Indiana University Athletics
Quick Starts Fueling IU's Winning Streak
1/23/2016 4:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - There might be something to be said about the way Indiana's starting games that's led to a perfect 7-0 start in the Big Ten.
The latest example came Saturday afternoon against Northwestern where the Hoosiers (17-3, 7-0) used eight Collin Hartman points to spark a 10-0 run by the first media timeout of the opening half. The Wildcats (15-6, 3-5) chipped away in spurts but weren't able to seriously threaten the lead in a 32-point Indiana win.
"We're playing hard, aggressive," head coach Tom Crean said. "Sometimes, we're not shrinking the floor that we need to, but the bottom line is they figure it out. And offensively, when we can get a stop and get the game going, it's really, really good."
If the game progression felt familiar, it's because it was.
Indiana began on a 5-0 run en route to an 11-point advantage midway through the first half of a 34-point win over Illinois last Tuesday at Assembly Hall.
In the home game prior to that, the Hoosiers began on another 10-0 run against Ohio State before the first five minutes had passed in another runaway win at the Buckeyes' expense. IU went on to win by 25.
Save for a slow start on the road in Minneapolis in an eventual win against the Gophers sandwiched between wins against the Buckeyes and Illini, Indiana has led by an average of 21.3 points per game at halftime over the last three games at Assembly Hall and benefited because of it.
"We're moving the ball, we're making the simple play," fifth-year senior forward Max Bielfeldt said. "We're finding shooters with that movement. Guys are getting open a little better and we're just knocking them down."
It's not exactly a strategy. Every team is going to try to score early and often.
But it's made life easier for the Hoosiers, who aren't sweating out games late into the second half thanks to having the Big Ten's best offense along with holding conference opponents to less than one point per possession.
The cushion they build in the early minutes gives them breathing room, frustrates opposing teams and gives Indiana an opportunity to break the game open with another quick run at any point, as they've done in their recent blowout wins over Ohio State, Illinois and now Northwestern.
Indiana's streak parallels a similar stretch in the 2006-07 season where Indiana picked up double-digit home wins against Michigan State, Purdue and Iowa to begin an undefeated conference season at home. That team went on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to No. 2-seed UCLA.
So what's behind it?
"It's all mindset," said Hartman, a junior guard. "You've got to come in being aggressive. The Big Ten's a tough league. Everybody can win on any given night. If you don't come ready to play, you're going to get beat. So you really have to come in with the right mindset and get guys ready, get yourself ready and take guys with you."
Holding onto early leads is certainly easier at home. The crowd support can give opposing teams fits while trying to mount a comeback, only adding to the frustrations of being knocked down quickly, which is why Crean and his players regularly credit them.
It's all helped Indiana defeat its conference opponents at home by an average of 23 points per game, even with a one-point win against Wisconsin watering that margin down.
Indiana will try to replicate its success and the mindset behind it at Assembly Hall in Madison where they'll play Wisconsin Tuesday night after spending four the of last five games in the comforts of Assembly Hall. The matchup against the Badgers will be the Hoosiers' first of three road contests in four games.
"We have a chance to keep improving," Crean said, "and that's what their whole mindset is about."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - There might be something to be said about the way Indiana's starting games that's led to a perfect 7-0 start in the Big Ten.
The latest example came Saturday afternoon against Northwestern where the Hoosiers (17-3, 7-0) used eight Collin Hartman points to spark a 10-0 run by the first media timeout of the opening half. The Wildcats (15-6, 3-5) chipped away in spurts but weren't able to seriously threaten the lead in a 32-point Indiana win.
"We're playing hard, aggressive," head coach Tom Crean said. "Sometimes, we're not shrinking the floor that we need to, but the bottom line is they figure it out. And offensively, when we can get a stop and get the game going, it's really, really good."
If the game progression felt familiar, it's because it was.
Indiana began on a 5-0 run en route to an 11-point advantage midway through the first half of a 34-point win over Illinois last Tuesday at Assembly Hall.
In the home game prior to that, the Hoosiers began on another 10-0 run against Ohio State before the first five minutes had passed in another runaway win at the Buckeyes' expense. IU went on to win by 25.
Save for a slow start on the road in Minneapolis in an eventual win against the Gophers sandwiched between wins against the Buckeyes and Illini, Indiana has led by an average of 21.3 points per game at halftime over the last three games at Assembly Hall and benefited because of it.
"We're moving the ball, we're making the simple play," fifth-year senior forward Max Bielfeldt said. "We're finding shooters with that movement. Guys are getting open a little better and we're just knocking them down."
It's not exactly a strategy. Every team is going to try to score early and often.
But it's made life easier for the Hoosiers, who aren't sweating out games late into the second half thanks to having the Big Ten's best offense along with holding conference opponents to less than one point per possession.
The cushion they build in the early minutes gives them breathing room, frustrates opposing teams and gives Indiana an opportunity to break the game open with another quick run at any point, as they've done in their recent blowout wins over Ohio State, Illinois and now Northwestern.
Indiana's streak parallels a similar stretch in the 2006-07 season where Indiana picked up double-digit home wins against Michigan State, Purdue and Iowa to begin an undefeated conference season at home. That team went on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to No. 2-seed UCLA.
So what's behind it?
"It's all mindset," said Hartman, a junior guard. "You've got to come in being aggressive. The Big Ten's a tough league. Everybody can win on any given night. If you don't come ready to play, you're going to get beat. So you really have to come in with the right mindset and get guys ready, get yourself ready and take guys with you."
Holding onto early leads is certainly easier at home. The crowd support can give opposing teams fits while trying to mount a comeback, only adding to the frustrations of being knocked down quickly, which is why Crean and his players regularly credit them.
It's all helped Indiana defeat its conference opponents at home by an average of 23 points per game, even with a one-point win against Wisconsin watering that margin down.
Indiana will try to replicate its success and the mindset behind it at Assembly Hall in Madison where they'll play Wisconsin Tuesday night after spending four the of last five games in the comforts of Assembly Hall. The matchup against the Badgers will be the Hoosiers' first of three road contests in four games.
"We have a chance to keep improving," Crean said, "and that's what their whole mindset is about."
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