<!–Saxotech Paragraph Count: 11
–>

BLOOMINGTON, IND. — There are varying opinions on the merits of facing nonconference opponents during the conference season.

Some think it takes away from a basketball team’s primary focus. Others feel it’s a positive diversion at a tense time of the year.

Indiana University coach Tom Crean said the decision to play North Carolina Central tonight in Assembly Hall was simply a reaction to an odd stretch in the Big Ten schedule. Had the Hoosiers not set up a game in the middle of this week, they would have played just four games in a 22-day stretch. They played nine times in the previous 28 days.

“We didn’t want to be in a situation where we would be playing just three games in three weeks,” Crean said Monday night on his weekly radio show. “You’re not practicing that long this time of year anyway. But there’s a physical part to it, there’s an execution part and a fundamental part. But there’s also a mental part, and the mental one is the one you’re most concerned about this time of year.”

Michigan is the only other Big Ten team to schedule a nonconference opponent during league play this season; the Wolverines lost at Arkansas on Jan. 21. But this is the sixth time since 2002 that IU has scheduled this way. The Hoosiers were 2-3 in the first five games, all against either Connecticut or Louisville.

Given their less-than-enthusiastic effort in a 78-66 loss at Iowa on Sunday, the chance to play a game this week might have been exactly what the Hoosiers needed. Otherwise they would have had to wait an entire week before traveling to Minnesota on Sunday.

Instead, IU (20-7) will get another game in Assembly Hall, where it is 15-1 and will play three of its final four regular-season games (the other two are against Michigan State and Purdue).

“Any time we can play at home, it’s a good situation for our team,” junior guard Jordan Hulls said after the Iowa game. “Our crowd is great, and they give us a big lift.”

Hulls is clearly in need of a lift after scoring a total of two points in his last two games. He missed 7 of 8 shots, including all four 3-point attempts. Against Iowa he had bad company: Christian Watford was held to one point, and Verdell Jones III didn’t score.

“We just have to do a better job on offense,” Hulls said. “We really don’t care who scores the points as long as we score points as a team and we get a win.”

North Carolina Central (14-12) has won two in a row and five of its last six games and is fifth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at 8-5. The Eagles are averaging 73.5 points and shooting 47.5 percent from the field.

Article source: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120221/SPORTS06/302210092/1002/rsslink

Other Posts

Filed under: Daily Layoffs News

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!