Ugly, the new pretty

OK, sooo ... maybe ya'll should hold off on firearchiemiller.com, perpetually disgruntled segment of Hoosier Nation. Whatta ya say?

Because, listen, something Archie Miller is doing is working. Last night was the second time this month that his Indiana Hoosiers jacked around and beat a team ranked 11th in the nation, in case you weren't paying attention. they've won four of their last five since the debacle in Maryland at the front of the month. And they've managed to flip their house so far this season, refurbishing Assembly Hall from the Fortress of Decrepitude to a domicile with teeth again.

So far they've only lost one game in the Hall this season, and that was to a more-than-respectable Arkansas team. And if last night's 67-63 win over No. 11 Michigan State again was not an artistic success, the more astute segment of the Indiana fan base seems to have figured out that their guys have at least finally figured out who they are.

Which is to say, they've found an identity. And the identity is go big, live low in the paint and make people uncomfortable on the other end.

It ain't pretty, but this ain't a pretty team and never will be. Like last night: There were swatches where the Hoosiers couldn't hit sand with a beach ball. And they still can't shoot 3s worth a bucket of spit.

But Miller's now-preferred big lineup beat the Spartans on the glass, 31 boards to 29. The Hoosiers turned the ball over just eight times to the Spartans 13. And they got to the line six more times than Michigan State did, a season-long trend.

And, OK, so they still can't hit anything when they get there, also a season-long trend. Last night they missed nine of their 20 attempts at the stripe.  You can't have everything.

In short, this is a flawed team, just like every other team in the country this season. But the Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers are also 15-4 now, and one game off the lead in the Big Ten. And if they find a way to torture Maryland in the Hall this week the way Maryland tortured them back East, well ... this is almost certainly a 20-win team we're looking at.

Not a pretty 20-win team. Not a 20-win team of which anyone will ever say things like "Gosh, that's a pretty team," or "Golly, they play lovely basketball," or "Gee willickers, it's like a symphony come to life, watching them play basketball."

No, sir. It's more like a heavy metal band come to life, watching them play basketball. Occasionally it's like a garage band come to life. But so what?

It's not how you get there that matters, after all. It's just getting there that does.