Hoosiers top Maryland, improve to 5-1 in Big Ten
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
(Courtesy of IU Athletics/Mike Dickbernd)
Can Indiana play without a big man? Will this team even make the N.I.T.? Will Coach Crean lose his job?
These were the questions many fans were asking about the Indiana Hoosiers earlier this season. They haven’t won anything yet, and there’s still a long way to go. But three days after making their way into the rankings for the first time in a few years, the Hoosiers lit up the 13th ranked Maryland Terrapins 89-70 at Assembly Hall. They connected on 15 three-pointers, and improved to 5-1 in conference play.
Indiana improved to 4-1 on the season against ranked opponents. The rest of the Big Ten is just a combined 4-27 in such games.
Indiana led 38-35 at halftime, as they received a nice lift from sophomore Collin Hartman. He scored 10 points and connected on 3-of-3 from behind the arc. It was already a career high for Hartman at that point. He finished the game with 15 points and made an impact in every aspect of the game. Coach Tom Crean had high praise for Hartman after the win: “We offered him a scholarship not because of his shooting, but because of his ability to play basketball.” Crean added: “His injury changed him. It made him mentally tougher. It made him physically tougher.”
The Hoosiers then exploded to start the 2nd half with an 11-3 run, and they never looked back.
Junior guard Yogi Ferrell was nothing short of excellent in this game. He scored 24 points, made 7-of-8 from behind the arc, dished out five assists, and didn’t have a single turnover. Ferrell has now made at least one 3-pointer in 50 consecutive games, which is a new Indiana record. Ferrell summed up his mindset along with how his team has played after the win: “If you’ve got a lot of heart, heart can take you a long way.”
Freshman James Blackmon Jr. also had a big night, scoring 22 points and attacking well off the dribble.
There are still 12 conference games remaining for the Hoosiers, but one thing is for sure: This team is a lot better than most fans/analysts expected.
“We’re excited,” Coach Crean said after the game. “We played very well against a great team. We had to be that good to beat them. You can never underrate shooting.”
The Hoosiers will look to carry this momentum on the road next week as they travel to play Ohio State on Sunday, followed by a match-up with rival Purdue on Wednesday.
Follow Tyler on Twitter: @TylerSmith_ISL
