Just when I feel like I know what to expect from you, you turn around to do something completely unexpected. I should know by now that you're young and unpredictable, but goddamn! You turn it around like few teams mine eyes (or Vegas') have ever seen.
But wait, did you really turn it around today, or were you this team all along? Was Iowa just an aberration? Come to think of it, I kind of like that notion: you really did turn a corner against Minnesota and then parlay your roll in Happy Valley. When I erase Iowa from my dissecting mind, you've actually grown up before my very eyes.
Just like the "bad Devan" likes to make occasional appearances, so too the "young Hoosiers" like to pop in every now and then and make everyone think they're too immature to finish a game without self-imploding.
Not today they didn't. Today was a day for the fightin' Hoosiers. Today was a day when young men would put their team on their shoulders and refuse to let the Illini run away from them. Today was a day that made the 6 days since Iowa seem like over a year ago.
The young Hoosiers don't pull down 35 boards to best Illinois' 31. The young Hoosiers don't shoot 86.2% from the line and hit 11 of 12 in the final 10 minutes...on the road. The young Hoosiers don't come back from a 13-point 1st half deficit. Only 13 turnovers, that's not how the young Hoosiers possess the ball. No, these were tomorrow's Hoosiers- in today's bodies, unfortunately.
We were at last tough, but it's too bad there's no "D" in "tough." At least, not as it relates to Demetri McCamey.
No matter, Thursday night just got a whole lot more interesting.
Game notes:
-Hulls' 8 points in the first 7 minutes prevented this one from becoming a run-away right out of the gates, ala last year's tilt.
-VJ3 is the motherfucking man. He, alone, refused to let his homecoming become another embarrassment, again. When he decides to turn it on, he leads these Hoosiers, on both ends of the court.
-Elston found his mojo, but the defensive match-ups & foul-related line-up shuffling made it tough to keep him on the court. His 5 points and 5 boards were humble, yet huge. Given more minutes, I can only imagine his role can expand as he gains more confidence in himself and from his coaches & teammates.
-Capo is beginning to show us why he was given the moniker "Vanilla Gorilla" prior to his arrival on campus. He isn't afraid of a fight or putting his large frame on the floor. With some more development on his footwork and offensive post moves, his contributions should grow exponentially.
-When Rivers stepped to the line with 22 seconds left and the game on the line, I must have done the best Judge Smails of my life. "Oh, Jeremiah. Jeremiah, Jeremiah, Jeremiah, Jeremiah. This is a biggie, Jeremiah. a70-68 Jeremiah." Danny Noonan didn't feel this good after the second free toss fell. "Hey, everybody! We're all going to get laid!!!"
-While Watford spent most of the game iced over, his clutch free throw shooting late in the game was impressive for the freshman.
-Pritchard continued to be Pritchard: lazy with his feet, often out of position, and unable to keep from benching himself with foul trouble. He's well on his way to being relegated to only spelling Capo, Elston, and, dare I say, Tijan.
-Team Africa combined for 12 minutes, 3 boards, and only 2 TOs & 1 foul.
And despite the 600 words above, Ryan Corazza owned this game summary. Korman's perspective shows it's all all making sense, as usual. That is all.
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