And we're back.
It's been too long since last we spoke. The ZOsterman Weekend has been just as busy as you dissecting all four games already played in this young basketball season. A few early thoughts:
--When this team finds a way to force teams to run (if it hasn't already), that will likely be its greatest offensive weapon, and a great one at that. Most of the guards penetrate well, there's team speed everywhere, Crean rotates enough to keep people fresh and most of all, I don't have enough fingers on my right hand to count the number of guys whose passing vision in the lane has already impressed me. --Rebounding will be an uphill battle all year, but that can and already has been fixed to a fair extent simply with good positioning on box outs. There was noticeable improvement from Northwestern State to IUPUI -- Maui will be an interesting test. --Not sure if this is good or bad, but the Hoosiers are going to have at least seven different guys lead the team in scoring for at least one game. Upside: Defenses can't key on any one guy. Downside: It makes for inconsistency. I think it plays more in IU's favor than to its detriment this season. --This team will upset one or three teams in the Big Ten. There are some middle-of-the-pack conference teams without a lot of athleticism or discipline that are going to have trouble coming into an Assembly Hall that has almost seemed louder at times this year than it was in the past when it was sold out. Anyone want to pick the IU-Illinois game in Bloomington on Feb. 15?
Now on with the show.
Sad news for the sport of basketball
Pete Newell, one of the best college basketball coaches of his era and a close friend of Bob Knight, died this past Monday. He was 93.
Regarded as one of the best big-man coaches of all time, Newell was also the long-time coach of the Cal Golden Bears. Anyone who wants to know his creds, hear this: Newell beat John Wooden the last eight times they faced each other when Wooden was at UCLA.
That and other great stories and facts about Newell can be found in CNNSI columnist Alexander Wolff's piece, which you can read by clicking here. You are strongly recommended to do so.
Down goes Zeller
Above is an endzone-angle video of the rather hard foul that took Indiana native Tyler Zeller out of the game and probably the season with a broken left wrist.
Debate all you will about whether it was legit foul or a dirty play (and I think Roy Williams' discussion with the officialls at the end probably has something to do with that very question). The ZOsterman Weekend knows many IU fans had wished Zeller in an IU uniform this season -- and next season, etc. -- but it's hard to hold enough malice against someone to wish they lose an entire year of college basketball to something like that.
Here's to hoping Zeller gets better.
Recruiting's the rage
Much has already been made of IU's ballyhooed 2009 recruiting class, but The Weekend would like to throw two more cents into the mix, if you will indulge.
IU's class is not only consensus top 10 nationally by major scouting/recruiting services and ESPN, but it's also generally regarded as the best in the Big Ten. What makes it even better, TZO would like to point out, is that conventional wisdom amongst those with vast and superior knowledge of the prep landscape is that a lot of these recruits -- good as they are right now -- have yet to come close to realizing their potential.
"Major upside" is a description following just about every one of these guys, three of whom are four-star recruits according to Rivals, four says Scout.
In other recruiting news, DeMarcus Cousins, the heralded high school teammate of Nick Williams at LeFlore (Mobile), has opted out of signing for UAB -- at least for the time being -- because they wouldn't give him an out clause should Mike Davis not be the man in Birmingham when Cousins prepares to come to campus next fall.
The Weekend won't even think about dropping the idea that IU might be in the mix for Cousins, TZW thinks he'll still end up a Blazer. But his move, bold and dare we say correct on his part, might spell the beginning of the hottest new prep basketball trend this side of going to Europe.
And why not? It's pretty obvious these days that players commit to the coach more than the program, and LOIs give them few real rights anyway. And with schools more than eager to hire and fire coaches like they're changing dinner orders, perhaps the sport needs more counterweights like this one.
Either way, like it or not, with more kids committing earlier and earlier, The ZOsterman Weekend predicts this will catch on with more than the occasional 17-year-old superstar.
Stay warm.
