Indiana Basketball: 3 Keys to the Big Ten Tournament

3. Keep the attitude, Archie

I questioned both this season and last season if Archie Miller could take Indiana from good to great. Just a few weeks ago, I was almost dead set that he couldn’t.

However, I am more confident in coach Miller than ever before. His recent behavior — clipboard punching versus Penn State, screaming at Al Durham against Illinois, and calling out ESPN’s Joe Lunardi — makes me content.

My issues with Miller were that I, as a fan, felt like the team was way underperforming for the standards of Indiana Basketball. However, Miller’s demeanor did not signal to me that he felt the same way. The rate of improvement for his three teams at IU was, in my eyes, subpar, yet seemingly acceptable in Miller’s eyes.

I now know that is far from the truth. Archie Miller is outwardly, openly frustrated at his team on the court like I am watching from my couch. He’s developed this new tantrummy mentality that communicates something important to me as a fan. He’s not satisfied with mediocrity. Not even close.

He needs to keep this mentality and expectation for his team at this critical point in the season. Don’t accept mediocrity. If someone takes a dumb shot or doesn’t hustle for a loose ball, take them out of the game.

This kind of coaching has a top-down effect on the players. It gives them expectations and structure. Five-star commit Khristian Lander was one row behind Miller when he punched a clipboard in anger at missed free throws. Players want — and need — that kind of fire. Keep it up, coach.