Hulls takes lead, fills role of ‘floor general’ for 2011-12 team

When IU fans hear the words “The General,” they think of former IU Coach Bob Knight.
When they hear the words “floor general” this year, they’ll likely think of Jordan Hulls.
The IU junior guard has taken it upon himself to develop into even more of a leader this season. It’s something his teammates said they have already noticed.

“He’s a lot more vocal now,” IU senior guard Verdell Jones III said. “He’s still little, shy Jordy, but at the same time, he’ll yell at a guy and you’ll be like, ‘What? Yeah, whatever.’ He’s adding more of a vocal presence, and it’s helping us. He’s a very cerebral guy, and he knows the game. When he talks, we listen.”

At Bloomington High School South, Hulls had already made a name for
himself in town. As a senior, Hulls was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball en route to leading the Panthers to a perfect 26-0 season, a Class 4A state title and a No. 3 national ranking in USA Today. 

A point guard for one of the best teams in the country, one would assume Hulls was a leader by nature. But an admittedly reserved Hulls said the title might have been more by association.

“I’ve always been considered the leader growing up,” Hulls said. “But I didn’t used to lead too much with my voice.”

One area Hulls didn’t lead was the recruiting rankings. Hulls was IU’s lowest ranked recruit in the 2009 class, which ESPN.com had ranked No. 12 nationally. It was just about the only accolade Hulls didn’t rack up in his senior season.

But a low ranking didn’t prevent him from making his presence felt as a
freshman. The Bloomington native earned his way to a starting role by midseason, finishing the year with 17 starts under his belt.

This finish carried into last season, as Hulls was the only Hoosier to start in all 32 games. His 31.2 minutes per game was the highest of any IU player. Hulls is riding a school record of 41 straight made free throws into this season.

While he stepped up on the stat sheet, Hulls said he had still wanted to have more of a presence. “Little, shy Jordy,” as some of his teammates call him, would have to break out of his shell.

“I would tell people what to do, but I wouldn’t exactly scream at them,” Hulls said. “It is a little different, but it’s something I’ve grown into and gotten used to and something I need to do if I want to be a good leader. I’d like to not have to yell. If everybody did everything right, that’d be great.”

What are Hulls’ reasons for yelling? It might stem from a 3-15 Big Ten season. It could also stem from the fact that IU finished 10th in Hulls’ freshman season and dropped to last place in the conference last season.

With five seniors on the IU roster, Hulls said the need to win fueled the offseason mindset.

“There’s definitely a different urgency this year than any other year that we’ve had,” Hulls said. “We want to send these seniors out with a good season under their belt.”
While Hulls spent the offseason working on his leadership skills, he also worked to develop his all-around game on the floor.

“Defense ­— that’s been my biggest goal this offseason: to get bigger, stronger and quicker,” Hulls said. “I’m not terrible at defense, but I’m not the best. That’s something I’ve been working on, but I still have a lot more room to improve.”

Improvement is exactly what IU will be looking for after its third straight season below .500. But leadership doesn’t fill a stat sheet. Whether a new emphasis on leadership will translate into wins for IU remains to be seen. What remains certain according to IU players is that what leadership they will get will likely be coming from the mouth of “little, shy Jordy.”

“Right now, Jordy’s the floor manager,” junior forward Derek Elston said. “We’ll go red and white every day, and if you’re on Jordy’s team, he’ll tell you exactly what you need to do. There is no if, ands or buts.

“If you have a question, you go to Jordy now,” Elston said. “It really is unbelievable to see how far he’s come.”