What We Learned from Indiana’s Dramatic Overtime Win Over Michigan
The Hoosiers kept their best players for last and it proved to be the winning factor in the OT win against Michigan. Trayce Jackson Davis scored 28 points, and Jalen Hood–Schifino had 21 points. The result was Indiana’s win of 62-61 at Assembly Hall.
The defeat will leave the Wolverines with four wins and a loss when the games are decided by the minimum of six points in overtime. The team is likely to need a second win at the Big Ten Tournament to lock an entry into the NCAAs.
Trayce Jackson – Davis
Trayce Jackson Davis, the Indiana Hoosiers’ senior forward who played an integral role in securing the team’s top player in the end. Following a deficit of as high as seven in the second half IU struck a few final shots that tied the game , sending it into overtime.
The 6-foot-8 Jackson-Davis, a center, was a mainstay in IU’s frontcourt this year, and is likely to play a significant role next season. That could be as a starter, sixth man or even as a bench depending on how Miller decides to deploy his frontcourt during the next season.
He is also known as one that he is a dedicated player with a desire to always help his fellow teammates. He’s considered a highly respected player of the Hoosier team due to his character.
Jalen Hood-Schifino
Jalen Hood-Schifino is an On3 five-star star who took his game up a notch in the past three months. He’s improved his game both sides of the court. He scored with double figures for 19 of his 20 contests and adding more than one triple-pointer in eight games.
He has also developed his decision-making abilities that is one of the major reasons for this achievement. His eyes are sharp to spot passing lanes and he can make one-handed passes using both his left and right hands.
Indiana utilized the best of the smaller roster on Saturday night when it used top players like Hood-Schifino as well as Jackson-Davis. Woodson reduced his roster to just seven Hoosiers for the duo to shine. It was the result of a victory over a top 25 team in front of a sellout crowd. The Hoosiers are likely to see their ranking move up to a level as they attempt to get back in the top spot of their place in the Big Ten and make a run at winning an NCAA Tournament berth.
Race Thompson
Race Thompson was devastated to believe that his Indiana career was over. The Indiana native wasn’t sure that he’d be capable of wearing the cream-colored uniform. The Indiana legend made his return on Sunday and it was a memorable one.
The senior forward, who only had 12 minutes left in regulation and had his team down by 12 points over the game. He posted 14 points along with seven rebounds, and three steals.
He came up with some crucial plays in overtime that sealed winning for the Hoosiers. He forced Michigan senior center Hunter Dickinson of the ball and forced a turnover the remaining 29 seconds of the game.
The Hoosiers turned that turnover into another basket on the next game, Race Thompson taking a pass from Terrance Williams II before hitting an open triple , cutting Michigan’s lead to single digits. Juwan Howard called timeouts in the final 44 seconds in the game, however, the Hoosiers did not relent. Instead, they reduced their offense by reducing it to rubble and scored just eight second-half points while keeping Michigan only six points in their final seven possessions.
Miller Kopp
Kopp’s dramatic, last-minute play resulted in Indiana victory and secured a double bye at this week’s Big Ten Tournament. He made a two-point shot in overtime which was designated a three. He then scored Indiana’s first six points in the overtime period in the final minutes as the Hoosiers rallied to win 75-73 on Sunday.
Miller Kopp may not be the most intriguing player in the Indiana team, but he’s an integral component of the team’s offense. Miller Kopp also has been an excellent defensive player, and has prevented opponents from scoring any points at all.
Woodson dropped Kopp earlier in the game, however the junior forward made a huge impact once he came back. He went 0-5 from 3-point range . He was struggling to shoot and he finally drained two of his three attempts late in the game. He also was a fantastic facilitate for Indiana Hoosiers who threw out six assists at a time in which Indiana could not shoot well from the floor as a team.