Overview: Hulls is a 6-0, junior guard from down the road here in Bloomington. As a sophomore, Hulls averaged 11 points, 2.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. The IU point guard was the only Hoosier to start in all 32 games in the 2010-11 season. Hulls shot a team-best 41.4 percent from beyond the arc, good for ninth in the Big Ten. The former Mr. Basketball in Indiana also set an IU record by making 43 straight free throw attempts and shot 91.2 percent from the line.
Best Case: Hulls becomes the Big Ten's best point guard. He continues to unselfishly orchestrate the IU offense, making every one of his teammates better when he steps on the floor. Hulls develops even more as a leader that can be relied on to deliver a clutch shot or pass down the stretch. Hulls is more assertive of a 3-point shooter, making him the Hoosiers best weapon from beyond the arc. Hulls thrives working with the first low-post scorer in his IU career in Cody Zeller, making the duo one of the Big Ten's best. With two years as a starter under his belt, Hulls' ability to drive and dish improves and becomes IU's offensive bread and butter.
Worse Case: Instead of being the straw that stirs the drink, Hulls gets lost in the offense. The addition of Cody Zeller, along with a healthy Christian Watford and the offensive-minded Verdell Jones results in Hulls being an afterthought. Hulls is still the one distributing to IU's scorers, but his 3-point shooting becomes forgotten, limiting his offensive involvement. Defensively, Hulls is overpowered by the bigger, quicker Big Ten point guards. For a year that is supposed to be a big step up, Hulls loses confidence and takes a step back.
Outlook: It's usually a good sign when I have a hard time coming up with a "Worse Case" scenario for a player. Hulls stepped up last season and was the heart and soul of this team. Without Hulls, this team would've looked like what it was in 2008. Yes, the wins haven't directly translated for Hulls, but expect him to be the one to turn that around this year. He put a lot of pressure on himself to mature as the team leader this summer. It's no secret around here what Hulls has meant to this program, but expect this to be a year in which Hulls' play garners some national attention.
