Indiana Basketball: Does Clifton Moore deserve more playing time?

The 6-foot-10 forward has been productive in short stints this season and provided a spark for a sometimes lackluster effort.

“He’s getting tired out there,” Indiana Coach Archie Miller said after their loss to Nebraska. “…. some of the finishes that he had. He’s going up against big bodies. He’s playing a lot of minutes.”

There is no question that Juwan Morgan has been shouldering a lot of the responsibility on both ends of the floor, and with the physical style of play, he’s bound to wear down. His fatigue is affecting his ability to play sound defense, resulting in his team high 45 fouls.

A main reason for his career high in minutes per game in conference play (32.3) is the lack of depth the Hoosiers have behind him.

Coming into the year, grad transfer Evan Fitzner was supposed to have more of an impact on the offensive end, but he has yet to contribute much, especially in Big Ten Play. In addition to Fitzner, De’Ron Davis is coming off of a torn achilles last season, and an ankle sprain earlier this season that he hasn’t fully recovered from. Race Thompson, Jake Forrester, and Jerome Hunter are three other players that were expected to play roles this season, but both have been injured most, if not all, season.

That leaves sophomore forward Clifton Moore.

The lanky 6-foot-10 Moore has been a pleasant surprise in his limited time this season.

Playing in just nine games this season, and three Big Ten games, Moore is averaging 5.4 minutes a game, with a season high of eight, but does rank second on the team in player efficiency rating (PER) at 25.3, showing his effectiveness when he does see the court.

In just five minutes against Nebraska, he was a great spark in both halves in trying to help the Hoosiers crawl back into the game, finishing with five points and three rebounds.

Digging into his production even more, he has the third highest offensive rating (points produced per 100 poss) at 107.5 in Big Ten play – De’Ron Davis is at 88.8 and Fitzner at 42.1 – and the best defensive rating (points given up per 100 poss) on the team at 92.3.

With the Hoosiers ranked 145th in the NCAA in rebound margin (+1.8), and being outrebonded in conference play by a total of 29, Indiana’s lack of size and length is a crucial factor in their inability to win games.

Moore, at 6-foot-10, gives Indiana size to play alongside Juwan Morgan, affecting shots at the rim, but more importantly rebounding the ball.

With a 21.5 rebound percentage in Big Ten play, Moore has an even higher rebound percent on the defensive end (28.4), where they are struggling the most. For reference, De’Ron Davis, who hasn’t recorded a defensive rebound in conference play, has an overall percentage of 4.9 while Fitzner has a 6.9 rebound percentage.

The Hoosiers need a change, and Clifton Moore could be the spark plug they are looking for.