Reigniting the Louisville-IU rivalry
Anything you can do, I can do better.
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Anything you can do, I can do better.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior forward Derek Elston lifted his spread arms over his head to conclude his impersonation of teammate Victor Oladipo, who was seated next to him at Monday’s postgame press conference.Oladipo’s eyes grew wide and the sparkplug guard quickly lowered his head, clapping with a contagious smile that quickly spread around the room.“That’s what makes it fun,” Elston said of Oladipo’s celebrations. “The ‘know us’ [puts his hand over his face] and ‘ahhh,’ [raises his arms] that’s what’s fun right there. This team didn’t have that last year.”This demeanor was a welcome change for the Hoosiers from past years. A light-hearted press conference powered by animated players, who were genuinely having fun playing together and winning together.The jovial atmosphere and team chemistry surrounding the IU basketball program right now is evident on the court, as well as off it.IU has recorded more assists than turnovers in four out of their five games this season, as the Hoosiers committed 18 turnovers to 12 assists in the Chattanooga victory Nov. 13. Overall, IU Coach Tom Crean’s squad has 92 assists on 149 made field goals this year, good for 61.7 percent.“These guys have so much faith in me,” Elston said. “Whether they drive and kick it to me, Cody opening it up in the lane, it gives me wide-open jumpers. Me and Jordy [Hulls] talk about it when we go home, ‘why am I so open?’ It’s because Vic [Oladipo] drives, Willl [Sheehey] drives or Cody’s got a double team. And it’s reassuring to know they trust me to knock down any jump shot and that’s what I base my game off of.”I’ve never taken a psychology class in college, but it doesn’t take Sigmund Freud to see these players trust each other, are being more efficient and playing with confidence as a result.In their 79-43 win against Gardner-Webb, the Hoosiers fed off and contributed to each other’s play in a manner that was seldom seen last season.Shortly after Oladipo stole an inbounds pass with 13:17 left in the second half, sophomore forward Will Sheehey scored 10-straight points, seven of which were off assists from three different teammates.Furthermore, there were several occasions against the Runnin’ Bulldogs when an IU player driving in the post made the extra pass to an open teammate for an easier bucket.“The 19 assists isn't indicative of how well we the ball moved tonight,” Crean said. “It was at a really good rate. Our interior passing took some real steps forward, and we knew we were playing a good team.”It’s interesting how quickly we forget that these student-athletes are still of college age. Past the unforgiving press conference lights, front-page headlines and television broadcasts, college basketball is, at its core, a group of amateur athletes playing the sport they love.It should be fun.“For [Oladipo] to hype up the crowd and get us all off our feet and throwing the towels, and throwing our hands around –we need that,” Elston said. “Victor’s that guy who can bring us all together and if things are going bad, it all starts on defense for us, and Vic’s our go-to guy. And that, right there, is fun.”
Per an IU release:
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Savannah State forward Rashad Hassan and his teammates knew their place.“Left! Right! Left! Right!” the IU student section chanted as he walked to his seat on the bench after fouling out with 1:50 minute to go.“Sit down!”The Tigers were just making another stop on their tour of major conference schools, where they would be paid big bucks to put another feather in their opponents’ caps.When the undersized and outmatched squad walked off Branch McCracken Court into the cool Indiana night, I — like all of you — couldn’t care less about where Savannah State Head Coach Horace Broadnax and his team were coming from or where they were going.IU got the blowout win that was expected — a merciful 29-point shellacking.That’s what mattered after the final buzzer sounded, at which point the Tigers became an afterthought.It didn’t matter that Broadnax led the Tigers to their first winning season in more than 20 years just four seasons ago.Nor did it matter that Savannah State was in its first season with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, giving the Tigers their first chance to play in a conference championship since 1998, a title that could lead to an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.After all, the hired entertainment clad in orange and blue was another faceless non-conference opponent for the Hoosiers to beat up early in the season. Savannah State was no different from Northwestern State, North Carolina Central, Mississippi Valley State or Chattanooga, all of which IU has played in the past two years.The only thing the Hoosiers and Tigers shared Saturday night was the court.While IU Coach Tom Crean’s team proudly wore the usual adidas gear, Savannah State donned apparel outfitted by Russell Athletics. Kudos to anyone who can name me another college program outfitted by Russell.The Tigers tried to shoot free throws with the noise of an announced attendance of 16,613 in Assembly Hall, compared to the 1,445 that attended Savannah State’s home opener.Say “IU basketball,” and the first thoughts to come to most people are five national championship banners, Bob Knight and tradition.Savannah State has authored itself into a far different chapter of the record books.The Tigers set an NCAA record for fewest points and worst field goal percentage in a half during the shot-clock era on Jan. 7, 2008, against Kansas State during another punching bag charade. In the second half, Broadnax’s woeful bunch was outscored 48-4 and shot 4.3 percent from the field.But nine minutes into the game against the Hoosiers, it seemed Savannah State forgot it was supposed to roll over, lose convincingly and collect the hefty check that might help bridge the $719 million gap that separates its 2010 endowment from IU’s.At that point, the score was tied at 14 until the Hoosiers went on a run that would put their lead at double-digits for the rest of the game.For some reason, even after a loss was a forgone conclusion, the Tigers still didn’t learn their place.In a game in which fouls seemed to be called for merely looking at the opposition the wrong way, Savannah State’s players protested the questionable calls, which amounted to the most free throws attempted by a Hoosier team since 2000.Broadnax even had the audacity to argue with the referee enough to incite a technical foul with his team down by 28 with 9:05 left in the game.Although the Tigers already lost to Georgetown by 29 this year, with road trips to Butler, Wisconsin and Arkansas still to go, they were not acting as an obedient, small-conference opponent.Big-time programs paying small schools to play them in revenue sports is nothing new. It’s been done for as long I have been watching sports and spans every BCS school. By no means do I mean to single out IU.After all, it’s duck-hunting season, and the Hoosiers didn’t want to be left without their fair share of easy wins.Savannah State’s leading scorer, Hassan, sat in his small, red chair on the bench with 10 forgettable points to his name.He, Broadnax and the rest of the Tigers would board a bus en route to their next game at Butler, where there will be another opponent, another check and probably another defeat.— azaleon@indiana.edu
Who: Savannah State (1-2)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Perfect. Undefeated. Dominant.All three words describe the Hoosiers up to this point in the season, but how much weight do those labels actually carry?Last year, IU Coach Tom Crean and his staff designed a schedule that would help a growing squad learn to win. This included nine lightweight opponents that had the privilege of getting spanked by the Hoosiers in Assembly Hall. Entering Big Ten play, the Hoosiers were 9-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.At the time, I understood the psychological strategy behind the schedule. Take a team that had compiled a record of 16-46 in the past two seasons and boost their confidence by way of cupcake opponents like Northwestern State and South Carolina State.Well, turns out the “learning to win” part of the plan didn’t stick, with IU finishing 3-15 against a loaded Big Ten conference en route to a 12-20 season.Once again, IU fans find themselves trying to keep expectations in check for a team that has plowed through early opposition. Statistically, this season and the previous one are not that different. The Hoosiers have won their first three non-exhibition games by an average of 25.3 points, whereas that mark was at 22.6 after three games last year.So, why is this trio of victories different? Has the performance of this group of Hoosiers warranted renewed hope of watching Selection Sunday with purpose for the first time in four years?The pessimist says no. Regardless of a particular standout player or decent conference finish last season, non-BCS opponents such as Stony Brook and Chattanooga are useless measuring sticks for a team’s performance. The Evansville game was equally meaningless. The Purple Aces had defeated a down Butler team at the mercy of poor officiating and without two bench players who would have added depth in the overtime loss. Yes, the Hoosiers picked up a win on Evansville’s floor — a floor that was surrounded by a half-crimson crowd that hardly made a sound.The optimist sees things differently. You have to learn to tread water before swimming, and the Hoosiers’ true road victory Wednesday was their first since January 2010 and is a step to winning consistently away from Bloomington. The 51-27 halftime lead in that game was the largest since 2000. And it’s not just IU fans who have taken notice of the added talent and depth on this year’s team, as experts across the country project the Hoosiers finishing in the middle of the Big Ten.Against Evansville, I saw Indiana play the best basketball it ever has under Crean.I could blather on and on about several aspects of IU’s game that I found impressive throughout the past week, like shutting down its opponent’s leading scorer, never letting up after a big lead or playing an effective up-tempo game.But I think my biggest takeaway point from the Hoosiers’ first three games, and the factor that will help decide whether they play into March, is team play. Against Evansville, five players scored in double figures, nobody attempted more than eight shots and 24 of 33 baskets came off an assist.That cohesion, on both sides of the ball, is not something dictated by the opposing team. Creating opportunities for teammates, finding the open man and making that extra pass are things IU can execute, regardless if it is playing Savannah State or Michigan State.These lopsided victories are no reason to reserve tickets for the Final Four in New Orleans. But what fans can take away from the Hoosiers’ 3-0 start is the potential to surprise some people when conference play begins.That is when superlatives like “dominant” begin to have more meaning.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I pity this Indiana team. I really do.Unfortunately, it might come to be known as the team that preceded “the team,” an appetizer of success compared to the main course many speculate will come next season.It’s not the team’s fault that every loss this season will be followed by whispers of how the 2012-13 Hoosiers will fare against the same opponent. But that’s just the harsh reality of the team’s predicament.The 2011-12 Hoosiers are the opening act to your favorite band, the name called before yours on graduation day, that passionate kiss leading to — well, you get the point.But this sentiment doesn’t have to overshadow the next five months of basketball. And it shouldn’t.Everyone and their mothers have predictions of how IU will finish this year.No matter if the Hoosiers finish their season in the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitational Tournament (I think the latter), five seniors will end their careers playing in candy stripes. Four of those seniors are scholarship players — guard Daniel Moore received a sholarship this season — who took a chance with an animated coach from Marquette and his rebuilding effort for a program whose championship banners had begun to gather dust.One of those seniors, guard Verdell Jones III, said he knows exactly how he wants his graduating class to be remembered.“Guys who persevered,” said Jones at Big Ten Basketball Media Day. “Guys who didn’t quit. Guys who didn’t transfer when it got tough. Guys who set the foundation and helped build IU to what it’s going to become. Guys who improved significantly and matured. I think this year, people will realize that.”Jones, Moore, forward Tom Pritchard and guard Matt Roth deserve to be treated with the same amount of enthusiasm and energy in Assembly Hall as the 2012 class next year. The four and their teammates won’t be as talented as next year’s squad, nor will they win as many games.Assistant Coach Steve McClain said from the time he arrived in Bloomington last season, he knew there would be a divide starting next season.“There was never any debate about these are the guys. These are the ones that are going to change it,” McClain said of the 2012 recruiting class.A change from what, though?Obviously, a change of fortunes in the win-loss column, as I foresee this year’s team making it to the postseason for the first time with IU Coach Tom Crean, albeit a trip to the NIT.But what I hope doesn’t get lost in the transition to more winning ways is exactly what Jones alluded to: grit, passion, perseverance, commitment to academics, coaching staff, Indiana and — win or lose — to doing things the right way.Barring another colossal implosion, there will never again be a four-year stretch with as many losses as this, 46 in Big Ten play and 66 overall. This season will certainly be a jump in the right direction for IU, as the Hoosiers will finish with a winning record, but it still won’t meet the expectations of those who experienced the days of Knight, Jefferies or even Gordon.That’s why I draw this season as the closing of a chapter in both Indiana basketball and the Crean Era.A chapter that saw students rush the court for a victory against unranked Minnesota, an eruption of cheers for a seven-foot center from The Gambia for simply pulling down a rebound and a student manager suiting up as a reserve guard.Essentially, IU basketball went from living in a Manhattan penthouse to its mom’s basement for the past three seasons.When history looks back at this time in IU’s history, it will likely label it as a rebuilding period, with the 2011 season as the bridge to either greatness or more mediocrity. History will look at the individuals who worked their tails off to lay the foundation for the rebuilding effort. I implore you not to.Jones, Moore, Pritchard and Roth will not be inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame among a collection of proven winners. Their names will likely be an afterthought when trips to the NCAA Tournament again become the norm. After college, they won’t be put into a pool of potential NBA lottery draft picks.What this group can be credited with, though, is helping author a period in IU history that won’t soon be duplicated.— azaleon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This was supposed to be IU’s first real test.After Evansville defeated national runner-up Butler at home Saturday, the Purple Aces no longer seemed like such a cupcake matchup. The odds makers in Las Vegas agreed and did not favor IU by more than 6.5 points.Furthermore, the mere fact that this contest was a true road game did not put the Hoosiers at favorable odds, as IU Coach Tom Crean had won only one game in an opponent’s arena in three years at the helm.Well, Hoosiers, the results of your first exam are in, and I gotta say, I think you exceeded everybody’s expectations.A 21-point pounding of Evansville in its second game at the new Ford Center, which could have been much worse had the starters stayed in, is quite a way to snap a 15-game regular season road-losing skid.The first portion of your exam was pretty straightforward but challenging, nonetheless: Stop Evansville junior guard Colt Ryan.With a name that sounds straight out of a John Wayne Western, you knew this gunslinger would be able to shoot the ball. Ryan was Evansville’s leading scorer last year, contributing 15.7 points per game, a trend that continued against Butler when he scored a game-high 23.I thought for sure the Aces’ go-to man, who graced the cover of the game’s brochure, would again lead Evansville as he did when the two teams played each other last season.Sophomore guard Victor Oladipo earned the gold star here, shutting down Ryan in the first half. The reliable defender limited Ryan to just four points in the first half on 1-of-6 shooting. As Crean put in his substitutions in the second half, Ryan had an easier time scoring, ending the game with 17 points.The second part of the test this season was to play smart.Evansville shot an astonishing 43 foul shots against Butler, 32 of which they made. Fourteen of Ryan’s 23 points that game came from the charity stripe.Lo and behold, you passed this, too, playing smart defense that forced the Purple Aces into undesirable shots and sending them to the line for a total of 27 foul shots. Ryan was still efficient from the free-throw line, but instead of making 14-of-23, he shot 6-of-9.For extra credit, I could not be prouder of the team play.Twenty-four of the 33 baskets IU made were from assists. This led to a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, as five Hoosiers scored in double figures. Everyone was getting into the act, as senior Verdell Jones and junior Christian Watford, whose performance thus far had been a question mark, exploded for 17 and 15 points, respectively. Jones added seven assists, and Watford had eight rebounds.All right, guys, you passed with flying colors this time.But make no mistake, this is far from your last test.In 14 days, you travel to N.C. State for a much more raucous crowd that will not be in an arena nearly half-full of Hoosier fans. Dec. 10 is second-ranked Kentucky, and then comes Big Ten play, beginning Dec. 28.For now, though, congratulations, Hoosiers. You ‘aced’ your first test.— azaleon@indiana.edu
There were a few mistakes in the print version of today's basketball guide, so I wanted to publish here my real predictions for this season. A "bubble" game is one I think could go either way:
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I pity this Indiana team. I really do.Unfortunately, it might come to be known as the team that preceded “the team,” an appetizer of success compared to the main course many speculate will come next season.It’s not the team’s fault that every loss this season will be followed by whispers of how the 2012-13 Hoosiers will fare against the same opponent. But that’s just the harsh reality of the team’s predicament.The 2011-12 Hoosiers are the opening act to your favorite band, the name called before yours on graduation day, that passionate kiss leading to — well, you get the point.But this sentiment doesn’t have to overshadow the next five months of basketball. And it shouldn’t.Everyone and their mothers have predictions of how IU will finish this year.No matter if the Hoosiers finish their season in the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitational Tournament (I think the latter), five seniors will end their careers playing in candy stripes. Four of those seniors are scholarship players — guard Daniel Moore received a sholarship this season — who took a chance with an animated coach from Marquette and his rebuilding effort for a program whose championship banners had begun to gather dust.One of those seniors, guard Verdell Jones III, said he knows exactly how he wants his graduating class to be remembered.“Guys who persevered,” said Jones at Big Ten Basketball Media Day. “Guys who didn’t quit. Guys who didn’t transfer when it got tough. Guys who set the foundation and helped build IU to what it’s going to become. Guys who improved significantly and matured. I think this year, people will realize that.”Jones, Moore, forward Tom Pritchard and guard Matt Roth deserve to be treated with the same amount of enthusiasm and energy in Assembly Hall as the 2012 class next year. The four and their teammates won’t be as talented as next year’s squad, nor will they win as many games.Assistant Coach Steve McClain said from the time he arrived in Bloomington last season, he knew there would be a divide starting next season.“There was never any debate about these are the guys. These are the ones that are going to change it,” McClain said of the 2012 recruiting class.A change from what, though?Obviously, a change of fortunes in the win-loss column, as I foresee this year’s team making it to the postseason for the first time with IU Coach Tom Crean, albeit a trip to the NIT.But what I hope doesn’t get lost in the transition to more winning ways is exactly what Jones alluded to: grit, passion, perseverance, commitment to academics, coaching staff, Indiana and — win or lose — to doing things the right way.Barring another colossal implosion, there will never again be a four-year stretch with as many losses as this, 46 in Big Ten play and 66 overall. This season will certainly be a jump in the right direction for IU, as the Hoosiers will finish with a winning record, but it still won’t meet the expectations of those who experienced the days of Knight, Jefferies or even Gordon.That’s why I draw this season as the closing of a chapter in both Indiana basketball and the Crean Era.A chapter that saw students rush the court for a victory against unranked Minnesota, an eruption of cheers for a seven-foot center from The Gambia for simply pulling down a rebound and a student manager suiting up as a reserve guard.Essentially, IU basketball went from living in a Manhattan penthouse to its mom’s basement for the past three seasons.When history looks back at this time in IU’s history, it will likely label it as a rebuilding period, with the 2011 season as the bridge to either greatness or more mediocrity. History will look at the individuals who worked their tails off to lay the foundation for the rebuilding effort. I implore you not to.Jones, Moore, Pritchard and Roth will not be inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame among a collection of proven winners. Their names will likely be an afterthought when trips to the NCAA Tournament again become the norm. After college, they won’t be put into a pool of potential NBA lottery draft picks.What this group can be credited with, though, is helping author a period in IU history that won’t soon be duplicated.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s first road game this season at Evansville8 p.m. todayFord CenterStreaming online on ESPN3, IU Radio NetworkSCOUTING EVANSVILLENickname: Purple AcesConference: Missouri ValleyLocation: EvansvilleHead coach: Marty Simmons, fifth season (played two seasons at IU from 1983-’85)Last season: 16-16, (9-9) Finished sixth in the Missouri Valley, lost to Boise State in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational.Top returning scorer: Junior guard Colt Ryan, who averaged 15.7 points per game last seasonReturning/lost starters:4/1Projected starters:IndianaG Jordan Hulls 11.0 ppgG Verdell Jones 11.5 ppgG Victor Oladipo 18.5 ppgF Christian Watford 4.5 ppgC Cody Zeller 11.5 ppgEvansvilleG Troy Taylor 2 ppgG/F Denver Holmes 15 ppgG/F Colt Ryan 23 ppgF Kenneth Harris 10 ppgC Matt Peeler 0 ppgMy take:I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Don’t sleep on the Purple Aces. Butler learned this the hard way Saturday, as Evansville knocked off the Bulldogs in overtime in their season opener. Like Stony Brook, this Evansville team is small, with no player measuring taller than 6-foot-8. However, what they lack in size they make up for behind the arc and at the charity stripe. Last season, Evansville shot more than 70 percent from the foul line, and against the Bulldogs they made 32-of-43 foul shots.Defensively, the Hoosiers will need to focus on Evansville’s Mr. Everything, Colt Ryan. The junior guard led the Purple Aces in rebounds and points against Butler, recording seven and 23, respectively. If IU can limit Ryan and take advantage of forward Cody Zeller’s height advantage in the post, the Hoosiers will win a close one against the Aces, who were 13-3 at home last year.Pick to click: Cody ZellerBet to the campus: I’m not as confident this week. If IU loses, I will dress in all purple for the Hoosiers’ next home game on Saturday.
Welp, there was no media availability Tuesday, preceding IU's game at Evansville on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. However, we did get these quotes courtesy of IU Athletics, I thought I'd pass along:
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Raise your hand if you had Victor Oladipo being the Hoosiers’ best all around player through the first two games of the season.Anyone?Congratulations to the few of you stretching your hand high above your head, because I sure am not.The sophomore guard tied a career high with 16 points against Stony Brook on Friday and then bested that mark, adding 21 points Sunday.On defense, Oladipo has become the Hoosiers’ best lock-down defender.Oladipo limited Stony Brook’s leading scorer from last season, Bryan Dougher, to just four points on a 1-for-8 shooting night.Chattanooga guard Keegan Bell , who averaged 9.7 points last year, did not record a single point against Oladipo.“The greatest thing about the last two (games) is his defensive presence has created his offense,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “He tied a career-high last game and set a career-high today. When you are getting 37 points a game and you are guarding the opposing team’s first or second-best player every minute you are on the floor, it is impressive.”How easily preseason hype bogs down the canals of reality.I’ll admit it, before the year started, there was a list of Hoosiers in my mind that were poised for a big year.Freshman forward Cody Zeller? Of course. He’s the new big man on campus and the Hoosiers’ main man in the middle.Junior forward Christian Watford? Absolutely, as he was heralded as a potential all-Big Ten selection and one of IU’s most talented players. Yet so far this season, Watford is shooting an underwhelming 3-of-14 from the field with nine points and seven rebounds.Oladipo’s fellow sophomore, forward Will Sheehey ? You bet. In the preseason, I though this athletic swingman had among the most potential on the team.But Oladipo? Granted, I thought the 6-foot-5 spark plug was good for electrifying dunks off breakaway steals, but I never looked at him as the player that would spearheadan Indiana victory.Oladipo was that player Sunday against Chattanooga as he made his second consecutive start, shooting an efficient 6-of-9 from the field with consistency at the free throw line, going 8-of-11.I know two games is a very small sample size, and it takes more to truly make an assessment about a player’s performance in a season. That will come later when IU is tested by stronger opponents.But Oladipo’s team-leading stats so far this year are undeniable.He leads the Hoosiers with 18.5 points per game. He leads all guards in shootingpercentage, making 72.2 percent of his shots after going 13-of-18 so far this season.He has the second-most rebounds on the team with 11, trailing only Zeller, who happens to be nearly 7 feet tall.This all coming from a player I didn’t think would be an everyday starter.Now Oladipo must take his recent performances and become consistent.No matter if IU is playing lowly Stetson in December or Purdue in a raucous MackeyArena come February, Oldaipo has to take this high level of play and bring it to everygame this season. I understand everybody has an off -shooting game.Just ask junior guard Jordan Hulls, who registered 18 points Sunday from six threes, but managed just four in the season opener.Oladipo doesn’t have to be the Hoosiers’ leading scorer in every game, like he wasagainst Chattanooga.But he has to bring the fundamental defensive skill, relentless hustle and desire that makes him multi-dimensional.Make no mistake, despite the increased production from last season, this is stillthe same Oladipo.After an alley-oop two-handed slam from Hulls at the 17:42 mark in the secondhalf, IU went on a 17-6 run.Following his slams tonight, Oladipo put his hand over his face in a new celebration.“It’s just something to get me motivated,” he said. “I had to have something because during the year, Coach Crean always told me I got to find something to get me going,and it’s just something one of my best friends told me to try to do. And that’s something I’m going to try and keep with me.”With any luck, Oladipo will have an imprint of his hand on his face by the end of the season.
With a 96-55 win over Presbyterian Saturday, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski ties Bob Knight for most wins in Division I men's basketball history with 902. Coach K will attempt to break the record Tuesday, when Michigan State heads to Cameron Indoor.
The IDS basketball guys break down IU's 30-point victory against Stony Brook
A couple takeaway points from IU's 96-66 victory over Stony Brook: