IU, Big Ten loses

I didn't expect IU to beat Duke. But I so wish they had.
With Wisconsin losing on the road, it was up to Indiana to reverse the tide and get the Big Ten their first Challenge win.

Duke came out and hit them early, and Indiana wasn't ready for the pressure. But once they got their feet set, the Hoosiers ran a game that Duke couldn't stop (well, essentially get the ball to Marco), and had a nice run keyed by some pressure defense to take the lead. But Duke executed down the stretch. Shelden Williams came up with a couple of big blocks on Marco and Sean Kline, and took advantage of Marco being out for a breather late. But JJ Redick was unbelievable. This guy was hitting three-point shots like Reggie Miller, with the same killer instinct. But his drives were what sent me up the wall. Bigger, seemingly quicker guys couldn't stop him from getting in the lane , or from finishing once he was there. But that's what seniors are supposed to go.

IU could claim a moral victory, but come on. If Indiana could finish halves, it'd be something else entirely this morning. But everyone can bear the blame for this loss.

Mike Davis:
I've never been a Davis-hater, but I don't think he's the guy for Indiana, long-term. I think he's proved that he can recruit, he can coach, but he's not a consistent top-10 guy, which is what being at Indiana demands. He's the guy right now, so he's got my support for this season.
However,
Davis did not get his guys ready for this game, and they were rattled early and late. Indiana could not execute down the stretch, and that's pretty damning. And when the only guy that gives your offense any bite is sitting on the sidelines and can't get in, call a timeout when you have 3 of them left so that you at least have a chance. I'm not going to blame him for continuing to have Calloway bring up the ball late in the game, but I will if he lets it keep happening down the road. Also, no blame here for the decision to foul with 47 seconds left rather than playing for the tie. Duke was executing and IU didn't look like they could stop them. But Indiana probably should've tried to press and trap rather than fouling before attempting to get either a 10-second call or a turnover.

The Defense:
Good on you for forcing Duke into 19 turnovers. Bad for giving up wide-open threes late in the second half.

The Offense:
Good in getting Killer the space to work. Bad in getting only 12 assists for 29 buckets. Where'd the vaunted passing go? I'm guessing the pressure just got to the Hoosiers.

Killingsworth:
Amazing performance, but could have won the game if he'd hit his free-throws or worked for the ball late.

Kline:
Okay if he's coming off the bench, but shouldn't be getting the minutes in a game like this that he was getting.

Vaden:
Terrible shooting outwieghed otherwise decent night. Hit a good one-on-one shot late, but still shoots unreliably.

Strickland:
Scored a little, but has to keep guys like Redick out of the lane. I know he's shorter, but you'd figure he could stay in front of guys after playing point for three years.

Monroe:
What was up with the donut in the scoring column? And passing up a wide-open three in the corner in crunch-time? That one could've changed the complexion of the game.

Ratliff:
Not ready to come back yet. I'm sure he wants to, but I saw him shaking his hand after dribbling. That ain't good.

Wilmont:
No scoring punch when it was needed. Can he play in the big games? And got a couple of second-half threes stuck in his eye. You're quick enough to recover, don't let the opponent think he has room to launch one in your face.

Calloway:
Ac has got to hit shots, and the wild pace and bad passes when he was trying to hurry up IU's comeback actually put the nail in the coffin. Either he's got to step up and play with smarts or he'll be riding the pine at the end of games.

Errek Suhr:
Couldn't contain Duke guards. No one else has, so nothing to feel bad about, but he couldn't get open for shots either.

Ben Allen:
Played for one minute, but I didn't see Kline paying any better. Maybe should've gotten more of a chance.

Maybe the offense will improve when White comes back and Ratliff's healthy. But the defense definitely will. I mean, this doesn't ruin the season, but it will if the same things keep happening against lesser foes.