Author: Aidan Kunst

Indiana knew it was in for a tough challenge down a key starter in Armaan Franklin with the nation’s third-ranked team coming into Assembly Hall in Michigan. It proved to be just that, with the Wolverines running away with the game in the second half in route to a 73-57 victory. IU is now squarely on the bubble, with two more chances for wins to impress the selection committee Indiana’s final two road matchups come against red-hot Michigan State and Purdue, who Archie Miller is 0-7 against in his career.  Here are some post-game notes, numbers, and trends from the…

Indiana went into Piscataway, New Jersey on Wednesday needing a win – or at least a good performance. The Hoosiers got neither, as they were outhustled and thoroughly beaten down by Rutgers. IU lost 74-63, but the game wasn’t as close as the eleven-point score indicates. It was another poor result for Archie Miller’s group, as the road to the NCAA Tournament is closing rapidly.  Here are some notes, numbers, and trends from the loss to Rutgers. IU jumped out to a 23-8 lead, their second fast start in as many games. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers followed the hot start with…

Indiana suffered a loss on Saturday that damaged their NCAA Tournament hopes, falling to the Michigan State Spartans by a score of 78-71. The Hoosiers, who entered the game as 6.5-point favorites, let the second half get away from them as they lost to the Spartans, who improved to 11-9. IU faces a tough stretch to end the season, with trips to Rutgers (Wednesday), Michigan State and Purdue, as well as the final home game vs. Michigan. Here are some notes, numbers, and trends from the loss to Michigan State: Indiana was powered by Trayce Jackson-Davis in this game, as…

Indiana got a crucial win Wednesday night in Bloomington, knocking off the Minnesota Golden Gophers by a score of 82-72. This was a game IU had to have, given its position on the NCAA Tournament bubble and the strength of the remaining schedule. They have a similar game Saturday at Assembly Hall, as the Michigan State Spartans come to town. After that Indiana, now 12-9, will travel to Rutgers and Purdue, as well as host third-ranked Michigan. Just one win out of the final four likely puts the Hoosier into the Big Dance.  Here are some notes, numbers, and trends…

The Hoosiers were probably never going to win Saturday’s showdown with fourth-ranked Ohio State, but for a moment, it certainly seemed as if they could keep it close. IU, winners of two in a row, collapsed in the second half, as the Buckeyes broke the game open, cruising to a 78-59 win. Indiana (11-9) hosts a good Minnesota team Wednesday night at Assembly Hall.  Here are some notes, numbers, and trends from the loss: Archie Miller and Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann were both hired in 2017. Both were considered rising stars in the industry when they were hired,…

Is it finally over? It seems Indiana’s double-overtime, three-hour long game at Northwestern would last forever, or at least, a few more overtimes. But IU escaped Evanston with a 79-76 win and handed the ‘Cats their 10th straight loss. With the win, the Hoosiers gain some momentum and move to .500 in the Big Ten.  Here are some notes, numbers, and trends from the victory: Coming into this game, the Hoosiers were 2-9 after wins over ranked teams in the Archie Miller era. Now, IU is 3-9 as they found a way to build off of the Iowa win with…

Despite shooting just 23-64 from the field, 6-23 from three and 15-24 from the line, the IU basketball team found a way to upset No. 8 Iowa at home on Sunday. When Armaan Franklin’s long two found the net with one second remaining, Indiana sealed the deal on its second ranked win this season – both of which have come against the Hawkeyes. Let’s take a look at the numbers behind the victory.  IU held Luka Garza to 18 points and two rebounds. Garza is averaging 26 points and nine rebounds on the season, and the two rebounds is his…

For much of the three-hour marathon between Indiana and Illinois, the Hoosiers appeared to be in control. With 2:40 left in regulation and the game tied at 66, Illinois star Ayo Dosunmu fouled out of the game. But despite several key advantages in IU’s favor down the stretch, the offensive ineptitude reared its ugly head once again, and Illinois pulled out a close overtime win.  Here are some notes, numbers, and trends from Indiana’s 75-71 loss to the 12th-ranked Illini.  Khristian Lander played a career-high 19 minutes and tied a career-high in points with six. Lander has now made eight…

By Aidan Kunst —  Down three with mere seconds remaining, Indiana needed a stop. They ostensibly got it, in the form of Trayce Jackson-Davis switching on to Rutgers’ Ron Harper Jr. and forcing a long miss.  But just forcing the miss wasn’t enough. You have to box out, locate the ball, and secure a rebound. The Hoosiers did none of the above, allowing Rutgers center Myles Johnson to tap the ball to himself and then throw it back outside, leading to a foul and free throws to end the game.  Moments like this, where Indiana failed to do the little…

Isn’t it funny how often storylines change in college basketball? A week ago, Indiana was coming off of its eighth straight loss to Purdue, it had fans calling for Archie Miller’s head, and the Purdue social media team was posting graphics of Assembly Hall with the Boilermakers logo at midcourt.  Now, after a thrilling 81-69 upset win over fourth-ranked Iowa on Thursday night, Indiana enters its toughest stretch of the season with excitement, rather than dread.  In the immediate aftermath of this win, in which IU put together 23-3 run during more than nine minutes of the second half, fans…