Indiana 71, Northwestern 66: Hoosiers win their 20th.
by John M (The Crimson Quarry) on Feb 16, 2012 8:45 AM EST
in Indiana Hoosiers Basketball
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PrintWhile it wasn't the prettiest or most comfortable performance of the season, IU survived a fantastic performance from Northwestern's Jon Shurna and held on for their 20th win of the season. IU now stands at 20-6 overall, 8-6 in the Big Ten, and it is probably now safe to say that IU is a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, I don't have much time this morning, so feel free to fill in the gaps in the comments. IU struggled for much of the game offensively, and hit only 2-13 three pointers for the game, but as has become standard, IU excelled from the line (15-18) and hit some big shots down the stretch. Perhaps the most ancouraging statistic was turnovers. IU turned the ball over only 8 times, and usually surehanded Northwestern had 13. IU's turnover percentage of 12.8 is by far the best of the Big Ten season, and Northwestern's 20.9 was the third worst of the season for the Wildcats. This game didn't look much like I expected it to. The Wildcats made some big shots, but overall, I thought IU was in a reasonably good place defensively, and didn't get exploited with the backdoor layups terribly often. I recall a couple that were wide open in the second half, but that was about it. I was mostly surprised that NU managed to frustrate the Hoosiers defensively for mnost of the day. Much of the game had something of the same vibe of the home loss to Minnesota. IU trailed by as many as 6 in the first half, but rallied to lead by six at halftime. NU eventually build a second half lead of as many as five points, but IU fought back, and seemed to wear Northwestern down.
Cody Zeller, Christian Watford, and Victor Oladipo all had good scoring games, but the key was Verdell Jones, who returned after missing two games with a shoulder injury to score all six of his points in the final four minutes of the game, including a long jumper with 31 seconds left that essentially sealed the game. This level of performance probably won't be good enough to win any of the Hoosiers' remaining games, but it was nice to see IU find a way to win even though it wasn't their night. Next, IU heads to Iowa, seeking to ensure a .500 Big Ten record.
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some fun facts about last night's game
*This Indiana team is the second fastest team to 20 wins since the 1992-1993 season. Fifth fastest in the history of Indiana basketball.
- Jon Shurna is made of rainbows and unicorns, the crap that he throws up and goes in is nothing short of magical.
*Shurna had 26 points when IU put Oladipo on him with a little over six minutes to go. He finished with 29 points.
- Cody Zeller is pretty good. Especially when you use a 6’3" freshman to try and guard the baseline.
*Tom Pritchard had 6 rebounds and 4 points in 13 minutes.
*The officials registered their second well called game in as many attempts. Nothing overly egrious was missed and nothing too tic-tac was called. They did have an absolute head scratcher on Pritchard’s second foul though.
*Bruce Weber will be coaching Southern Illinois again next year. (Or on ESPN)
*Northwestern’s bench didn’t attempt a FG all night. IU’s bench scored 20 points.
*Verdell Jones III is awesome and I will fight you if you say anything otherwise.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
Jones played 17 minutes
scored 6 points, 4 assists,3 rebounds, 2 steals, a block and no turnovers.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
He should forever now be known as "Verdell Jones ILL"
The last three years they lost a game like this. Just happy that they won. Also, I cannot imagine Brucey on TV. He has a face made for radio and a voice made for coaching.
by hoosierdaddynow on Feb 16, 2012 9:35 AM EST up reply actions
that 12 foot jumper from the left wing is his shot.
Every time he takes it I’m sure it’s going to fall. Also, I love me some Verdell. He’s been my favorite player all year and if I can grab tickets for senior night I’m pretty confident that I’m gonna shed a few tears when he’s at the mic.
"It's an easy game, man. Easy game."
~Edgerrin James
by 87 Rides A Surfboard on Feb 16, 2012 9:40 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah
For all the grief he gets, and some of it is deserved, no one else on this team has that element of his game. With the possible exception of Sheehey, when he’s feeling it.
by hoosierdaddynow on Feb 16, 2012 10:04 AM EST up reply actions
I always imagine Bruce Weber's voice and mannerisms as being like a sad Fred Willard.
“Hey, wha happen’d?”
A sassy, brassy, classy lassy.
by LoneStarHoosier on Feb 16, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
I can’t do my work!
Sid Bream was out, Jeremy Giambi was safe, Pete Rose should be in the Hall, Walter O'Malley shouldn't, and the Expos should be in Montreal.
by Veni Vidi Vici on Feb 16, 2012 1:26 PM EST up reply actions
directly after the game I put a status on FB saying, "How you like my boy VJ now??"
The responses:
1. One good game doesn’t make up for a season of turnovers.
2. Wooooo! I’m officially on team Verdell.
3. He still sucks.
4. As long as he keeps shooting 75% with zero turnovers I’m cool with him playing.
5. One game doesn’t redeem him but it was a heck of a clutch performance.
6. He needs to bruise his shoulder more often. Maybe it ‘healed tight’ like in Rookie of the Year and he’s been temporarily blessed with amazing b-ball skills. Best case scenario – he gets fouled crazy hard at the end of the NC game versus Kentucky and loses his gift. Anthony Davis is coming up to block his last second 3 ball attempt that would win the game and Verdell shoots an underhand ‘floater’ underneath Davis and it rattles around the rim for forever before falling. Chaos. Then VJs mom punches VJs step dad in the face and proceeds to make out with crazy ass Gary Busey. It could totally happen. this one was written by me if you couldn’t tell
"It's an easy game, man. Easy game."
~Edgerrin James
by 87 Rides A Surfboard on Feb 16, 2012 9:27 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
/Reads No. 6
I like it.
A sassy, brassy, classy lassy.
by LoneStarHoosier on Feb 16, 2012 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
people on your facebook suck
and mostly going with an inaccurate narrative of VJIII
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
they're just the type who quickly develop an opiinion
and are slow to retract it. The condition is exacerbated by the multiple instances when I got in their faces for saying negative crap about Verdell which led to shouting and shoving. People don’t like to admit they’re wrong once things have been escallated to that point.
"It's an easy game, man. Easy game."
~Edgerrin James
by 87 Rides A Surfboard on Feb 16, 2012 1:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
VJIII played a good game, and was under control.
However, I contend that’s the role he should be playing every game.
"When my time on Earth is gone, and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down so all my critics can kiss my a**"- Bob Knight
"Talent is God-given, be grateful. Fame is man-given, be humble. Conceit is self-given, be careful."- John Wooden
"Never take anything for granted. Don't forget, great prices have been paid and will be paid again if you become too smug, too egotistical and self-assured."- Johnny Cash
by JumpinJackFlash on Feb 17, 2012 6:13 PM EST up reply actions
Jon Shurna is made of rainbows and unicorns, the crap that he throws up and goes in is nothing short of magical.
Exactly that’s the only way to explain it, or maybe he’s just caught up in all the Linsanity.
Mr. T pities the fool who wonders "how much jib could a jibba jabber jabba if a jibba jabber could jibba jabbas." / @Ditkapunch187
by Ditkavsworld on Feb 16, 2012 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
Bruce
I just saw the video of his post-game presser. Ouch. It seems like Bruce is crying out for a mercy firing at this point. Also sounds like Leonard, Paul, et al, are spending their time daydreaming about what NBA uniform they’ll be wearing next year.
by hoosierdaddynow on Feb 16, 2012 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
last five min Indiana scored
2 pts per possession, NU was around .5 pts per. My guess is that NU, playing a thin bench on the road, ran out of gas, as much as IU turned it on.
Congrats on the win, but wouldn’t mind a rematch in the BTT. Although your 3pt shooting scares the crap out of me – entirely possible for Hulls to hit 3s on four consecutive trips and bury NU.
by wcgrad on Feb 16, 2012 1:34 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Looks like a lot of us missed the broadcast last night, so if you happen to be home like I am right now,
it’s on BTN. It’s nice to know Oladipo’s fall in the first half wasn’t as scary as it looked.
A sassy, brassy, classy lassy.
by LoneStarHoosier on Feb 16, 2012 11:53 AM EST reply actions
he just had the wind knocked out of him.
I was screaming that at anyone who would listen.
"It's an easy game, man. Easy game."
~Edgerrin James
by 87 Rides A Surfboard on Feb 16, 2012 12:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
A game that was a lot more interesting than it should have been, but getting the 20th win is always a good thing. The Hoosiers’ trends of getting to the line a lot, making a lot of free throws, and playing some shut down defense during the home stretch of games are all good things, and bode well for the team going into March.
Sid Bream was out, Jeremy Giambi was safe, Pete Rose should be in the Hall, Walter O'Malley shouldn't, and the Expos should be in Montreal.
Joe Lunardi placed IU as the 11th most likely team to win it all
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
Respectfully
I will not even allow myself to begin thinking such thoughts.
This year.
by hoosierdaddynow on Feb 16, 2012 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
just saying
it has been put out there. Not sure I agree. I can think of 10 other teams more capable pretty easily, but Lunardi put it out there. He is one of the more accurate tourney guys.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
In all honesty
I am truly amped to see how this team performs in both the Big Ten Tourney and the NCAA tournament. We can score in a lot of ways and, I think, defend well enough, get to the line — all of the stuff that Veni noted above. I kind of felt that way in 01 and 02. But in most of the last of the RMK years, I kind of dreaded the tourney, because the team honestly seemed ready to be done. So, anyway, this is fun again.
by hoosierdaddynow on Feb 16, 2012 2:09 PM EST up reply actions
indeed
this is a team that no one wants to face. They can beat you long, as they’ve showed in the last two weeks they can beat you in the lane, from the free throw line….
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
"Long"
/snicker.
But, we were all legitimately concerned earlier on that Zeller was not getting enough touches, and that the guards had not figured out how to feed him consistently and properly. That seems to be correcting itself now. Very balanced offense.
by hoosierdaddynow on Feb 16, 2012 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
extremely balanced
hell it might be a point where we don’t consistently shoot enough threes. The percentages are down partly because there is no rhythm to the volume of threes. They’re sporadic and rarely in the flow of the offense because we spend so much time feeding it inside.
/top tier problems
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
Not that I have low expectations, but after the three years I’ll just be glad that the Hoosiers are (more than likely) going to the NCAA tournament. I’ll be even happier if they get a first round victory, even if it is over some directional state school that comes with a first round matchup with the 4, 5, or 6 seed (which is what I have seen most bracket projections give Indiana). Sure, historically one would consider a second round loss as below the standards of the Hoosiers, but at the same time it’s a lot further than what was projected for IU at the beginning of the year and is a huge step forward from what has happened the last three years.
Sid Bream was out, Jeremy Giambi was safe, Pete Rose should be in the Hall, Walter O'Malley shouldn't, and the Expos should be in Montreal.
by Veni Vidi Vici on Feb 16, 2012 5:32 PM EST up reply actions
That seems crazy, but given where we stand in the computer ratings and the fact that the top of our resume is basically the best in the country, I guess it’s technically possible. Luke Winn put us at #10 in his power poll this week, but IU has wins over three of the teams rated ahead of us (OSU, UK, ND). I can see the Tournament going a lot of different ways for IU. As I have mentioned before, there are some parallels between the 2002 Hoosiers and this squad—one unguardable big man and a bunch of excellent shooters.
One other stream of consciousness observation: Remy Abell’s cold-blooded performance at Purdue was, I thought, the best out-of-nowhere performance by a little used freshman since Donald Perry’s performance against Oklahoma in the 2002 Final Four. I hope Remy’s career ends better than Donald’s did.
The Crimson Quarry, SB Nation's Indiana Hoosiers blog
by John M (The Crimson Quarry) on Feb 17, 2012 9:04 AM EST up reply actions
Is it just me
or does Northwestern always have a tall, awkward white guy that not only is near the top of the Big 10 in scoring, but always comes up with huge games against IU? Seems like it’s been this way for at least 10 years.
by WhySoSeriousCaptain on Feb 16, 2012 1:45 PM EST reply actions
good games at iu
shurna often scores over 30 i wouldnt say we saw him playing his best game of his career or anything. hes good.
by lcmcb on Feb 16, 2012 10:57 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
Shurna scores a lot against a lot of teams.
How, I have no clue. You would never teach that shot to anyone, but for him it works. Yet as ugly as it is, I’ve seen uglier (thankfully, he didn’t play bball in an organized fashion).
"When my time on Earth is gone, and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down so all my critics can kiss my a**"- Bob Knight
"Talent is God-given, be grateful. Fame is man-given, be humble. Conceit is self-given, be careful."- John Wooden
"Never take anything for granted. Don't forget, great prices have been paid and will be paid again if you become too smug, too egotistical and self-assured."- Johnny Cash
by JumpinJackFlash on Feb 17, 2012 5:53 PM EST up reply actions
Best part
Two of the Hoosiers starting 5 scored a total of 2 points (Hulls 0 and Elston 2), and they still find a way to win. The bench scored 20 evenly divided amongst 4 players. You have to love the depth and diversity of talent on the bench.
I always argued last year that this team was a legit big man away from being very good
but I’m not sure I really believed it myself. I wanted to believe it but I had my doubts. It turns out that indeed, a decent post presence coupled with capable shooters really helps everyone fall into their necessary roles where they can thrive.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
That was a bad game for Hulls.
Although, you have to give NW some credit for that. They appeared to plan to take Hulls away. He still passed some open looks though. Luckily for us, and unfortunately for Iowa, he rarely has two bad games in a row.
"When my time on Earth is gone, and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down so all my critics can kiss my a**"- Bob Knight
"Talent is God-given, be grateful. Fame is man-given, be humble. Conceit is self-given, be careful."- John Wooden
"Never take anything for granted. Don't forget, great prices have been paid and will be paid again if you become too smug, too egotistical and self-assured."- Johnny Cash
by JumpinJackFlash on Feb 17, 2012 5:54 PM EST up reply actions
It wasn't our prettiest game, but NW does that.
The ugly the game up. Usually you don’t just beat NW, you survive.
"When my time on Earth is gone, and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down so all my critics can kiss my a**"- Bob Knight
"Talent is God-given, be grateful. Fame is man-given, be humble. Conceit is self-given, be careful."- John Wooden
"Never take anything for granted. Don't forget, great prices have been paid and will be paid again if you become too smug, too egotistical and self-assured."- Johnny Cash
by JumpinJackFlash on Feb 17, 2012 5:55 PM EST reply actions
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