[NU Sports] Re: first win in conf

[Tom Maycock]

I was at the game last night, courtesy of a friend. Wasn't sure what to expect 
after the downstate disaster, so it was nice to see the Cats come out positive 
and with a lot of energy. 

The defense was atrocious on several early possessions, which was fairly 
depressing. But those were all mental issues--miscommunication on switch-offs 
and various other confusions. They tightened that up reasonably well. Although 
it wasn't always pretty, it was a far better defensive effort. 

Of course, Indiana appears to be woefully bad for a Big 10 team, especially with 
their history. Oddly, it seemed like no one wanted to shoot the ball for the 
Hoosiers in the first half. That might have been by design, because they weren't 
much more effective in the 2nd half, when they came out firing agressively. 

Shurna looked better, but still appears to be missing some explosiveness, and 
I'm not sure he can backpedal much at all on D right now. If I recall correctly 
from playing b-ball with a chronic ankle sprain problem that lasted for a year 
or two, that's one of the hardest things to deal with on a gimpy ankle. 

Crawford had a rough game most of the night, but provided key moments of effort 
down the stretch. 

What can you say about Luka, other than congratulations on an outstanding 
effort. Granted, Indiana was a perfect matchup for him, lacking a true (or even 
false) big man. But if he could play with that kind of confidence all the time, 
we'd be in much better shape. I think his inside presence was a big factor in 
opening up easy 3 opportunities as the game progressed. 

The Cats needed badly to play well and get a win, which they did. Having a good 
season is now back in the "possible" category. Should be interesting to see what 
happens against Iowa. 

Finally, how weird is it for the Cats to post a huge blowout win over Indiana, 
and have it not be a surprise?

Tom