Thoughts about A 101-70 victory against Milwaukee:
Three games later, and it’s time for another round of “the last time Indiana did that…”
Tonight’s version?
Let’s go back to the 2016-2017 season, when Tom Crean last coached Indiana. According to the FS1 broadcast, this was the last time the Hoosiers scored 100 or more points in consecutive games, a feat that was matched tonight after scoring 101 against Milwaukee and 100 against Marquette on Sunday. Indiana has now hit more than 10 three-pointers in three straight games, a feat the Hoosiers also haven’t accomplished since the 2016-17 season.
The Panthers gave IU a decent run for their money in this game, hitting heavy buckets and trying to keep pace from distance. Amar Augillard scored three three-pointers in the first half. Danilo Jovanovich punched Tucker DeVries in the paint on his way to 10 points in the first half. Seth Hubbard hit some tough mid-range buckets on his way to 17 points for the game. The Panthers were strong offensively in the first half.
“I didn’t think we were as committed as usual, especially defensively,” Darian DeVries said of his team’s first-half performance. “…I thought the boys did much better after halftime.”
Try as Milwaukee might, it just wasn’t enough to keep up with Indiana’s high-powered offense. The Hoosiers recorded a season-high 1.42 points per possession. They lit it up again from three-point range (14 of 28, 50 percent), with eight different players hitting at least one. Lamar Wilkerson led the way there with a 5-for-6 performance from deep. The Hoosiers continue to share the ball well, as they assisted on 23 of their 34 made baskets. If there’s a knock, it’s that the free-throw shooting wasn’t as good as before, with IU making just 19 of 27 (70.4 percent) this time.
Individually, Tayton Conerway had his best scoring performance in an IU uniform as he scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Conerway’s aggressive craftiness landed him in the lane for several buckets. He added a three-pointer, hit all four of his free throws and had six assists and two steals.
“Going into the game, my team just had a lot of confidence in me,” Conerway said after the game. “In the movie, the part we thought we could attack was the 1-on-1 defense.”
DeVries had a quiet first half, scoring only two points. He got into the swing of things after halftime and finished with 12. Wilkerson (24 points) and Reed Bailey (14 points) joined DeVries and Conerway in double figures.
We also got our first look at Nick Dorn this season, but it was short-lived. After checking in for the first time midway through the first half, Dorn assisted on a Wilkerson 3-pointer and then hit what looked like a 3-pointer himself but was called a long 2. He promptly picked up two quick fouls and headed to the bench. Dorn did not return until later in the second half, but scored eight points in seven minutes of action.
After tonight’s win, the Hoosiers are now ranked #18 on KenPom. On Monday, they were the third-highest team to receive votes outside of the AP top 25 poll. It’s still early, but so far this Indiana team is making a name for itself.
See more: The minute after, Milwaukee Panthers
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