The Minute After: Milwaukee

Photos of IU basketball's 101-70 win against Milwaukee at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Thoughts on a 101-70 win against Milwaukee:

Three games in, and it’s time once again for another round of “the last time Indiana did that …”

Tonight’s version?

We’re going back to the 2016-2017 season, when Tom Crean last coached Indiana. According to the FS1 broadcast, that was the last time the Hoosiers scored 100 or more points in consecutive games, a feat matched tonight after scoring 101 against Milwaukee and 100 against Marquette on Sunday. Indiana has now hit 10-plus 3-pointers in three straight games, an accomplishment not achieved by the Hoosiers since the 2016-2017 season as well.

The Panthers gave IU a decent run for their money in this game, hitting tough buckets and trying to keep pace from distance. Amar Augillard nailed three 3-pointers in the first half. Danilo Jovanovich muscled Tucker DeVries in the paint on his way to 10 first-half points. Seth Hubbard hit some tricky mid-range buckets on his way to 17 points for the contest. The Panthers were strong on the offensive boards in the first half.

“I didn’t think we were as hooked up as we usually are, especially defensively,” Darian DeVries said of his team’s first-half performance. “… I thought the guys after halftime did a much better job.”

Try as Milwaukee might, it was just not enough to keep up with Indiana’s high-powered offense. The Hoosiers posted a season-high 1.42 points per possession. They again lit it up from 3-point range (14-of-28, 50 percent) with eight different players hitting at least one. Lamar Wilkerson led the way there with a 5-of-6 performance from deep. The Hoosiers continue to share the ball well, as they assisted on 23 of their 34 made baskets. If there’s a knock, it’s that the free-throw shooting wasn’t as good as it’s been, with IU making just 19-of-27 (70.4 percent) this time around.

Individually, Tayton Conerway had his best scoring performance in an IU uniform, as he posted 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Conerway’s aggressive craftiness saw him get into the lane for several buckets. He added a 3-pointer, hit all four of his free throws and had six assists and two steals.

“Coming into the game, my team just had a lot of confidence in me,” Conerway said after the game. “On the film, the part we thought we could attack was the 1-on-1 defense.”

DeVries had a quiet first half, scoring just two points. He got more into the swing of things after halftime and finished with 12. Wilkerson (24 points) and Reed Bailey (14 points) joined DeVries and Conerway in double-digits.

We also got our first look at Nick Dorn this season, but it was short-lived. After checking in for the first time midway through the first half, Dorn assisted on a Wilkerson 3-pointer, then hit what looked like a 3-pointer himself, but was ruled a long 2. He promptly picked up two quick fouls and headed to the bench. Dorn didn’t return until later in the second half, but did score eight points in seven minutes of action.

After tonight’s victory, the Hoosiers are now up to No. 18 on KenPom. On Monday, they were the third-highest team receiving votes outside of the AP top 25 poll. It’s early, but so far, this Indiana team is making a name for itself.

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