floor.
“He's a good reader of the defense. He makes good plays,” Miller said. “He knows how teams are playing him.”
Cockburn was also an issue for the Hoosiers in December on the offensive end. He held sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis — who averages 20 points a game — to 11 points and zero offensive rebounds.
Aside from containing Dosunmu and Cockburn, Miller said the biggest aspect is not letting the offense fall apart like it did against Rutgers on Jan. 24. He said turning the ball over nine times in the second half buried the Hoosiers, and they can’t afford to let that happen Tuesday.
“If you turn the ball over nine times in the second half, you're going to give a team of this caliber an opportunity to get out of transition where they thrive,” Miller said.
Although the Hoosiers have only played two games over the last 19 days, Miller said that break was helpful for getting his team healthy. He said his team is banged up.
Sophomore guard Armaan Franklin took several games off after he sprained his ankle Jan. 4 against Maryland, but even since he’s been back, Miller said playing has aggravated his ankle. And then freshman guard Trey Galloway, who had worked his way into the starting lineup, has been dealing with a back injury throughout the end of January.
Besides those two guards, the rest of the team is worn down as it starts its third month of the season. The Hoosiers spent this last week resting and recovering not only in preparation for Illinois, but also for the rest of the season.
“After this game starts on Tuesday, it's going to be an onslaught in the next 30 some days to get the remainder of our schedule in with two games that have yet to be added,” Miller said. “So health has been something that we've concentrated on and tried to be mindful of.”
