IU basketball lost its third straight game, falling 74-57 on Saturday afternoon to Iowa at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Here are five takeaways from the loss to the Hawkeyes:
Indiana’s second-half woes continue in third straight loss
For a third consecutive game, Indiana was outscored in the second half.
While Saturday’s final 20 minutes weren’t as bad as performances against Nebraska or Michigan State, it’s a concerning trend that the Hoosiers can’t finish games strong.
In his postgame press conference, Darian DeVries mentioned fatigue as a possible reason for IU faltering down the stretch.
“It’s been pretty similar, and we’ve got to figure out a way to get a little more rest probably for those guys,” DeVries said. “As we get into the middle of the second half, there’s 10, 12 minutes to go — and it’s been consistent the last three games — we look fatigued. That’s where some of that maybe sloppiness and the turnovers, and that’s where you start to see some of that showing up.”
If fatigue is an issue, that problem doesn’t appear fixable with this roster. Indiana’s depth is limited, as the Hoosiers play only eight players.
Whether it was recruiting misses in the portal or an inability to get anything out of the players deeper on the bench, the Hoosiers have five scholarship players who have been invisible this season.
Indiana’s defense continues its regression in Big Ten play
Early in the season, the Hoosiers were ranked in the top 20 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency.
That lofty ranking now feels like a distant memory.
After surrendering 1.29 points per possession in Saturday’s loss against Iowa, Indiana is now allowing 1.147 points per possession in conference play.
That number ranks 10th in the league and the Hoosiers haven’t even hit their toughest stretch of the league schedule. Thus far, IU has played the 13th-toughest schedule in league games, per KenPom.
Overall, the Hoosiers rank just inside the top 60 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Indiana has now given up over 1.24 points per possession in three straight games and in four of its last five.
Struggles continue for Tucker DeVries
Tucker DeVries, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year at Drake, was expected to be one of the top forwards in the Big Ten.
DeVries, however, has struggled to find the shooting stroke that has led him to scoring more than 2,000 career points between stops at Drake, West Virginia and now Indiana.
In Saturday’s loss to Iowa, DeVries failed to reach double figures in scoring for the fourth time in five games.
He was just 2-for-9 from the field and finished with seven points in 33 minutes. Through seven Big Ten games, DeVries is 12-for-47 on 3-pointers, which is just 25.5 percent.
“He’s certainly in one of those shooting slumps that everybody goes through at some point in time, but for him, has been an extended one here for a good chunk of time,” Darian DeVries said. “He’s certainly been putting in the work in our practices and stuff. He’s shooting the heck out of it.
“It’s just one of those things. He’s just got to get it going and got to continue to find those better looks and opportunities that we can get him free a little bit more.”
Indiana can’t stop fouling in Big Ten play
Iowa, a team that isn’t built to get to the free-throw line, got there 23 times on Saturday in its 17-point win against the Hoosiers.
The Hawkeyes posted a free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) of 50 percent on Saturday.
Iowa capitalized on the opportunities the stripe, finishing 21-for-23.
Indiana now ranks 16th in the league in opponent free-throw rate in conference games at 40 percent.
In five of IU’s six losses this season, the Hoosiers have allowed an opponent free-throw rate of more than 45 percent.
The Hoosiers had no answer for Bennett Stirtz
Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, who is showing up as a potential lottery pick in next June’s NBA draft, showed off his well-rounded game on Saturday afternoon.
Stirtz, who began his career at Northwest Missouri State, a Division II school, followed Ben McCollum to Drake last season and established himself as one of the nation’s best mid-major guards.
This season, Stritz is proving himself to be one of the best guards in the country.
On Saturday, he controlled the game offensively, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and a 10-for-11 mark from the free-throw line.
Stirtz also dished out five assists in 38 minutes.
“He was terrific. He’s so good in two-man game actions, and you’re going to see it over and over and over again,” Darian DeVries said. “He just plays until he gets an advantage, either for himself or for a teammate. They do a great job of that. He’s so crafty and smart at being able to take advantage of those and then creating and drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. He certainly was really good tonight.”
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
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