‘Twas two nights before Christmas, and all through the Hall, several athletes were stirring — it was time to play ball.
No. 18 Indiana men’s basketball went 2-0 in its home nonconference stretch this week, notching a 96-72 victory over Elon University on Tuesday and a 69-55 win against Kennesaw State University on Friday. It was a much-needed reprieve after Indiana was outscored 173-137 by No. 5 University of Arizona and No. 4 University of Kansas in its two previous contests.
Before the Hoosiers resume their Big Ten slate in 13 days, here are a few items their fans are dreaming of in the new year. It’s time to send out your last-minute requests and hope your nondescript gift-giving winter holiday mascot of choice is half as generous as Indiana’s perimeter defense.
The miracle of modern medicine
Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. Graduate student guard Xavier Johnson. A one-two punch of strength and speed that gives the term dynamic duo a new meaning.
What’s that? Injured, you say? Nifty.
Jackson-Davis has dealt with lingering issues to his hand and back all season. He sat out Indiana’s last two games for precautionary reasons, so he should be back in the mix soon. However, Johnson recently underwent surgery for a foot injury he sustained Dec. 17 against Kansas, and his absence is indefinite.
Apologies if this take is a little too spicy, but I feel like the Hoosiers could really use their two most productive players down the stretch. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that several bench players are getting playing time, and I’m always down for the outfits Jackson-Davis and Johnson sport on the sidelines. Unfortunately, despite all its advanced metrics, I don’t believe the Pomeroy Basketball Ratings takes sheer drip into account.
Indiana has the talent to win big games. It’s all the cartilage and tendons that concern me.
More dunks, because why not?
Look, I simply think it would be cool if Indiana scored a larger percentage of its points by throwing the ball directly through the hoop rather than from a substantial distance. When a player dunks, my brain releases happy chemicals and I think, “Woah, that sure was neat.” Don’t you agree?
Between junior forward Jordan Geronimo, freshman guard CJ Gunn and graduate student forward Race Thompson, the Hoosiers are rarely more than a well-timed pass away from a glorious jam.
So-called basketball experts might say you can’t win games exclusively with dunks, and that’s fair. But just think about Indiana’s losses to Arizona and Kansas. Wouldn’t it have been more fun if the Hoosiers had just dunked their way to double-digit blowouts?
Consistency from the rest of the starting five
When Jackson-Davis returns, who is Indiana’s second-best player? Is it sharpshooting graduate student forward Miller Kopp? Thompson? Maybe it’s Johnson, slicing through the lane on his knee scooter.
Each Indiana starter has had great games during which they proved themselves capable of leading a Big Ten championship-caliber team. The issue arises when three or four of them are virtual non-factors. That’s when Indiana scores just 48 points at Rutgers or surrenders a 17-0 run against Arizona.
I’m not remotely savvy enough to know whether head coach Mike Woodson needs to mix up his starting lineup or if his athletes just need time to regroup in the wake of injuries. But wherever it comes from, Jackson-Davis needs more help. I imagine lower back injuries make it a smidge harder to carry a team.
The serenity to accept the things they cannot change, the courage to change the things they can and the wisdom to know the difference
Wait, that was a typo. It was supposed to say, “even more dunks.”
