The Hoosiers earned their third Big Ten victory as they defeated Nebraska by an eight point margin on Sunday evening. Indiana still remains in the top 25 in KenPom rankings, with their 15th ranked adjusted defense doing its part in holding up the team. But on Sunday, it was Indiana’s first half offense that really shined, and it even gave the Hoosiers an 18-point lead. Race Thompson had a game high 159 offensive rating, also according to KenPom.
Notes
- Indiana’s best lineup in Sunday’s 82-74 win at Nebraska, per raw +/-, was the group of Phinisee/Durham/Leal/Thompson/TJD. That group hadn’t played together until the Maryland game on Jan. 4. They went +6 against the Terps, -1 at Wisconsin, then +8 on Sunday night.
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (+9) and Rob Phinisee (+8) finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, in +/- for IU on Sunday night. However, what stands out more is when the two guys were on the court together down the stretch after Nebraska took the lead. In the last 9:08, after the Cornhuskers went up 63-62, Phinisee and TJD played together for 3:26 and went +10 to guide the Hoosiers to victory.
- In an odd twist, Archie Miller played the starting five for a whopping 7:42 shift to start the 2nd half. Initially, that group pushed IU’s lead from 12 at halftime to 14 at the under-16 media timeout. Then, that group may have gotten fatigued, as Nebraska cut IU’s lead to seven before Miller substituted, taking out Galloway and Thompson for Leal and Hunter.
- In a game where IU’s defense had a tough time slowing down Nebraska, freshman Anthony Leal stood out, as IU gave up just 35 points in his 20:43, or 1.69 points per minute (PPM). In the 19:17 where he was sidelined, IU gave up 41 points, or 2.13 PPM.
Featured Photo: Indiana University Athletics
