This has not been a great year to be a fan of IU men’s basketball. To be fair, it hasn’t been a great year to be a human being in general, but IU’s 61-50 loss to Rutgers in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night was a particularly blunt summation of the Hoosiers’ struggles.
The evening started much better than IU’s five-game skid may have led viewers to expect. Senior guard Al Durham struck hard and fast with a 3-pointer, followed up shortly thereafter by sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis eviscerating the rim with a monster dunk.
Even at a limited capacity, Lucas Oil Stadium was alive with the raucous cheers of a couple thousand spectators doing their best to recreate the energy of Assembly Hall circa 2019 or any sporting venue in Texas circa one week ago.
Watching the first half was akin to the cheery, innocuous opening to an episode of the Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. The Hoosiers held a double-digit lead and were consistently attacking the hoop in transition for the first time in recent history, but I couldn’t just sit back and watch knowing what dark, twisted horrors were bound to follow suit.
That unfortunate turn began taking shape late in the first period with Rutgers sinking seven of its last eight shots while IU went 0-4. Aside from an 8-0 run early in the second half, the Hoosiers did very little to impose their will.
Much like a long-running sitcom or a big bowl of fettuccine alfredo, IU was really, really good until it really, really wasn’t.
The Hoosiers’ field goal percentage dropped by nearly 20% in the second half, which entailed going 0-7 from beyond the arc. Perhaps more concerning was their success rate from the free-throw line, where they connected on only six of their 15 attempts.
The most frustrating thing about losing to a team such as Rutgers — aside from the obvious shame of losing to Rutgers, of course — is that it means IU was outschemed. There aren’t many programs in the Big Ten that can consistently field the talent level the Hoosiers boast, but evidently there are plenty who can get their slightly less amazing athletes in far better positions to succeed.
Junior guard Ron Harper Jr. and senior guard Jacob Young combined for 26 points while opening the Scarlet Knight’s offense and stretching the Hoosiers all over the floor.
You don’t have to squint too hard to see a version of IU that can make serious headway in the NCAA Tournament. With sophomore guard Armaan Franklin shooting accurately, junior forward Race Thompson defending relentlessly and Jackson-Davis basically existing, the Hoosiers should seemingly lean more toward victory than abject humiliation on a regular basis.
It’s no secret injuries have been a huge concern for IU down the stretch. Between Franklin and Thompson’s assorted maladies, the Hoosiers’ on-court lineup typically averages roughly 1.6 healthy ankles and .8 completely intact faces per player.
In spite of that attrition, a win wasn’t totally out of IU’s reach. There were a handful of extremely close shots that didn’t roll the Hoosiers’ way, although those wouldn’t have been so backbreaking if IU had made more than 40% of its foul shots.
Despite the joy of Franklin’s return or the thrill of Jackson-Davis’ occasional physical dominance, the contest’s final 10 minutes saw the Hoosiers log a single field goal, a sobering reminder of their status in the modern Big Ten hierarchy.
After IU’s five-game losing streak to close out the regular season, this defeat had the appearance of an unnecessary epilogue.
It’s like if “Titanic” had a post-credits scene. What’s that? Jack’s still a roguishly handsome ice cube? OK, cool, good to know.
