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(02/10/10 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ohio State coach Thad Matta has proven to be one of the best recruiters in the nation, and since taking over for the Buckeyes he has pulled in many of the best players in the region – including a number of stars from the Hoosier State. Matta’s No. 2 ranked class in 2006 included Indianapolis natives Greg Oden and Mike Conley, while his highly touted 2010 class will include five-star forward and Fort Wayne native DeShaun Thomas. But this year’s Ohio State squad (18-6), currently ranked No. 13 in the country, has just a single Indiana native. And while this particular player has earned just 47 minutes in four years, he might be the most well-known Buckeye of them all. Senior Mark Titus grew up in Brownsburg, Ind., a small town northwest of Indianapolis, but he has quickly emerged as a celebrity at Ohio State and all across the college basketball world. What makes Titus unique, however, is what he does off the court. “I’m a benchwarmer on the Ohio State basketball team that has a blog that’s more successful than it ever should have been,” Titus said. “There’s nothing all that special about me, other than the fact that I have inside access to a high-caliber college basketball team, and I write about my experiences.” Titus’ blog is called Club Trillion, an ode to a frequent walk-on statline consisting solely of one minute of playing time. That is, a one followed by a number of zeroes, and hence the “trillion.” The 6-foot-4 guard developed the idea to blog about his experiences during his sophomore year. Titus said he “didn’t even know what a blog” was then, but after doing some research and getting it started, it took off. “When I reached 500 total hits, I called all my friends and bragged about how crazy it was – so I guess it’s safe to say that I never envisioned over two million views,” he said. Aside from the insight into playing at Ohio State, Titus’ wit and humor are what made him an instant star – so big that he’s been interviewed by ESPN’s Bill Simmons and has been featured on ESPN’s First Take and in a number of publications such as Sports Illustrated. More recently, Titus has produced the latest YouTube sensation, “Mr. Rainmaker,” a video compilation of Titus’ basketball skills, fundamentals and tips from a D1 basketball player. In the end credits of his video, which received about 150,000 views in only four weeks, Titus paid homage to one of his favorite coaches – specifically his sweater. “Bob Knight is really the only reason I even cared about basketball when I was growing up,” Titus said. “All I wanted to do was play at Indiana for Coach Knight. In fact, when he was fired, I got progressively worse at basketball somehow.” Titus, who met Knight and other members of OSU’s 1960 National Championship game two weekends ago, grew up a “huge” IU fan. “I was at the Duke game in Lexington (Ky.) during their tournament and went crazy like every other Hoosier fan when (A.J.) Moye blocked (Carlos) Boozer’s shot,” he said. Although the Buckeyes are his new team, Titus still supports IU when the team isn’t matched up against OSU and “still get(s) chills hearing the IU fight song when we play in Bloomington,” he said. While a shoulder injury has likely ended Titus’ playing career, he posted a “trillion” versus in his last career game on Jan. 19. Even though he won’t play tonight versus IU, he hopes to be embraced by the Hoosier faithful. “I just want all the Hoosier fans to know that the only goal I have in my life at this point is to become one of those giant heads that are held up during free throws,” Titus said. Titus added that his goal to become a big head is his “only motivation in life,” and he hopes to become famous enough to make it into the Assembly Hall bleachers – even though he doesn’t play for IU. “I’m hoping that since I’m from Indiana and since I grew up a Hoosier fan, an exception can be made,” he said. “Plus, I have a disproportionately large head to begin with, so that’s got to count for something.”
(02/08/10 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After IU dropped a 58-43 contest to Iowa on Jan. 24, something changed. Both IU coach Tom Crean and his players alike spoke about the team’s quality practices and its renewed focus and belief since the home loss. Despite falling short at Illinois and at home versus No. 8 Purdue, the Hoosiers looked, acted and felt like an entirely different team. “No question,” junior guard Jeremiah Rivers said after the 78-75 loss to Purdue. “I think just the way we are playing. I think our communication is better, our defense is better, our offense is better. You can see that we’re really focused right now.” Watching IU battle Illinois until the final horn and seeing the Hoosiers push the highly-touted Boilermakers for 40 minutes, we all saw those qualities first-hand. Sunday’s game at Northwestern, however, was a completely different story. In fact, the Hoosiers looked like the same, inconsistent Hoosiers that have been unpredictable all season. After an 8-of-16 effort from beyond the arc versus Purdue, IU shot 2-of-17 from deep Sunday. In fact, senior guard Devan Dumes and freshman guard Jordan Hulls took that word to an entirely different level. Early in the first half, Dumes pulled up from Buffalo Grove, Ill., and later followed his first missed 3-pointer with a 28- or 30-footer that missed everything and had enough air to land at O’Hare Airport. Late in the second, with IU trying to claw back, the momentum was lost when Hulls threw up a bomb from Eric Gordon-like territory with the Hoosiers in transition. The miss led to a 5-0 Wildcats run with IU down just 11, its smallest deficit since the 19:22 mark in the second half. IU appeared to be taking too many quick shots, including a number off fast breaks, perhaps intimidated by the defensive problems Northwestern has been known to create. The Hoosiers got large boosts off the bench since switching to the more traditional two-guard lineup after the Iowa game, but the team’s first bench points Sunday came with 4:24 left in the game. Games are won and lost by team efforts, but sophomore guard Verdell Jones carried the Hoosiers on his back all day. Of the Hoosiers’ 18 made field goals, Jones accounted for 13 of them with his seven made field goals and six assists.Freshman forward Christian Watford chipped in 16 points, but 4 of his 5 field goals came on looks from Jones and a pair of his trips to the free-throw line were also created by Jones’ passes. Jones, who posted a career-high 28 points, including 12-of-13 shooting from the foul line, has certainly responded since the Iowa loss. He is averaging 24 points and 5 assists over the last three games. With Rivers and Hulls in the picture, Jones has played significantly fewer minutes this year as the team’s point guard. But Sunday, Jones was unquestionably IU’s best player on the floor, whether he was running the point or playing in his typical off-ball position. IU needed the ball in his hands in almost any offense, but one man typically can’t do it all. Injured freshman guard Maurice Creek has been sidelined for 10 games, so it’s not like IU hasn’t had time to find another scorer. The Hoosiers might be a different team after all, but until a player outside of Jones consistently produces, IU will likely run into the same problems that have been hurting the team all season.
(02/06/10 7:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Crean’s Hoosiers are looking to bounce back from heartbreaking losses against two of the Big Ten’s best. The losses came by a combined total of five points and it’s certainly gotten some fans asking, "What if freshman guard Maurice Creek wasn’t injured?"Northwestern fans might be asking a similar question considering the team is off to its best start in 51 years and is two wins shy of matching its school record of 17 wins. The Wildcats are 15-7 and needing at least a few more wins for NCAA Tournament consideration – all this without star senior Kevin Coble (2nd team All-Big Ten in 2008-09) who is out for the year after having foot surgery.The Wildcats are only a game ahead of the Hoosiers in the Big Ten standings, but they have done a number of things IU wasn’t able to accomplish this year – win at Michigan and record home victories against Purdue and Illinois.Sunday’s game will game pit two of the hottest players against each other. Verdell Jones and John Shurna, both sophomores from Illinois, have been among the league’s best players in Big Ten play. Shurna is first in the conference in scoring in Big Ten games (19.6 points), while Jones is seventh (17.6 points). Shurna scored 31 and 15 in his last two outings, while Jones has posted consecutive 22-point performances.Although they play different positions, two of the top contenders for Big Ten Freshman of the Year will be in action on Sunday. IU’s Christian Watford is averaging 12.2 points and 6 rebounds (12 points and 5.9 rebounds in Big Ten games), while 6-foot-5 Northwestern wing Drew Crawford is averaging 11.4 points and 4.2 rebounds (13.7 points and 4.6 rebounds) in Big Ten games).IU has looked like a much different team since the Iowa loss and is ready for a win. The team’s ability to bounce back and the Hoosiers’ will to win could ultimately decide this one. Expect it to come down to the final minutes, but I’ll give the nod to Northwestern as the home team.Northwestern 70, IU 67
(02/05/10 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was a familiar scene watching the IU men’s basketball team leave the court after the game, only this time it was a different setting.At Illinois on Saturday, sophomore guard Verdell Jones stood by the IU bench with both hands up high on the back of his head with a look of extreme disappointment on his face.Following a miss on a potential game-tying 3-pointer from deep in the backcourt on Thursday at Assembly Hall, Jones made his way to the bench with the same body language and a similar look on his face.For the second time in five days, IU lost a one-possession game, only this time it was against a top-10 team.Earlier in the week, IU coach Tom Crean said his players would essentially need to play a perfect game to upend the Boilermakers. For 35 of the game’s 40 minutes, they essentially did just that.But once again, IU went cold from the floor and didn’t make the necessary defensive stops.The Hoosiers were close, but when push came to shove, the veteran Boilermakers were more composed than the Hoosiers and made big plays down the stretch.“We just didn’t get enough defensive stops in this game at key times,” Crean said. “You’ve got to be able to finish things in stretches defensively.”With 5:44 to play, freshman guard Jordan Hulls capitalized on a Jones steal by burying a 3-pointer to put the Hoosiers ahead 69-66. It was IU’s first lead since they led 49-47 less than two minutes into the second half. In the next 4:46, the Hoosiers missed two field goals and the front ends of three 1-and-1 free-throw situations.Purdue capitalized and went on a 9-0 run, jumpstarted by a pair of free throws from junior JaJuan Johnson.Elston’s missed free throw turned into a 3-pointer from junior Robbie Hummel – essentially a four-point swing. Jones’ miss, meanwhile, by way of a failed putback from freshman forward Christian Watford, led to a jumper from junior E’Twaun Moore.In that same stretch, Hummel also connected on a two-point jumper.The Hoosiers had just gone on an 8-0 run to capture the lead, but Purdue’s star trio put the gold and black up by six with 1:16 to play.Certainly IU wasn’t out of the game, as Jones nearly sent the rivalry matchup into overtime with his desperate 3-point attempt at the buzzer. But the team somewhat unraveled at the end and lost not only the lead, but also the momentum.“They hit some big shots, and I’ve got to give credit when credit’s due,” junior guard Jeremiah Rivers said. “They’re a good team. We had our chances, we just weren’t able to close out.”As much as Purdue deserves credit, especially the team’s three star juniors, IU really shot itself in the foot late in the game.You can see how different this team is since the loss to Iowa – “a direct result of how we’ve practiced,” Crean said – but it looks the same in terms of late-game management.The Hoosiers are young and will have plenty of time to grow, but their late-game play could result in a number of losses.As always, however, it’s time to move on.“It’s another heartbreaker for us. It was tough for us,” Rivers said. “The team’s got to rebound. You can’t really go home and sulk over these. We’ve got a game on Sunday, and we’ve got to get ready for that.”
(02/04/10 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU coach Tom Crean doesn’t set numerical goals. Google it, and you’ll see a number of quotes saying just that.The Hoosiers’ second-year coach knows where improvement is being made and that progress is not necessarily something that can be defined by wins and losses.But for everyone else, what are reasonable expectations as the Hoosiers begin the first of their final 10 games today versus Purdue? Perhaps more importantly, what needs to be accomplished for this season to be considered a success? At 9-11, a 10th win would certainly be a milestone for the Hoosiers. Maybe a greater goal for IU should be to pull out a few more conference wins, a feat that might place the team as high as eighth in the Big Ten. Having already lost its previous matchup to Feb. 28 opponent Iowa and looking at the road ahead, IU could very well play the underdog role in each of the remaining games. In other words, it could be quite the struggle for the Hoosiers down the stretch.But the tough schedule also creates a great opportunity for IU to really show how far it has come in year two. If the Hoosiers manage to eke out, say, two or three more victories, the difference between an 11-19 season and a 12-18 record would be marginal. One win here or there won’t mean anything in the long run. What IU really must do to prove it is much closer to a return to national prominence, at least for me, is to get a signature win – going up against a ranked opponent and pulling an upset. It’s time for IU to prove it can hang with NCAA Tournament-caliber teams – much like the Hoosiers did for one half versus Kentucky in December. In the team’s only major Big Ten test to date, they fell by 25 at Ohio State. The wins versus Pittsburgh, Michigan and Minnesota were, for lack of a better term, nice. Certainly those victories were good for the program moving forward. But that wasn’t the same Pitt team that started Big East play 5-0 and will likely be dancing come March, and the Wolverines and Golden Gophers are second-tier Big Ten teams. Beginning with No. 8 Purdue (18-3) today at Assembly Hall, six of IU’s next 10 opponents are currently among the 20 best teams in America. Crean’s squad will have a number of opportunities to upend a serious foe, but what’s stopping them from doing it today? A year ago, IU was 0-8 in games versus Top 25 opponents. IU’s December loss to then-No. 4 Kentucky has been its only matchup to date with a ranked team this season. Sure, rankings are subjective, but a win is a win versus a ranked foe, especially a team as highly regarded as Purdue this late in the year. IU is 0-10 versus Top 25 opponents since March 2008, dating back to the 103-74 debacle at Michigan State. The Hoosiers’ last big win – though not an upset, due to IU’s ranking – came against none other than the Boilermakers on Feb. 19, 2008 in the final game of Kelvin Sampson’s tenure at IU. IU hasn’t faced Purdue at home since, but in the one trip to Mackey Arena lead by Crean, the Hoosiers were within three possessions of the Boilermakers 37 minutes into the game.Purdue is currently riding a four-game win streak and has key wins against Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Crean said the Boilermakers are one of the top teams in the nation, and the Hoosiers can’t afford to make many errors. “For us to be able to beat a team like Purdue now, we have to play an outstanding game in a lot of areas,” Crean said Monday in the Big Ten weekly teleconference. But the Boilermakers are only 3-2 on the road, including a loss at Northwestern, and they haven’t seen an opponent’s floor in 16 days. Beating an opponent of Purdue’s caliber would be huge for IU looking ahead, though it might not happen today or even at all this season. You might call me crazy for thinking IU has a reasonable chance tonight. But should the Hoosiers pull off the upset, I won’t be the one having to decide whether a team’s fans can storm the court twice in one year. Cohen’s Prediction: IU 68, Purdue 66
(02/01/10 3:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – If a picture is worth a thousand words, it takes only one to describe the look on Jeremiah Rivers’ face moments after Saturday’s loss to Illinois: devastation.With IU coach Tom Crean by his side, the junior guard slowly walked across the court toward the IU bench with a look on his face that epitomized the clichéd words “agony of defeat.”This was not just any loss.Sophomore guard Verdell Jones called the loss “gut-wrenching” – the same term he once used to describe the scene of freshman guard Maurice Creek hitting the floor with what became a season-ending knee injury.Considering the manner in which IU lost Saturday, a buzzer-beating floater from Illinois guard Demetri McCamey, the Hoosiers had every right to bury their faces into their jerseys.But watching IU battle for 40 solid minutes on the road, Crean’s squad has a lot to be proud of.Six days after Crean spoke of his team’s “lack of physicality and toughness” in its 15-point loss to Iowa on Jan. 24, he praised his players’ efforts in “an incredibly hard-fought game.”“I’m certainly proud of the resiliency, the edge, the energy and the execution of my team,” Crean said.Without a doubt, he should be.IU had its share of mistakes and gave Illinois a number of easy baskets, including six dunks. But for much of the game, including the majority of the second half, the Hoosiers looked like the more experienced team between the two and hardly flashed any signs of inexperience.The Hoosiers hit 13-of-14 from the free-throw line in the second half, including their last seven.IU had 17 offensive rebounds and converted those into 19 second-chance points. They made smart plays with and off the ball, and not once did the Hoosiers flinch in the wake of danger.The jury is still out on Illinois, as its six conference wins have come against the Big Ten teams with the four worst records. However, no matter who they played, the effort the Hoosiers displayed Saturday seemed indicative of good things to come.IU’s trip to Illinois came six days after the loss to Iowa, and the team responded to its week of practice in a big way and displayed its growth.“We took that week and we thought we really capitalized on a bunch of days of really focusing on the things that we need to do to be successful,” freshman forward Bobby Capobianco said. “We came out tonight and were able to execute those things.”Jones also spoke highly of the team’s preparations prior to the trip, saying it was “probably the best week of practice we’ve had since I’ve been here.”The scoreboard and the standings both indicated an IU loss on Saturday, but the Hoosiers played like winners and, as Jones said, there wasn’t a single weak link on the floor.Freshman forward Christian Watford, for example, shot 1-of-10 from the floor, picked up a technical foul and had one of his worst overall outings in his young career. Yet he hit four key free throws and made a nice hook shot late in the second half.IU played some of its best team basketball Saturday and simply made plays.Perhaps it made the loss that much harder to swallow.While the players were crushed following the loss and likely the rest of the weekend, it is games like these that can make a young team stronger and significantly better in the long run.“It’s very hard, but we’re learning about what it takes to be successful,” Crean said. “Our game was constituted by the week we had of practice, by the week we had of work, by the combativeness and energy of our work against one another. That’s what we have to continue to build on.”
(01/29/10 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are no days off in the Big Ten.Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said it Sunday. IU coach Tom Crean has probably said it a number of times in the last two years. Even Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, whose Spartans have gone 23-3 in conference play over the last year and a half, has surely uttered those same words at some point.For IU, that sentiment will especially hold true as the team embarks on the final stretch of the season.Thus far, the Hoosiers have posted a 3-4 Big Ten record , which has included just two games – both losses – against two of the league’s top five teams.With 11 games left on the Hoosiers’ schedule, they have yet to face No. 5 Michigan State, No. 12 Purdue, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 24 Ohio State or Northwestern (14-6) at Assembly Hall.Crean’s 9-10 squad will also hit the road six times, including trips to West Lafayette, Ind., and Madison, Wisc. Less than two years into Crean’s restoration of the program, IU has posted just a 1-11 record in Big Ten road games and a combined 3-19 record in all games outside of Bloomington.Before IU can turn its focus to the other road trips and all the matchups versus ranked foes, the Hoosiers have been dealt the typically difficult task of playing on Illinois’ home court.While IU holds an 82-81 edge in the all-time series, the Hoosiers are 1-7 at the other Assembly Hall since 2000. Were it not for Sean Pruitt’s free throw shooting performance in 2008, Illinois would be riding a 10-year streak without a home loss to IU heading into Saturday’s game.Don’t expect IU to get embarrassed by 31 points again, but considering Illinois has already beaten IU once this year, it is reasonable to question whether the Hoosiers have it in them to win in Champaign, Ill.Certainly the biggest challenge will be that of 7-foot-1 Illinois’ junior center Mike Tisdale.When IU first met him three weeks ago, Tisdale went for 27 points and 9 rebounds, which included a 13-of-14 effort from the free-throw line.In the five games since, Tisdale’s 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 9-of-14 free-throw shooting didn’t exactly make me all that interested in watching him on the Big Ten Network’s most recent episode of “The Journey.”On Jan. 19, Purdue managed to hold the 7-footer to 4 points and 5 rebounds. But clearly IU doesn’t have a JaJuan Johnson-type big man to keep Tisdale in check.In that game, Johnson recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes. In IU’s 66-60 loss on Jan. 9, meanwhile, the Hoosiers’ four-man frontcourt totaled 14 points and 18 rebounds in a combined 80 minutes of play.Naturally, look for Illinois coach Bruce Weber to get a number of dump downs into Tisdale.“Illinois is running a lot of ball screens along with more high-low action to get the ball in the middle to Mike Tisdale,” Crean tweeted on Thursday.But the Illini have quite the backcourt as well. Freshman D.J. Richardson and junior Demetri McCamey combined for 33 points in the first contest at IU.McCamey has averaged 17.4 points and 6.4 assists in the five games since, while Richardson has tallied 11.4 points per game in the same time span. Illinois, ranked No. 23 to start the year, has completely underachieved this year. Despite a 5-3 conference record, tied with Ohio State for third-best in the league, the Fighting Illini’s only wins have come against 3-5 Northwestern, 2-6 Iowa, 3-4 IU and 0-8 Penn State twice.Still, Illinois is 10-2 at home and has not been a kind road opponent for IU in recent memory. Like Forrest Gump’s “box of chocolates” analogy, there is no knowing which Hoosiers you will get each time you watch them take the court. IU has had some impressive outings, such as Pittsburgh and Minnesota. The team has also had its share of bad efforts, including Loyola (Md.) and Iowa on Sunday. That being said, regardless of which Hoosiers show up in Champaign, I’d truly be surprised if they come back home with a victory.Cohen’s prediction: Illinois 66, IU 56
(01/25/10 5:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Even if temporary and based solely on conference records, a win against Iowa would have placed IU in the upper tier of the Big Ten. A victory would have given the Hoosiers a 4-3 record in league play and put them in a four-way tie for third place in the Big Ten with Illinois, Ohio State and Purdue. Only Michigan State (7-0) and Wisconsin (6-2) have better records. But rather than rejoining the conference’s elite – Purdue finished second in 2008 and 2009, while the other four have combined for the last seven regular season Big Ten titles – IU is back among the league’s pretenders. Don’t get me wrong, the Big Ten is a good conference. That is precisely why a loss to 7-12 Iowa at home hurts. With six more road contests to go and the likes of Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin yet to make it to Bloomington, Sunday’s contest was almost a must-win for IU. No, the season didn’t hinge on that one game. But for any team to be a serious threat in a top-flight league, it is essential they handle all of the lesser competition. The Hoosiers weren’t in a position to overlook the Hawkeyes, as IU coach Tom Crean said. However, there’s really not much of an explanation for coming out flat and getting outplayed and out-muscled the way IU did. Teams don’t win games scoring 43 points. Teams don’t win games getting out-rebounded by 16. Teams don’t win games with a 13-point differential in second-chance points. Considering Iowa, like IU, started two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior – while the Hawkeyes’ 10 bench points came from a single freshman – Crean was 100 percent correct in saying he couldn’t blame the effort on youth. “I’m putting this on fight,” he said. “We just did not have a toughness about us today that we would’ve beaten anybody.” Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers, meanwhile, said the two days of practice following the win at Penn State went “great” and the team was “real focused” heading into Sunday’s game. IU was well aware of what Iowa could do, he said. “I think at the end of the day, they wanted this more than we did,” Rivers said. “I don’t think we had that sense of urgency that we had against Penn State, that we had against Minnesota.” Well, why not? Certainly one could argue Iowa had more to prove Sunday than IU, but there is no excuse for the team’s “lack of physicality and toughness” that Crean emphasized after the game. Last Thursday, not only did the Hoosiers prevail in a road contest, but they led for the duration of essentially the entire 40 minutes. Aside from the failed comeback attempt versus Loyola (Md.), IU has not exactly responded well to large deficits. But there was no reason they couldn’t have Sunday. The Hoosiers went on an 11-0 run to grab the lead back from the Hawkeyes 13 minutes into the game, but that was the only instance in which IU was able to muster quality play for an extended period of time. Perhaps this will serve as a lesson for the Hoosiers as they move forward. But having a Saturday date with the Orange Krush in Champaign, Ill., and a home showdown the following Thursday with 16-3 Purdue, it won’t get any easier. IU has five days of practice separating Sunday’s loss and the game at Illinois. How the team responds Saturday should ultimately tell how much fight this team really has – even if it wasn’t there against Iowa.
(01/22/10 5:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Wednesday, IU coach Tom Crean told members of the media that Penn State’s 0-5 Big Ten record and 8-9 overall season performance was “misleading.” The Nittany Lions had lost a number of close games.But Penn State looked like a junior varsity Big Ten team, if there were such a thing, though IU deserves all the credit for going on the road and beating Ed DeChellis’ squad at the Bryce Jordan Center.It was a rather uneventful game, but what most stood out to me watching the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions do battle was one number in particular: zero lead changes.IU got in foul trouble, Penn State won the rebounding battle by eight and they were dominated in the paint by the not-so-talented Andrew Ott.Yet the Hoosiers stuck to their game plan, did an overall good job in limiting junior guard Talor Battle offensively, kept their composure throughout the game and never surrendered the lead.Following a 5-0 spurt by Penn State, the game was tied at 40 seven minutes into the second half, but IU went on a 10-2 run to grab an eight-point lead. Though the offense looked a bit sluggish for a few minutes without junior guard Jeremiah Rivers – he was riding the pine with four fouls – it was senior guard Devan Dumes who came to the aid of his teammates.During the 10-2 run, which put the Hoosiers up in front 50-42, Dumes hit a big 3 and added a pair of two-point buckets.Late in the game, it was two familiar faces – freshman forward Christian Watford and sophomore guard Verdell Jones – that made key plays for the Hoosiers.With just a 60-57 lead and under four minutes to play, Dumes missed a deep 3 that might have given Penn State a chance to cut the lead or tie the game. But in swooped Watford with a big offensive rebound that not only reset the shot clock, but it eventually led to trey from Jones that extended the lead to six.On IU’s next possession, Jones got in the lane, faded away and connected on a fall-away jumper to make it 65-57. Though Penn State tried clawing back, sophomore guard Daniel Moore hit a pair of free throws to seal the deal.But it wasn’t just Dumes, Watford, Jones or even Moore, for that matter. It was Rivers’ 6 first-half points, freshman forward Derek Elston’s 8 points and 3 blocks coming off the bench and freshman guard Jordan Hulls’ steady play without Rivers.“Everybody that played made a big contribution,” Crean said. “It might have been free throws, it might have been a rebound. When you’re on the road in a possession-by-possession game, everything is magnified. And when you make those kinds of contributions, it makes your team feel really good about themselves.”The game was boring at times, as IU slowed the pace of the game and worked their offense, but it was enough to get things done.IU had an answer for Penn State in most situations, and while Battle went for 22 points, he missed 11 shots and the team was held to 4-of-22 from behind the arc.The end result might be a bit different at Illinois next Saturday if the team finds itself in early foul trouble and gets outrebounded like they did.However, the Hoosiers took care of business when it came down to it, and they held their own on Penn State’s home court.“Our guys should feel good about themselves,” Crean said. “They earned a victory again tonight.”
(01/21/10 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sitting down at a Starbucks in his hometown of Loveland, Ohio last winter, I fired a number of questions at then-high school senior Bobby Capobianco in a lengthy sit-down interview.Unlike most other teenage basketball prospects, Capobianco was never a kid of just a few words. Instead, and much to the delight of any journalist who ever spoke with him, Capobianco was like a well-oiled interview machine.He gave long answers, he was honest and he always seemed to say just the right thing.When asked about the role he anticipated having during his freshman season at IU, the 6-foot-9 big man talked about simply listening to his future coach, Tom Crean.“I don’t know if he’s going to throw me out there and say, ‘Bobby, we need you to score.’ If he says that, then by all means, I’m going to try my best to score. If he says, ‘Bobby we need you to go out there and play defense and rebound,’ I’ll do that,” Capobianco said. “I just want to go out there and make a difference and help the team win.”Though Capobianco has averaged just 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds through 17 games, the former Loveland Tiger is certainly making a difference and he played a major role in IU’s 81-78 win Sunday.Although he fouled out in only 15 minutes of action against Minnesota, Capobianco pulled down three offensive rebounds, hit his first-career 3-pointer and recorded two steals. He also hit that scoop shot from 16 feet out to beat the shot clock and to save junior guard Jeremiah Rivers from his bad play.Outside of the box score stats, the freshman forward battled hard against Minnesota’s 6-foot-11 center, Ralph Sampson, and made other plays to help the team. Along with his 7-point, 10-rebound performance in an early season loss to George Mason - as well as a 7-point, 4-rebound game in the win versus Pittsburgh - the Minnesota game was likely Capobianco’s best outing.Despite averaging just six minutes in the five games that took place during winter vacation, Capobianco has seen 21, 15 and 15 minutes, respectively, in each of the last three games. At his press conference on Wednesday, Crean called the search for a consistent starting big man to compliment freshman forward Christian Watford “a complicated situation.”Crean said he would like to give everyone minutes – including the seldom-used senior center Tijan Jobe and freshman center Bawa Muniru.But as Crean figures things out, from the sounds of it at least, Capobianco is making it tough on the other members of the front court through his strong play in practice. Crean spoke about one drill, in particular, in which the team went four-on-four and was not allowed to dribble.“(He) made the most passes, got the most rebounds, made the most baskets,” Crean said. “Those are the signs that he is going to be a pretty good player because he does have a pretty good understanding and feel for the game. “He’s just got to get experience and I think his confidence will grow. If anybody grew up the other day it was him, in the sense of a game. I don’t think there’s any question about that.”Fellow freshman Jordan Hulls, who has played with Capobianco since the eighth grade, said his former AAU teammate is “getting better everyday.”“He’s a hard worker and he just does whatever needs to be done,” Hulls said. “He’s willing to do whatever it takes to win and, today in that drill, he was rebounding like crazy and getting all the putbacks.”Last winter, Capobianco said he has always admired San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, a great player “who is never flashy.”While Capobianco, himself, is never full of flash and isn’t all that athletic, in tonight’s game at Penn State, he will have another opportunity to prove himself and gain more confidence.He might not start and he might not do much scoring, but if he gets the minutes, look for “Big Bobby” to make a difference against the Nittany Lions.Prediction: IU 68, PSU 64
(01/19/10 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Verdell Jones was running on fumes.The sophomore guard from Champaign, Ill., went into overtime Sunday with 17 points and had made 10-of-12 free throws.Jones hit his 11th free throw 45 seconds into the extra period. But he missed the second of two and later missed a pair with IU trailing 76-71.“Those free throws I missed, I think it was just my legs – the legs were gone,” Jones said. The 6-foot-5 guard said there was “a little mental fatigue and physical fatigue.” Watching Jones and his teammates from press row, that seemed like a major understatement.One of the team managers probably should have slipped some 5-Hour Energy into Jones’ water bottle late in the game, as Jones played the entire second half and overtime, finishing the game having played 40 of the 45 minutes.Yet in the game’s final two minutes, Jones hit his next two shots from the charity stripe to cut Minnesota’s lead to three, and then hit a pull-up jumper from just inside the free-throw line.Following a missed layup by Minnesota guard Devoe Joseph, the lanky IU guard took him one-on-one and ultimately threw up a turnaround jumper, drew a foul and hit what came to be the game-winning basket.TV play-by-play man Gus Johnson gave shout his patented “ha-ha” over TV broadcast; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, already up on his feet at his courtside seat next to Pat Ewing, Jr., yelled in excitement; and the rest of the 17,000 crowd in Assembly Hall went into a frenzy.It was a great team effort and win, one that seemed unlikely when Minnesota brought the momentum into overtime and had five-point leads on two occasions. But with apologies to every other player on the court, Jones certainly deserves a great deal of the credit for the victory.IU’s front court combined for 33 points and 25 rebounds. Senior guard Devan Dumes had a very good first half and was key in helping the Hoosiers take over the opening frame. Freshman guard Jordan Hulls, though he didn’t fill up the stat sheet, played a good game himself.But it was Jones who truly personified what IU coach Tom Crean described as the two defining words of the Hoosiers’ 81-78 victory: “perseverance and scrappiness.”Jones made his college decision later than most in 2008, ultimately choosing IU in early May instead of Billy Gillespie’s Kentucky Wildcats and Tubby Smith’s Minnesota.Smith, the losing coach in Sunday’s game, saw firsthand what he lost out on roughly 20 months ago. “He’s very talented,” Smith said. “He’s long and athletic. He’s a very heady player, a very smart player. He knows how to draw the foul. You hedge on the pick and roll and he knows how to use his body and force you to foul him.”But while Jones did take 19 free-throw shots, missing six of them caused less reason to celebrate – at least for one person.“My dad, when I first came out to say ‘What’s up’ to him, he didn’t even say ‘Hi,’ or anything. He said, ‘You’ve got to make free throws,’” Jones said of his conversation with his father. “That’s something I have to keep working on.”But at the end of the day, IU beat a good Minnesota team and Jones put together a pretty nice stat line – a career-high 24 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.On a day in which the likes of Hibbert, ex-Hoosiers Damon Bailey and Brian Evans, former Indiana Pacers center Rik Smits, and, reportedly, Cincinnati Reds third baseman and Jasper, Ind., native Scott Rolen, were in Assembly Hall, it was Jones who left the arena as the big man on campus.And while the postgame court rush celebration was extremely premature – let’s face it, Minnesota might not even make the NCAA Tournament – it was a quality win for the Hoosiers and a tremendous effort from Jones down the stretch.“He stayed fearless,” Crean said. “That’s exactly what you have to be when you’re making that transition to being a very good player, which he’s doing.”
(01/15/10 6:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With 3:34 to go in Thursday night’s game at Crisler Arena, Michigan claimed a 57-45 lead. The Wolverines finished the contest on a 12-0 run, but by then it made no difference.Michigan finally did what it had been trying to do all game – and that was blow it wide open for a 69-45 win.IU put up a lackluster effort and was outplayed by a Michigan team that looks like it will be sitting comfortably in the N.I.T. field two months from now. After being dominated at Ohio State and seeing the Illinois game slip out of their hands on Saturday, perhaps the Hoosiers deserve some credit for hanging tough on the road for as long as they did.The way IU shot, the way they carelessly passed the ball at times and the way they let Michigan get the number of second chance opportunities that they did, it could have been a lot worse even earlier.As the Hoosiers have done all season, they managed some big buckets when their back was seemingly up against the wall. Early in the second half, one that started just as ugly as the first, freshman guard Jordan Hulls took his man one way, spun and drove in for a crafty lay up from the other side to cut the deficit to just four points.“A little razzle dazzle by Jordan Hulls,” ESPN commentator Steve Lavin exclaimed on the broadcast. But as the half wore on, the Hoosiers continued to play sloppily, missed a lot of shots and looked more frazzled than anything near “razzle dazzle.”IU couldn’t get over the hump and bring the lead under four points, and the mistakes mounted.Freshman forward Derek Elston badly overthrew a wide open freshman forward in Bobby Capobianco, and he later airballed a free throw; Hulls dribbled a ball off his knee and out of bounds; Michigan began beating IU to the basket with simple crossovers; and Wolverines star guard Manny Harris scored 17 points in the final 11:03 of the game to seal the deal.Without freshman guard Maurice Creek able to suit up, IU has lacked a true scorer. Further, while freshman forward Christian Watford was very productive, the Hoosiers continue to get next to no production from the other big men.Aside from Watford, IU’s three other members of the front court combined for 8 points and 9 fouls. Capobianco didn’t even take a shot, despite some open looks.The Hoosiers hung by a thread for most of the game until Michigan completed the inevitable and took over late.It wasn’t as bad as the performance at Ohio State earlier in the month, but IU simply looks uncomfortable away from Assembly Hall.From purely a shooting standpoint, the Hoosiers have connected on 35.2 percent of their field goal attempts (37-of-103) and 15.1 percent of their 3-point shots (5-of-33) in the two road games versus Ohio State and Michigan. IU alternates home and road games over the next 12 contests and will need a much better effort versus Minnesota on Sunday to restore some of its confidence. Or maybe they don’t need more confidence. Just a better overall effort.
(01/14/10 3:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Technically speaking, the Hoosiers haven’t won a game all year. IU closed out 2009 with a bang, defeating Michigan by six at Assembly Hall in a New Year’s Eve showdown. Despite two straight losses, the Hoosiers have a chance to beat a familiar foe when they play the Wolverines in Ann Arbor today.Some have credited the Dec. 31 victory to emotion, as the team was playing its first game without star freshman guard Maurice Creek. IU coach Tom Crean isn’t buying that.“We executed. We earned the victory,” Crean said.It will take similar execution and a solid defensive effort for the Hoosiers to prevail as “the victors” this time around, especially playing on the road at Crisler Arena.Michigan is good enough to win on most nights, but it hasn’t exactly done that. And while it has an excellent one-two punch in junior guard Manny Harris and senior forward DeShawn Sims, there is not a whole lot else.John Beilein’s team gets little offensive production from its bench, and its best reserve, freshman guard Darius Morris, is more of a defensive stopper.Michigan doesn’t have the personnel to compete at the highest of levels day in and day out, or at least it hasn’t shown that in the first half of the season. But the Wolverines do have weapons.When Harris and Sims were slowed by foul trouble versus IU two weeks ago, sophomore guards Stu Douglass and Zack Novak picked up much of the slack. The Indiana natives went for 16 and 18 points, respectively – and the duo combined to shoot 8-of-15 from behind the 3-point line. Since the loss to IU, however, the duo has combined for just 9-of-30 from outside, or 30 percent, and as of Sunday the team as a whole was ranked No. 261 among Division I teams in 3-point shooting.But as Crean said before the teams’ first meeting, “They can get hot at any time.”Michigan’s fifth starter, sophomore guard Laval Lucas-Perry, recently showed just that. Despite posting a doughnut at Assembly Hall and having been kept scoreless in three of the team’s last four games, Lucas-Perry hit four 3s and scored 16 points to help pace the Wolverines past Penn State on Thursday.Although IU could have its hands full with any of those three, it still comes down to stopping the Harris-Sims duo.The Detroit natives, who average 37 points and 13.9 rebounds combined per game, are both versatile in their own rights and have played well since the IU loss.Sims, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, averaged 23.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in the three games since Michigan’s trek to Bloomington. Harris, meanwhile, posted 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, four assists and three steals in that same period.While both were kept in check by the Hoosiers the first go-around, combining for 25 points, four rebounds and nine fouls, they are unquestionably the biggest threat to IU.Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers did an excellent job limiting the athletic and aggressive Harris last game, but the IU guard is anticipating a different Harris in game two.“He missed some of the shots he usually makes, so I’m sure next game he’s going to come even harder and more determined to score and win the game,” Rivers said. “We’re going to have to be ready for that.”Sims, meanwhile, though playing the role of power forward as the only big man in the Michigan starting lineup, can step out and shoot, hit pull-up jumpers and drive to the basket.The dilemma IU faced last time was that it stopped Harris and Sims for the most part but left Novak and Douglass open for too many shots. Michigan missed 18 of its last 23 3-pointers but could hurt IU if it gets a lot of open looks this time. Further, Michigan is among the nation’s best with a + 4.3 turnover margin and a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio. Facing a team that makes minimal mistakes, it will be critical for the Hoosiers to take care of the ball, challenge Michigan’s shots and box out and grab the long rebounds from missed 3s.While rather obvious, oftentimes IU has struggled with the basic elements of winning basketball games. Furthermore, it is imperative for the Hoosiers not to come out flat like they did in their last road contest. IU beat Michigan once, but I don’t like their chances away from home. Cohen’s prediction: Michigan 69, IU 65
(01/11/10 4:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Welcome to the Big Ten, IU.Saturday might have marked the Hoosiers’ third game already in conference play, but IU coach Tom Crean’s squad received a good taste of what it will be facing during the rest of the season.On a day in which Wisconsin handed Purdue its first loss and Ohio State fell to 1-3 in league play, IU dropped a hard-fought yet winnable game to an Illinois team that is tied for first in the Big Ten.With IU especially, no double digit lead is safe, and certainly not against an experienced and well-disciplined team like Illinois. The Fighting Illini deserve a lot of credit for making the correct adjustments in the second half, and they also were able to benefit from a cold second half-shooting Hoosier team (and, yes, some questionable fouls called against IU).The way the Illini have played virtually all season long – winning many of their games from behind and often going on large runs to cut big deficits – the Hoosiers needed a great start.And they got one.After trailing 8-6, IU went on a 25-9 run to grab a 31-17 lead. Freshman guard Jordan Hulls had 11 points in the first 8:08, and the Hoosiers helped hold the Illini to five field goals in the entire half.As Illinois coach Bruce Weber said, his team “didn’t respond to the physicality of the game” from the get-go. But they quickly turned things around – especially as Illinois began getting to the free throw line and putting IU in early foul trouble.Among other things, Illinois adjusted to IU’s ball pressure and kept feeding it inside to 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale. In the game’s first 12 minutes, the Riverton, Ill., native managed just two points – both free throws. However, Tisdale finished with 27 points, including an impressive 13-of-14 showing from the free throw line, as well as 9 rebounds.He was also efficient from the floor, making 7 of his last 9 shot attempts and 5-of-7 in the second half to help close the gap. "We were trying to be physical with him, and he’s a great player. He’s really, really long,” IU freshman forward Bobby Capobianco said. “When you’re in front, they’re going to throw over. When you’re behind, he can shoot over ... We tried the best we could to keep him at bay, and he ended up being in the right spots a lot of times.”Tisdale and junior guard Demetri McCamey’s combined 9-of-10 second-half free-throw shooting was especially key, as it helped Illinois put points on the board without any time running off the clock. This, Weber said, was “part of our strategy.”IU might not face another big man like Tisdale for the rest of the year, but they will continue to be challenged by quality teams with quality coaching.For much of the second half, when Illinois began chipping away at IU’s lead, Crean’s team showed its resiliency. For example, after a 9-0 run by the Illlini sophomore guard Verdell Jones converted an old-fashioned three-point play and brought the crowd to its feet.IU found other creative ways to score – including a running hook by freshman forward Christian Watford and a no look pass from junior guard Jeremiah Rivers to a cutting Capobianco. But Illinois always seemed to have an answer.The Hoosiers also missed a number of open looks in the second half – which contributed to their 1-of-11 3-point shooting after the half – and IU got sloppy late while Illinois kept their composure. In fact, the Fighting Illini finished the game on an 18-3 run.As Crean admitted, there was plenty of encouraging aspects of his team’s performance. But as IU presses further, it might be much of the same. Early leads are great, but keeping them and holding off veteran teams will continue to be a challenge. With two upcoming road tests and a home contest against 12-4 Minnesota next Sunday, it will continue to be tough for IU to come away victorious – even when they come out playing hot like they did Saturday.Illinois showed it wouldn’t back down Saturday. It is critical for IU to continue to try to do the same.
(01/08/10 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After the way IU played against Ohio State on Wednesday, it had to feel good to return home. But it was not as much about playing on the road against a likely NCAA Tournament team as it was the Hoosiers simply defeating themselves – Value City Arena was anything but a hostile environment and most of IU’s mistakes were unforced. That’s why, although the Hoosiers will be the home team for Saturday’s tilt with Bruce Weber’s Illinois Fighting Illini, things might not be much easier. While the Illini have had a few head-scratching defeats and have yet to play to their full potential, there is plenty of reason to believe they could give IU major fits on its home court. Weber’s team presents IU with a tough matchup on several fronts, one that the Hoosiers struggled with a year ago. Last January, IU dropped a 76-45 contest at the “other” Assembly Hall in a fashion not entirely different from Wednesday’s Ohio State blowout. In mid-February, when the Illini visited Bloomington, they eased into a 13-point win. But it could have been much worse for the Hoosiers, who trailed by 21 twice during the first half.Aside from some production in the paint from freshman Christian Watford, IU has struggled offensively in the interior. On the other side of the ball, the Hoosiers have not played well against teams with a lot of size.Illinois boasts 6-foot-9 junior Mike Davis at power forward, who averages 12.4 points and a Big Ten-best 10 rebounds per game. 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale, meanwhile, has the ability to create some havoc in the post, and he likes to step out and shoot. The junior big man, who scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds versus Northwestern on Dec. 30, is shooting 59 percent from the floor and has hit 86 percent of his foul shots. Additionally, Tisdale has recorded two or more blocks in eight of the team’s 15 games. But the potential problems aren’t limited to the front court, as the Illini have a talented backcourt as well. Freshmen D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul – the top scoring freshmen in the Big Ten outside of Watford and the injured Maurice Creek – have teamed up with junior Demetri McCamey. All three are averaging double-digit point totals, while the trio has combined to shoot a stellar 38.9 percent from behind the arc. As we will see throughout much of the Big Ten season, IU might need a near-perfect effort to seriously contend in these types of matchups. Illinois is not the most talented team in the league, but it is athletic, has a solid starting five – though Weber shook things up a bit in their last game versus Iowa, sitting Richardson and McCamey to start the game – and can put the ball in the basket.But the Fighting Illini have been a bit vulnerable at times defensively and have become almost notorious for starting out sluggishly and falling behind early. And, if it were not for a 23-point turnaround at Clemson on Dec. 2, it could look worse. Like all games, this one is certainly winnable, but don’t expect it to be easy for the Hoosiers. Prediction:It’s been an up-and-down season for Illinois, including late November losses in Las Vegas to Utah and Bradley, both of which share IU’s same 7-7 record. The Fighting Illini have looked good at times and a bit mediocre at others. Yet their guard play and post presence does not favor IU. The students will be back and will heckle Weber from start to finish, but it seems unlikely that they will witness a home win for the Hoosiers. Illinois 79 - IU 67
(01/07/10 7:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>COLUMBUS, OHIO - Simply put, the IU men’s basketball team’s first Big Ten road game couldn’t have gone any worse. Aside from a 14-for-17 effort from the free throw line and a game-high 22 points from sophomore guard Verdell Jones, it’s hard to pinpoint anything else that went right for the Hoosiers.IU coach Tom Crean couldn’t in the post game press conference. Neither could sophomore guards Daniel Moore or Jones before they boarded the bus to head back to Bloomington.With all due to respect, even the IU football team played a closer game this year versus the Buckeyes, losing by just 19 points back in October.While final scores and box scores don’t always do games justice, in this case it more or less did.A quick glance at the stats show much of what went wrong on Wednesday: 35 missed shots including 4-of-18 shooting from beyond the arc, 24 turnovers and a difference of 24-10 in favor of the Buckeyes in terms of points scored off turnovers.Junior guard Jeremiah Rivers flushed home what was essentially an uncontested dunk less than a minute into the game, prompting a 30 second timeout by Ohio State coach Thad Matta. But IU never held a lead again and the Hoosiers were dominated on both ends of the court from that point forward.The story from the Ohio State side of things was that star junior Evan Turner was back from a serious back injury. While he did make an impact, the Buckeyes did just fine without him.When Turner went to the bench with two fouls nine minutes into the game, as fellow starter David Lighty had done a minute earlier, IU senior Devan Dumes responded with a two-point jumper. Then Ohio State went on a 16-0 run, extending their lead to 23 points less than 15 minutes into the game. The Hoosiers never brought the deficit under 17 points the rest of the contest and were down by as much as 32 points at one point.“It’s our latest experience of learning what this level is like,” Crean said.Crean, obviously displeased with his team’s effort, admitted that nothing led him to believe they would play as poorly as they did. He said the practices, the pre-game preparations and the walk-through before the game all went well.Listening to his comments after the game, it seemed like a mystery to him why things turned out the way they did – regardless of the fact that Ohio State with Turner at maybe just 50 or 75 percent is a better team than IU.You could try to blame some of it on playing in their first true road game, but as Crean said, “You don’t win at home with those turnovers.”Turner said the difference between Ohio State’s performance Wednesday and their previous two losses were that they “attacked instead of reacted.” IU meanwhile, didn’t do a great job of attacking and even when they tried, it was to no avail. Rivers tried penetrating, but it was like going into a black hole – the offense was sucked out. None of his teammates were hitting the open shots when he kicked out and the Buckeyes played good interior defense to prevent most of Rivers’ potential passes into the post.Another disadvantage was Turner’s 6-foot-7 frame, which forced 6-feet-tall freshman guard Jordan Hulls to guard 6-foot-6 junior Jon Diebler who hit five 3’s and a team-high 21 points. But when Turner wasn’t playing and the smaller P.J. Hill ran the point, Hulls still struggled as Rivers tried to do his best on “Three-bler.” Ohio State, a team that normally runs about eight deep with Evan Turner in the lineup, played 13 versus the Hoosiers, and by the 7:07 mark in the second half there was a mass exodus among the home fans.This game was over early and the Hoosiers couldn’t jump onto the bus to go home soon enough. With Illinois headed to town on Saturday, the only thing IU can really do at this point is to go back to the drawing board at practice. As bad as Wednesday’s performance was, it was just one game and there are 16 more to go.
(01/06/10 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When reflecting on IU’s Dec. 8 win against now-No. 23 Pittsburgh, it does no good to hang on to the fact that junior Gilbert Brown wasn’t in the lineup and senior Jermaine Dixon saw limited action in what was his first game following a significant injury.Looking back at the Hoosiers’ 71-65 win versus Michigan on Dec. 31, it does not make a lot of sense either for anyone outside the team and perhaps the media to focus on the fact that the Wolverines missed 19 3-point attempts.For a team as young and inexperienced as IU, one building an actual NCAA Tournament resume in only the unlikeliest of scenarios, a win versus a top-level opponent is a win no matter the circumstances.It’s about things such as building confidence, developing as individual players and as a team and learning how to play and handle the pressure in various environments. So if Ohio State’s Evan Turner doesn’t suit up tonight versus the Hoosiers, or simply plays an insignificant amount of minutes, it is what it is. A potential 2-0 record in the Big Ten for the Hoosiers would be exactly that, whether they would have to beat a short-handed Buckeye squad or one led by the midseason Wooden Award candidate.With Turner at 100 percent – which, even if he plays, is doubtful – IU stands little chance playing at Value City Arena; without “ET,” the Hoosiers match up quite well. And watching the Buckeyes struggle versus Michigan on Sunday, Ohio State looked very beatable. Though the Buckeyes’ three losses since the Turner back injury – Butler by 12, Wisconsin by 22 and Michigan by 9 – all came on the road, Ohio State has yet to be tested at home since their star guard was sidelined on Dec. 5.While the Buckeyes are 80-2 at home versus unranked opponents under coach Thad Matta and also hold a 35-7 record at “The Schott” versus Big Ten opponents the last five years, expect the Hoosiers to seriously challenge their conference rival on Wednesday night.Why IU can win1. Bucks hurting Though Ohio State managed to climb back up to No. 15 in the country a week ago, college basketball fans didn’t need to see them fall to 0-2 in the Big Ten to show us what we already knew – the Buckeyes are not a Top 25 team without Turner. The team’s entire offense ran through the 6-foot-7 junior, and the whole dynamics of the team changed when he injured his back. Even when he was not scoring, Turner got his teammates open. Junior sharpshooter Jon Diebler, for instance, averaged 17.1 points and hit an impressive 52.2 percent of his 3s in the eight games with Turner in the lineup. Since then, Diebler has recorded 10.2 points per game and hit 36.1 percent of his 3s in the subsequent six games. While those numbers are certainly respectable, anyone who has watched the Buckeyes before and after has seen Ohio State struggle to effectively create its own shots without Turner.If IU can play tough man-to-man defense and limit the number of open 3s shot by the Buckeyes – something they struggled with against Michigan – it could bode well for the Hoosiers.2. DepthWhile the impact of the season ending injury to freshman Maurice Creek has not truly been seen quite yet, there is no doubt it should hinder the Hoosiers. Though IU has only so much talent coming off the bench, especially with Creek and also sophomore Matt Roth out, IU coach Tom Crean can still comfortably run at least nine guys out there. Not Ohio State.With Turner sidelined, Matta has essentially gone just seven deep. Following the mid-season transfer of Walter Offutt, the Buckeyes were left with just 14 players – but four are walk-ons and two are big men who see purely garbage minutes. Seeing that Turner is hurt, Ohio State has relied on just seven guys. Diebler, junior David Lighty and sophomore William Buford have combined to play 16 full 40-minute games. Senior P.J. Hill has been forced into the starting point guard role, despite looking like more of a solid reserve. Junior Dallas Lauderdale, meanwhile is the lone big man in the starting lineup, and though he has definitely improved and also averages 3 blocks per game, he is the Buckeyes’ only legitimate post player.Senior Jeremie Simmons is a good shooter off the bench, but is small for a shooting guard and doesn’t penetrate very well as a point guard. Lastly, senior center Kyle Madsen is providing only 2.3 points and 2.1 points in just 12.1 minutes per game.3. Jeremiah RiversJunior Jeremiah Rivers came up real big for the Hoosiers versus Michigan last Sunday. Guarding the extremely talented junior Manny Harris, Rivers held the Michigan guard to just 13 points – 7 points below his average – on just 4-of-11 shooting. Four days later, Harris torched Ohio State for 24 points. With Rivers likely guarding either Lighty or Buford – both of whom have significantly increased their offensive production in Turner’s absence – shutting one of them down will vastly improve IU’s chances.IU might be forced to play freshman Christian Watford on Diebler, which could have mixed results, but the Hoosiers need to find a way to slow down one of the other two main scoring options via Rivers.PREDICTION: I was correct in picking IU to edge Michigan, but maybe I am getting ahead of myself by thinking the Hoosiers can do the same on the road at Ohio State. Surely with Turner playing everything will change, but it seems highly unlikely that he will play a big role – if any at all. Again, the Hoosiers matchup well in this one, though both Buford and Simmons posted career-high scoring totals versus IU on Jan. 31, 2009. A road contest against even an under-manned Ohio State squad could be a good barometer for the Hoosiers as they move forward and surely a win would be huge long-term. So why not let the magic live on a bit longer?IU 70, Ohio State 67
(12/31/09 9:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The storyline for IU heading into Thursday’s game against Michigan was which guard step up in injured freshman Maurice Creek’s absence.Would it be senior Devan Dumes, sophomore Verdell Jones, junior Jeremiah Rivers or freshman Jordan Hulls? As it turned out, the answer was all of them. The Hoosiers lost their best scorer in Creek, but in his absence, the rest of the guards collectively put together an outstanding game. “We have a really good nucleus,” Dumes said. “Missing Mo, it was a big thing for us to step up.” Although Creek was the Hoosiers' go-to guy on offense, the IU guards needed to do a lot for the team other than simply putting the ball in the basket. Dumes, Jones, Rivers and Hulls combined for 46 points, but they did indeed do more than just score Thursday. Jones dished out 5 assists, while the other three pitched in 2 each. Jones recorded 3 steals, and both Dumes and Rivers had a pair as well. Most impressively, however, was the starting guard trio of Hulls, Rivers and Jones combining for 22 of the team’s 31 rebounds. Behind 9 boards from Rivers, 8 from Jones and 5 from Hulls, the guards did exactly what IU coach Tom Crean has needed them to do since the Kentucky game - rebound. “That’s how we have to play,” Crean said. “We’d have to play that way whether Maurice was in there or not. You’ve heard me say it: We have to get guard rebounds. We’re not big enough to just come down and play and think that we’re going to outrebound people because of our size.” Also impressive was how well the Hoosiers took care of the ball. IU committed just a single turnover in the second half, and the team committed only two turnovers in the final 28 minutes – both by sophomore big man Tom Pritchard. On the other side, Rivers truly showed why he has been dubbed a defensively specialist, while Dumes played the tough defense Crean had praised him for frequently this past week. Among other impressive stat lines, Jones recorded 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Also quite noteworthy was Jordan Hulls’ 8-for-8 effort from the foul line, including six in the final 23 seconds. The starting guards each played 35 minutes, while Dumes played a solid 22 minutes off the bench – especially in the first half. The senior talked about how he shared the ball well and also was solid defensively, but he was he even quicker in calling it a “good win for the team.”Freshman forward Christian Watford was also quick to recognize the team effort, in particular those guards. “Everybody played great,” Watford, who scored 19 of his own, said. “Verdell was phenomenal, Jeremiah was phenomenal, Jordan was phenomenal down the stretch too. Devan played a great game, too. He shot the ball well, he hit some key shots, some tough shots. They did a great job of rebounding for us and getting the ball inside, too.” Even Daniel Moore got in on the act, recording a big steal midway through the second half, ultimately leading to a bucket from Pritchard. As big as the Pittsburgh win was for the Hoosiers, this one was monumental, though Michigan’s record might not show it. But for the cream and crimson to continue to compete in the Big Ten, they will need a similar great effort from those guards day in and day out. It got them to 1-0 in Big Ten play – how many wins they get from here will depend on similar quality.
(12/31/09 4:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Crean knew what he was getting into when he signed on as IU’s latest men’s basketball coach. He knew it would be an uphill battle to restore the glory of IU basketball, filled with many losses in the first couple seasons and many tough days out on the recruiting trail. Some argued that a 10-win season a year ago might have netted Crean some Coach of the Year consideration. After all, he dealt himself a ridiculously tough hand, and, realistically, a 10-win season would have been a major accomplishment. With the first of 18 Big Ten games tipping off for the Hoosiers at noon today, Crean will embark on what might be his most difficult task yet as a college basketball coach – rallying this IU team to compete through the entire conference slate without their best scorer. The NCAA let IU off pretty easy a year ago in the wake of the Kelvin Sampson scandal, and though Crean and his coaches were hurt a bit recruiting-wise, the worst days seemed to have been over. Prior to the season, when freshmen Maurice Creek and Bawa Muniru were both cleared to compete, it marked the first time since the 2007-08 season at Marquette that Crean had a full roster – albeit extremely young and inexperienced. The Hoosiers are now just 6-6 and have had some bad losses, but the progress being made both by individuals and the entire team appeared to have put IU right on track. And though the show must go on without the injured Creek, getting this team to compete at the same level as the Hoosiers of four days ago might be quite difficult. Who knows how the team might have fared this season had Creek not been declared eligible at all, but the fact that the freshman guard had been a staple in the team’s practices and games for months will be tough to overcome. Gone is the team’s most prolific shooter, and gone is yet another guard – they now have just four active scholarship players left in the backcourt. IU has the talent to play without Creek, the question is how they will respond to it for the first time when they hit the court today. Let’s face it, the Hoosiers should have beaten Michigan at home a year ago. Devan Dumes led the team with 17 points last January versus the Wolverines, while then-freshmen Verdell Jones and Tom Pritchard combined for 22 points and 16 rebounds. Even without Creek, this team is better than last year’s 6-25 squad. Yet to come out victorious, Crean needs those same types of efforts to go along with solid play from newcomers such as Jeremiah Rivers and freshmen Christian Watford, Derek Elston and Jordan Hulls. Michigan is not a top-15 team, as projected at the beginning of the season, but they do have arguably the best duo in the Big Ten – junior Manny Harris and senior DeShawn Sims. Depending on the lineup Crean runs with, IU could have a fairly decent size advantage on Michigan. They will also have the home crowd behind them and, though Creek won’t physically be on the court, his absence could give the Hoosiers plenty of motivation. IU can’t afford a lackluster start and certainly needs a complete 40-minute effort – one that would have won them the game a year ago. It wouldn’t be surprising if the maize and blue were to deal the cream and crimson a knockout punch fairly early. But don’t count out the Hoosiers, who are very capable of winning this one as well. Cohen’s Prediction: It won’t be easy for the Hoosiers to move forward through Big Ten play without their leading scorer, but this is just one game and anything can happen. I don’t know what it is, but something gives me the idea that the Hoosiers will shine in this New Year’s Eve battle. So, what the heck? – IU 71, Michigan 69
(12/14/09 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following IU’s 90-73 loss to Kentucky, another reporter and I engaged in a brief conversation about what had just taken place.“They just came in and dominated,” the reporter said. We weren’t talking about the game – and no, Allen Iverson fans, not practice either – but rather a scene in the press room. Before the game, the members of the IU Media got situated at their desks and grabbed some food, while the out-of-town guests took a while to get comfortable. Following the game, however, members of the Kentucky media occupied virtually every seat within the first few rows of the room as if they owned the place. Quite frankly, that’s what Kentucky did to Tom Crean’s Hoosiers during Saturday’s game at Assembly Hall. The Wildcats came in a bit timid and got pushed around early, but by the end of the game they had nearly run IU out of its own building. Heading into halftime, the Hoosiers had shot 63 percent from the floor, dished out 11 assists, committed just four turnovers and were within a single point of the nation’s No. 4 team. But Kentucky extended the lead to 12 within the first five minutes of the second half, and IU never caught up. The Wildcats obliterated the Hoosiers on the glass 49-24, including 21 offensive rebounds with 30 second-chance points. That seemed to be the story of the game Saturday, one day after Crean called his team’s margin for error “very, very small.” In the second half especially, it was as if Kentucky was hitting “copy-paste” repeatedly on a computer. Offensive rebound, layup. Offensive rebound, layup. Offensive rebound, layup. Kentucky junior Patrick Patterson had eight offensive boards alone. IU’s leading rebounder, freshman forward Derek Elston, had only six total rebounds. No other Hoosier had more than three. The Wildcats also collected 28 defensive rebounds, including seven from star freshman guard John Wall. The three members of IU’s starting backcourt, meanwhile, grabbed a combined four. “When you’re playing against a team that has the size and strength of Kentucky – which is a rarity – you’ve got to do a much better job of keeping them off the glass, and your guards have got to come in and get the rebounds,” Crean said. “We did not do a very good job of that.” The Hoosiers slowed down Wall scoring-wise, limiting him to a season low of 11 points, but that only left the door open for other Wildcats to step in and take the reins. Kentucky freshman guard Eric Bledsoe went for 23 points, despite averaging fewer than 10 points per game. Patterson had 19, while 6-foot-11 freshman DeMarcus Cousins chipped in 14 of his own. After the game, IU freshman guard Jordan Hulls spoke about not executing offensively, while Crean talked about the team’s defensive shortcomings. But at the end of the day, IU stood little chance in this one. The team played its best half of basketball since the (gasp) Kelvin Sampson days, but even then the Hoosiers were unable to muster a first-half lead. “(IU) shot, in the first half, 63 percent (from the field) and 62 percent from the three and 100 percent from the foul line, and we’re up one,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “Well, guess what? We played well, too.”No, that wasn’t a shot at the Hoosiers. Instead, it was the Kentucky coach feeling good about his own team’s effort despite what IU accomplished in the first half. Kentucky won some ugly games early this season, but IU saw the best Kentucky has to offer. “I just want to tell the people of Indiana that we’re not better than that,” Calipari said. “That’s a February effort.” Even if for a half, the Hoosiers proved they can compete with a top-five team at their best. So while the team needs to put together great first- and second-half efforts to compete against top Big Ten teams, it won’t be facing another opponent as challenging as Kentucky. While the Hoosiers were disappointed with the outcome of the game, the team has to move on and worry about what’s ahead. IU’s next three opponents have a combined 6-22 record, a chance for three confidence-building victories. But right now, it’s time for the Hoosiers to hit the books.