Rob Phinisee return gives IU much-needed steadying backcourt presence

First-year Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg returned to the college ranks this season after an unimpressive four-season stint as head coach of the Chicago Bulls. 

Failed tenure in Chicago aside, he helped current Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler develop into an All-Star, and his efficient offenses and NBA-style system at Iowa State made him a rising star. 

As a player, Hoiberg was never a star in the NBA but craved out a 10-year career as a knockdown shooter and a no nonsense glue guy. A player willing to do the little things to help his team win while superstar teammates like Reggie Miller and Kevin Garnett did the heavy lifting.

Hoiberg's seen all-time greats elevate their teams in critical situations as a player and a coach, so his praise for Indiana point guard Rob Phinisee after the sophomore combined with freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis to will the Hoosiers to a 96-90 overtime win carries a hefty amount of weight. 

"You can see that he's the hard soul in this thing with that team," Hoiberg said.  "... His ability to guard. His ability to make the right play. Getting him back in the lineup was huge for Indiana. As long as he's in the run of the show, there's bright days ahead."

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Phinisee provides none of the flair senior guard Devonte Green brings with his flashy dribbling and long-range shooting, but it was Phinisee who had the ball in his hands when the Hoosiers needed to make plays down the stretch. 

Green got the start in the backcourt with Al Durham and did a great job pushing the tempo early, but when things slowed down the need for Phinisee became apparent. 

Green entered for Phinisee with 14:37 left in the second half. After a Dachon Burke layup tied the score at 51, Race Thompson's putback put IU up two. On the ensuing Nebraska possession, Thompson blocked Yvan Ouedraogo leading to an easy layup for Jackson-Davis off an assist from Green. 

The block ejected life into the IU crowd and a missed 3-pointer from Burke had the home fans ready to explode. With a chance to stretch the lead to three possessions, Green tried to dribble behind his back and bounced the ball off his foot leading to a Cam Mack steal and a fastbreak the other way. Instead of pulling away, Green's miscue allowed Nebraska to hang around. 

Green was subbed out after the turnover and did not return. Coach Archie Miller said the senior aggravated his Achilles and will need treatment. Green's exit forced Phinisee into extended minutes, allowing him to be the calming presence the Hoosiers needed as Nebraska bombed away from 3. 

"He had a really impressive week. I think he played 26 minutes tonight and needed them all," Miller said of Phinisee. "... He stepped up really big late for us being able to get to the basket a few times and then hit a huge 3. Made big free throws at the end of regulation.

"He's about as a team guy as you get. He's stepped up and he's ready. He's been paying attention and maybe with some reps and other things to get under his belt he'll continue to find himself back into the rhythm. But it won't take him long to get back. He's a guy that's engaged. You can tell out there he's got his bounce back."

It was Phinisee's two free throws with 10 seconds left that saved IU from defeat after Burke drained a game-tying 3 with two seconds left in regulation. Phinisee's 3-pointer with 3:09 left in OT put IU up for good. The confidence to take that shot playing for just the second time in nearly a month says a lot about the belief the Lafayette native has in himself. 

Burke's clutch 3-pointer could've sent IU into a tailspin. With Phinisee back in the lineup, it's clear the shifty guard was not going to let that happen. 

"Really we just tried to keep our composure," Phinisee said. "You don't want to panic just because he hit a big shot. I feel like our older guys really kept us level-headed and I felt like we played really hard in overtime and got the win."

Follow IndyStar sports producer Akeem Glaspie on Twitter at @THEAkeemGlaspie.