The time finally came Thursday, around 9:57 p.m. EST. The time Indiana basketball and it’s fans had waited for. Four years removed from their last NCAA tourney game, they were finally back.
Every player on the roster was playing in their first NCAA tournament game, so nerves were expected. But because Indiana had already faced many challenges during the season, they were prepared for this stage.
They arrived in Portland, Oregon Monday and treated it as a business trip. During their public practice, they were locked in, cutting hard, and smacking the floor. It carried into their opening game Thursday.
79-66, Indiana defeated New Mexico State at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon.
The Hoosiers tore the game open in the second half, putting on a clinic. Their first seven hoops were layups. That easy.
At one point, IU had NMSU so rattled that two teammates were yelling at each other.
It was a total team effort, as IU had four players score at least 14 points. Jordan Hulls was on fire, scoring a game-high 22 points while shooting 8-of-12 from the field.
Cody Zeller has to be the most composed freshman in the country. He was getting hacked all game long but received little sympathy from the officials. During one sequence, he got slapped on the face and a player nearly 100 pounds heavier fell on him. That’s one tough guy. Oh, and by the way, he had 14 points, six rebounds, six steals (school record), and four assists. How he wasn’t first-team all-Big Ten is beyond me.
The one player that was not his usual self was sophomore Victor Oladipo. Throughout the game, he appeared uncomfortable and out of wack. He scored only six points, turned it over three times and missed many chances inside the lane. IU will need him against a scrappy and athletic VCU team Saturday.
On the other side, Christian Watford played was outstanding. He was not out of control or forcing things. Instead, he was efficient, and played confidently with a swagger.
This one felt good because they executed so well and it seemed like it had been ages since an NCAA tournament game. And they’re not done yet.
A big credit to the coaching staff, especially assistant Bennie Seltzer who had the scouting assignment on NMSU. The team was extremely well prepared and made great adjustments when necessary. Coach Seltzer agreed.
“It was fun,” he said postgame to Don Fischer on the IU Radio Network. “Our guys executed our game plan almost to perfection.”
Next up for IU is 12th-seeded VCU, who edged No. 5 Wichita State 62-59. Expect it to be a high-tempo, pressing style all game long. Both teams are very athletic and love to run. Tip-off is set for Saturday at 7:10 p.m. EST, on TBS.
The Hoosiers improve to 26-8 on the season and remain undefeated against non-conference opponents (14-0).
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Hardly a “Clinic” in the second half, but some positive things for sure. I still say the defensive fg pct is skewed when a team misses a ton of open looks. IU simply survived.