Indiana barely beat the 197th best team in the country, and I don’t care, because this team proved it can play defense when it needs to. Also, we’re 5-0 in the Big Ten, so…
Indiana (15-3, 5-0) barely snuck by Minnesota (6-12, 0-6) beating the Gophers 70-63 to win its fifth straight game without James Blackmon Jr, and 10th straight overall.
Indiana opened up the game playing remarkably sloppy basketball and really set the tone for what would become an abundantly physical matchup. In the first half, Indiana really couldn’t seem to get anything going offensively other than Nick Zeisloft and his four straight three pointers, which seemed to really test the laws of physics. From there the game became a defense-first approach which is not only refreshing, but increasingly promising.
Yogi Ferrell led the scoring for Indiana with 20 points, but most of his activity came elsewhere. Yogi proved to be the clear leader of this team once again by racking up assists and out-hustling everyone else on the floor. He carried Indiana through rough stretches and did what you expect from a senior leader. Yogi played 37 minutes and looked fatigued, but he still found a way to put this team on his back.
For Minnesota, their leading scoring came from the bench. Joey King racked up 18 points and if it wasn’t for some crucial foul trouble, Minnesota had a legitimate chance to win this one.
Overall, I have six major takeaways from this game.
Why is Yogi Ferrell not a top-25 player in the country?
Two days ago, Yogi Ferrell was left off the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list. Yes, voters actually believe players like Damion Lee of Louisville and Ryan Anderson of Arizona are better than Yogi Ferrell. Dear voters, please watch this game.
Yogi was remarkable on both sides of the ball, dribbling by defenders, finding the open man, and being an all-around emotional leader. With his 20 points and 7 assists today, one must question the mentality of Wooden Award voters. Are they unintelligent, or just blind?
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Nick Zeisloft is back
After shooting an abysmal 0-8 against Ohio State, and not looking very impressive for the rest of Big Ten play, Zeisloft is back. Without his four big buckets in the first half, IU would not be undefeated in the Big Ten. As simple as that.
With the lack of depth at the guard position, it’s crucial to have Zeisloft shooting again before some more difficult Big Ten opponents.
Fun Fact: 105 of Nick Ziesloft’s 116 points this year come from behind the arc.
Without James Blackmon Jr., someone new has had to step up for this team
Without JBJ, there is a bit of a hole on the offensive side of the ball. Indiana hasn’t just replaced Blackmon’s productivity with one guy, it has been someone new each game so far. I don’t dislike that approach by any means. Without Blackmon, someone has to step up. As long as someone does that, I’m happy.
Last game, it was Troy Williams.
Against Nebraska, it was Thomas Bryant.
Against Rutgers, it was OG Anunoby’s shut down defense which won IU the game.
Today, it was Nick Zeisloft.
Defense, Defense, Defense
Coming into today, Indiana led the Big Ten in defensive efficiency. They have allowed only 93 points per every 100 possessions.
Indiana from four weeks ago should have won this game by at least 20 or lost by at least 20. That’s how this team used to function. Shoot the ball as much as you can and hope to outscore the other guys.
Now, Indiana doesn’t have to play that way. This team is playing strong defense and that’s what matters most to this team. Indiana will always be able to score, but the defense’s development is what this team will need in the postseason. I myself have seen enough progress in this team defensively to be confident when going against better opponents such as Michigan State and Iowa.
Depth may become an issue at some point
Only seven players scored for Indiana and Yogi played over 37 minutes. That’s a little bit of a concern, but let’s hold off and see what happens with that. Maybe Harrison Niego and Tim Priller will start to alleviate that issue in the weeks to come.
Little Pitino is a sad sad man
