How to Watch Indiana's Game with Rutgers on Sunday; Gametime, TV, Point Spread
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana is back at home on Sunday, just a few days out after beating No. 4-ranked Iowa on the road. Now it's validation time, with an early home game against a desperate Rutgers that's lost five games in a row.
The hard-to-figure looked lethargic uninspired in a home loss to Purdue but then played their best game of the Archie Miller era in the 81-69 win over Iowa. Now they want to build on that momentum
“Coming off the loss to Purdue, we were kind of a lost team,” Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis said Thursday night. “Just getting our legs back under us, our defensive intensity was raised in practice, Coach (Miller) wasn't allowing any slippage in practice and I thought that really translated over to the game.”
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Here are three things I want to see from the Hoosiers on Thursday:
1. High energy from the first whistle
Indiana has had the easiest home schedule in the Big Ten by far, but it's just 2-2 so far in the friendly confines of Assembly Hall. There have been losses to Northwestern (6-8) and Purdue (11-6) and narrow wins over Penn State (5-6) and Maryland (9-7).
The common thread has been complacency. The Hoosiers, even in their home building, haven't played with the same intensity, especially on the defensive end, at home compared to all they've accomplished on the road. That needs to change Sunday. They need to get after Rutgers early and play with confidence throughout the game.
2. Respect Rutgers, despite losing streak
Rutgers started the season 6-0 and was ranked as high as No. 11 in the country, and no one batted an eye at that after their turnaround season a year ago. But now they've lost five in a row, which can happen in a tough league like the Big Ten, but they also haven't looked very good in doing it, especially in a 75-67 loss to Penn State on Thursday.
“I got to figure it out,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “It's on me as the head coach. I have to do a better job of getting these guys ready to go. I didn't, so (the loss to Penn State) is 100 percent on Coach Pikiell.”
Rutgers comes to Bloomington as a desperate team, and they will give Indiana its best shot.
“The narrative of our program has always been that we defend and we rebound,” Pikiell said. “We got to be more consistent with what we do. I have to do a better job and I do have confidence in our guys.”
3. Make free throws and get another win
Indiana won at Iowa thanks in part to making almost all of their free throws in the final two minutes, but it was ugly from the line prior to that, and for the last several weeks. They need to get back to being a 75 percent free throw shooting team on a regular basis, especially the guards.
They also need to build on that win and get another. It would be nice to get over .500 in the Big Ten for the first time with a win against Rutgers.
“The mood of the team is that we're not satisfied,” Indiana forward Jordan Geronimo said Saturday. “We're still hungry to prove ourselves. After the Iowa game, we have another game right away (on Sunday), so we have to turn the page quick and go on to the next one. We're just hungry to get more 'W's.”
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- MICHIGAN PAUSES ACTIVITY: The health department in the state of Michigan has paused all athletic activities for two weeks, which means Saturday's game against Indiana will get postponed. CLICK HERE
- TOM BREW COLUMN: Indiana just never wins road games against top-25 teams in the Archie Miller era, which is why Thursday's huge win at Iowa defied logic. Are the Hoosiers turning into a different team? CLICK HERE
- INDIANA-IOWA GAME STORY: Huge defensive effort helps Indiana stun No. 4 Iowa on the road in 81-69 victory. CLICK HERE
