Hoosiers Now

Here's What National Media Said About Indiana Defeating No. 1 Purdue

Indiana claimed what many said to be the biggest win of the week in college basketball, defeating No. 1 Purdue 79-74 on Saturday at Assembly Hall. Here's what national media members said about the win.

Jack Ankony

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Indiana took down the nation's No. 1 team on Saturday, handing Purdue its second loss of the season.

Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and a clutch bucket from Jalen Hood-Schifino sealed the win in a 16-point effort from the freshman point guard. 

All eyes were on Assembly Hall as Indiana secured a 79-74 win over Purdue on ESPN, drawing commentary from around the country.

Here is what college basketball's national media said about Indiana.

Seth Davis, The Athletic: "Indiana had the biggest win of the week over Purdue. That vaulted the Hoosiers into my top 10. They would have been higher had they not also lost at Maryland. Their metrics range is 16-28, and they are an underwhelming 3-6 in Quad 1 games. UCLA is also underwater in this all-important category (3-4), but unlike Indiana, the Bruins haven’t beaten any other team in my top 25. They also lost to Baylor on a neutral court, though that was back in November. That’s why the Bruins’ ranking here is below their metric range (3-9)." 

Jeff Borzello, ESPN: "Win of the Week: Indiana Hoosiers 79, Purdue Boilermakers 74: There was plenty of hype for this one. One of the best rivalries in the sport, a rejuvenated Indiana team hosting the No. 1 squad in the country, arguably the best head-to-head positional battle we'll see all season with Zach Edey taking on Trayce Jackson-Davis. And it didn't disappoint. Indiana had all the momentum early, extending its lead to 16 points late in the first half. As expected, the Boilermakers came back, cutting the Hoosiers' lead to one possession on several occasions. And while Edey (33 points, 18 boards) and Jackson-Davis (25 points, seven boards) held their own, it was freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino who made the biggest plays of the game. After landing awkwardly on a missed layup with 7:32 remaining, it looked like the freshman guard's night might be over. But he didn't leave the game, and scored eight points in the final 7:14 -- including the game-clinching layup with 25 seconds left."

Kyle Boone, CBS Sports: "The list of players operating at a higher level in the last month in college basketball than Trayce Jackson-Davis is probably only one -- and it was the one he faced in Zach Edey. Jackson-Davis had 25 points and seven boards on 9-of-19 shooting in willing IU to a massive win. It was the ninth time in the last month he has turned in 18 points or more and his fifth 25-plus point outing in that same window."

Jon Rothstein, CBS Sports and FanDuel: "25. Indiana: Could be the Big Ten’s second-best threat to make a run in the NCAA Tournament after Purdue."

LaVall Jordan, Field of 68: "It's hard to play in Bloomington. That's the first win against No. 1 since 2013. I was on the other bench in 2013 when we were No. 1 at Michigan and went to Indiana and lost, and it's an environment for college basketball. It's the loudest game I've ever coached in to be honest, 17,00 in there and they can't wait." 

Rob Dauster, Field of 68: "You go into into a building like what Assembly Hall was today, there's going to be times where you get punched in the mouth and Purdue got punched in the mouth in the first half." 

LaVall Jordan, Field of 68: "Trayce Jackson-Davis, he's on another level right now. He set the tone. I thought Trey Galloway was important, just his hustle, grit, his defense on the guards from Purdue, that was a big factor in the game."

Rob Dauster, Field of 68: "Jalen Hood-Schifino is playing the lead guard role and thriving in that role. Trayce Jackson-Davis is turning into an absolute monster. Zach Edey is going to be the player of the year, Trayce Jackson-Davis is playing at a player of the year level right now. When you bring Xavier Johnson back, he's kind of a ball-dominant guy, he's a big personality, he's someone that's going to be expecting shots. How do you work that in? It's going to be complicated and it's going to be difficult and people are going to have to make sacrifices." 

LaVall Jordan, Field of 68: "[Xavier Johnson] is going have to accept a maybe different role on the way back in. You know he's one of their best defenders on the perimeter, so he has that already. But in terms of playmaking and scoring – with Hood-Schifino rolling the way he's rolling, I thought Miller Kopp he kind of found his stroke today and with playing through Trayce the way they're playing through Trayce now – [Johnson] is going to have to get in where he fits in. But he'll have a role just because he's such a good defender and you know that. It takes a second, I think, for everybody to get used to playing with him again or him to fit in and find where he fits in with the group." 

Randolph Childress, Field of 68: "I don't want to overreact and say Final Four, but they're pretty good, they're damn good. Hood-Schifino has gotten so much better as a freshman. I mean he's comfortable in late-game moments now. I still would like to see this team at their full capacity. I think Xavier Johnson, what he brings on both ends of the floor, you add him to that group then I would make an argument about seeing them in Houston, but without him, I'm not ready to say Indiana is going to go to the Final Four." 

Rob Dauster, Field of 68: "I do think that Indiana has a ceiling of going to the Final Four. A lot of it has to do with the fact that this year is going to be wide open ... But the biggest reason I think so is one, I do believe that Xavier Johnson is going to be back. I think that he's trending in that direction. I think it's going to happen sooner rather than later. If he comes back and you're telling me that you have Trayce Jackson-Davis at the five, playing the way he's playing – I'm not saying that he should be the national player of the year, but he's playing at a national player of the year level – you give me Jalen Hood-Schifino playing the way he's playing on the ball and he can play off the ball, you give me Xavier Johnson, playing the way he was playing last year on the ball or off the ball, two big guards, you've got shooters around them with Tamar Bates and Miller Kopp, you've got Race Thompson who has proven to be a good role player, you've got guys that understand their jobs, Malik Reneau is still out there and we haven't really talked about him at all. That is a team that I think is going to be very dangerous, and it's not just because they have the weapons offensively and they have a guy that's playing at a national player of the year level, but they're guarding now. They're playing defense now."

Related stories on Indiana basketball

  • INDIANA IN AP POLL: In this week's Associated Press Top-25 college basketball poll, Indiana moved up to No. 18 after defeating No. 1 Purdue on Saturday. The Boilermakers held on to the top spot, but Houston, Alabama and Arizona also received votes for the No. 1 ranking. Rutgers jumped into the rankings this week, setting up a top-25 matchup at Indiana on Tuesday. CLICK HERE
  • GAME STORY: Trayce Jackson-Davis had 25 points and Indiana closed out No. 1-ranked Purdue with some key baskets in the final minute, winning 79-74 on Saturday in an electric Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE
  • PURDUE STRUGGLES WITH TURNOVERS, ENVIRONMENT: Purdue suffered its second loss of the season on Saturday, a 79-74 loss to Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. 16 turnovers and a 10-for-17 afternoon at the free throw line was costly, and coach Matt Painter thought his team lacked concentration and mental toughness in a difficult road environment. CLICK HERE
  • PAINTER ON TJD: Purdue coach Matt Painter had high praise for Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis following the Hoosiers' 79-74 win. Painter commented on Jackson-Davis' improvement, NBA chances and their relationship. CLICK HERE
  • WHAT WOODSON SAID: Indiana knocked off No. 1 Purdue 79-74 on Saturday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson met with the media afterward. Here is the full video of his press conference, plus the transcript. CLICK HERE
  • WHAT JACKSON-DAVIS, HOOD-SCHIFINO SAID: Trayce Jackson-Davis had 25 points and seven rebounds on Saturday and Jalen Hood-Schifino added 16 points in the Hoosiers' 79-74 win over No. 1-ranked Purdue. The pair met with the media on Saturday after. the game. Here's the full video and transcript of the press conference. CLICK HERE
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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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