IU Basketball Take 2: What To Expect

IUSportCom’s Print Editor Ben Baroff and Podcast Editor Tony Adragna dissect the state of the IU Basketball program after it’s exhibition game vs. UIndy and offer a full player-by-player, coach and team evaluation. 

Ben Baroff:

“There’s a lot of room for improvement, but a lot of improvement has been made,” Tom Crean said after Saturday nights exhibition win over UIndy.

If this isn’t the adage for the 2011-2012 Hoosier fan mentality than I’m not sure what is.

Saturday’s exhibition win over a lesser, but competitive UIndy team offered a variety of observations, both good and bad.

Yes, there are several questions surrounding this team.

Can IU compete physically against Big Ten competition? Are there enough scoring options? Who does Crean go to during crunch time? Will Cody Zeller have a big enough impact as a freshman?

And on and on and on..

It would be pointless to sift through all of the unanswered questions surrounding this Hoosier team before Saturday night, and ludicrous to think that any of these questions would be answered by one exhibition game.

But between all the qualms and uncertainties, one thing is for sure – this particular Hoosier team is permeating with confidence.

The poise, assertiveness and tactfulness they played with was palpable among the 16,000 in attendance.

Maybe it was the security of playing a Division II team on its home floor. Or maybe it was the adrenaline of the first game.

But it was probably the relentless work ethic of, and collective growth and maturation in mentality developed by this team during the offseason.

Last years team was derided for a lack of ball movement, forcing fans to agonizingly watch one player try to take on the whole defense as the shot clock ticked down to zero and that horn would blare over their moans and groans.

Turnover IU.

Saturday night you could catch any head in the stands moving from left to right, back and forth as they followed the path of the ball.

From Hulls to Jones and around the Sheehey, inside to Zeller and back out to Watford, only to make the extra pass back to Hulls for three.

Timeout UIndy.

Sure, UIndy’s Adrian Moss had a game high 22 points and the Greyhounds shot nearly 50% from beyond the arc, but why focus on a hot shooter when Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones combined for 48 minutes and 0 turnovers?

Yes it’s easy to harp on a somewhat lackadaisical defense, but what about Christian Watford’s quick first step or his ability to shut down that hot shooter when nobody else could?

Concentrate on Cody Zeller – a freshman with the weight of Assembly Hall on his shoulders – playing with the confidence and composure of a senior. After being held in check for the first 10 minutes of the game, Zeller finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and nine pass deflections.

Or how about noticing not the three – nearly four – players in double figures, but that they did not include the teams two leading scorers of the past two seasons?

Saturday night’s performance was by no means perfect, and certainly not an unequivocal avowal of contention on a Big Ten or national level.

But it was a reaffirmation that the Indiana Basketball program is on the right track.

Ben’s Grades

Tony Adragna:

Going into Saturday night’s exhibition against UIndy, most fans were excited to see the Hoosiers face off against an opponent from a different school.

While that was exciting, Indiana’s overall progression from last season had to be on the minds of those in attendance at Assembly Hall. There has been a lot of talk about the hard work the players have been putting in, and Saturday night was the first time for the Hoosiers to show off their improvements.

Yes, it was just an exhibition game, but a lot that can be taken away.

For starters, IU looked a lot more fluid in transition. Whether it was after a made basket or rebound, the ball was outlet quickly, and they were pushing. Although IU only had four fast break points, they were constantly creating easy scoring opportunities for themselves by pushing the ball.

Another vast improvement for the Hoosiers was their ability to take care of the basketball; something they struggled with last season.

After averaging 13 turnovers per game last season, Indiana only turned it over seven times against UIndy, most of them unforced. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if they can take care of the basketball with more pressure put on, as UIndy dropped into a 2-3 zone for much of the game.

The final major improvement from a team standpoint was Indiana’s ability to move the basketball.

Often times last season, the Hoosiers would find themselves standing and watching as one guy took on the whole defense. Saturday night, there was none of that.

IU was finding the open man, passing out of double-teams, and swinging the ball around the horn, making it difficult for UIndy to guard them. IU has a dynamic team with a lot of offensive pieces. Fans have to be intrigued that the Hoosiers finally had ball-movement as a focal point of their offense.

Although there were many bright points for the Hoosiers, there are still some aspects they need to work on as a team.

First and foremost, Indiana’s guards struggled yet again guarding a quick, scoring point guard. UIndy’s Adrian Moss put up 22 on IU with a few open looks that he was not able to capitalize on as well. The Big Ten is a league in which quick, scoring point guards are abundant, and IU has to find some way to contain them.

A central theme this off-season for Indiana was rebounding. However, Indiana was not impressive in that aspect against a smaller UIndy squad.

IU did outrebound UIndy 36-31, but they allowed them to grab 13 offensive boards. The Big Ten is a physical league, and the Hoosiers are going to have to put a strong emphasis on improving their rebounding.

Overall, Indiana did what they were supposed to against UIndy. They looked like the better team throughout, and they gave the fans a lot to be excited about.

Although there were strengths and flaws pointed out, none of this is concrete. This was one game against a lesser Division II opponent. However, it gave us an overview of what to expect from the Hoosiers this season.

Tony’s Grades