Indiana Basketball: 3 takeaways from win vs Notre Dame

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 21: Archie Miller the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers gives instructions to his team against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 21, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

2. Energy for 40 minutes still a struggle

I feel like we are beating a dead horse with this topic, but once again it was a major issue for Indiana.

The Hoosiers have either started slow, had midgame lulls, or finished slow, had the same issue again on Saturday .

While it was one of the first games in which the Hoosiers got off to a quick start, it was even more surprising to see it last through the first 30 minutes of the game. With the lead stretching to 17 at one point at the 15 minute mark, and still a 10-point lead with 10 minutes left, it was downhill from there.

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Indiana saw the Irish go on two huge runs, one 15-2, and another 10-0 run to ultimately take a five-point lead with 3:45 left in the game. A 22-point swing against any team is bad enough, but against a team that went just 6-for-27 from three on the game is inexcusable.

While it started on the defensive end, allowing the Irish to shoot 48 percent in the second half, up from 28 percent in the first half, it could have been masked if the Hoosiers were able to put some offensive possessions together.

Going on scoreless droughts of 3:45 and 4:00 minutes throughout the final 10 minutes of the game, the Hoosiers would either settle for contested jump shots, or miss layup after layup at the rim.

Though this is a lot easier to talk about in a win, it continues to be a major concern for the Hoosiers moving forward in which Big Ten play could emphasize even more.

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