Glass Houses

Sorry in the delay of this, but, like most games, I enjoy watching the tape a day or so after so I can be a little more level headed about what I see/saw.

Anyhow.

The problem with youth is that they stay young much longer than we would like them to do so.   Just because they have been through a situation before, we expect them to perfect it the next time they encounter it.  Maybe that’s true in life, but it’s not true in Big Ten basketball.

Indiana led a very average Illinois team by as many as 15 points in the first half Saturday night.  At home.  If this sounds familiar, it should, as the Hoosiers had a very similar lead this time last year against Michigan, at Assembly Hall, as well.

Unfortunately, both results were the same, losses.

The good news was the Hoosiers came out and played excellent basketball in the first 30 minutes or so after laying an egg on the road Wednesday at Ohio State. Indiana had seven assists in the first half.  They out-rebounded Illinois.  They hit five of six threes.  Their penetration was excellent.  Everyone contributed.  Their switching of defenses was giving Illinois fits.

The bad news was there was another half to play.

Let’s be fair.  Illinois was doing their usual stink-up-the-joint-on-the-road act in the first half and it was only a matter of time before they made something (26% FG in the first half).  But what Indiana didn’t do in the second half was the reason they did not win this game.

Fans will tell you there are no bad shots when the ball goes in the hoop.

Coaches will not.

A bad shot is a bad shot.  Why (and this is why coaches are correct)?  Because it might just give that player the thought to try it again.

I thought this was part of the solution and problem Saturday.  Indiana hit some TOUGH shots with hands in their face during that first half.  Tough drives, tough leaners, tough threes (five of six threes and 14-26 on twos).  Look, I’m not silly enough to say the only shots a team should take are uncontested, but making some tough ones should not equate to pressing your luck and NOT waiting (more than one pass, please) for a better shot to come.  One pass and a make is great.  When it goes in.

This was not the case in the second half ( 8 for 28 on twos, 1-11 on threes).  Nothing was working.  Three pointers, both uncontested and contested, stopped falling.  Drives to the basket were being smothered and fouls were not being drawn.  The speed of the game picked up as Illinois made their run.  Shots in the lane were being contested and not falling.  Indiana’s patience, which was overlooked in the first half because the ball was going in, was now being questioned.

Before we knew it, a 13 point lead was down to zero.

Before we could total it up, Indiana scored 19 second half points.

Before we could comprehend it, Illinois closed the last 8:20 of the game on a 18-3 run to win, 66-60.

Free throws were missed again.  Bunnies were missed.  Moving screens, poor communication, forced shots and a persistence to fouling didn’t help either.

Neither did the experience from the Michigan game from last year nor the youth of our team.

Another chapter in the building of Indiana basketball.  Get close, but don’t close the deal.

Getting close is getting better.

Getting better means getting older and more experienced.