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(12/27/10 3:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In nonconference play, IU faced four teams close to or at a Big Ten level.The Hoosiers lost all four times.Now as IU sets to open its conference slate today against Penn State at Assembly Hall, it’s hard to believe anything other than that the Hoosiers are not quite ready for their Big Ten schedule.At first, it was rather easy to dismiss the losses – all four away from Assembly Hall.It was “lessons learned” at Boston College, and it was “good try” against Kentucky in Rupp Arena.But the team’s most recent pair of losses – against Northern Iowa and Colorado in the Las Vegas Classic – at least confirmed this much: this is a flawed basketball team. No fatal flaws, to be clear. Just a bunch of little ones. Ones that add up, show up, flair up, and expose IU.The list is long:No true center.Lack of offensive production from big men (sans Christian Watford).Verdell Jones’ turnovers.Maurice Creek’s slow progression to full recovery.Perimeter and dribble-drive defense (or lack thereof).Slow starts.Poor shooting (at times) from key players.Poor stamina.(IU wore down against Kentucky. Sophomore forward Derek Elston played very little in second half against Colorado, which IU coach Tom Crean first partly credited to being worn out but later said via Twitter that Elston was sick.) These flaws don’t all come out in the same game (I can only imagine a horrific score if they did, say, against Michigan State at the Breslin Center).Against Boston College, it was a slow start and very weak play from the post players. It was a stamina thing against Kentucky. Poor shooting and poor perimeter defense doomed the Hoosiers in Las Vegas.The IU schedule to date hasn’t been much help to work out these flaws. The Hoosiers have played the weakest non-conference schedule in the Big Ten, according to statistician Jeff Sagarin. He lists IU’s as the 331st toughest schedule out of 345 Division I teams. So far, it has been easy to cover flaws simply with superior talent. Take recent games against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Savannah State, contests in which IU won by a combined 56 points but still committed 36 turnovers.Crean said many times that those sorts of games serve a purpose – to teach the team how to win (something it hasn’t done the last two years). But after awhile – nine games, in which IU averaged to win by 25.4 points – it becomes a little redundant. Winning such games only lulls fans into a false sense of improvement. Dare I say it’s like the IU football team’s almost annual early-season success?And now, it’s Big Ten time. A Big Ten that is the toughest conference in the nation. A conference loaded with teams that will smack the Hoosiers around if their flaws persist.Even Penn State (7-4), not the toughest team in the conference by any means, will give the Hoosiers all they can handle. Senior guard Talor Battle, the conference’s second-leading scorer at 20.6 points per game, has the ability to do the exact thing Boston College’s Reggie Jackson did (scoring 27 points on IU).And while not very deep, the Nittany Lions have two senior forwards, David Jackson and Jeff Brooks, that combine for 22 points and 12 rebounds per game.If IU loses to Penn State, it’s easy to see the Hoosiers fall into a conference funk. An 0-4 start (Ohio State, at Minnesota and at Northwestern are up next) would be a safe bet. The schedule doesn’t lighten up after that, either.Any Big Ten win will be an accomplishment for the Hoosiers. And with the way the season has gone, an early conference win – even against Penn State - should count as a surprise.Many have said we won’t learn much about this IU team until Big Ten play.That time is here, and we’re going to learn a lot.
(12/23/10 3:52pm)
Steve Alford vs. IU won't be happening this year.
(12/13/10 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>LEXINGTON, Ky. — Keep this game in your back pocket. Remember it, store it away and be ready to bring it back in Big Ten play.IU showed enough at Rupp Arena on Saturday — despite the 81-62 final score — to give IU fans hope that the Hoosiers can compete against any team in the Big Ten.This is not a moral victory-type game. The nine-minute stretch at the end in which IU went ice-cold on offense showed the difference between a top-25 team and the Hoosiers.IU should be disappointed it lost a game it easily could’ve won through 31 minutes.Across the country and in the Big Ten, there are teams more talented than IU that should expect to win when playing IU.Like Kentucky.And for IU to compete for so long in a hostile environment against a more talented team means something.Don’t let the score deceive — I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a closer 19-point game. It was a six-point game with four minutes to go.The real question is, which part was the fluke — the first 31 minutes or the last nine? And if IU’s early-game success against the Wildcats wasn’t a fluke, then where did that come from?Nothing about IU’s early-season stretch showed the team’s ability to stop a big man — heck, even Ferris State’s Justin Keenan had his way with IU in an exhibition game.IU limited Terrence Jones, UK’s freshman forward bound for the NBA, to 10 points and eight rebounds. That scoring total was one point above his season low.IU needed a makeshift lineup with several players — Jordan Hulls, Maurice Creek and Derek Elston — in foul trouble and junior guard Verdell Jones hobbled with an apparent ankle injury.How did the team respond? The Hoosiers frustrated Kentucky, forced bad shots in the first half, got UK out of its rhythm and played at IU’s pace.IU’s lone senior, Jeremiah Rivers, played like it with key defensive stops, although his stat line — like it has all season — didn’t show much.For a while in the second half, IU answered every UK challenge. Three times in a three-minute span, IU hit clutch 3-pointers to squelch Kentucky momentum. But then sophomore guard Maurice Creek missed two consecutive threes, and IU no longer had an answer.Again, I don’t want to over-praise this IU team. The Hoosiers still lost by 19, they still fell apart at the end and they still have work to do to win any Big Ten game.Take the Rupp Arena experience and transplant it to Michigan State’s Breslin Center in January or Ohio State’s Value City Arena in February. Those two games — and a handful of others in the Big Ten — will come with the same expectations from the outside: IU’s got no chance.Just as IU had little chance against Kentucky.Maybe the justification is right. IU won’t last in a big game, this game was too similar to last year (a one-point game at halftime), Kentucky is working through its own issues, etc.But IU came in with a plan, executed and stayed competitive. Take out the nine-minute lapse in half, and the game stays competitive to the end.While this potential upset never materialized, IU showed enough Saturday to give fans hope against the top talent in the Big Ten.That was not the case for the past two years, and Rivers said he can tell a difference.“We know what we have to do to finish off games,” Rivers said. “We know we can play with the best of the best. For us, it’s something we don’t have to think about anymore.”E-mail: nmhart@indiana.edu
(12/10/10 5:26am)
The IDS compiled a list of the top 10 sports stories of the fall semester. Cody Zeller's commitment topped the list.
(12/10/10 5:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When it comes to recruiting NBA-caliber talent to a college team, there is not a better head coach right now than Kentucky’s John Calipari.But crafting a team around such top-heavy talent, while it may have success in the short-term, is not a sustainable long-term philosophy.Since Calipari arrived in Lexington in 2009, he’s turned the Kentucky basketball program into what many consider an NBA farm system. He recruits the nation’s top high school talent — John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Terrence Jones, etc. — and even focuses on players with sights set on the NBA after just one year in school.“If you recruit guys you know are going to be there for four years, you’ll probably be in the NIT,” Calipari said in an interview with Sports Illustrated in July. “That’s not a good thing at Kentucky. You recruit the best players you can, and if someone is going to take them in the first round, then I tell them to go.”That recruiting philosophy works to an extent, but it has a ceiling. Calipari’s bet is that he can convert NBA-caliber athleticism from freshmen — his five freshmen this year were Rivals.com’s highest-rated class — into NCAA success.But UK will never be an experience-laden squad with Calipari. The good-but-not-great players that stick around and fill out the roster aren’t there.Consider the Big Ten, which is widely regarded as the strongest conference in college basketball this season. Why? Because Michigan State, Illinois, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Minnesota are experienced groups.Before the Robbie Hummel injury, Purdue, Duke and Michigan State were widely considered the trio to compete for a national title. All have multiple experienced players on the court.Consider the NCAA champions since the one-and-done rule. Syracuse and Carmelo Anthony in 2003. North Carolina and Marvin Williams in 2005. Not Kentucky and John Wall last year. And despite their ridiculous freshmen talent this year in Jones, Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb, the Wildcats aren’t close to being a favorite to win it all this year.Calipari is bringing in similar classes in the future. Three of the top six 2011 high school recruits on Rivals.com are committed to Kentucky. Each is projected as a 2012 NBA Draft lottery pick by various analysts.That’s not to say IU isn’t going after similar talent. Hanner Perea, a top-10 2012 recruit for IU, could very well be a one-and-done player.Five-star IU recruits Cody Zeller and Yogi Ferrell could bolt before four years.But there are also IU recruits like Austin Etherington, Ron Patterson and Peter Jurkin who will supplement the future stars.So when Kentucky plays Saturday against IU, the Wildcats’ talent will more than likely shine through. But in the long term, the top-heavy talent strategy will catch up to Calipari.Despite the revolving door of talent at Kentucky, IU may have a better chance to celebrate a national title first.Email: nmhart@indiana.edu
(12/06/10 5:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It almost works like clockwork.Nearly every game this season, IU has started slowly. Against weak competition, the Hoosiers let teams hang around for a little too long.But then, IU coach Tom Crean turns to his bench and particularly to freshman guard Victor Oladipo to provide a spark.That’s exactly what Oladipo does. He might have a little way to go before he becomes a complete player, but as a freshman, he’s fulfilling an immediate need for the team.And that need is to do exactly what Oladipo does best — be an energy boost, provide that “spark” and make his own highlight reel every night.It went that way against Savannah State on Saturday, as it has many times early this season.The Hoosiers won easily, 79-57, against a bad team, but they started slow. Savannah State, a team that averages 54 points per game this season, scored 10 points in the first four minutes at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers kept just a two-point lead.Crean subbed in Oladipo, along with sophomore forward Derek Elston and senior guard Jeremiah Rivers, and suddenly the Hoosiers found their feet.In the five-minute stretch Oladipo was on the court, he grabbed a rebound, hit a jumper and threw down a spectacular dunk — all part of a 10-2 Hoosier run.Game over. The lead never got closer than seven the rest of the way.“That’s what you want,” Crean said about that stretch of the game. “It’s not just about coming off the bench. It’s how well they play with others. The impact they bring to the game — their energy — that’s what you need, especially the way the game was moving.”It’s one of the most common postgame press conference questions for Crean: “Can you talk about Oladipo providing a spark off the bench?”I’m pretty sure Crean’s answered that after at least five games this season, and it’s because it’s true.Against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 16, Oladipo posted a plus-30 (when he was in the game, IU had a 30-point advantage). He provided a second-half spark in the Thanksgiving break game against Northwestern State.And against North Carolina Central, he made ESPN SportsCenter’s No. 1 play with a 60-foot halftime heave that went in.This is not to overhype Oladipo. The Hyatsville, Md. native has much to work on, and some of the freshman flaws showed on the road against Boston College.In 14 minutes of playing time against the Eagles, he was 1-for-4 from the field, registered two fouls and scored just two points. Crean said Saturday that Oladipo can’t just be a highlight reel.“Victor has to be a guy that plays really well, and he doesn’t just make great or good plays,” Crean said. “The spectacular plays stand out, and we’ve got to get him to play a higher level for a longer period.”But that’s a role that Oladipo will grow into as a college basketball player. He’s just eight games into his career.Sophomore guard Maurice Creek defined Oladipo’s role well.“Victor’s a sparkplug. He’s a shot maker, game changer, defensive stopper, a high flyer.” Creek said last week. “That’s what we need out of him.”If that’s what IU gets out of Oladipo this season, they’ll be a better team for it.E-mail: nmhart@indiana.edu
(12/02/10 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Despite an unblemished record in November, it was nearly impossible to pinpoint how much IU had improved from the previous two seasons.It was a weak schedule. 6-0 doesn’t mean much.Six wins is as many as the team had two years ago. 6-0 means a lot.Slow starts were worrisome. 6-0 doesn’t mean much.The team played well defensively. 6-0 means ... OK, you get the point.After the team’s first road game and first loss, an 88-76 defeat at Boston College on Wednesday, the team and IU fans got a more accurate preview of the 2010-11 Hoosiers.And that preview showed that although this team is better in many aspects, there are areas in which the Hoosiers must improve if they want to be competitive in the Big Ten.Namely, providing an inside presence and playing solid defense on the perimeter.On the rebounding end, IU forwards Tom Pritchard, Christian Watford, Bobby Capobianco and Derek Elston combined for eight rebounds. Eight — that’s about as many one of those guys should get every night.While Watford scored 23 points, the three others added nine. Meanwhile, Boston College’s big men Joe Trapani (nine points, five rebounds) and Corey Raji (nine points, six rebounds) put in the exact type of games the IU guys should look to emulate.Guy-Marc Michel’s ineligibility ruling left IU without a true center for the rest of the season. Three-guard lineups and creative uses of the frontcourt can work, but Pritchard as the starter must show some more tenacity near the goal to make up for Michel’s loss.As far as dribble defense and perimeter containment, IU struggled in its first contest against a truly good guard in Reggie Jackson of Boston College. The junior dropped 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting and wasn’t challenged nearly enough.And he won’t be the last good guard to come IU’s way this season.Crean addressed both aspects — being better inside and improving perimeter defense — as reasons for the Boston College loss.“They got 90 percent of the 50-50 balls in the first half where we just didn’t grab the ball in the block outs,” Crean said.But even in highlighting areas to improve, IU showed signs Wednesday that it will actually be able to do just that this season. Crean said the players didn’t buy into the “it was just one of those nights” attitudes that a previous version of the Hoosiers might have used as an excuse. They faced a double-digit deficit in the second half and battled back into the game. In college basketball — a sport that is so much a game of runs — that shouldn’t be much of a surprise. For a Hoosier team that has only won one road game in Crean’s tenure, it was progress.Even then, Crean said he wasn’t satisfied.“When we get up, we have to learn to put the foot on the throat,” Crean said. “We aren’t ready to do that against great competition yet.”It was a road test. While IU didn’t pass, neither can you say that they really failed. 6-1 only means there’s work to be done.E-mail: nmhart@indiana.edu
(12/01/10 5:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Guy-Marc Michel scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the team’s open scrimmage Halloween weekend, fans chanted his name.When he received rave reviews from players this summer, we figured he was different — and better — than centers Tijan Jobe and Bawa Muniru, who had limited success.When he was sidelined for the beginning of the season when the NCAA began investigating his amateur status, it was assumed IU would succeed without him during the team’s easy early-season schedule.But Michel gave us enough glimpses that we know IU will now miss his presence on the court.IU has started the season 6-0 against a weak schedule. There are positives to the team’s first six games — a defensive identity, for example — but there are also some warning signs. Warning signs that, against better Big Ten competition, might haunt the Hoosiers.Near the top of the list of concerns: IU lacks size. Four players — Christian Watford, Tom Pritchard, Derek Elston and Bobby Capobianco — are listed at 6 feet 9 inches, but none of those guys really act as true centers.In fact, an emphasis this season was to slide Watford to the three position this year with Michel anchoring down low.Now IU is faced with juggling Pritchard, Capobianco and Elston in the post and playing small ball with three-guard lineups.Offensive production from Pritchard and Capobianco has been limited. Pritchard averages two points per game and Capbianco has only taken nine shots all season. Combined, they average 7.2 rebounds per game — a respectable number for one big man.Defensively, Michel’s wingspan and blocking ability would have at least threatened opponents.Even with Michel, it was a relatively thin frontcourt to begin with — without him, freshman walk-on Jeff Howard might see some unexpected minutes if those players get in foul trouble. In fact, Howard played six minutes against Evansville while Elston sat out because of an injury.Nothing against Howard, but when a freshman walk-on is needed, it’s pretty apparent the frontcourt is thin.Adding insult to ineligibility, the Big Ten has plenty of good big men. (Shocker, I know.) While Michel might have not stopped guys such as JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Mike Tisdale (Illinois) and Ralph Sampson III (Minnesota), based on sheer size, he had a better chance at containing them than current options.I don’t want to over-emphasize Michel’s significance. We never saw him play a minute against a real opponent, and he was very much a mystery coming out of North Idaho College — not even a YouTube video to see whatever highlights there might have been.Will his loss significantly alter IU’s final win-loss standings? Maybe he never would have panned out against better competition. But that’s hard to believe just with what he displayed at the open scrimmage. He looked like an influence on the court.He could’ve been the guy (no pun intended) that pushed the Hoosiers over the edge to some unexpected victories against better competition in the Big Ten. But one last thing to remember: IU fans might not need to worry too much. There’s a big man on the way next year. His name is Cody Zeller.E-mail: nmhart@indiana.edu
(11/28/10 8:32pm)
IU football coach Bill Lynch will not be retained as football coach, a source close to the situation confirmed to the IDS.
(11/25/10 4:03pm)
Happy Thanksgiving from the IDS! Enjoy a cheesy picture:
(11/25/10 6:43am)
With Park Tudor junior Yogi Ferrell committing to the Hoosiers on Wednesday, IU has now added three 5-star recruits in the past month. Here's a chart detailing the future IU basketball rosters.
(11/25/10 6:34am)
With Park Tudor junior Yogi Ferrell verbally committing to the Hoosiers on Wednesday, IU has now added three 5-star recruits in the past month. This chart provides a glimpse of IU's basketball future.
(11/25/10 2:35am)
Here's audio from Kevin 'Yogi' Ferrell's verbal commitment on Wednesday at Park Tudor School.
(11/25/10 12:44am)
Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell had his moment.
(11/24/10 6:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In some sense, five November wins for this IU basketball team shouldn't be much of a surprise.Anything less would be, well, a disappointment.But in the perspective of where this program came from - and where it's headed - a 5-0 record shows progress.On Monday, IU overcame a poor shooting outing to beat North Carolina Central, 72-56. In recent years, if IU struggled against a team in an aspect such as shooting (slightly important), it might very well spell doom for the team -- think losses to Northeastern, Lipscomb and Loyola.Parts of Monday's box score weren't pretty: IU shot 41 percent from the field and 27 percent from the 3-point line. Subtract sophomore guard Jordan Hulls from the equation, and the rest of the team finishes 2-for-14 from the 3-point line and 19-for-52 from the field.But the Hoosiers found a way to win via defense, limited turnovers, and trips to the free throw line. "Finding a way to win" is a phrase IU hasn't used much recently, but to put it succinctly: the 2010-11 IU team is not a bad basketball team. And that's a change from the recent past.Two seasons ago, it took until Feb. 4 for IU to get its sixth (and what ended up to be its final) win of the season. Last year, IU defeated the same North Carolina Central team for its fifth win of the season, only the game came six days before Christmas.This year, IU ought to have six wins by Friday. And the 5-0 start is the first for the Hoosiers since the 2002-03 season."We're getting better," IU coach Tom Crean said. "We're absolutely getting better. They're improving. If we can continue to improve while we're winning, that's going to really carry us down the road."So what's different about this team?The Hoosiers are beginning to define themselves, especially on the defensive side. Ferris State scored more points (65) against IU in that overtime exhibition game than any Hoosier opponent has scored in the regular season. IU is allowing 53.6 points per game, good for top 10 in the nation.The team looks like it's one with some experience. Players know their roles whether it is Jeremiah Rivers serving up intangibles or Hulls hitting timely threes or Derek Elston providing an energy spark. You begin to see the makings of what can become a cohesive unit.Finally, there's some depth. The bench provided 30 points on Monday and secondary players have been elevated into higher roles with a handful of early season injuries. That experience can only be a good thing come Big Ten season.Now, the quality of opponents hasn't been great. According to stats guru Jeff Sagarin, Wright State is the best opponent IU has faced. He ranks them 126th out of 345 NCAA Division I schools. North Carolina Central? The Eagles were 315th entering Monday's contest.But this level of opponent serves a purpose for the players."You want to get them in situations where they have to play not necessarily back-to-back, but you get a lot of games in a short period of time and we're going to have that coming up," Crean said.Sure, a bunch of early season wins may give IU a somewhat inflated record entering the very difficult Big Ten season. The Hoosiers will have plenty of opportunities then to get experience against top competition. Right now, it's just about improving.And it's not like the team is going to get a blown-out-of-proportion view of its own early-season success."Right now we love it," Elston said. "But tomorrow, we go again."
(11/22/10 4:02pm)
Time for another look inside IU's box score. After the Mississippi Valley State game, IU coach Tom Crean highlighted Victor Oladipo's +/- at +30 for the game. That number was twice as high as any other player on the team for the game and was in stark contrast to the -11 that Maurice Creek had on the night.
(11/19/10 4:45am)
From women's basketball reporter Caitlin Ursini (full story in tomorrow's paper):
(11/17/10 5:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When there’s a large chunk of empty seats — especially those seats belonging to students — it’s easy to start asking questions.Mainly, where is everyone?My response: let’s be patient.There’s a new general admission section for students this year, and when students have a ticket in the first 25 rows of sections K, L or M, it’s a first-come, first-serve seating arrangement.Through five games — two exhibition and three regular season contests — that section has looked well, empty.The back eight rows of the section (40 percent of the area) didn’t have more than five students per row on Tuesday when IU played Mississippi Valley State. Not a single student sat in the back four rows. In Sunday’s game against Wright State, the turnout was even less.Needless to say, that’s a lot of empty seats — and it does look awkward to have a chunk of seats with no one in them.I’ve heard from several different parties — alumni that say they are “shocked” by the lack of student attendance. Students relegated to the balcony are wondering why they can’t meander their way to the lower level.In reality, it’s hard to blame anyone for not having more butts in seats. No offense to Mississippi Valley State, but an opponent of that level isn’t the biggest fan draw. Neither is a Sunday evening game on the same weekend as the IU Dance Marathon and I-Core testing.With a slate of November games in which IU should win all of them, the less-than-hardcore IU fan might choose to stay home.Taylor Maimbourg, an IU senior and three-year season-ticket holder, was sitting in the balcony for Tuesday’s game. He said the lack of attendance is slightly deceptive.“We’re early in the season. We have tests now since it’s right before break, so it’s hard for students to show up,” Maimbourg said. “I think the alumni are saying the students aren’t showing up, but if you push the alumni down to the front rows like general admission, it would look pretty similar.”And I agree. While attendance was stronger Tuesday than it has been in previous games, there are empty seats throughout Assembly Hall, not just in the student section.With this new system, all the students are packed in like sardines. Spread them out throughout the allotment of seats, and voila! It looks somewhat full again.Further, the number of students with balcony seats isn’t any less than last year. Just because there’s a new enticing section below doesn’t mean anything has changed about how many times students must sit in the balcony.And patience is a necessity. Come Big Ten season, it’s hard to believe that the lower level won’t be full.I talked to several students who sat in the balcony on Tuesday. Many asked for widespread use of the general admission rule similar to the football setup.The issue with that is students will stand in line hours before the game in lieu of classes and homework. In the long term, sure, it might be nice to have organized rules for general admission (like Purdue’s Paint Crew) that allow for a student to stand in for an entire group while the others go to class.And without a long-term change such as that, it’s hard to make temporary adjustments as well. If you allow students from the balcony into the lower-level seats, that will probably be a pointless rule in the Big Ten season with a full general admission section.When these changes were introduced for the season, they came with much approval from students.“I thought it was a good idea because it was a way for students who really want to come for them to get them on the first come, first serve basis,” junior season ticket holder Colton Murray said Tuesday. “I thought it sounded like a great idea. Something different to bring in.”Give the section some time — allow it to flourish in Big Ten play — and such positive reviews might come right back.
(11/16/10 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Predicting an entire basketball season is difficult, if not a tad stupid. Inevitably it will be wrong since there are so many variables — NCAA investigations of French basketball teams, for example — that throw a wrench in any season.On that note, let’s look into the crystal ball that is the 2010-11 men’s basketball season.(I realize IU is two games into its season — an original prediction column last week got overshadowed by a guy named Cody Zeller. Second caveat — this prediction assumes Guy-Marc Michel is declared eligible sometime before Big Ten play begins).Let’s dive in:Nov. 16-26: Sure, Ferris State gave the Hoosiers a fright in the exhibition schedule, but IU isn’t alone in exhibition scares (see: Tennessee, Xavier). Despite the near embarrassment, the Hoosiers will rebound and sweep the first month’s slate of games. On paper, Wright State was probably the toughest opponent, and IU handled that team rather easily. IU moves to 6-0.Dec. 1: The Hoosiers finally leave Bloomington for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge vs. Boston College. The Eagles lost one-third of their scoring (and their coach) from a 15-16 team last season and won’t be much better this year. IU picks up a (slightly) unexpected win on the road. IU (7-0) wins 67-64 and already eclipses its win total from two seasons ago.Dec. 11: IU isn’t on Kentucky’s level yet. And the game is in Lexington. Even without Enes Kanter, Kentucky gets it done fairly easily. IU (8-1) suffers its first loss of the season, 82-63.Dec. 22-23: A potential matchup against Steve Alford’s New Mexico team in Las Vegas would be enticing. IU will play Northern Iowa, and depending on the result, either New Mexico or Colorado. Any way you slice it, a split in Vegas seems likely. IU ends non-conference play with a deceptively good 11-2 record.Dec. 27: Unlike last season, IU will open Big Ten play with a loss. Penn State features a veteran lineup with four seniors in the starting five that are used to Big Ten basketball. IU (11-3) loses 77-72.Jan. 9: Fans start getting worried as IU drops its first four Big Ten games — Penn State, Ohio State, at Minnesota and at Northwestern — before students return from winter break. Any remaining thought of a surprise NCAA Tournament appearance for IU is quieted. An NIT berth is still quite alive, though. IU falls to 11-6.Jan. 15: IU snaps its losing streak against a weak Michigan team. IU (12-6) wins 68-56.Jan. 23: The Hoosiers avenge two bad losses to Iowa last year with a win in Iowa City against a team that is still adjusting to a new coach. IU moves to 13-7.Jan. 27, 30: A two-game stretch against an experienced Illinois squad battling for a Big Ten title and perennial contender Michigan State will be difficult. IU drops both by more than 10 points and moves to a 13-9 record with a 2-7 start in the Big Ten.Feb 2, 5: IU picks up a key win against Minnesota at home but then turns around with a bad loss at home to Iowa, bringing back memories of the last two seasons. The Hoosiers now stand at 14-10.Feb 8-20: IU wins one game (at Michigan) in a three-game stretch that also includes contests against Northwestern at home and at Purdue. IU drops to 15-12 on the season.Feb. 23: Yes, Purdue will be good. But an even better Purdue team almost lost at Assembly Hall last year. IU fans will enjoy this win. IU (16-12) wins 76-75.March 5: After the Purdue win, IU struggles against the Big Ten’s elite to end the regular season on a three-game slide. IU finishes the regular season 16-15 with a 5-13 conference record. Even an improved Hoosier team will struggle in the best conference in college basketball.But playing a first-day Big Ten Tournament game, IU will get one win and post a 17-16 record on the season.Hello, NIT.E-mail: nmhart@indiana.edu
(11/16/10 1:35am)
Bet you didn't know...
