Here's what Archie Miller said after Indiana's disappointing loss to Michigan State
Indiana still has strong hopes for a bid to the NCAA Tournament this season, but the Hoosiers did absolutely nothing to bolster their resume on Saturday.
In ESPN’s latest edition of Bracketology by Joe Lunardi, Indiana checks in as a No. 10 seed in Region 1. That is a solid spot to be all things considered entering the late-season stretch before getting to the B1G tournament.
Unfortunately, Saturday’s game was a letdown in every sense of the word. Indiana raced out to a 19-6 lead in the first half but could not stop Michigan State in the second half. And while a loss to Tom Izzo and the Spartans is not usually a cause for concern, this year’s version of Michigan State entered at 4-9 in conference play and looking for answers in a number of areas.
For the Hoosiers, Trayce Jackson-Davis was phenomenal once again with a career-high 34 points to go with nine rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Unfortunately, he did not get much help with five of the other eight Indiana players to see action failing to notch a made field goal in the game.
Here’s what head coach Archie Miller had to say after the game:
Archie Miller postgame:
"We let Michigan State continue to build confidence throughout the game. … They hung around, they have good players, a good team. Like everybody, they’ve had their own journey. … Disappointed in our team’s ability to defense in the second half." #iubb
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) February 20, 2021
Archie Miller: "I look at the second half being a complete bust on defense." #iubb
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) February 20, 2021
Coach Miller: “The second half, of the second half on both ends was just bad. We didn’t play well.”
— Charlie Clifford (@cliffWISH8) February 20, 2021
Archie Miller calls the second half “a complete bust on defense.”
MSU: 52 PTS (55 % FG) @WISH_TV #IU
— Charlie Clifford (@cliffWISH8) February 20, 2021
Archie Miller on TJD’s effort:
“He scored 34, drew 13 personal fouls, shot 16 free throws, made 12 of ‘em…they didn’t really have an answer for him so we played inside-out.” @WISH_TV #IU #MSU
— Charlie Clifford (@cliffWISH8) February 20, 2021
As the schedule currently stands, Indiana will now move ahead with road games against Rutgers, Michigan State, and Purdue and a home game against No. 3 Michigan before the B1G Tournament.