The question surrounding this team is simple. Is IU better now than it was after it was 15-1?
Some debate that wins over a couple top 15 teams in Ohio State and Michigan is more impressive than wins over middle of the pack teams like Illinois and Northwestern. Others (myself included) would argue that this team is playing better basketball now than it did after the first three-game conference win streak.
Better? Don't you have to be playing some good basketball to beat a team like Ohio State? Yes, obviously which IU was. The more appropriate word is 'reliable.' IU has played a much more reliable brand of basketball in this three-game win streak compared to the first one.
Here are the numbers from IU's first three-game win streak:
-78 points per game
-74 points per game allowed
-50 percent from the floor (78-of-155)
-58 percent from three-point range (28-of-48)
-9 three-pointers per game
-70 percent from free-throw line (51-of-73)
-17 free throws made per game
-14 turnovers per game
-Jordan Hulls led IU with 16 points per game during stretch
Whether or not IU fans want to admit it, this team was getting by on an inconsistent brand of basketball. IU was lights out from beyond the arc, especially in the Penn State game where they allowed 82 points---to Penn State.
Yes, three-point shooting still takes skill, but no team in the history of basketball has seen consistent, long-term success relying on the long ball every game. It's like expecting a baseball player who swings for the fences every time to hit .330. It just doesn't happen.
In addition to the three-point shooting, IU beat an Ohio State team that was depleted by foul trouble. Many of those fouls IU actually drew smartly in a closely-called game. But Jared Sullinger and William Buford are completely different players with four fouls chained to their legs.
I understand that fouls are a part of the game. But homecourt advantage isn't a part of the game in the NCAA Tournament. IU cannot expect to receive calls like they did in that game on a neutral site.
Their style of winning was why they suffered the three-game losing streak immediately after. That style was bound to catch up to them. It did and it explains why this team was on such a roller coaster ride up until a couple weeks ago.
Here's a look at IU's numbers in the current three-game win streak:
-78 ppg
-66 ppg allowed
-47 percent from the floor (71-of-152)
-34 percent from beyond the arc (12-of-35)
-4 three-pointers per game
-83 percent from free-throw line (79-of-95)
-26 free throws made per game
-10 turnovers per game
-Cody Zeller led IU with 20 points per game during stretch
Two major differences jump out to me when I compare the streaks. The first is the difference in three-point shooting. IU shot 24 percent less in this streak than they did in the first one.
The second is the free-throw shooting. IU is making nine more free throws per game in the current streak, which is a testament to the contrasting styles during the two stretches.
IU is finally starting to work inside. Instead of relying on awful perimeter defense (Penn State), IU is getting the ball inside and letting Zeller do the work.
Do you remember the 11-minute stretch before the Wat Shot when Dickie V almost had a heart attack? It was because they weren't working through Zeller and were settling for outside shots. But no longer is that the case for this team.
There's a reason Zeller has been so good offensively in these last three games. The guy is finally getting the ball. IU is realizing that they can let him draw double teams and have guys cut to the basket. I know it gets beaten to death, but this offense is at its best when it works through Zeller like it has been doing as of late.
So is this team better now than it was a month ago? Without a doubt. They've bounced back from an awful three-game losing streak and are playing their best basketball of the season. They're taking more high-percentage shots and working through a future lottery pick. They are attacking the basket and being rewarded at the line for doing so.
This is exactly what IU needed to figure out going into March. If IU continues to play like this, it'll have a chance to knock off a team like Ohio State or Kentucky without having to rely on foul trouble or lights out three-point shooting. Who knows? It might not be a bad idea to rely on No. 40.
