Indiana is mired in the winter doldrums.
This game was never in doubt. The Hoosiers started in a 9-0 hole, were down 17 midway through the first half, and were never closer than 11 after the break while falling behind by as much as 25.
Let’s take a deeper look at how Indiana lost 86-72 at Ann Arbor with our latest edition of The Report Card.
Now on a four-game losing streak, the Hoosiers (12-7, 3-5) will return to action Friday when they travel to Rutgers.
—————————————-
OFFENSE (C-)
As has been the case all year, an extended, mostly switching, physical perimeter defense was Indiana’s kryptonite. That approach especially bothered the Hoosiers without starting point guard Tayton Conerway, who played the first two minutes and then sat the rest of the way after testing the ankle he sprained on Saturday. He’s IU’s best player at breaking that kind of pressure off the bounce.
The Hoosiers looked sped up, couldn’t win on dribble drives, and couldn’t free up on cuts and screens. They were stagnant and ended up chucking up late shot clock desperation threes for much of the first half. They scored just .9 points per possession before the break.
Indiana has to find a way to get more shots for Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries. Wilkerson only had 10 shots for the game, and DeVries just four in the first 30 minutes.
Michigan didn’t appear to be as invested defensively in the second half, and IU did find some answers, with paint touches that led to finishes at the rim and some kick-out threes. But it’s not time to declare Indiana has figured anything out until they can deal with heavy perimeter pressure for 40 minutes.
Tucker DeVries’ shooting made this game look closer than it really was. And that may ultimately be a good thing for IU down the road if he finds his rhythm. But it wasn’t much of a factor in the outcome of this game unless you were betting on the point spread.
DEFENSE (C-)
Michigan is really good. They’ve got a national top-5 offense. And Indiana was shorthanded. So you take some of this with a grain of salt. But IU is starting to look like a team that can’t stop anyone.
It was another miserable performance for the Indiana defense, as the Hoosiers gave up 1.23 points per possession, their fourth straight game allowing at least that much, and fifth time in six contests. And IU has lost all five of those games. Michigan’s 60.4% effective field goal percentage was a season-high allowed by IU, including 60.7% from two and 40% from three. The Hoosiers were at a size disadvantage, and that led to several easy inside looks.
And the issues that have troubled IU defensively all season were problematic on Tuesday night. Indiana gave up 12 offensive rebounds for 16 second chance points, and they sent the Wolverines to the free throw line for 33 attempts. Michigan’s 62.3% free throw rate (FTA/FGA) was the second-highest allowed by IU all year. The score could have been much worse if not for 11 misses at the stripe by Michigan.
At times it looked like IU was competing, but they just don’t have the size or athleticism to execute on this end at an elite level. Conerway is also one of Indiana’s best perimeter defenders, but they’ve been equally bad with him on the defensive end of late.
SEE ALSO:
IU basketball: Indiana 72 Michigan 86 — Three keys, highlights, final stats
THE PLAYERS (*starters)
*Tucker DeVries (D) After committing two fouls in the first two minutes, he only played 12 first half minutes, didn’t score before the break, and had to be careful on defense. IU fans have their fingers crossed his 15 point second half outburst is the start of something, but it didn’t impact this game.
*Lamar Wilkerson (D) This looked like a game where frustration crept into Wilkerson’s effort on the defensive end, and he uncharacteristically had three turnovers. He seemed to figure some things out with shot fakes.
*Sam Alexis (C) Alexis did a nice job on multiple drives being physical at the rim. He looked more comfortable handling the ball on offense. He has to rebound better and stay out of foul trouble, however.
*Conor Enright (C) With no help from Conerway, Enright was in a pretty thankless position defensively, and the fouls eventually caught up with him. He did what he could offensively, making open threes and limiting turnovers.
Reed Bailey (C-) Bailey also had a couple nice physical finishes in the paint. This appears to be something the staff is working on with both him and Alexis. But Bailey also had three turnovers and wasn’t much of a factor on the glass.
Trent Sisley (D) Playing against one of the best teams in the country, on the road, with elite size and athleticism, these are the games a true freshman will learn from and emerge better down the road.
Nick Dorn (C) Dorn did what he needed to do — just keep shooting threes when he has any space. And he rebounded better in this one.
*Tayton Conerway, Jasai Miles and Aleksa Ristic played limited minutes. Conerway was injured in the Iowa game (ankle) and attempted to play at the start of this one.
————————
Andrej Acimovic did not play — coaches decision.
Jason Drake and Josh Harris were out with injuries.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
