There is a collective groan amongst IU fans when Victor Oladipo finds himself open from three-point range.
The groan isn't the same as when Derek Elston---a guy who hasn't exactly made his living beyond the arc---gets the ball in the same situation. That groan is because when Oladipo settles for outside jumpers, he takes away one of IU's best offensive options.
Oladipo has done anything but settle as of late and it has shown in his stat sheet and in IU's win column. The sophomore guard is averaging 15.5 points in his last six Big Ten games compared to 7.6 points in the first 11 conference games. Not so coincidentally, IU is 5-1 in Big Ten games during that stretch.
What has keyed the difference between Oladipo's stretches?
He hasn't shot much better from the floor. Oladipo shot 43 percent from the field in his first 11 Big Ten games compared to 48 percent now. An increase yes but a dramatic one? Not so much.
It certainly isn't Oladipo's three-point shooting. He's shot 1-of-6 from three-point range in this six-game stretch. It's rare to see such a late scoring spike with a college player when he hasn't changed anything in his shooting form.
So what's the actual difference?
Oladipo has LIVED at the free-throw line in this six-game stretch.
Consider this. Oladipo went from averaging 1.7 free-throw attempts per game in the first 11 Big Ten games to 8.2 attempts in the last six conference games. On top of that, Oladipo shot 58 percent from the line in the first stretch to 86 percent in this stretch.
A total of 45 percent of Oladipo's points in this stretch have come at the charity stripe. Besides a Zeller slam dunk or a Hulls free-throw, that's IU's highest percentage shot right now.
Why is Oladipo all of the sudden getting to the line at will?
To put it simply, he's attacking. At 6-foot-5 and with an NBA vertical leap, Oladipo is finally realizing how tough a matchup he is off the dribble for any Big Ten defender. Last night was the perfect example of how even the best teams don't always have someone who can physically match up with Oladipo.
Oladipo's first step is again reeking the same havoc it did in non-conference play. That gives him the ability to get past smaller defenders and attack post players when he gets around the bucket. Oladipo puts bigs out of position, thus drawing the foul and sending him to the line.
Ask Michigan State's Adreian Payne how that felt last night.
And a funny thing about free-throw shooting. They get a lot easier when you are shooting them with higher frequency, like Oladipo has.
Oladipo's offensive maturation is symbolic of the transformation this entire IU team has made since the beginning of the season. It might sound like old hat, but IU is not living and dying with the outside shot anymore. When a team has offensive versatility like IU has, it would be foolish to settle for 22-footers.
Getting high-percentage looks is such an underrated element of basketball. Players and teams fall in love with the three-ball and they wonder why they can't sustain game-to-game success.
Oladipo has exemplified that offensive mindset, which is why IU is in the position they are in right now. Crean is going to talk about Oladipo's defense nine times out of ten. But when Oladipo is attacking the basket like he has been as of late, he becomes way more than just a defensive specialist. And when that happens, this IU team is scary good.
