BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For their first ranked opponent of the season, the Hoosiers (8-0, 0-0 Big Ten) hosted No. 17 Florida State as their pairing in the 2019 Big Ten-ACC Challenge. The Hoosiers sent a message to national media with a statement 80-64 victory over the Seminoles Tuesday night.

Indiana’s 80 points were the highest any opponent has scored against Florida State’s third ranked defense nationally. The Hoosiers will go to bed with their first “Tier-A” victory of the year.

There’s no doubt that this is the best team, we’ve played up till this point. I think they are definitely a top 25 ranked team. 

Florida State Head Coach Leonard Hamilton

Apparently the trip to Niceville, Fla. for the Seminoles’ championship run in the Emerald Coast Classic did not tire them out. Leonard Hamilton’s team came into Bloomington with a ton of energy and they were clearly ready for another big game. Florida State made five out of their six opening shots effortlessly to give them an early 11-4 lead on the Hoosiers.

Measured as the tallest D1 basketball team in the nation, the visitors pressed Indiana’s backcourt and clogged all passing lanes. The Seminoles’ brand of aggressive defense allowed very few open Indiana chances in the first ten minutes. On-ball defenders left just a slice of space and their length created difficulties for the Indiana staff to run their premeditated sets.

At Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall, the fans were up to their shoulders in energy, ready to burst at any opportunity they could get. Former Hoosier and current NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo was in attendance courtside, and the nearly the entire 2019 bowl-eligible football Hoosiers took stage as well.

— Indiana On BTN (@IndianaOnBTN) December 4, 2019

Who was Indiana’s unlikely hero to break the seal?

Armaan Franklin.

Photo: IndianaHQ

The freshman guard from Cathedral High School handled the big stage along with FSU’s backcourt pressure as well as anyone on the staff could have requested. Franklin’s cut through the pressure from opposing guards Trent Forrest and M.J. Walker. Even against the daunting size, Franklin had no problem navigating the court in a controlled fashion. Franklin sank a three that painted the rim and drove down with a speedy penetration to the rim. With a trio of Devonte Green free throws in between, Indiana tied up the contest.

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With students back from break, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall erupted for the first time all season long. That’s surely a byproduct of scheduling tuneup games only in the month of November. Nonetheless, Bloomington showed Florida State why this can be one of the toughest places in the country to play.

Trayce Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk played opportunistically in the first half. Archie Miller wants more touches for them in the post; however, their off-ball motion gave them better open looks. They sealed off defenders and the offense looked a lot smoother than the past two performances. TJD finished with 15 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Brunk ended with just four points and three rebounds, which does not accurately reflect his performance on the floor.

Photo: IndianaHQ

But with five minutes to go in the first half, the cameras turned to senior captain Green. The pure scorer got momentum from his early free throws, but he took over the game during a 1:22 period where he made three back-to-back-to-back three point shots. That gave Indiana a 12-point lead at 34-22.

At the break, Green led all scorers with 14 points including three of five from distance, and he also had three assists with three rebounds. Most importantly, he did not have a turnover in the first half.