By: Will Padgett III

I think the Hoosiers can win out. It will be tough, especially since I thought we would win at Iowa, but I don’t think it’s out of the picture quite yet.  The hardest game will be Michigan State at home, followed closely by the game at Minnesota. If the Hoosiers are to do this though, they need to start this week by crushing NCCU, and following that up with a winning performance at The Barn. It’s still possible, Indiana just needs to bunker down and go into this final stretch with confidence. Here’s what I want to see from the Hoosiers over the next week.

  • I want to see lockdown defense.  NC Central may be a cupcake, but should not be over looked. Defense is one of the Hoosier’s pitfalls this season, so they need to show that they can shut down anyone from a defensive standpoint, because moving forward, offense can only get you so far. If Indiana can hold NCCU to 55 or under, I would consider this achieved.
  • Jordan Hulls should look to shoot early and often. He has been in a slump as of late, and needs to get his confidence back as the end of the season looms. A hot Jordy would definitely come in handy in the Big Ten Tournament.
  • The 3 ball needs to fall. I know, in the beginning of the season, I preached getting the ball down low to Cody more. But over the past few games, we seem to shy away from what used to be our strength. A few big outside shots can really take an opponent out of the game, and had we hit a few more against Iowa, we may not have lost by double digits.
  • A strong start, and stickier fingers.  One of the things I hate to watch is the Hoosiers struggle out of the gate.  A slow start always worries me because you never know how this team will respond. I want to see a killer instinct throughout an entire game. And a huge cut down on turnovers would be nice as well. Turnovers killed us at Iowa.

 

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