An IU team that is already being picked as the 'way-too-early' No. 1 got a whole lot better this morning.

IU forwards Christian Watford and Cody Zeller returning to IU means the Hoosiers will get their two leading scorers and rebounders back. On top of that, they get the frontcourt duo back that averaged a combined 35 points per game in the postseason.

While many assumed Zeller would return for his sophomore season, nothing was set in stone with Watford. The junior forward was evaluated by the NBA and sought insight on his draft stock. Whether it was scouts telling him he wasn't a lock to get drafted, the thought of competing for a national championship, or one more year of late night runs to Mother Bears, Watford decided to return to IU.

Watford's decision gives IU all five starters back to go along with Rivals.com's No. 2 ranked 2012 recruiting class. The debate began as to who would fill Watford's shoes had he decided to test the NBA waters.

Many suggested Jeremy Hollowell would be up for the task with his ability to shoot over anybody and make shots from anywhere on the floor. Hollowell has a lot of similarities to the freshman version of Watford but arguably has more athletic upside. Had Watford left for the NBA, Hollowell could've had the chance to start in Tom Crean's lineup.

But now Hollowell will have to play behind Watford, whose 1,287 career points are the most of any returning player in the Big Ten. Hollowell will likely come off the IU bench along with fellow freshman Hanner Mosquera-Perea. Perea doesn't possess Watford's outside stroke but is obviously much more athletic on the low block.

Unlike in year's past, Crean will have the luxury of having top-rated freshman talent on the bench. Hollowell and Perea will be able to learn from Watford, who has developed himself into a much more complete player in the past two seasons. Yes, Watford's scoring was down from his 16 ppg as a sophomore. Yes, he still is not a polished ball-handler that can isolate late in the shotclock.

But Watford has worked hard to develop his three-point stroke (43.7 percent in 2011-12), has improved his ability to score with contact and has become a guy that can defend anyone on the floor (Don't believe me? Remember Terrence Jones in the first Kentucky game? How about Lewis Jackson in the first Purdue game?).

A lot has been said about the upside of Hollowell and Perea. Some said the loss of Watford wouldn't hurt because either of those two could start in his spot. Both of them have been called more NBA-type players than Watford. A couple of years from now, that could prove to be true.

But in order for the two critical pieces of #TheMovement to develop, they'll need to learn from Watford. For Hollowell. that means when his shooting stroke is off, he needs to devote himself to the defensive side of the ball. For Perea, that means he can't always rely on dictating the tempo in the paint and should develop a face-up game.

Many people have probably already stressed those areas to them. But Watford has qualities that Hollowell and Perea can improve upon by learning first-hand. Instead of being pegged a starter on a historic program looking to add another banner, Watford's return will ease the learning curve for two kids that figure to be integral pieces of IU's bright future.

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