Now owners of a four game losing streak, the Hoosiers need to identify a kickstarter, otherwise they’ll once again miss the big dance in March. Are lineup changes the answer? Despite having Jerome Hunter and Race Thompson back in action, the Hoosiers were unable to hold down a Purdue team that got another resume building win for their season.
Here are the top lineups for Indiana against Purdue on February 8, 2020.
Click here to view the infographic in full screen.
Notes from the Lineup Report
- The most critical stretch in this game came late in the 1st half, when Purdue scored 12 in a row to take a nine-point lead into halftime. Indiana’s backcourt during the entire run comprised of Rob Phinisee and Devonte Green. IU has been outscored by 20 points since the Arkansas game with this pairing on the court.
- On the other hand, one guard combination that worked was Phinisee and Armaan Franklin, who went +3 in 5:15. In fact, Franklin was the only player to post a positive +/- for Indiana on Saturday afternoon (+1). He played the 3rd-fewest minutes out of any Hoosier (10).
- In fact, Franklin has been the only player to post a net positive +/- when combining all of IU’s performances since the Arkansas game. That’s right: the only player with a positive +/- in the last 11 games is Franklin.
- Indiana’s best lineup on Saturday was Phinisee, Franklin, Hunter, Smith, and Jackson-Davis. They cut Purdue’s 2nd half lead down to six before the Boilermakers pulled away. On the season, this group has only played 8:48 of non-garbage time together, but they have gone +11 in those minutes. Perhaps playing those five more, or maybe even starting them, is a change that Archie Miller makes to snap this four-game losing streak.
Featured Photo: IndianaHQ
