Column: Zeller could bring transition for Watford

This will be the year junior Christian Watford plays the role he was meant to play.

With the addition of freshman forward Cody Zeller, IU’s frontcourt receives some much-needed depth that allows Watford to slide into the small forward position where he belongs.

Too often last year, the 6-foot-9-inch junior was forced into the post against taller Big Ten centers because he was the best option if Tom Pritchard or Derek Elston were on the sidelines. In the four or five slot, Watford simply looked overmatched — undersized on defense and without enough space to create opportunities in the paint on offense.

But let’s not kid ourselves. Although Watford was occasionally put in these unfavorable circumstances, his raw talent still resulted in another statement year.

That lengthy talent out of Alabama, which Rivals ranked as the sixth-best small forward in his 2009 recruiting class, led the Hoosiers in rebounding and points last season, averaging 16 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. That scoring total was the 10th-highest in the Big Ten.

It is a number fans can expect to grow if Watford becomes comfortable in a swing-man role.

 When I think of signature Christian Watford, I envision him holding the ball at the top of the key and creating offense with fluid movements moving towards the basket and shooting from the shoulder or deciding to drive to the hoop, using his length to draw a foul.

That’s where Watford thrives, and that’s where he needs to be.

“(I’ve been working on) ball handling and ball moves, things like that,” Watford said. “With Cody coming in, I feel like I’m going to be able to step out a little bit more, so I wanted to work on explosion moves.”

Watford added that he became stronger during the summer. He said he thinks it is a realistic goal to regularly record a double-double.

What I worry about is Watford’s ability to guard smaller opponents while Zeller and Pritchard attempt to hold down the post.

While Watford’s natural talent and length will reflect in the box score, moving to small forward will create issues against a three-guard squad. If Watford has to guard a small, fast guard, I can easily see a mismatch taking place where defense would need
to shift.

But Watford remained confident that playing defense as a “3” will not be too tall of a task.

“I think I can do all right against smaller players,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge but I’m up for it. There aren’t very many small ‘3’s’ anyway. They are mostly 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8, so I think I’ll be okay.”

As the Hoosier with the most draft stock, Watford will need to make this a season that puts him on the map — something I’m sure he has thought about.

If he plays where he feels most comfortable and the Hoosiers make some noise in the Big Ten, Watford could be receiving the national attention that was sometimes lost playing on a cellar-dwelling IU team the past two years.

“I only have two years left, so I’m on the down slope of my career here,” Watford said. “It’s going downhill now, so you want to win and win fast.”

— azaleon@indiana.edu
Avi Zaleon is a senior in journalism