Indiana’s recent winning streak has salvaged its season.
Wake Forest and Kentucky buried the Hoosiers during the preseason, each winning by more than 30 points. And in the opening game of the Big Ten season, Wisconsin shellacked the Hoosiers, 79-45.
“Everybody was down on themselves and a lot of people were just searching for answers to see which direction to go in,” guard Bracey Wright said. “When everybody started counting us out, I think that’s when we pulled together as a team and righted the ship.”
Since being defeated by the Badgers, Indiana has revived its season. The Hoosiers’ surge began around the time 6-foot-11 center George Leach returned to the lineup from a knee injury, which had sidelined him for nine games.
Indiana beat No. 21 Purdue 63-58 on Tuesday night, catapulting the Hoosiers to first place in the Big Ten.
“We had a players-only meeting and talked about how we didn’t want to be known as the worst team in Indiana history,” Wright said. “We were falling fast and a lot of people weren’t sure what was going to happen with the team … It was us against the world and that’s how we’re playing now.”
Wright earned Big Ten Player of Week honors on Jan. 26, along with Wisconsin forward Mike Wilkinson. Wright averaged 25 points in leading Indiana to a pair of road victories last week.
ROLE PLAY: A notice to teams not named Wisconsin or Purdue: Several Big Ten coaches said the secret to the Boilermakers and Badgers’ success over the last few years rests largely on players fulfilling their roles.
First-year Illinois coach Bruce Weber said that convincing players to take on a certain role isn’t always an appealing job.
“It’s the age of instant gratification and doing a thing like rebounding or taking charges or being the best defender is not the most gratifying thing,” Weber said. “It’s important that you mix a team, and first you’ve got to get kids who will accept those roles.”
Purdue coach Gene Keady said he built his reputation in the Big Ten during the early ’90s by recruiting role players.
But then he changed his philosophy. He recruited bigger, more athletic players who could press and run in the hopes of boosting attendance, playing more entertaining basketball and making it to the Final Four.
Several of those players flunked out of school and the team did not live up to its billing, leaving Keady to rely on role players to reinvigorate the program.
“I went back to Keady ball,” he said. “Man-to-man defense. Take good shots. Get kids who want to come here. Now I think that’s paying off.”
NOT ALL GOLDEN: Minnesota took another blow last week, but the loss won’t show up in the league standings. The Golden Gophers, who sit in the cellar of the Big Ten after dropping five straight in conference action, will be playing without one of their leading scorers.
Junior guard Maurice Hargrow told coach Dan Monson he would be transferring from Minnesota, effective immediately. This season Hargrow averaged 31.1 minutes, 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Monson said he expected the St. Paul, Minn., native to join another Division I squad.
“He was frustrated coming off a broken wrist and his big thing was he just needed a new beginning and to feel good about himself again,” Monson said. “When you’re going through this, you’ve got to have guys who believe they can get it done at this place so we granted him the release and wish him the best.”
However, Minnesota received some good news on Monday. Freshman Kris Humphries, who leads the Big Ten in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles, was named one of the 30 midseason candidates for the John Wooden Award and All-America Team. He joins Wake Forest guard Chris Paul as the only two freshmen to make the list.