My Two Cents: Breaking Down Indiana's Guard Play

Indiana has dealt with a lot of injuries in the backcourt, but all the mixing and matching is paying off.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — What's gone on in Indiana's backcourt so far this season sort of belies the truth behind what is an 11-1 team. For all that's happened in the first eight weeks of this season, sometimes is just doesn't make sense. The Hoosiers are winning DESPITE battling key injuries.

This is what we've know about Indiana's backcourt since practices started in October:

1. SMALL IN NUMBER: Before the season even started, this group was small. Of the 11 scholarship players, there were only four true guards, senior Devonte Green, junior Al Durham, sophomore Rob Phinisee and freshman Armaan Franklin.
2. NEVER TOGETHER: Injuries throughout this group have made practicing together nearly impossible. Green (hamstring/Achilles) and Phinisee (lower abdominal/ankle) have missed a lot of time, and Durham (ankle) was slowed earlier in the season. In three months, they've practiced together all healthy maybe a handful of times at most.
3. KEY PIECE OF OFFENSE MISSING: The thought at the beginning of the year was that Indiana could be dangerous when they played with three guards, pushing tempo and getting great open looks. But because of minutes restrictions on Green and Phinisee much of the year, that just hasn't happened.

Until last Saturday, that is.

At the end of Saturday's game against Notre Dame — Indiana's 12th game of the year — the three-guard lineup finally made an appearance. Indiana had blown a 17-point lead and now were down by five points in the final three minutes. Indiana coach Archie Miller put Franklin, who had already hit three 3-pointers on the day, out on the floor with Durham and Green. 

Indiana made a rally, and they knocked off the Irish when Franklin hit a 3-pointer in the left corner. He was open — or last least open enough — thanks to two quick and crisp passes from Green and Durham.

Will we see more of this? It's hard to tell, partly because of the numbers. There are only four of them, and Green and Phinisee still aren't 100 percent. This team has changed a bit, too, since October. It's an inside first team now, relying heavily on the successes of freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk inside.

Indiana plays Arkansas, a talented SEC team, in its final nonconference game of the season on Sunday at Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall. Then it's on to the Big Ten, so this is a good time to look at the four guards, what they've done so far, and what we might expect of them the rest of the way.

"If we're winning, we're going to get good guard play,'' Indiana coach Archie Miller said. "Our guard play isn't as much about scoring as it defense and our assist-to-turnover ration. They don't have to score to play well, but we've got to do a better job of holding our own guarding people one-on-one. 

Here's how I would grade out the start of there season:

Devonte Green, senior guard 

GRADE: B-minus

Indiana's fan base has had a love-hate relationship with Green from the day he stepped on campus. The same might be true of Archie Miller, who seems to roll his eyes every time he's asked a questions about Green's health and/or availability and decision-making. 

Green missed Indiana's first three games with a hamstring injury. Miller worked him back into the lineup slowly, bringing him off the bench. After knocking the rust off in a 6-point outing his first game back, he seemed like his old self, making multiple 3-pointers in wins against Princeton, Lousiana Tech and South Dakota State, where he scored 16, 16 and 11 points.

Then he exploded in IU's first real test, an impressive win over then No. 17 Florida State where Green went for 30 points in the 80-64 win.

But since then, he hasn't done much. In the past four games, he's just 4-for-18 (22 percent) from the 3-point line, has made only one free throw and made some poor shot choices.

We talk all the time about taking the good with the bad with Green, but it sure would be nice to see him get the hot hand more often like he did against Florida State. The biggest thing is keeping him engaged mentally, and understanding that he does NOT need to do it all on this team. 

Indiana senior Devonte Green scored a career-high 30 points in the 80-64 win against then No. 17-ranked Florida State on Dec. 2. (Mandatory credit: USA TODAY SPORTS)

Al Durham, junior guard

GRADE: B

Al Durham has had to carry a heavy load in the Indiana backcourt all season. Because of injuries, he's often had to be the primary ballhandler, and that hasn't always gone well. 

Durham has started all 12 games and played at least 26 minutes in every outing. He's averaging more than 2 turnovers per game though, and had 5 against Louisiana Tech. He's also struggled defensively at times, having a hard time keeping quicker point guards in front of him. He's been in foul trouble, too, committing nine fouls in the past two games.

There have been times where he's disappeared in the offense, too. He's been in single digits five times in the past eight games. 

But there's also been moments where he's taken this team and put them on his back. He scored 17 points or more in four of the first six games, and he's willing to look to make the big shot when he needs to. He's been a good leader, too, and he's been a good glue guy. He needs to be more consistent for Indiana, and he has to be a better defender, especially when Big Ten play starts. 

Junior captain Al Durham has had some big moments, but he'll need to be more consistent down the stretch. 

Armaan Franklin, freshman guard

GRADE: B

Franklin, one of two true freshmen on the team along with Jackson-Davis, had dealt with some growing pains, but he's really responded in a big way.

When he was the only healthy guard in camp in late October, he was forced to pick up the baton and lead this team. He worked hard at point guard, which was new to him, and he had to play a lot of minutes, even if he wasn't ready.

Franklin made that huge 3-pointer to beat Notre Dame, and it was a career day for him, scoring 17 points in 14 minutes and making 4-for-5 shots from long range. It was somewhat shocking because he had made only four longballs all year prior to that, shooting just 14 percent. 

That might be a game that helps Franklin turn the corner. He's got the talent to be a star, and now an increased confidence level could be huge.

Armaan Franklin's 3-pointer beat Notre Dame last weekend. (Mandatory credit: USA TODAY SPORTS)

Rob Phinisee, sophomore guard

GRADE: INCOMPLETE

Rob Phinisee just hasn't been able to catch a break so far this season. He dealt with a lower abdominal issues throughout October, and barely got to practice. He's also had an ankle issue and even took a shot to the head in one game.

Phinisee is one of the best point guards in the Big Ten, but he hasn't even really been able to play his game yet. He's played in only seven games, and he's had some nice moments, most notably making several huge shots in the overtime win against Nebraska. That's a loss without him out there.

But then there have been other games where you can tell that he's just not himself. He played 15 minutes against Notre Dame and never scored, missing all six shots. When Indiana finally played three guards in the final minute, he WASN'T one of them.

Hopefully these eight days off between Notre Dame and Arkansas will help him get closer to 100 percent. He might be the most important player on this team after Jackson-Davis, and Indiana will need him to play at a high level throughout the Big Ten.

We'll have to see if he is healthy enough for that.

Indiana guard Rob Phinisee has had a hard time staying healthy, but he carried the Hoosiers to an overtime win over Nebraska. (Mandatory credit: USA TODAY SPORTS)