Column: Same hops, new attitude

Part of Victor Oladipo’s summer workout plan scared me.

“Getting faster, getting stronger, jumping higher — believe it or not,” the sophomore guard said of his offseason physical improvements.

So the 6-foot-5 high-flyer that easily jumped over a group of eight kids as if they were ants is working on jumping higher?

I’ll alert Gus Johnson to start warming up his pipes now.

But we knew Oladipo could make it onto a highlight reel easier than a freshman with five dollars getting into a Villas party. This season, the Maryland native needs to improve on his decision making and the diversification of his game.

With the ball in his hands last year, it was a forgone conclusion Oladipo would immediately drive to the basket with that fast first step. This predictable attack would sometimes result in dazzling slams, which have become Oladipo’s staple, but the IU guard said he’s been working on an effective midrange jumper and three-point shot to complement his known athletic ability.

“I think if I did that, I could expand my game and get my defender off his feet and have an easier lane to the basket,” Oladipo said. “Last year I would just catch and drive and go as fast as I can to get to the basket. Now, I think I have different parts of my game that I’ve been working on that I can use effectively in a game.”

Oladipo already used his range during a Reach USA trip to China over the summer, in which he drilled a game-winning trey against a Lithuanian team with 2.2 seconds left.

However, Oladipo and I agree in order for him to play to his potential this season, the second-year guard will need to improve his ball discipline and decision-making.

Too many times last season the then-freshman would commit turnovers that left fans conflicted between the break-away dunk Victor they loved to cheer on and the sloppy mistake-prone Victor that gave them headaches.

Between the Hoosiers’ four main guards last season (Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, Verdell Jones and Jeremiah Rivers), Oladipo had the worst assist-to-turnover ratio at .64 and committed the second most turnovers-per-minute, trailing only Jones.

“My freshman year I made a lot of dumb mistakes,” Oladipo said. “I guess it was because it was my first year. I had high expectations for myself and for this team, so I got to be disciplined with the ball. If I’m not, we’re going to suffer for it, and then I won’t play.”

Not only will Oladipo get the opportunity to show improved play this year, but he will be able to do so in a position he feels comfortable in. With a thin and undersized front court last season, the Hoosiers sometimes asked the DeMatha High School graduate to play as a small forward — a spot not fit for the undersized Oladipo.

With added depth courtesy of this year’s freshman class, Oladipo and the rest of the squad will be able to play in the roles they thrive in. And for the sophomore, he said that will mean showing new guards Remy Abell and Austin Etherington the way things are done.

“I’m a leader,” Oladipo said. “I want to be a leader. I want to lead this team and do whatever it takes to help them win. Just be a guidance to the younger kids and follow the older kids and encourage them. I just want to be a leader, and I think this team can win. I want to lead them in winning.”

This could be Oladipo’s breakout season — the year he cuts down on turnovers, becomes a multi-faceted threat on offense and emerges as a team leader in the huddle.

This could be the year it all clicks for him, if he can take what he has been working on over the summer and carry it into the season.

­— azaleon@indiana.edu