Winter 'Warrior'

There's still one more gift awaiting IU students upon their return to campus this week: a new and improved Robert Vaden.\nThe sophomore forward sent his scoring and 3-point numbers skyward during the holiday break -- an additional threat to his already lengthy list of attributes. He rebounds, he passes, he scores and he defends. As assistant coach Donnie Marsh simply put it: he is a warrior.\nIn the four games the Hoosiers played while students were gone, Vaden averaged 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4 assists, 65 percent shooting from the field and an astonishing 73 percent 3-point shooting. In the process of accumulating those statistics, Vaden managed to string together 12 consecutive made 3-pointers in three games. Vaden also set a single-game Hoosier record shooting 6-6 from beyond the arc against Ball State.\n"I've said Vaden is our best player for a while," IU coach Mike Davis said after Tuesday's win over Michigan. "He has the highest basketball IQ on this basketball team ... He won't take control of a game, but that's good in a way because he shares the basketball."\nVaden's significance to the team was more evident than ever in the second half of Tuesday's 70-63 win against the Wolverines. The sophomore took just one shot in the first half, but then exploded for 17 points in the final 20 minutes, including two straight threes to start the period. \nAfter the game, Davis couldn't question the importance of the Indianapolis native. \n"If we didn't have Robert Vaden in the second half, we would have lost this basketball game," he said. \nVaden described himself as a player who needs to come through in those tough moments. And if nobody else wants to have the ball in their hands, he's more than willing to take it. \n"He makes some tough shots when we need him," junior guard Rod Wilmont said after the game. "When we need a shot, we look for Vaden. The rest of us feed off him."\nThe numbers tell Vaden's story offensively, but Marsh shared the story of his defense. \nMarsh called Vaden the "quarterback for the defense." It's Vaden's responsibility to communicate defensive changes to the rest of the team, and he even takes it upon himself to adjust certain schemes on the run. \nWhy put a sophomore in charge of something so important? Just look for the buzzwords his coaches use to describe him. The words "vision," "feel for the game" and "instincts" are commonly tossed around the postgame press room when talking about Vaden. And Marsh said the rest of the team is starting to catch on.\n"It's nice to see our guys responding," Marsh said. "They understand that (Vaden) is a warrior, and if we take on his personality, we have a good chance to be very good." \nVaden already leads the Hoosiers in minutes, 3-pointers, free throw percentage, assists and steals. And during the break, Vaden led IU in almost every other statistical category as well. \nBut students who missed Vaden's recent outburst need not worry -- Davis said he sees plenty more of No. 24 in IU's future.\n"I wouldn't be surprised, when it's all said and done, if he isn't our leader in scoring, rebounding and assists," he said.