IU storms past Illinois behind revitalized defense: 'We set the tone right off the bat'
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — After a three-game slide threatened to submarine a once-promising season, back-to-back wins thanks in large part to improved defense have the Hoosiers eyeing a turnaround. Indiana slogged through ugly second halves against Iowa and Northwestern, and an entire forgettable night at Penn State, allowing at least 84 points in each game.
IU over-helped off the ball, gave up open looks around the perimeter and struggled to find the formula for a productive performance without two of their top defenders (Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson, both out injured). It has figured out what works in the past two games. It starts with a steadfast presence under the basket and evolves into chaos around the perimeter.
Both Wisconsin on Saturday and Illinois on Thursday tried to go after Trayce Jackson-Davis one-on-one with corresponding big men. It was a misguided idea both times. In both games, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trey Galloway and Miller Kopp used their respective length and physicality on the perimeter. And in both games, Jordan Geronimo brought an energy that wasn’t present earlier in the season.
“I just thought from a defensive standpoint we set the tone right off the bat, and we never really relinquished it,” coach Mike Woodson said Thursday after IU's 80-65 win. “I know we had the big lead, but hell, teams are gonna make runs. The beauty about the run is we didn’t crumble.”
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Jackson-Davis had three blocks, but the full effect of his rim protection didn’t show up in the box score. He floated around the basket, influencing shots and making life hard on Illinois’ forwards. Dain Dainja shot 50%, occasionally going after Jackson-Davis, but Coleman Hawkins shot 3-for-8. Matthew Mayer missed all four of his attempts.
“Just trying to help my teammates out if guards get downhill,” Jackson-Davis said. “Dain Dainja is a great player. He got me on a few moves tonight; credit to him. At the same time, I just gotta be solid. I gotta anchor our defense, especially just altering shots and stuff of that nature.”
Meanwhile, Geronimo did what he could to fill the void left by Thompson’s absence with a knee injury. The 6-6 Geronimo is slightly undersized for a power forward, but he made up for it with length and constant energy.
When Illinois pushed the pace, Geronimo hustled back to at least prevent the resultant look from being easy. At one point, he worked around an Illini body trying to edge him out of the play in transition and got into position to reach his long arm out far enough to block the layup.
He committed three fouls in 29 minutes, but on a night that saw him play as hard and aggressively as he has all year, it was the price of doing business.
Galloway had a similar game. The junior nicknamed “Crazy Man” committed four fouls. In the second half he closed out too hard on Terrence Shannon Jr. and fouled Illinois’ leading scorer on a midrange jumper.
He got an immediate hook from Woodson and was chastised by his coach to “be smarter” as he walked off the court. Shannon made a free throw, but it was a welcome shift from the flat, lifeless defense of earlier in January, one that was constantly a step slow and a beat behind.
IU didn’t play a perfect defensive game. Illinois made eight of its 19 attempts from beyond the arc and cut into the Hoosiers lead with a flurry late in the second half.
But what it did, first Saturday and again Thursday, was wash the unpleasant taste from its mouth of an ugly start to the conference season. It played hard and physically, and it may have revitalized its season.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU basketball vs. Illinois: Indiana's defense sets tone in road win
