My Two Cents: January Could Be a Bloodbath For Indiana

The Big Ten schedule is in full force now, and Indiana looks like its not ready to handle this level of competition.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The suitcoat was long gone, and so was the tie. Even the disheveled Archie Miller's hair was a mess as he strolled into the postgame interview room.

It was that hard of a day at the office for Indiana's frustrated basketball coach.

Miller brought his team to Maryland for its second Big Ten road game of the season, and it was an unmitigated disaster. The Hoosiers lost 76-59, but don't be deceived by the score, because it wasn't that close. For the second straight Big Ten road game,  the Hoosiers trailed by at least 30 points at one time in the second half.

They clearly aren't ready for primetime, even if it's at noon on a Saturday. It was an ugly way to start the month. They were in it for a while — it was 36-33 Maryland with 14:18 to go in the second half — but then the bottom fell out. Maryland outscored Indiana 35-8 in the next 11 minutes, and that was that.

"I thought (Maryland) played really well and made things very difficult for us around the basket,'' Miller said. "Not being able to score sort of overwhelmed us a little bit. 

"It's a fine line on the road. You have to make all the little things kind of go your way when things aren't going well on one end. We played hard for the most part. Our defense kind of hung in there, but some long rebounds and some loose plays really changed the game. It broke it open and then from the breakout point, we weren't able to really make anything happen offensively to hang in there. It was just too hard to hold off.''

When it was 71-41 with 3:44 to go, Indiana was just 1-for-15 shooting from 3-point range. They were shooting just 30.4 percent overall. Their four guards — Devonte Green, Al Durham, Rob Phinisee and Armaan Franklin — were 4-for-21. 

Green scored 13 points in the final three minutes in garbage time, which almost seems like a bad thing.

This was, quite frankly, a disaster. And sadly, it looks like it might be a trend. Five of Indiana's eight games in January are against ranked opponents, so we might see more of this.

A lot more.

"In this league you're in a deep ocean,'' Miller said. "There's a lot of waves and you have to ride them out and figure out how your group can survive it and keep moving forward. For us, that's the way it is. 

"I can't complain about our guys in their approach and what we're doing. We just got really, really stuck at one stage of the game not being able to score. Coming out of halftime, we were able to hang in there, again, but a couple of 50-50 plays, and a couple things that just broke their way, really broke the game open.''

Indiana has played two road games now, and being down 30 means you're not competitive. Sure, the Big Ten is hard, which is why you need to create easy baskets with your defense. Indiana didn't do that, which was clearly evident by Maryland's seven total turnovers, three of which came in the final few minutes.

You also need to make shots. Indiana couldn't do that, from 3, from midrange, even at the rim. They got good looks — plenty of them — but they couldn't finish. No one did. 

"The ball is not going in the basket, whether it's a layup, a free throw or a wide open shot,'' Miller said. "At some point you have to be able to put it in the basket. We have enough guys that can do that. 

"Certain teams have to struggle to find their way. We have to get a more quality 3s in the game. Our backcourt has to be able to create more off the dribble on those 3s. They have to be able to get assists, those are the ones you're going to make when you draw the defense. Not challenge twos. Not 50-50 plays at the basket. It's the ones that break the defense down and your guards are able to create and get more 3's that way. We have to go to the line more, and we have to keep going to the line and making it.''

There is no magic cure, necessarily, Sometimes it's just being more forceful.  

"Around the basket, in this league moving forward, from January to February there's not going to be one easy one,'' he said. "There are no calls, OK?. That's not happening. So, you have to be able to finish through contact and put some down. We didn't have that for most part of the night. We're not making it at any level. So, if we step up and make it, we can do it. One thing is you can't just overcomplicate it and make it harder than it is.''

But let's be honest. January is hard. Look at this schedule:

• Jan. 4 — at No. 15 Maryland (Lost 75-59)
• Jan. 8 — vs. Northwestern
• Jan. 11 — vs. No. 5 Ohio State
• Jan. 15 — at Rutgers 
• Jan. 18 — at Nebraska
• Jan. 23 — vs. No. 14 Michigan State
• Jan. 26 — vs. No. 15 Maryland 
• Jan. 29 — at No. 21 Penn State 

Let's face it. Northwestern is the only game on that list where you feel very confident in a victory. Five of the eight games are against ranked teams. The two that aren't — at Rutgers and at Nebraska — still won't be easy. That's the dumbest road trip in Big Ten history.

Indiana's schedule divided up nicely by months. November was all about the cupcakes and the seven straight home games, and what I wanted to see that month was a 7-0 record, and long stretches of quality play in each game. We got that.

December's schedule really ramped up, with six games all against teams from major conferences. I thought beforehand that 4-2 would be a great month for the Hoosiers, and that's what they did. So they came into January with an 11-2 record .

What's amazing to me was that Indiana beat the best team on their schedule, Florida State.  So that tells you they CAN beat ranked teams, especially in Bloomington. But look at that schedule. If Indiana goes 4-4, would you be happy?

You should be.

I mean, look at it. After Northwestern, the three remaining home games are all against ranked teams. If 11-2 was deemed to be good after December, what about when we wake up on Jan. 31?

I'll tell you right now that I'd take 4-4 in a heartbeat. I also will tell you right now that I don't know where those wins will come from. 

As much as I hate to say, 1-7 probably seems like the most likely outcome. And if that happens, oh my.

This team has shown enough good things this season to prove me wrong. Now, I guess, I'll have to say "Show me.''