Michigan enters a road venue that they've struggled in against a side that has poor results over their last five games and desperately needs a win. Forgive me if you've heard that before, but just a short six days after their first loss against a 1-4 in their last five Wisconsin team, Michigan travels to Indiana on a serious losing skid. Will Assembly Hall claim Michigan as a victim yet again? Here's what you need to know.
Indiana -- An Overview:
The loss in Ann Arbor seems to have started a downward spiral for Archie Miller and Hoosiers. That game started a five-game losing streak that means IU is 12-7 entering the home clash. Those five losses have also included, however, four of five on the road, with the only home bout being a big loss to Nebraska. Their most recent game saw Northwestern top them at home, but the Wildcats are plenty good enough to beat teams on their home court. Things are still not 100% in terms of available personnel as Devonte Green, who started at point guard in Ann Arbor, has been suspended indefinitely, while De'Ron Davis is out indefinitely with another injury. 3-5 in the Big Ten and the worst team in conference play in terms of three-point percentage, Indiana have a home-heavy second portion of the Big Ten season, but they still need a statement conference win. Given their recent results and the caliber of Michigan, this would be a huge opening for them to do so against one of the conference's elite teams.
Starting Five:
The star freshman of the Big Ten, Romeo Langford, certainly has been a huge reason for his team's success earlier in the season, but as of late, the 6'6" wing has been struggling. He went for an inefficient seventeen points against Michigan in Ann Arbor, but his past three outings have been rough. Langford is averaging just 11.3 points and five rebounds per game in the last three, including just 32.4% shooting while going zero-for-ten from three. Rock bottom was a four-point 22-minute outing at Purdue where the freshman, usually reliable from the charity stripe, was also zero-for-four there. He is still averaging 17.6 points per game this season and is garnering buzz as a potential top-five draft pick, but his 21.7% percentage from three puts his NBA Draft stock and efficiency into question. Charles Matthews played some outstanding defense on him in their first meeting, and I am looking at Matthews to guard him yet again in Bloomington in hopes of limiting his output. Langford is still dangerous and able to go off at any point, but as of late, his struggles have not seen the prettiest of results.
Senior Juwan Morgan is very much a 'what you see is what you get' sort of player. The 6'8" forward has become option 1B for the Hoosiers, and even perhaps 1A as Langford has struggled. The forward has improved distribution since last season and possesses a much-improved three-point shot from last season (percentages up from 30.2% to 39.1%). He scored 25 points against Michigan, but this was on 9-for-22 shooting with little-to-no help from the supporting cast of Hoosiers. Morgan is good for sixteen and eight on any given night, and you can always expect a bit more out of him as well. Last game I postulated that Ignas Brazdeikis could cover him, but that was incorrect. Jon Teske will almost certainly play him down low and look to limit his effectiveness as he did last game. Quietly, Morgan has become one of the better bigs in the Big Ten. Before long, though, his 61.1% field-goal percentage and 67.3% from two clip is going to be too loud to ignore. Michigan have seen him in play and will surely know what is coming their way in Bloomington.
Just as it was in the first meeting, Justin Smith is the third and final member of the Hoosiers to have started every single game of this season. A 6'7" sophomore, Smith is doing plenty of learning while producing, and it seems to be starting to pay off. Smith notched his first career double-double against Northwestern with ten points and twelve rebounds, but this was on three-for-twelve shooting. His fifteen points against Purdue on seven-for-eight shooting was much more efficient and still saw him contribute six rebounds as well. He has hit just one three in 2019 and is certainly a threat to watch in terms of explosive moves to the basket, and his development as a third option is positive if Langford or Morgan struggles, but his six points did not cut it against Michigan. Look for him to play high-energy minutes and make himself felt on both the offensive and defensive glass against Ignas Brazdeikis, though.
Freshman point guard Rob Phinisee is a new face that Michigan fans will see on Indiana that they did not in the first meeting. Phinisee is a 6'1" true point guard that Archie Miller will be thankful to have back from injury, especially given Devonte Green's suspension. Phinisee was eased back into the flow of games against Maryland and Nebraska off the bench (slightly harder when Al Durham suffered an injury at home against the Cornhuskers), but he has started the past two games and against Northwestern he chipped in thirteen points on four-for-twelve shooting (but three-for-seven from three). What Phinisee gives this Indiana team is not just a point guard, but a reliable three-point shooter to count on. He is shooting from deep at a 40.5% mark (17-for-42) and is impressively over a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, always a solid for a freshman point guard in the Big Ten. It is going to be Zavier Simpson's task to trouble him around the perimeter and make sure he does not explode from three. He is averaging just 7.1 points per game and has not hit more than three threes in a game this season, but the important thing will be to force the freshman to play at a lower level than he has shown himself capable of. If anyone can disrupt his flow, surely it's the man named to the Defensive Player of the Year mid-season watch list.
Rounding out the starting five is a bit of a switch-up from Miller, as it is Zach McRoberts getting that fifth slot. Standing 6'6", the senior has started the past two games and given Miller energetic minutes. Against Purdue, he went an uncharacteristic two-for-six with four points along with three steals and seven rebounds in 29 minutes of play. Prior to that, he had scored in just three games, all three coming in succession at the start of the season. Regardless, the senior has three games in 2019 alone of three steals or more and averages nearly a steal per game. The wing is not on the court to score, but rather to play very good defense and work the ball around the court, perhaps getting some positive movement going. There is indeed a reason he averages nearly twenty minutes per game, that is why.
Bench Rundown:
Given the injury to Davis and Green's suspension, things are even tighter on the bench than usual for the Hoosiers. Al Durham started the season as a starter, but the 6'4" sophomore guard has come off the bench for the last two games with McRoberts taking his starting spot. Durham played just six minutes after getting injured against Nebraska, and in the subsequent two games he has played the role of sixth man. The demotion to the bench has not meant a lack of minutes, though, as Durham is averaging 28 minutes in the last two games. A 39.6% three-point shooter (21-for-53) he offers a 'microwave' option that plenty of teams enjoy having off the bench for them. With eleven points in Evanston and eight in West Lafayette, plus seven assists over the last two games, the move has thus far been overwhelmingly positive for the sophomore. He will be relied on quite heavily down the stretch, perhaps back in the starting line-up, to start performing for the Hoosiers.
The only other man that is a near guarantee off the bench is 6'10" grad transfer Evan Fitzner. Transferring over from Saint Mary's, Fitzner has appeared in every game but the Purdue game but has struggled to find the net recently. He's logged just two points in 2019, a bucket against Northwestern, and, despite a seasonal 37% mark from deep, he has not hit a three since hitting one against Central Arkansas. Since then, he is zero-for-six over six games, averaging nearly ten minutes per game, shooting just 15.4% overall. The Fitzner that showed up against Marquette that went four-for-four from three with sixteen points needs to reappear for Indiana as they look for a third scorer. Michigan will surely hope that his re-emergence does not come against them.
Outside of Durham and Fitzner, there are a pair of players that could are most likely to see time on the court against Michigan off the bench. Damezi Anderson is a freshman wing from South Bend that has seen spot minutes, especially with the injuries around the team this season. He is 6'7" with plenty of athleticism, but has played just twelve games this season, and only three in the Big Ten for a combined stat-line of ten minutes, zero points, zero-for-two shooting, three turnovers, and three fouls. There is also Clifton Moore, a 6'10" sophomore center that played seven minutes against Michigan, in fact. He scored five points and snagged three rebounds in five minutes against Nebraska, which has been the high point of his season, perhaps. Credited as being a good shot blocker, this is a season where getting him minutes is important to his development as an upperclassman. There is also Jake Forrester, a 6'8" freshman forward that suffered an ankle injury earlier this season, but has available since the Maryland game. He saw two minutes against Northwestern and has done his damage in buy games. He is a project for these Hoosiers.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Michigan fans should hope for the best, but brace for the worst. This is a different case than the Wisconsin game as this is a team that Michigan has already seen once, knows what to do against them, but then again, so too does Indiana against Michigan. The short preparation time after a thrilling buzzer beater victory over Minnesota may take a toll on these Michigan players as well, but what is the psychological damage of losing five in a row? Will Indiana be more fired-up to play at home in hopes to stop the skid. Michigan must do what they did at home, and that is shut down the supporting cast of Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan. This becomes harder with Rob Phinisee back available, but this is a Michigan team with the defense to do it.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
Indiana -- An Overview:
The loss in Ann Arbor seems to have started a downward spiral for Archie Miller and Hoosiers. That game started a five-game losing streak that means IU is 12-7 entering the home clash. Those five losses have also included, however, four of five on the road, with the only home bout being a big loss to Nebraska. Their most recent game saw Northwestern top them at home, but the Wildcats are plenty good enough to beat teams on their home court. Things are still not 100% in terms of available personnel as Devonte Green, who started at point guard in Ann Arbor, has been suspended indefinitely, while De'Ron Davis is out indefinitely with another injury. 3-5 in the Big Ten and the worst team in conference play in terms of three-point percentage, Indiana have a home-heavy second portion of the Big Ten season, but they still need a statement conference win. Given their recent results and the caliber of Michigan, this would be a huge opening for them to do so against one of the conference's elite teams.
Starting Five:
The star freshman of the Big Ten, Romeo Langford, certainly has been a huge reason for his team's success earlier in the season, but as of late, the 6'6" wing has been struggling. He went for an inefficient seventeen points against Michigan in Ann Arbor, but his past three outings have been rough. Langford is averaging just 11.3 points and five rebounds per game in the last three, including just 32.4% shooting while going zero-for-ten from three. Rock bottom was a four-point 22-minute outing at Purdue where the freshman, usually reliable from the charity stripe, was also zero-for-four there. He is still averaging 17.6 points per game this season and is garnering buzz as a potential top-five draft pick, but his 21.7% percentage from three puts his NBA Draft stock and efficiency into question. Charles Matthews played some outstanding defense on him in their first meeting, and I am looking at Matthews to guard him yet again in Bloomington in hopes of limiting his output. Langford is still dangerous and able to go off at any point, but as of late, his struggles have not seen the prettiest of results.
Senior Juwan Morgan is very much a 'what you see is what you get' sort of player. The 6'8" forward has become option 1B for the Hoosiers, and even perhaps 1A as Langford has struggled. The forward has improved distribution since last season and possesses a much-improved three-point shot from last season (percentages up from 30.2% to 39.1%). He scored 25 points against Michigan, but this was on 9-for-22 shooting with little-to-no help from the supporting cast of Hoosiers. Morgan is good for sixteen and eight on any given night, and you can always expect a bit more out of him as well. Last game I postulated that Ignas Brazdeikis could cover him, but that was incorrect. Jon Teske will almost certainly play him down low and look to limit his effectiveness as he did last game. Quietly, Morgan has become one of the better bigs in the Big Ten. Before long, though, his 61.1% field-goal percentage and 67.3% from two clip is going to be too loud to ignore. Michigan have seen him in play and will surely know what is coming their way in Bloomington.
Just as it was in the first meeting, Justin Smith is the third and final member of the Hoosiers to have started every single game of this season. A 6'7" sophomore, Smith is doing plenty of learning while producing, and it seems to be starting to pay off. Smith notched his first career double-double against Northwestern with ten points and twelve rebounds, but this was on three-for-twelve shooting. His fifteen points against Purdue on seven-for-eight shooting was much more efficient and still saw him contribute six rebounds as well. He has hit just one three in 2019 and is certainly a threat to watch in terms of explosive moves to the basket, and his development as a third option is positive if Langford or Morgan struggles, but his six points did not cut it against Michigan. Look for him to play high-energy minutes and make himself felt on both the offensive and defensive glass against Ignas Brazdeikis, though.
Freshman point guard Rob Phinisee is a new face that Michigan fans will see on Indiana that they did not in the first meeting. Phinisee is a 6'1" true point guard that Archie Miller will be thankful to have back from injury, especially given Devonte Green's suspension. Phinisee was eased back into the flow of games against Maryland and Nebraska off the bench (slightly harder when Al Durham suffered an injury at home against the Cornhuskers), but he has started the past two games and against Northwestern he chipped in thirteen points on four-for-twelve shooting (but three-for-seven from three). What Phinisee gives this Indiana team is not just a point guard, but a reliable three-point shooter to count on. He is shooting from deep at a 40.5% mark (17-for-42) and is impressively over a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, always a solid for a freshman point guard in the Big Ten. It is going to be Zavier Simpson's task to trouble him around the perimeter and make sure he does not explode from three. He is averaging just 7.1 points per game and has not hit more than three threes in a game this season, but the important thing will be to force the freshman to play at a lower level than he has shown himself capable of. If anyone can disrupt his flow, surely it's the man named to the Defensive Player of the Year mid-season watch list.
Rounding out the starting five is a bit of a switch-up from Miller, as it is Zach McRoberts getting that fifth slot. Standing 6'6", the senior has started the past two games and given Miller energetic minutes. Against Purdue, he went an uncharacteristic two-for-six with four points along with three steals and seven rebounds in 29 minutes of play. Prior to that, he had scored in just three games, all three coming in succession at the start of the season. Regardless, the senior has three games in 2019 alone of three steals or more and averages nearly a steal per game. The wing is not on the court to score, but rather to play very good defense and work the ball around the court, perhaps getting some positive movement going. There is indeed a reason he averages nearly twenty minutes per game, that is why.
Bench Rundown:
Given the injury to Davis and Green's suspension, things are even tighter on the bench than usual for the Hoosiers. Al Durham started the season as a starter, but the 6'4" sophomore guard has come off the bench for the last two games with McRoberts taking his starting spot. Durham played just six minutes after getting injured against Nebraska, and in the subsequent two games he has played the role of sixth man. The demotion to the bench has not meant a lack of minutes, though, as Durham is averaging 28 minutes in the last two games. A 39.6% three-point shooter (21-for-53) he offers a 'microwave' option that plenty of teams enjoy having off the bench for them. With eleven points in Evanston and eight in West Lafayette, plus seven assists over the last two games, the move has thus far been overwhelmingly positive for the sophomore. He will be relied on quite heavily down the stretch, perhaps back in the starting line-up, to start performing for the Hoosiers.
The only other man that is a near guarantee off the bench is 6'10" grad transfer Evan Fitzner. Transferring over from Saint Mary's, Fitzner has appeared in every game but the Purdue game but has struggled to find the net recently. He's logged just two points in 2019, a bucket against Northwestern, and, despite a seasonal 37% mark from deep, he has not hit a three since hitting one against Central Arkansas. Since then, he is zero-for-six over six games, averaging nearly ten minutes per game, shooting just 15.4% overall. The Fitzner that showed up against Marquette that went four-for-four from three with sixteen points needs to reappear for Indiana as they look for a third scorer. Michigan will surely hope that his re-emergence does not come against them.
Outside of Durham and Fitzner, there are a pair of players that could are most likely to see time on the court against Michigan off the bench. Damezi Anderson is a freshman wing from South Bend that has seen spot minutes, especially with the injuries around the team this season. He is 6'7" with plenty of athleticism, but has played just twelve games this season, and only three in the Big Ten for a combined stat-line of ten minutes, zero points, zero-for-two shooting, three turnovers, and three fouls. There is also Clifton Moore, a 6'10" sophomore center that played seven minutes against Michigan, in fact. He scored five points and snagged three rebounds in five minutes against Nebraska, which has been the high point of his season, perhaps. Credited as being a good shot blocker, this is a season where getting him minutes is important to his development as an upperclassman. There is also Jake Forrester, a 6'8" freshman forward that suffered an ankle injury earlier this season, but has available since the Maryland game. He saw two minutes against Northwestern and has done his damage in buy games. He is a project for these Hoosiers.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Michigan fans should hope for the best, but brace for the worst. This is a different case than the Wisconsin game as this is a team that Michigan has already seen once, knows what to do against them, but then again, so too does Indiana against Michigan. The short preparation time after a thrilling buzzer beater victory over Minnesota may take a toll on these Michigan players as well, but what is the psychological damage of losing five in a row? Will Indiana be more fired-up to play at home in hopes to stop the skid. Michigan must do what they did at home, and that is shut down the supporting cast of Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan. This becomes harder with Rob Phinisee back available, but this is a Michigan team with the defense to do it.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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