Postgame Reaction: IU @ MSU
This game was interesting to say the least. We started out slow and lazy and it was quickly looking like an IU game from last year. Turnovers, quick shots, poor time management were frequent in the first five minutes. We got down by 18 and looked dead in the water. The past few seasons, we would have panicked and trail by 30 at half time, but this team fought back. IU climbed back to a seven point deficit at half time.
In the second half, IU came out of the gate quickly and looked like a team that was going to blow the doors out of the stadium. Watford looked amazing throughout the game. He rebounded and scored like a first team all Big Ten player. IU pushed the lead to 9! I was jumping up and down thinking that IU was going to win by twenty...
...but then MSU shoved back up and went on a 20-0 run. I am not sure what happened during this streak. Coach Crean had Zeller on the bench with Elston and Pritchard in the game. Roth hit some quality shots, but he cannot play defense. Elston was dribbling and shooting shots like he was Victor Oladipo. WTF was that about. I hope Crean looks at the film and sits Elston down and explains that he is not in the game to dribble or take ill-advised shots. IU ends up losing the game by 15, but it was a much closer game than that.
Never thought I would say this, but thank God for Verdell Jones III. I was unsure if he was going to play in this game, but without him IU loses by 25. I am not sure what happened to Hulls. He had a few wide open shots that he did not hit. When Hulls is shooting a three I always think it is automatic, but this game he was way off.
Also, I am kind of glad Zeller was shut down in the first Big Ten game. Don’t get me wrong I don’t think he is over rated, but he, and all of Hoosier-nation needs to step back from crowning him as the best player in IU’s history. Hopefully, IU takes a look at the tape and figures out what went wrong before the next game. By the way, my in-laws are from Columbus and die hard OSU fans and if we play like we did tonight we are losing by more than 15!
Next game: December, 31st vs. OSU
