Jerod Morris

On Friday night, Indiana played some of its worst defense of the season that nearly led to a disastrous home loss to hapless Nebraska. But Trayce Jackson-Davis’ fantastic second half, and strong work on the glass and at the line, allowed Indiana to escape with the win.

After the game, our crew broke it all down on The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show.

On the mics: Jerod and Andy

Among the topics discussed:

— How Trayce Jackson-Davis recovered from a poor first half to put Indiana on his back in the second half and overtime
— The defense. What the hell?
— How Nebraska’s gameplan was well-suited to taking advantage of Indiana’s weaknesses
— How Justin Smith paired nicely with Trayce in the second half to give Indiana the inside scoring it needed
— The key plays from Rob Phinisee and Damezi Anderson down the stretch
— Some coaching decisions that just didn’t make sense

We also point out a few meaningful moments you may have missed, go inside the numbers, and hand out our game balls. All of that, and more, on this edition of The Assembly Call.

(Music provided by Bob Thompson — die-hard Hoosier fan and longtime Assembly Call listener.)

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about IU-Nebraska Postgame Show: Defense Wilts (Again) but Trayce Rescues Indiana From Potential Disaster

This week on Assembly Call Radio, we discuss Trayce Jackson-Davis finally showing up on a 2020 Big Board and assess the benefits and drawbacks of an 11-man rotation, which Archie Miller has said he’s committed to rolling with (at least for now).

We also provide some important perspective on Indiana’s strong start, look at the dominance of home teams in the very early stages of Big Ten play, and answer a wide range of questions about the following topics:

• Why is Ryan such a coward?
• Would Archie have recruited a player like Devonte Green?
• Do we need better 3-point shooting to win in Big Ten play?
• How many minutes should Indiana play with Trayce at the 5?
• What’s an acceptable win/loss record over the next six games?
• What will help our half court offense become more productive?
• Which Big Ten teams will perform better/worse than their non-conference play suggests?
• How do our big men compare to other teams in the conference?
• Should we go with a smaller lineup to start games?
• Would you feel comfortable laying 17 points against Nebraska on Friday?

Yeah, there were a lot of questions. We had fun answering them!

All of that and more on this week’s edition of Assembly Call Radio.

On the mics: Jerod, Andy, and Ryan

[Read more…] about AC Radio: Can an 11-Man Rotation Really Work Long Term?

On Tuesday night, Indiana overcame a tough start and poor shooting to grind out a hard-fought victory over UCONN in Madison Square Garden. Rob Phinisee made a huge impact in his return to the lineup, helping to bring Indiana back in the first half and then closing out the win in the second half.

After the game, our crew broke it all down on The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show.

On the mics: Jerod, Ryan, and Coach

Among the topics discussed:

— Why Rob Phinisee had such an outsized impact in only 13 minutes of play.
— The tale of two halves for Joey Brunk and Al Durham.
— What are we to make of Archie’s lineup decisions? (And how great are his baseline out of bounds plays?)
— Why Justin Smith was Indiana’s unsung hero
— More encouraging minutes from Jerome, Armaan, and Damezi
— Why Devonte Green played better than his shooting line might lead you to assume.

We also point out a few meaningful moments you may have missed, go inside the numbers, and hand out our game balls. All of that, and more, on this edition of The Assembly Call.

(Music provided by Bob Thompson — die-hard Hoosier fan and longtime Assembly Call listener.)

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about IU-UCONN Postgame Show: Rob’s Return Helps Hoosiers Rebound For Hard-Fought Win

On Saturday afternoon, Indiana was non-competitive against one of the least imposing teams Wisconsin has fielded in the last two decades. The supposedly defensive-minded Hoosiers allowed the 112th-ranked offense in the country to score north of 1.4 points per possession. And Indiana’s offense wasn’t much better.

After the game, our crew broke it all down on The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show.

On the mics: Jerod, Andy, and Ryan

(Music provided by Bob Thompson — die-hard Hoosier fan and longtime Assembly Call listener.)

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about IU-Wisconsin Postgame Show: Horrid Defense Leads to Yet Another Kohl Center Loss

This week on Assembly Call Radio, we discuss what must happen for Indiana to end its losing streak at Wisconsin against a Badgers team that is just 4-4 on the season. We also discuss the importance of the Big Ten’s strong start to non-conference play and go on the record with some over/under predictions for Big Ten play.

And then we answer questions about the following topics:

• Is Devonte best suited to coming off the bench, even if he still plays starter minutes?
• Who has impressed us more: Armaan or Damezi? (Do we really have to choose??)
• Which Wisconsin players concern us the most?
• What Big Ten victory in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge was the most impressive?
• If we win on Saturday, where will we be ranked?
• Why does Race not play in the second halves of games?
• Does the Florida State win impact recruiting?
• What underrated storylines will have an outsized impact on Indiana’s season from here on out?

And a question from Luke that drew the ire of Coach.

All of that and more on this week’s edition of Assembly Call Radio.

On the mics: Jerod, Andy, and Coach

[Read more…] about AC Radio: Keys to Beating Wisconsin and Predictions for Big Ten Play

On Tuesday night, Indiana finally faced a good opponent and the Hoosiers rose to the challenge. The Hoosiers led by 11 at the half, then saw Florida State steadily grind the lead down. But Indiana responded with impressive toughness and effort down the stretch, which paired nicely with the scintillating display of Devonte Green’s play-making and shot-making skills that put the game away.

After the game, our crew broke it all down on The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show.

On the mics: Jerod, Ryan, and Andy

Among the topics discussed:

— Why Devonte Green led Indiana with more than just his shooting and play-making, but also with this toughness and effort.
— Another performance from Justin Smith that suggests he’s truly turned over a new leaf as a junior.
— The critical two-minute stretch in the second half that Trayce Jackson-Davis owned for Indiana, which saved the lead against Florida State’s last gasp.
— Why it was a tale of two halves for Al Durham.
— Armaan Franklin’s performance, and how he contributed mightily by doing the little things again and again, all night long.
— The best performance of Damezi Anderson’s young career.

We also point out a few meaningful moments you may have missed, go inside the numbers, and hand out our game balls. All of that, and more, on this edition of The Assembly Call.

(Music provided by Bob Thompson — die-hard Hoosier fan and longtime Assembly Call listener.)

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about IU-Florida State Postgame Show: Devonte Goes Off as Hoosiers Out-Tough the Seminoles