The Hot Hand: Miller Kopp's Best Season Performances Came Versus Rutgers

Indiana basketball's Miller Kopp has balled out versus Rutgers in both meetings this season as the Hoosiers finished the Scarlet Knights off 66-60 on Tuesday. Kopp said late night hoops as a kid with his brothers and roughhousing with boxing gloves from his dad made him into the competitor he is today.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana forward Miller Kopp must have it out for Rutgers as he's recorded his best season outings over the Scarlet Knights including Tuesday night's 66-60 win where the Houston, Texas native totaled 18 points.

Kopp was clicking with fellow forward Trayce Jackson-Davis who led the team with 20 points as the pair rattled the Scarlet Knights' defense just like in the last meeting where Kopp finished with 21 and Jackson-Davis added 13 in the Hoosiers' loss in Jersey Mike's Arena.

Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell credited the pair for being great players and well-connected on offense.

"Trayce Jackson-Davis is the problem, so you got to double team him, and the ball gets moved out, and [Kopp] is the recipient of good passing," Pikiell said. "He's a really good shooter and a really good player."

Kopp said the Hoosiers have gotten better working around Jackson-Davis and giving him space, which therefore leads to being more comfortable knowing where the good looks are coming from.

Coming into the game, Kopp said he knew how Rutgers' wings guarded off the ball from refreshing his memory on film from the last outing in Piscataway, N.J. on Dec. 3. He knew how the Scarlet Knights guarded Jackson-Davis and figured out where the gaps were in in the defense.

"Especially when Trayce has the ball in the post, I'm always trying to move and get in his line of vision," Kopp said. "When we lock eyes, I know it's coming."

Jackson-Davis shares the sugar well as he tallied a team-high six assists, many of which Kopp fed off of to give Jackson-Davis his first win over Rutgers in his career.

"Not only was he hitting shots, but what really stood out to me was his effort on the defensive end of the floor," Jackson-Davis said. "When you're playing like that on both sides of the ball and a player like him, it really impacts the game at a high level."

Indiana head coach Mike Woodson agreed with Jackson-Davis as he applauded Kopp's defensive efforts as well as his hot hand.

"They didn't get to him a lot of times in the zone...when the ball was swung around, he was getting good looks and he knocked them in and made them pay for it," Woodson said.

Kopp said he developed his competitiveness growing up with three brothers who fought all the time in the best kind of way. They would play basketball in the driveway late at night perfecting their games until the neighbors were mad.

"Late at night we had the cops called on us a couple times just cause there's yelling and screaming and stuff," Kopp said.

The roughness and toughness didn't stop there as Mr. Kopp had a hand in spurring on some rowdiness amongst his boys.

"The worst thing my dad did was get us boxing gloves for Christmas one year, so that didn't last long," Kopp said. "That really shaped me into who I am because without me, without my brothers, I'm not who I am today — even my mom, she works her tail off."

Up next, Indiana will begin a two-game road stretch with the first stop at Michigan on Saturday and then at Kopp's former ball club Northwestern the following Wednesday where he's sure to recognize some familiar faces.

"It's just in my nature to grind and work and be that dude that's willing to do whatever to win," Kopp said. 

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