This rebuilding project isn’t easy or quick for the Indiana basketball program but Saturday’s loss at Kentucky was a clear indication that Tom Crean has the team headed in the right direction.
Kentucky topped IU 81-62 but the game was much closer than the final score. The Hoosiers hit just one field goal in the final 9:42 as Kentucky went on a 25-5 run to close the game in Rupp Arena.
“If it was a 35-minute game, we very likely would have won the game, but it wasn’t and they capitalized and they made some big plays,” said Tom Crean. “We didn’t make as many. We didn’t overcome some of our deficiencies today and they did at the end. As far as battling and believing you can win and being there toe-for-toe, we definitely did that, we just couldn’t get over the hump at the end and again, they made some big plays.”
IU held a 57-56 lead with 9:42 to play before falling behind in a game that featured 8 ties and 12 lead changes.
The Hoosiers missed 10 straight shots over that drought, and the game was out of hand by the time Jeremiah Rivers scored the final IU field goal with 38 seconds to play.
“They made a few runs late in the second half that we were not able to sustain or challenge,” Rivers said.
The Wildcats outrebounded Indiana 45-33 and took advantage of their offensive rebounding advantage. Kentucky had 21 second chance points on 18 offensive rebounds which was one of the differences in this game.
The biggest thing that stood out was Indiana’s mental toughness to stay in the game and not get bent out of shape early. Still featuring a young team, IU has made drastic improvements at every position on the court.
Early in the game, the Hoosiers didn’t waiver and had answers to Kentucky’s runs. Both Christian Watford and Jordan Hulls knocked down some big times shots and Tom Pritchard had a couple nice blocks.
This team is going to be very talented moving forward. Big Ten teams cannot take Tom Crean’s squad lightly because they are bound to make some noise this conference season. Although they have yet to win a road game this season, the Hoosiers are just a few shots away which is encouraging for the cream and crimson.
Kentucky’s Josh Harrellson finished with a double-double scoring 14 points and tallying 12 rebounds. Four players scored in double figures for the home team including DeAndre Liggins with 19, Brandon Knight had 18, and Terrance Jones registered 10 points and 8 rebounds.
“Josh can be whatever he wants to be,” John Calipari said. “He can paint his own canvas. He can do whatever he wants. He’s in better shape. We play an offense that’s perfect for him.”
Christian Watford paced IU with 19 points, 9 rebounds. Victor Oladipo added 10 points, 4 rebounds and again was a tremendous spark off the bench. However his inexperience was evident in his decision making, turning the ball over a game-high five times.
The most telling statistic may have been from the free throw line where Kentucky attempted 44 free throws to Indiana 16. Over 38% of the Wildcats’ points came from the free line and the disparity is telling; partly due to Kentucky’s home cooking and IU being outmatched. Either way, Crean knows that can’t happen again.
“We did things today that certainly we haven’t done in our time here,” he said. “They are things we’ve got to do more as we continue to get better.”
The Hoosiers have six days until their next game, when they host SIU-Edwardsville Friday to Assembly Hall for the first game of the Las Vegas Invitational.