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So now what?
That’s the question hanging over Assembly Hall after Indiana’s leading scorer Maurice Creek’s season came to an end when he fractured his left knee Monday against Bryant. The Hoosiers will take the first steps in finding an answer at noon today at home against Michigan (6-5) in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
It remains to be seen what the lineup will look like without Creek, who led all Big Ten freshmen with 16.4 points per game.
“The whole team just has to get better,” IU coach Tom Crean said Wednesday. “I think if we look at it like we have to replace one guy, there’s not one guy that’s going to make up 18 points. There’s just not. There’s not one guy that’s just going to make up for that athleticism and that ability to create havoc especially when his instincts take over defensively.
“It’s got to be a team-wide, everybody get better not because they need to, but everybody brings a few different things because they have to. That’s what our focus is. Our focus is not going out to practice and ‘Maurice did these things, now you’ve got to do that or you have to do this.’ ”
The Hoosiers (6-6) could use a rotation featuring Jeremiah Rivers, Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones III. Senior guard Devan Dumes is likely to receive additional minutes.
Hulls and Dumes are second and third on the team with 13 and 11 three-pointers, respectively. Creek has a team-high 30 three-pointers.
“Honestly, I don’t think anyone really came into the season and expected Maurice to be such a great scoring threat,” Rivers said. “I feel like everyone has the capability in them to really be aggressive and score, and I think we have a lot of really good talent on this team. I just think people just need to fall into their roles (today). Everyone was kind of falling into what we have to do and we aren’t too worried about it.
“We are worried for Maurice and we wish him the best and a speedy recovery. But it is a team game and that’s how we have always played so we are just going to have to find a way. I don’t think we are worried about it at all.”
