Hank’s Quick Hitters – IU/Chattanooga

Photo courtesy of IU Athletics

After each game, Hank Glassner will provide his short, concise thoughts on the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team.

• It is obvious that this Hoosier team is best offensively when in transition. Their defense dictates whether they will be able to get those easy transition buckets that they need throughout the season. IU did a better job defensively in the second half contesting shots that led to guys like Oladipo, Hulls, and Verdell running the floor for some quick deuces.
• Tom Pritchard should not get a lot of playing time when games actually matter this season. Unless players like Zeller and Elston get into foul trouble, which is definitely not out of the question considering Jeff Howard had to play in a couple of conference games last season.
• IU seemed a little out of sorts early on due to their inability to close out the one and only scorer on Chattanooga, Omar Wattad. Credit has to go to IU’s perimeter defense for making the proper adjustments to give Wattad no space considering I did not remember him even dribbling the ball once during the game.
• Yes he was 5-7 shooting for 16 points, but I am just not a Verdell Jones fan. He constantly dribbles with his head down and never makes the extra/easy pass to his open teammates when he should be. When you hear Assembly Hall give a big collective sigh of discontent more than once due to Jones’s inability to pass to the wide open shooter or big man, then you know there is something wrong with his court vision skills.
• It is very nice to see Victor Oladipo getting to the free throw line eleven times last night. He is a much smoother player this year, getting to the hole with such fluid basketball moves.
• Just when you thought Jordan Hulls could not become a better shooter, he proves you wrong. He is one of the best shooters in college basketball, and what impresses me more is the fact that he never seems to force unnecessary shots once he gets going. He understands shot selection more than anyone else on this team.
• Defensive rebounding is a huge issue for IU going forward. Chattanooga out-rebounded IU 45-36, with 20 of those being offensive rebounds. That has to be alarming for a Hoosier team who lacks interior strength. Chattanooga has one player over 6’7. I think that says it all.
• Cody Zeller: 2-3 FG for 7 points. Once again, Chattanooga has one player over 6’7. Double teams or not, he should be scoring more. He needs more interior touches. 6 steals for a big man is nice to see though. He has great defensive anticipation skills.
• Christian Watford: 1-7 FG for 2 points. Through his first two games, Watford is shooting 3-14 from the field. It is crucially important that he finds his stroke, because he is the X-factor for the Hoosiers this year. If Watford finds his offensive game, the Hoosiers have their most versatile offensive threat back in good form going into the “real” part of their schedule.
• For some reason, this game does not leave me as pleased nor impressed as the opener against Stony Brook did. The rebounding margin is what irks me the most. Lots of intangibles need to be fine-tuned. However, you have to be impressed at the fact that Zeller and Watford were virtually non-existant offensively and the Hoosiers still won by 25.

That’s it from me. Until next time…