Greetings!
I'm an unfamiliar name to most of our readers, but I wanted to introduce myself to you all and let you know I am looking forward to a great summer covering IU hoops. Along with Sean and Zach, I am excited to keep IU fans updated on everything going on in the program for these next few months.
On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to watch point guard Marquis Teague of Indianapolis Pike and forward Dominique Ferguson of Indianapolis Lawrence North. Here are some things that stuck out to me yesterday:
Teague
1. (+) Given just a slight amount of room between him and the defender, Teague repeatedly drove the lane and scored the ball against the man defense. His ability to combine a crossover and step-back move made it almost impossible for Jessie Berry of the SYF Players to minimize penetration down the middle. Against the zone Teague was more of a role player, drawing defenders to the helpline and allowing teammates like Ohio State commit DeShaun Thomas to find an open look from the wing.
2.(+) Teague was vocal off the court, as well as on. While he sat the bench watching his team play defense, he never hesitated to call out ball screens and help on-court teammates anticipate where they needed position.
3.(-) With good comes bad, and that holds true with Teague's dribble-drive penetration. It was obvious that Teague preferred the mid-range floater from inside the free throw line, shying from contact. College guards are becoming more physical and with the presence of stronger players in the post, must be able to make an aggressive power move that draws a foul or leaves someone open on the block.
4.(-) After hearing about Teague's offensive firepower and glitzy ball handling abilities, I was anxious to see not only his defensive abilities, but attitude as well. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. I'm not sure if it had to do with fatigue from playing basketball almost all day for three straight days, or just lack of interest. Often times when Teague was on the weak side, he struggled to move to the helpline in the man defense and keep watch of his man while eying the ball. Even if it was just the effects of playing constantly last weekend, the great ones have to play up to their abilities on both ends of the court.
5.(+) Teague's offensive movement away from the ball was something coaches have got to be drooling over. It looked like Teague and the Indy Heat ran more offenses than set plays, which often calls for the need to improvise. There were multiple times when Teague would be doubled at the top of the key, and didn't hesitate to dish it down low and cut or screen to an open spot on the floor. There were times when Thomas or another big found Teague on the wing for an open three, but more often there was a tasty mismatch down in the post.
Ferguson
1.(-) PTPer...by this I mean part time player. Ferguson may have been suffering from the same "basketballitis" disease some of the other 850 players were facing come Sunday afternoon, but it seemed Ferguson waited for "it" to come to him. There wasn't much effort on his part to attack the basket for a tough rebound or work down low offensively with the opposite post man.
2.(+) Now, when Ferguson decided to play, he was Dickie V's description of a PTP-er...primetime player. Ferguson is a tall, lanky guy who possesses that natural type of strength; the kind allowing someone to push another guy around no matter his size. It lets a 6'9'' guy like Ferguson move very effectively. One particular play comes to mind: one offensive series, Ferguson got position on his man and grabbed the offensive board. He went up and under, but missed. With his man still pinned, he grabbed his own rebound for an easy put-back.
3.(+) Ferguson displayed his versatility more than once on Sunday. Running a play that seemed to be designed for Ferguson's low and high abilities, he came off a screen and received the pass on the right wing. With his teammates isolating him on that side of the court, Ferguson took his man low, posted him and drop-stepped for an easy two. It reminded me of the hype regarding Christian Watford, who is said to be too big for point defenders and too quick for defensive bigs. On another occasion with Teague's Spiece team down six with two minutes remaining, they resorted to a three-quarter-court press. Ferguson was placed just before the half court line, and seemed to be the first option from the in-bound. Receiving the ball around center court, he advanced it with no problem and dished it to a guard who started the offense at the opposite point.
There's my two cents worth on two of the hottest names in Hoosier land. After hearing Ferguson talk about his desire to stay close to his family and mother, one has to wonder if the possibility of IU played a role in his decision to de-commit from Kentucky.
