Despite an opportunity for a resume-building win, the Hoosiers were unable to muster up a game plan against Juwan Howard’s top five Michigan team. Archie Miller was further behind in the offense department with the announcement of Armaan Franklin being unavailable due to a leg injury.
Notes:
- As you can tell, in a game where Indiana was comprehensively beaten by Michigan, the backcourt of Phinisee and Lander had a positive impact for the Hoosiers. That tandem went +2 in 9:34.
- After a slow start, the Phinisee/Lander duo has been productive in the last handful of weeks. They went +5 at NEB, +1 at NW, 0 at RUT, and +2 vs. MICH. You should seem them play together more, especially with Armaan Franklin likely missing the final two games.
- On the other hand, Indiana’s veteran backcourt of Phinisee and Durham, who started Saturday’s game, had a brutal afternoon. They went -14 in 21:29. With Franklin’s injury, Archie Miller relied on them more, and it backfired.
- Two particularly poor stretches stand out. With 9:58 left in the first half, Durham checked in for Lander, playing alongside Phinisee, and Michigan went on an 8-2 run to turn a 22-19 lead into a 30-21 advantage. To begin the second half, the starting five of Phinisee, Durham, Hunter, Thompson, and Jackson-Davis saw a 42-33 halftime deficit turn into a 59-42 hole. Miller did not substitute in the second half until 12:50 were left. The numbers suggest that was too late.
- Let’s give a special Senior Day shoutout to Cooper Bybee. In his 1:18 on the court, he went +2. No other Hoosier recorded a positive +/-.
- IU’s offense struggled most with Al Durham on the court. He led the team with 15 points, but the Hoosiers scored just 36 points in his 29:08, or 1.24 points per minute (PPM). In the 11:52 he was sidelined, IU scored 21 points, or 1.93 PPM.
Featured Photo: Indiana University Athletics
