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Column: A Glimpse of Greatness
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana lost.I know I’m supposed to write bad things about this team when that happens. I’m supposed to pick reasons why IU underperformed and then try to make sense of it.OK, I’ll give you two reasons: the first seven minutes and the last three.Between those two time periods in IU’s 68-56 loss in the Crisler Center, Michigan outscored the Hoosiers 34-10. That translates to the Wolverines scoring half of their points in those crucial moments compared to 17.9 percent of IU’s point total.Indiana played well at all the wrong times. The Hoosiers never led in their fifth loss in seven games.During the 30 minutes that ultimately didn’t matter, I watched a team that I truly thought was going to make a comeback and capture a marquee win. Whatever happened during that time period, which culminated in the Hoosiers closing the game to within two with 3:20 to go, needs to be captured, broken down into a formula, manufactured by Lilly and put into IU players’ Gatorade bottles during every game.Then again, maybe that just works in Space Jam.“You have got to play with a toughness and an intelligence, and we didn’t do that as much. We didn’t do that early on,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “We did it as the game went on. We came almost all the way back, but when you’re playing against a team like Michigan that’s as good as they are, you can’t spot them that kind of lead. You have to play extremely well to come all the way back. And even though it was close, it wasn’t enough.”But nevertheless, I saw the potential. I saw a team that could have very well won if it was on the court to start and close out this game.After being down as much 20 points 13 minutes into the first half, I think I heard the IU team bus start up to get an early start. Michigan freshman sensation Trey Burke scored 10 points in the first 5:21, and the Hoosiers’ offense committed eight turnovers to four assists.For that crucial stretch that started the game, Crean would have been better served putting the Indiana Daily Student intramural basketball team on the floor.But after Wolverine forward and Indiana-native Zack Novak nailed a 3-pointer to put Michigan up 31-17 with 3:07 left in the first half, the game changed in a way I wasn’t expecting.A defensive effort fueled by sophomore guard Victor Oladipo and freshman guard Remy Abell kept Burke scoreless until the 5:08 mark of the second half. Backed by improved defense, junior guard Jordan Hulls, who tied a game-high 18 points, led an offensive outburst that made the 12,721 in attendance at the Crisler Center wonder what happened to that cushiony 28-8 lead the Wolverines had in the first half.But the magic ran out, and IU was reminded why the Wolverines are 13-0 at home this season.Michigan guard Stu Douglass explained what separates teams down the stretch.“At the end, mental toughness is as important as anything in the last four minutes and holding the lead, especially with a team like that,” he said.As the adage goes, there are no moral victories. And against Michigan, just as in Madison, Wis., the Hoosier did not play all 40 minutes.“We dug ourselves a hole at the beginning of the game,” freshman guard Cody Zeller said. “You really can’t do that if we want to win, especially on the road. We did a nice job coming back, but it just wasn’t enough.”
Big Ten Roundup: Jan. 31
*Illinois (16-6, 5-4) 42
Column: Scouting the Wolverines
To hand the Wolverines their first loss at home this season, IU will have to stop the best-scoring backcourt in the Big Ten with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke. IU’s on-ball defense will need to be sharp.
Big Ten Roundup: Jan. 29
Still refining this to make it more IU-centric. Suggestions always welcome through email, Twitter, comments, etc.
Column: Zero to Hero
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In simultaneous agreement, the more than 17,000 in attendance at Assembly Hall rose and gave their appreciation.The standing cheers were not for the future of IU basketball — wunderkind Cody Zeller, who was subbing back into the game — but for the embattled veteran Zeller was replacing, Tom Pritchard.After more than three years of criticism and scrutiny, Pritchard received much-deserved acceptance from the IU fan base after his performance in the Hoosiers’ 103-89 victory Sunday.In just 13 minutes of playing time off the bench, Pritchard grabbed three offensive rebounds, scored seven points and uncharacteristically drew just one foul. But outside the numbers, the senior forward’s defensive presence, which created two charges, and an emphatic dunk to follow up a missed shot are what brought IU fans to their feet.“When he’s confident going up and making baskets, that energizes our entire team,” IU Coach Tom Crean said of Pritchard. “That’s like a Matt Roth three or a Victor (Oladipo) or Will (Sheehey) dunk for us because our players love him, and obviously our fans do, too. They want to see him be successful. When he’s aggressive like that, it makes a huge difference in our team.”Finally, the 6-foot-9 big man from Westlake, Ohio, was a fan favorite.A starting forward in Crean’s first three seasons at the helm, Pritchard’s numbers decreased each season. After he averaged 9.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in his freshman year, his numbers dipped to 2.5 and 3.8, respectively, by the end of this past season.IU fans had found their goat.Many wrote off Pritchard as an unathletic, disappointing forward, not fit to play in the Big Ten. This 245-pound perceived goon had become yet another dysfunctional cog in a broken machine.And yet, the same player whom fans loved to hate received chants of his name so he could go back into the game. I was waiting for Rudy to make an appearance.“Yeah, I noticed when Coach was trying to put me in and then he took me back out and you could hear the big sigh,” Pritchard said.This drastic change has come because Pritchard is now in a role perfectly tailored to him. And how appropriate that he gets it play it out in his final season.As a reserve forward, Pritchard is expected to play defense and crash the boards with play infused by heart and desire — and he is doing just that.“My role has changed a lot,” Pritchard said. “Coach (Tim) Buckley is always telling me ‘defense and rebounding,’ and I think my defense sparked a couple extra points tonight, and it’s just something I’m trying to do, come in and bring energy on the defensive side of the court.”A different player has not worn No. 25 this season.But the same jersey that collected dust in stores is now getting standing ovations in Assembly Hall.And it’s not just for his play.Thank Tom Pritchard for his passion. For his commitment to stay with a program and its fans, who despised him for so long. For his effort to work his tail off in his senior season, despite playing as a reserve behind a freshman who is the antithesis of his journey.When Senior Day comes in March I hope Tom Pritchard can look into the stands and feel an entire fan base’s appreciation surrounding him as it was Sunday night.— azaleon@indiana.edu
Three-Man Weave: More scoring than the Wisconsin game
Big Ten Roundup: Jan. 28
We're trying to start something new here at the IDS Basketblog. Each day there is conference action, we'll be giving a brief recap on the day's action. This is a great way to stay updated on the rest of Big Ten and how the conference is shaping as the season continues.
Three-Man Weave: No "W" in Wisconsin
Column: Where do we go from here?
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Verdell Jones III swiftly cocked his head to the right as the sound of a large, metal sheet event door opened, drowning out the sound of his sedated voice.The garage-like door arose to reveal a slick white bus with a chrome Badger on the front and the word “Indiana” illuminated in the upper left corner of the windshield.After providing justifiably somber answers to the press, Jones walked onto that bus where he and the rest of the Hoosiers would, for the fourth time in five games, have time to think about what went wrong.After all, IU shot 45.7 percent from the field compared to Wisconsin’s 39.6 and were even with the Badgers in rebounding at 24 in a 57-50 loss Thursday at the Kohl Center. The Hoosiers even limited Badgers leading scorer Jordan Taylor to 5-of-14 shooting for 10 points.But Jones, who scored all of his 12 points in the first half, and the rest of his team couldn’t finish what they started.“They got a couple key rebounds at the end of the game in crucial times,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “We put ourselves in the position to win, we just couldn’t finish it off.”The makeup of this team came down to nine minutes and 22 seconds of basketball.It was at that point in the second half when Wisconsin’s Ben Brust nailed a three-pointer in transition to put the Badgers up 41-39.For the first time all game, the Kohl Center erupted, and the Hoosiers were faced with more adversity than they had faced all season.Momentum from a first-half lead, which carried into the second half, had begun to swing the Badgers’ way. Leading scorer Cody Zeller, who was scoreless in the first half, picked up his third foul nearly five minutes earlier, and the shackles from fouls that limited his performance and playing time tightened even more.First IU was back — I know this because I’ve been seeing it on t-shirts all around Bloomington — but then, after three straight losses, we weren’t sure it was.Now, after dropping to 1-4 in conference road games, those shirts might be put into the closet and better suited for Hoosier Hysteria next season.For IU to be better, they have to learn to close out games.Rankings tell us that a 25-seed beating a 17-seed should be an upset, but this didn’t feel like an upset. That 17 next to “Indiana” on the television is outdated and represents a team that could close out and win games. I no longer see that team on the floor.IU fought and battled till the end, but at the final buzzer it was clear that the Hoosiers’ best, in the face of a road environment and the officiating that comes with it, wasn’t enough.The bus doors closed behind Verdell Jones. Friday night’s trip would represent a chance to go back to Bloomington and prove that he plays on a team deserving of everyone’s expectations.
Column: Scouting the Badgers
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Scouting WisconsinHead coach Bo Ryan, 11th seasonLeading scorer Senior guard Jordan Taylor, 14.1 ppgLeading rebounder Junior guard/forward Ryan Evans, 6.6 rpgBest win Home against No. 15 UNLV, 62-51Worst loss Home against Iowa, 72-65What they do well Defense. The Badgers are giving up the least amount of points in all of Division I. Opponents are averaging just 49.6 points against Wisconsin.What needs work Scoring. Bo Ryan’s squad is averaging 65.6 points per game, 10th in the Big Ten.Projected startersIndianaG Jordan Hulls 12.4 points per gameG Verdell Jones III 7.7G Victor Oladipo 10.5F Christian Watford 12.6F Cody Zeller 15.1NebraskaG Jordan Taylor 14.1 points per gameG Josh Gasser 7.7G/F Ryan Evans 9.7F Mike Bruesewitz 6.5F Jared Berggren 11.0My takeJust because Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan sticks to the same philosophy every year doesn’t mean it has become any easier to stop or any less effective. Ryan’s brand of slow, defense-heavy basketball has beaten the Hoosiers eight straight times and rendered IU winless in Madison. IU hasn’t won in Kohl Center since Jan. 25, 1998.Tonight, the Big Ten’s highest-scoring offense takes on the country’s best defense. There are two keys to a Hoosier victory: First, IU cannot get bogged down in the down-tempo style in which the Badgers thrive. The Hoosiers’ offense needs to be drawn from easy transition buckets, as opposed to drawn-out half court possessions. On defense, IU Coach Tom Crean’s team cannot allow Wisconsin senior guard Jordan Taylor to have a game like he did last season in Bloomington, when he scored 39 points in a Badger victory. Taylor is the catalyst to the Badgers’ offense, as he has scored at least 12 points in every game since December.If the Hoosiers carry the same high level of play they displayed in the second half of the Penn State win into the Kohl Center, this could be a very close game. However, I think IU will drop its third straight road game, losing to the Badgers in Madison.
IU-Wisconsin pregame quotes
Quotes from Crean, Pritchard, Jones III and Oladipo courtesy of IU Athletics:
Column: Avi’s five-eighths season review
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All I have are my eyes and my brain. Those are the things I use to watch and assess how IU plays. The last plus and minus signs I saw were next to check marks on my elementary school report card. I adjust shoelace knots and collars, not efficiency ratings.Below are a couple Hoosiers who have exceeded my expectations and a pair I know is capable of playing better.Ballin’Matt Roth — I’m not sure folks realize just how consistent Roth has been this season because Hoosier fans have grown accustomed to his 3-pointer marksmanship.• This season, the 6-foot-3-inch guard from Washington, Ill., has the best 3-pointer shooting percentage in the country at 61.4 percent. Think about that for a second. IU has the most dependable long-range shooter in the country.• In the past six games, dating back to Jan. 5, Roth has shot 15-of-20 from 3-pointer range; overall, he is 27-of-44 this year. • He has attempted just two field goals that weren’t from beyond the arc. To put this into perspective, the amount of 3-pointers Roth has made this season equals his rebounds, assists, steals and turnovers combined.Cody Zeller — Like Roth, I think Zeller’s accomplishments so far this season have been downplayed because they were expected. But even in physical Big Ten play, the 6-foot-11-inch freshman’s scoring numbers have not dipped.• Zeller’s 65.9 field goal percentage is sixth-best in the country and best in the conference.• His 15.1 points per game average is seventh-highest in the Big Ten and top for a freshman.• Although his rebounding numbers have been underwhelming, a team-wide trend, Zeller has scored in double figures in every Big Ten game since the Hoosiers opened conference play with a loss at Michigan State.Fallin’:Victor Oladipo — It really pains me to put Oladipo in this spot. I love this sophomore guard’s enthusiasm and the swagger he plays with. He is vocal, wears his heart on his sleeve and always seems to give this team a boost when they need it. But lately, the light-hearted energy I saw from Oladipo in press conferences earlier this season has turned to a muted, frustrated demeanor. His play on the court has matched this.• No formal stat exists to keep track of momentum-boosting plays, to my knowledge, but when’s the last time Oladipo had a signature electrifying moment? Those plays in which he steals the ball and drives toward the hoop with fans’ heart rates increasing as they anticipate another thunderous dunk. It’s been a while.• In conference play, Oladipo has shot 26-of-62 from the field for 41.9 percent after shooting 52-of-99 (52 percent) during the non-conference schedule.• Oladipo is not a prolific shooter — that’s just not his game — as he is shooting 24.2 percent from 3-pointer range (8-for-33) this season. But I always expect the aggressive guard to get his points from the foul line after drawing contact in the lane. However, he has averaged just two foul shots in eight Big Ten games, shooting 9-of-17 from the charity stripe.Christian Watford — This one might come as a surprise to some because, although Watford has been huge for the Hoosiers at times this season, his stock has been falling sharply as of late. Again, Watford isn’t listed here because he’s playing poorly, but because I know he can be better.• In the past five games, dating back to IU’s win at Penn State on Jan. 8, Watford has shot an embarrassing 13–of-46 from the field, 28.2 percent.• Not to be too much of a softie, but I have to give credit where it’s due. Watford has been very efficient from the 3-pointer line, shooting 47.8 percent, fourth-best in the Big Ten.Whatever happened to ... Derek Elston — Maybe it’s the injury to the face Elston sustained earlier this season, but this junior forward has been MIA pretty much all season. I thought Elston could be one of IU’s key contributors off the bench along with Will Sheehey: A sixth or seventh starter, if you will. But the numbers don’t lie, and all of Elston’s have been down this season.• This past year, Elston averaged 15.5 minutes a game. That number, likely due to added depth at forward from Zeller’s presence, is down to 11.7 minutes. In IU’s three-game losing streak, he played four, five and six minutes, respectively.• At this point in the season last year, Elston had scored in double figures in four games. Thus far, he has done this twice, scoring 11 points against Stony Brook and 10 versus Gardner-Webb.
Welcome back, Jordan Hulls
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana got its general back.No, not The General, but the Hoosiers’ floor general made his return Sunday.Junior guard Jordan Hulls had been marred by mistakes in IU’s three consecutive losses prior to the 73-54 victory against Penn State. In the loss at Ohio State, Hulls shot 1-of-6 from 3-pointer range with five turnovers. Against Nebraska, he missed the front end of a one-and-one foul shot with 24 seconds left and IU up by one. With the ball in his hands for the Hoosiers’ last shot and down 70-69, Hulls missed a contested layup and wild 3-pointer to seal the loss.In the losing streak, the point totals had stayed steady — 13, 11, 12 — but the leadership and poise just weren’t there.This lackluster play even dragged on into the first half Sunday, as the only blips on Hulls’ stat line were a pair of rebounds and an assist.After the first 20 minutes, IU was down 29-27 at home to Penn State because freshman forward Cody Zeller was the only Hoosier with a pulse.Somebody under 6-feet-11-inches had to spark the Hoosiers if they had any hope of keeping this losing streak from spiraling out of control.After a Zeller tip-in to tie, another Indiana Mr. Basketball returned to his former self.Hulls stole the ball a little past half-court, hustled to grab the loose ball and began his charge toward the basket.Immediately, I had flashbacks of the Nebraska loss — Hulls at full speed, cutting into the lane and rising as the defense towered over him.This wasn’t the same Hulls who broke under pressure in Lincoln, Neb. This time, he made an adjustment midair to feed the ball to senior guard Verdell Jones III, who made the easy layup.“Yeah, definitely, those were two big plays for us,” Hulls said. “We knew coming out of the locker room that we needed to have a good start coming into the second half.”Zeller scored only six in the second with foul trouble, as Hulls helped key the comeback.The 6-foot junior guard took over the role this team needs him to play. Vocal in the huddle, controlling the offense at the top of the key, intensity on defense and ball-handling without a turnover for the first time in a game since Savannah State on Nov. 19 — that is the Jordan Hulls who wins games.Did Hulls sense more confidence on the floor? He mulled over the question for three seconds before acknowledging that past mistakes have not dictated his future.“I wouldn’t call it more confident,” he said. “I mean, I guess we kind of were, but it just starts with our defense. When our offense isn’t going as well, we just have to rely on our defense to create our offense off of that. You just got to have that mentality that we can’t let a mistake or two get us down. We just have to stop ’em on the next play.”Many aspects decide a Hoosier game, but it all starts with your floor general.The quarterback on the hardwood will touch, if not start, every offensive possession. Strong guard play might not register the most points, but it will serve as an extension of the head coach and control the team when it looks for leadership and direction.This season, Jordan Hulls has to be that guy. He wasn’t during IU’s three-straight losses, but Sunday, the floor general got back on his horse and led his team to victory.— azaleon@indiana.edu
Three-Man Weave: Return to (some) Normalcy vs. PSU
Live Chat: IU vs. Penn State
Indiana vs. Penn State
Home is where the wins are
Not much has been consistent in the Big Ten this season. With Penn State's victory against Illinois last night, it became increasingly clear to me that the only thing staying fairly constant in this league is home court advantage. This season, Big Ten teams are a combined 122-21 at home- an 85% winning percentage.
Column: Fix this now
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Oh, how the mighty have fallen.Only mere weeks after being one of the big kids on the playground, IU is again reduced to getting its lunch money stolen.This time, it was the Hoosiers who were on the receiving end of a court storming. A bittersweet sign of progress, perhaps.We all thought it had turned around. A new era was finally taking shape. But fans are left with the same feeling of helplessness now that their team has lost three straight games after beginning the season 15-1.I don’t even know how to distribute the blame.IU coaches, if your team is down one with 11 seconds left, the ball and a timeout, the following things should probably happen: a timeout after the ball crosses half court to set up a play. After said timeout, make sure your leading scorer, freshman forward Cody Zeller, at least touches the ball. And finally, get a desirable shot.Instead, the smallest Hoosier, junior guard Jordan Hulls, drove down court and missed a contested, frantic layup. After a scramble for the ball, Hulls jacked up an unanswered prayer to seal the defeat.Or maybe it’s the fault of the team’s players, who failed to stop the worst offense in the Big Ten. Entering Wednesday, Nebraska averaged 61.1 points per game, ranking 305th in the nation. Against IU, the Cornhuskers tied their highest point total in six conference games with 70. Wisconsin and Ohio State held the same Nebraska team to 40 points.In a roster chock-full of upperclassmen, the Hoosiers lacked intensity on defense and composure on offense.Perhaps the blame should even be on Hoosier fans and the college basketball world for shifting expectations from third to sixth gear without buckling their seatbelts.After losses to Minnesota and Ohio State, Nebraska was the shot at redemption, the chance to show everyone this team was still for real. But as Hoosier Nation’s personal threat level moves from yellow to orange and flirts with red, IU Coach Tom Crean has to get this season turned around now.The same team that beat then-No.1 Kentucky and then-No.2 Ohio State doesn’t lose to Minnesota at home or Nebraska away, in Bloomington or on Mars. Between those victories and these defeats, the same guys have been on the floor the whole time.This team needs to rediscover the passion, maturity and mentality that got it articles in Sports Illustrated and on ESPN.com — and fast.If the Hoosiers don’t, the bottom of the pit they’re falling into might get deeper and deeper.
Numbers talk: IU's defense is the worst in the Big Ten
When I was covering the awful Baltimore Orioles this summer, it was fun to play with numbers just to see how bad that team really was. Funny thing, inside the numbers, the O's were middle-of-the-pack when it came to hitting, but dead last in the Majors in team ERA.
Column: Scouting the Cornhuskers
After scraping by the Big Ten’s worst team, Penn State, on the road, IU now has the chance to capture a more convincing victory against the conference’s second-weakest team in Lincoln.