Instant Postgame Reaction: IU @ PSU

The early afternoon start had both teams off to a slow start, but it didn’t take long for them to heat up. Zeller was scoring easily inside against man coverage, so Penn State moved to a zone and Indiana shot threw the zone from three point range as any team that leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage should. However, this was a game of runs. Indiana and PSU traded runs, but Indiana had the worst five-man lineup in the game with Prichard, Roth, Moore, Oladipo, and a struggling Watford. It worries me a little bit that Indiana is not looking to go inside as much as they did in the beginning of this year, but when you are shooting 75% from three-point range at half time it is hard to pass them up. At half time, the Hoosiers lead by five over the Nittany Lions.

Coming out of halftime, I think Coach Crean somehow read my postgame typing because Cody got the ball the first three possessions. IU continued hot shooting from deep and stretched their lead to ten points and they were looking like they were primed to blow the Lions out on the road. Then having the Moore, Roth, and Elston lineup in the game a little too long caught up with the Hoosiers and PSU goes on a 7-0 run. I know that Jones III, Hulls, and Zeller were on the bench because of fouls, but you need one of those guys on the court at all times! After a timeout, Hulls came in along with Remy and replaced Moore and Oladipo. Hulls was a great passer out of the lane to Roth for some great three pointers and stretched the lead to 11. Then the game of runs continued and PSU cut it to 6 with Elston taking ill-advised shots and fouling letting the Lions stay in the game.  After Zeller entered the game again, PSU double/triple teamed him leading to some wide-open three point shots by Roth and Hulls. Indiana made sure that PSU stood a chance by missing free throws down the stretch and held a 6 point lead with 1:22 to go in the game. Then Hulls and Roth hit six straight free throws to seal the victory for Indiana

This game was back and forth throughout most of it and Indiana hung in. The negative I took away from this game is our defense gave up 82 points to a mediocre team in Penn State. The positives were our consistent three-point shooting, Hulls getting his shot back, and a road win.

Final Score: IU 88 PSU 82

Hoo’s Next: Minnesota(12-4) @Indiana (15-1)  1/12 8:00 pm

By Brian Hall (@Hoosier_Hall)

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MVP, So Far

What a game.  Before tip-off, I tweeted out that though IU was favored, I thought this Michigan game could be a trap game.  Well, as much of a trap game as the number 12 ranked team in the country can have facing the number 13 ranked team.  Michigan has shooters, and they proved it.  In the second half as time was winding down, it seemed that for every basket IU was making, Michigan was in transition that ended with Zack Novak draining a three pointer.  You've got to give Michigan their due; they came into Assembly Hall and almost squeaked out of there with a win, something that no other team has been able to do thus far this season. 

Along with its long range sniper Novak, Michigan has other athletes in its starting lineup.  Tim Hardaway Jr. can drive in to dunk, or shake a defender and make a jumper.  And it isn't difficult to out-rebound the Hoosiers, but Jordan Morgan finished with 12 points to go along with his nine boards.  A trap game for sure, but lucky for all of us cheering on the Crimson and Cream, Indiana stays undefeated at the Hall and moves to 14-1.

As the Hoosiers' season continues I keep asking myself, who is the MVP of this team?  And then I ask myself, does MVP stand for most valuable player, most valuable person, or most valuable people?  Regardless of the intended meaning, I now present my nominations and awards:

Most Valuable Player- This probably will go to Cody Zeller at the end of the season, but as of right now I have to give the nod to two other players.  Both Christian Watford and Victor Oladipo are playing lights out.  Watford has been a factor in every game.  He is second in minutes, second in points, second in rebounds and second in 3 point percentage amongst starters.  The "Watshot" at the end of the Kentucky game, his beard swag, and the fact that he is always a factor in every game gets him my nomination.  My other nomination goes to Victor Oladipo, who is never seen away from the ball unless he's resting or running along the baseline to rid himself of a defender.  On both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, Oladipo is straight hustle.  He can shoot the three, and he's on every highlight throwing the rock down on the basket as if he were seeking out revenge on the rim for dating his sister.  Indiana goes as Oladipo goes.  The intensity, hustle and ferocity that he brings all contribute to the energy IU will need if they plan on contending in the Big Ten.  As IU hops on the bus to go on the road and play teams like Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue, they will need the leadership of both Watford and Oladipo.  These two players will be the spark to this Crimson fire.

Most Valuable Person- Equally important as most valuable player, the most valuable person is the one who brings the intangibles to the success that the Hoosiers are experiencing.  I split this award between two obvious people. Both Cody Zeller and Tom Crean will be the foundation to Indiana's continued success.  Cody Zeller is an Indiana born player, and when he signed on to play for the Hoosiers, he opened the door for other five star recruits to come to Indiana and to feel that it's the right place for their talents.  On and off the court, Cody is showing that Indiana is the place to come and play basketball.  I read a lot about this team reminding fans of the teams from the early to mid 90s because of their passion and energy.  The energy in Assembly Hall wouldn't be there without Indiana's savior-boy Cody Zeller, who Hoosier fans protect and who every big program in the game covets.  And then there is the man who brought Cody to the Hall, along with other talent that is showing out this year.  Tom Crean has brought Indiana back.  He is making lineup changes and substitutions that are proving him to be the coach Indiana needed.  When key players are getting into foul trouble, Crean inserts players off of the bench and it is clear that everyone on this team knows their role and knows how to play situational basketball.  Crean is fired up and calm all at the same time, and the team is feeding off of this unique ability.  And his work off the court isn't stopping with the recruitment of Cody.  The class coming in next year is taking a life of its own, being dubbed as "The Movement," and the list of recruits coming in 2013 is getting better as Indiana continues to win.  As if the five banners hanging in the Hall aren't enough, new talent is coming in to pursue banner number six because "It's Indiana" and five ISN'T enough! Tom Crean knows this, and his efforts earn him my split Most Valuable Person award.

Most Valuable People- Benchmob.  If you have to ask, you'll never know.  What does Indiana do when Cody finds himself on the bench in foul trouble?  Oh, nothing special; just put Sheehey or Roth in to spread the court and drain big basket after big basket.  Need some rebounds?  No problem.  We'll just insert good 'ol Tom Pritchard in there to be a big body.  (Indiana fans will ERUPT for Tom on his Senior Day.)  And who's that inked up mask on the court?  That's Derek Elston who is getting better by the dribble.  Elston pulled down four boards, scored five points and rejected one of Michigan's shots to help Indiana get to where they are today: 14-1.  Benchmob.  Get to know it, because without it, Indiana isn't back. 

There is another group of people that deserve a note for Most Valuable, and that's the fans.  Passion.  There is no other word to describe this base of people.  It says a lot about us when we are "winners" in a landslide for worst fans in the Big Ten.  Undefeated at the Hall because the team is playing Hoosiers basketball and because the fans are giving them the extra motivation to keep playing Hoosiers basketball.  Of course we as fans don't need an award or a trophy... We're only after banners.

It's been a great ride through the first fifteen games of the season.  Now it's time for the students to come back, it's time to take our talents on the road, and it's time to show the nation that Hoosiers basketball isn't only back, but we're here to stay!  Go Hoosiers!

-Kenneth Languell
@AskTheWho

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Hoo's Next: Michigan

Who: Michigan Wolverines
Where: Assembly Hall, Bloomington Indiana When: Thursday January 5, 2012 @ 9:00pm ET TV: ESPN 2




By: Aaron Maisel

As I put my blazer, my new Sperry’s and corduroy pants on three hours before embracing the new year, I did it with a smile. Not just because I was looking fresh and knew that I would find some random girl for that immaculate New Years “interaction” that I have been banking on, but because somehow that team who no one was willing to give a chance until 2012-13 season pulled it off again, except this time, with no students.

Miraculous? No. Anything is possible in college basketball.

Unimaginable? Yes.

Unimaginable for a team which won only 12 games last season, and now to have won 13 only in the beginning of conference play.

Unimaginable for a team to win at home, without one of the most passionate student sections in the country, against arguably the best team in the nation.

Unimaginable for a team that has been the laughing stock of Big 10 basketball to now be the only team in college hoops that has a lock to be dancing in March as long as they don’t lose the rest of their games.

And somehow, the Hoosiers are making the unimaginable a reality, but still have a long way until March and a few powerhouses from the Midwest left on their schedule.

Indiana (13-1) faces off against the Michigan Wolverines (12-2) at Assembly Hall on Thursday, January 5. The Maize and Blue are led by guards Tim Hardaway Jr (15.6 ppg), Trey Burke (14.0 ppg) and 6’9 big man Evan Smotrycz (10.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg). The Wolverines only two losses have come against Duke and Virginia, but are currently on a seven game winning streak. Although the Wolverines, similar to the Hoosiers are new to the top 25 attention, they have played in competitive games, including a last second loss to Duke last year in the NCAA tournament.

Even though the Hoosiers are no stranger to playing in the spotlight, it’s still a game that shouldn’t be viewed as “just another conference game.” “We will be dealing with the best transition attack we have seen all year on Thursday with Michigan,” said Tom Crean via Twitter. “They fly up the court.”

That they do!

Alright, relax. Crean is just giving credit where credit is due. Don’t get me wrong, this is a solid Michigan team which over the years has pulled off some jaw-dropping upsets, but this is also a Michigan team that is trying to make a new name for themselves. Just because Michigan is a run n’ gun team, doesn’t make the game plan similar to the strategy against Kentucky. The Wildcats played the Hoosiers tough, but were missing arguably their best player (Terrance Jones) who took lift off to Moron Mountain to kick it with the Monstars from Space Jam. Either that or one of the waitresses at the hotel probably slipped a Xanax into his water before game time.

In order for Indiana to find success, they have to play to their strengths which happen to be the Wolverines weakness—the big man.

One of the main issues that Indiana has been facing this season is that they have been relying thoroughly on the outsite shot. For now, it appears to have been working, but it will only work until those shots don’t fall. The Hoosiers haven’t been utilizing Cody Zeller enough, especially when playing a smaller and weaker opponent. Against Kentucky, Anthony Davis was in foul trouble and Jones left his game in Lexington, yet Zeller did not get the ball. Against Michigan State, a much more aggressive Derrick Nix took Zeller out of the game mentally and physically and made him look like Apollo Creed when he fought Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.

However, against Ohio State, Jared Sullinger got into early foul trouble and Zeller played a tough 21 minutes due to foul trouble, yet still managed to drop 14 points in the game. It’s pretty simple; Zeller will show the country that the guy who is guarding him is softer than a dude taking shots of Smirnoff Mango at the bar, as long as he gets the ball and has the desire to play. Against an undersized Wolverine club, Zeller should be able to get plenty of attempts if given the opportunity.

ESPN college basketball analysts have given a one-word adjective describing both the Hoosiers and Wolverines. The Hoosiers are surging and the Wolverines are undecided. The Hoosiers have been shocking the nation while winning in upset form and the Wolverines have yet to prove to the nation that they are a force to be reckoned with, despite their #13 ranking. They still haven’t gotten that one win which paints a picture saying that they are for real. What better way then to get that win against a team that has beaten a #1 and #2 ranked team this season?

That is the Hoosiers motivation against the Victors from Ann Arbor.

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Is IU's 13-1 Start a Fluke?

Let me begin by saying I would like to think I am a realistic Hoosier fan. I try my hardest not to get my emotions wrapped up in my analysis and expectations for the season. Last year I had the Hoosiers winning 14 games and missing the NIT. The year before, I thought we'd win 10 games. Without Maurice Creek's injury, I'd like to think I was pretty close to predicting our seasons. This year, according to the chart below, I had us at 21-10 which would put us on the Bubble for March Madness. (See predictions on left versus actual on right)



As we all know, the Hoosiers have surpassed everyone's expectations this year. The team has performed above and beyond my wildest dreams. Looking at the schedule, and based on the analysis below, it appears the Hoosiers have a great shot at going at least 25-6 (Assuming IU goes 6-5 in "Best" games). The Hoosiers are here to stay.

A Closer look at the 13-1 Record.

Indiana went from unranked and picked to finish last or near the bottom of the Big Ten, to a front runner and a top 15 ranked team. This climb to the top isn't a fluke. While many media members and fans (primarily of other teams) will mention the fact that IU has played an easy schedule, I'd like to show them what the Hoosiers have DONE versus that "easy" schedule:

I have broken the schedule into three different buckets: "Good" Games (RPI >200), "Better" Games (RPI 75-199) and "Best" Games (RPI <75). Let's take a look at each group. "Good" Games


The Hoosiers have played 7 games against teams with a current RPI ranging from 212-328. These games are called "Good" Games because their current RPI is greater than 200. I called them "Good" to be nice… In the preseason, these are games that were marked off as Wins. While it isn't impressive that IU went 7-0 against these teams. The margin of victory is impressive. IU beat these 7 teams by an average margin of 34.6 points. That isn't winning games, that's demolishing teams. A lot can be said about the margin of victories being inflated due to Coach Crean keeping his starting lineups in the game. That may be true, but to beat 7 teams by an average of 35 points is incredible. It is also good to note that when IU played these schools, three of them were in the top 200 in regards to RPI.

"Better" Games



The Hoosiers have played 3 games against teams with a current RPI ranging from 85-162. These games I would call "Better" games as the current RPI is between 75 and 200. Against the Better opponents, IU has gone 3-0 including one road and neutral site victory. Again the key isn't that IU beat these teams, it is how they beat them. IU won these three games by an average margin of 16 points. IU should have won these games, but they won them in a very convincing fashion. The average RPI for this bucket is 126.

"Best" Games



The Hoosiers have played 4 games against teams with a current RPI ranging from 6-48. These games I would call "Best" games as the current RPI is between 1 and 75. Against the Best opponents, IU has gone 3-1. IU is 2-0 at home, and 1-1 on the road for these games. Not including the IU game, these teams have a combined record of 51-6 (90%). They have an average RPI of 18.3 which is driven up by NC State. The average margin of victory in these games is where it gets muddy. IU is averaging 74.5 pts/game while giving up 74.3 pts/game which leads to an average margin of victory of 0.2 points. This shows how close these games have been.

Overall:



Overall the Hoosiers have gone 13-1 against an average RPI of 167.5. Obviously with the Big Ten schedule heating up, the Hoosiers are set to face much tougher opponents. IU has 17 games left in the season. As the RPI currently falls, IU has 11 "Best" Games, 5 "Better" Games and only 1 "Good" Game left. The average RPI of IU's remaining games is 73.5.

The point of this analysis is to show that many people who feel IU isn't a top 10 team based on our schedule are kidding themselves. While some opponents haven't been the best, IU has BEAT them like a Top 10 team should. The Hoosiers have another "Best" game coming up on Thursday vs. RPI #34 Michigan (Preview).

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Happy Hoo Year!

What better way to bring in the new year than another top ten list?  It would be my pleasure, Hoosier Nation.

Top Ten New Year's Resolutions for Hoosiers Basketball

10. Feed Cody. Literally, feed the boy!  Understand that he's only a freshman, and still growing, but just imagine if he put on another 25 pounds.  He'd be around 245, still getting taller than the 6'11" he already is, plus a year of experience in the always tough and physical Big Ten.  It's the recipe for domination in his future.  Along with putting on weight, he needs to be fed the rock more often.  He's shooting nearly 75% from the free-throw line, so pass the ball inside and allow him to get his chances at the charity stripe.  Stack the fouls up on the opponents' starting centers, like done in the game against Kentucky, and get the studs on the bench and let Zeller go to work against smaller, less talented players.

9. Schedule more top ranked teams to play at home.  After the number one and number two teams in the nation were beaten in Assembly Hall it appears it is a place to be feared and reckoned with.  Indiana plays basketball.  Assembly Hall is a basketball atmosphere, mecca if you will.  Schedule them and they will be beat. Who else wants some?!!

8. More seating at Assembly Hall. Sure, 17,472 fans screaming and rushing the court is a lot, and one hell of a beautiful sight, but there's something that would make it even better: 17,473 Hoosiers fans swarming the court.  Besides, who wouldn't like more friends?

7. Rebound the basketball.  IU is ranked 158th in the nation in rebounding.  I can't help but think of how much less stress I would be under if IU would carry double digit leads into the last two minutes of games versus teams like Ohio State and Kentucky.  Cody Zeller is averaging about 15 points per game, and that number would be 20+ if he'd get more second chances.  Add another few points to Watford's average of 13 and we'll see those double digit leads against solid opponents more often.  Develop a presence inside and get up there and bring the ball down! 

6. Road wins.  Assembly Hall is Heaven on Earth, but it's only fair to go to others' houses and play ball too.  But road wins against teams like NC State won't cut it, especially when the tournament comes around.  The Hoosiers saw a semi-harsh atmosphere at Michigan State, and that was without the students in town.  Let's see how Indiana fares on the road when they go play a Buckeye team that's seeking revenge, and in their house no less.  If this Hoosiers team can start coming back to Bloomington with big wins under their belts they will develop the confidence they'll need when March rolls around.

5. More cowbell.  Not literally, because there is no room for the cowbell in college basketball outside of Purdue, and that's only when the Homecoming queen is entering the gym.  But the student section at Indiana has been ranked in the top five, and with a little more spirit those crazies in Cameron might get a bit of competition.  I want to hear, "Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!" from my couch here in South Carolina.

4. Transition.  Countless times IU has had numbers on a fast break and for whatever reason the ball handler slows down and waits for everyone to catch up.  Oladipo isn't the only one on the team who can posterize a man.  If nothing else, drive in and draw a foul. Get the other team's starters on the bench and take advantage of the opponent while their second string is having to carry the load.  Patience is good, but the basketball court is one place where it's okay to kick a man while he's down.   In fact, I find it quite enjoyable to watch.

3. Help others.  With 15.1 assists per game, the Hoosiers rank 49th in the nation, which means that there are plenty of teams better than the Hoosiers at finding the open man.  It's better to give than to receive.  Rather than settling for rushed jump shots and trying to force the ball into the basket, find a shooter that has separated himself from his defender and get him the ball.  Assists mean points, and points mean wins, and wins make me and all of the other Hoosiers fans, players and coaches happy.  

2. Take back the state.  With wins this season over Butler and Notre Dame, there's only one school left on the hit list.  Purdue, we're coming, and afterward you, too, will know that Indiana is back.  Jordan and Cody came to Indiana to play for the state that fed them in their youth, and it's time for other star players to stay and get some of mom's cookin' while playing for the Crimson and Cream.

1. Six. If you have to ask then you'll never know.

Happy New Year Hoosiers!  

-Kenneth Languell

@AskTheWho

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Immediate Reactions - Ohio State Edition

By Brian Hall (@Hoosier_Hall)

IU vs. O$U

This game started out scary for IU. Half way through the first half, Indiana was down ten and didn’t look like they were going to hang close for very long. That all changed when OSU’s big men Sullinger and Thomas picked up their second fouls and headed to the bench. IU took advantage which lead to a one point lead at the half.

The second half continued to go back and forth with no team taking more than a five point lead. Oladipo and Hulls gently placed IU on their back and did not let OSU get too far ahead. Hulls got out of his funk from the MSU game and came up with some huge shots. Oladipo had some key steals and dunks that got the non-student crowd out of their seats and gave Assembly Hall a major lift. I had a similar feeling heading into this game that I had going into the Kentucky game and the last couple of minutes did not fail to bring back that recent UK memories.

Indiana ended up winning by the score of 74-70 over the #2 Buckeyes of Ohio State. This was a true team effort! Hull, Oladipo, Jones, Zeller, and Watford all were in double figures. The Hoosiers fought for half the game without their star Center. Zeller only played 21 minutes because of foul trouble. I could not be any prouder of this IU team. They never give up! Who knows where the Hoosiers will end up this year!

Hoo’s Next: vs. Michigan 1/5 9:00 pm

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Who's B1G Diary

12/28/11 at MSU

6:30am- Woke up. First thing on my mind: Hoosiers. First words out of my mouth: "Go Hoosiers."
7:00am- Woke up my fiance, "Game day."
8:30am- Dropped off my fiance at work. Her, "Have a good day. I love you." Me, "Go Hoosiers."
9:00am- Got to work. Checked Twitter to read #iubb tweets.
12:50pm- Lunch. Turkey sandwich with ketchup. Why ketchup? 'Cause it's red, like Hoosiers.
2:10pm- Began writing "A Hoosier's Dictionary."
2:40pm- Posted "A Hoosier's Dictionary" to btownbanners.com.
4:30pm- Stopped working an hour early because my nerves over tonight's game have taken me over.
5:03pm- Still at work, but not working. Wondering when I can crack my first Guinness and put my candystripes on.
5:12pm- So...Derek Willis wants to catch the IU vs. OSU game on New Year's Eve instead of the KY vs. Louisville game. Does he want to be part of The Movement part 2? Keep 'em comin' Crean!
5:30pm- Still slacking at work. Just read that Gus Johnson is calling the game. To my neighbors, I'm sorry, but it's going to be extra loud tonight. I love Gus.
6:26pm-Got home. Game day Guinness #1. Start on dinner: Spaghetti with Crimson Sauce and a touch of Crean cheese.
6:56pm-Rumors flying that VJIII is warming up. We'll need him. Chopping onions. Nervous. The dog looks hungry. Guinness #2.
7:16pm- Turned the TV on to Big Ten Network. OSU 77, NW 54. Bring it on Buckeyes!
7:30- Gus. Now I'm really pumped!
7:36- Tip off.
7:38- 0-4. So...Cody can...dribble.
7:42pm- Watford, like me, has a bit of beard swag. The dog still looks hungry.
7:43pm- 4-4. Guinness #3. Time to check on dinner.
7:47pm- 4-11. Can't get Cody the ball. Turning it over. MSU playing fast.
7:52pm- MSU defense is swarming. IU defense is sloppy. 8-17.
7:56pm- Dinner! 8-19. C'mon IU!...Oladiphustle!!!
8:01pm- Gus just used the term, "overwhelmed" to describe IU. I agree. IU is giving MSU more second chances than an insecure high school girl dating the cheating quarterback.
8:05pm- There must not be barns in East Lansing because IU can't hit the broad side of one.
8:06pm- 14-31. Is IU getting beat by a better team? Looks that way. Who's next? OSU. I might switch to Jack Daniels. This crowd at MSU pisses me off. Good crowd; just wish Indiana would give them a reason to shut up. The dog looks weak.
8:09pm- Roth for three! Again!
8:10pm- 25-34. 3 show! Whew! The spaghetti is good. Benchmob showin' up.
8:11pm- Oladidunk!!
8:12pm- 27-34. Dinner is finished. Full. Momentum is going IU's way.
8:20pm- 29-36. At the half. IU is lucky. Turnovers are killing us. Cody is a non-factor. Crean will have them ready.
8:24pm- Time to tweet. Guinness isn't going down so easy and neither are IU's shots. I need to pee, and the dog can't hardly stand. No time for that as Gus just announced the second half is starting up.
8:29pm- It will be interesting to see how IU can carry the momentum from the end of the first into the second half. Can they stop the turnovers? Can Cody Zeller (CZ) be a diamond?
8:30pm- I just saw a commercial for the Purdue/Iowa game next. Even from Iowa I can smell PU.
8:36pm- Start of the second half. C'mon Hoosiers!
8:37pm- Crean is pacing even before the ball is inbounded. First play- turnover off of Zeller's foot. Geez.
8:38pm- Gus: "Oladipo is Johnny on the spot!" I love Gus... Olablock. He's a nomination for MVP of this team. Straight hustle.
8:39pm- Hulls off defender's back and in for the layup. 33-36. Smart kid.
8:41pm- Watford rebounds and is in BEASTMODE.
8:42pm- 37-36. Zeller puts us ahead with his first 2 points!...Zeller slams it down! Codyboner. 39-36. Guinness tastes good again. I'm raging. My fiance is scared, but excited. The dog is famished and the cat is hiding. I'm sweating.
8:49pm- 41-36. Oladipo with ten points. Olaspin, Olascore, Olahappy.
8:52pm- Watford and 1! Maybe he's the MVP of this team...
8:53pm- VJIII and 1! So glad he's healthy.
8:55pm- 51-43. Tom Prichard puts it in! SENIOR.
8:56pm- Watford for three! Watboner. Did I mention I love Gus?
9:01pm- 54-53. I guess we can't trip while playing defense. Bummer. Izzone is loud. Cody is a non-factor. Where's Cody?
9:03pm- 54-55. Where's Cody? Forth Guinness. The house is silent except for Gus. My fiance is worried, as am I, but for different reasons I suspect. Me, about the outcome of this game. Her, about my fragile state of my mind.
9:04pm- And Hulls misses another shot. This time from half court.
9:05pm- Where's Cody on defense? 54-57...54-59. Turnovers. MSU slam. How will we respond?...With a shot clock violation. No good. 12-0 run by Sparty.
9:06pm- Guinness.
9:10pm- MSU alley-oop and I felt it here in South Carolina. Drinking heavy now.
9:12pm- IU down by 9, 54-63. Where's Cody?
9:17pm- IU can't stop Nix down low. Again, where's Cody? He's on the court, but where is he? I think the dog is dead...58-70. Nix with the steal. Transition=MSU easy points. Guinness has lost it's flavor.
9:19pm- 60-72. Derrick Nix is killing IU. Watford hits a three. That's nice. Need a defensive stop. 63-72.
9:20pm- IU in transition...blocked. Welcome to the Big Ten young Hoosiers.
9:24pm- Watford travels on the inbound pass along the baseline. Bright side: A few years ago IU was getting called for ten second violations. Wait, there's no bright side here...
9:25pm- 63-73 with less than two minutes to play. I'm sitting. Silent. My fiance has transitioned her attention to filing her nails. The dog has given up on getting fed, and life. The cat is still missing.
9:27pm- Cody has 4 points, and 4 fouls. Not such a diamond, more a CZ. 63-75.
9:29pm- Izzone is singing Bon Jovi. I hate this. Watford gets three foul shots...2/3.
9:32pm- 65-77 with :43 to go. The dog is lifeless with hunger. I'm sad....Now IU is starting to foul. My least favorite thing to see when down by more than 7. Down by 12 with :21 to go.
9:33pm- My fiance says, "Disappointing." My heart is broken because it's true.
9:35pm- 65-80 is the final. IU has lost 16 straight Big Ten road games. Ohio State, number 2 in the country, is next. The score doesn't reflect how close this game was. A real roller coaster of a game. IU's fist loss of the season, and it stings. The dog is mustering up her strength to crawl towards her food dish. Still haven't found the cat. I'll look tomorrow.

-Kenneth Languell
@AskTheWho

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Gm 13: +/- Player Analysis - Michigan State

Welcome back to another addition of the +/- Player Analysis for your 2011-2012 Indiana Hoosiers! This was a tough loss for the Hoosiers.  IU had stretches of dominant play mixed in with stretches of horrendous play.  How IU bounces back will be a very interesting question that will be answered on Saturday in Bloomington.

Key Players:

• Christian Watford - Watford came up huge for the Hoosiers again tonight.  Watford scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as he passed the 1000 point scoring mark for Indiana.
• Will Sheehey - This game was built for Sheehey.  I can see Sheehey playing a major role in the IU vs MSU game at Assembly Hall later in the year.
• Jordan Hulls - Hulls had one of his worst games as a Hoosier. His shots weren't falling (2-10 FG), he turned the ball over (4 TO) and he couldn't seem to get the offense moving.

With that being said, let's jump into the +/- Player Analysis

+/- Player Analysis vs Stetson
*Just in case you forgot, here is a quick breakdown as to what the +/- Player Analysis is looking at. Example: Here is a quick example of how the +/- stat is determined. Zeller, Watford, VJIII, Hulls and Sheehey start the game for IU. Therefore the score is 0-0. Coach Crean makes his first substitution at 15:00 with the score IU up 15-10. Oladipo comes into the game for Sheehey. For this stint in time, Sheehey would earn a +5 (while Sheehey was in, IU increased their lead by 5 points). The Lineup of Zeller, Watford, VJIII, Hulls and Sheehey also earned a +5. This will continue throughout the game.

Game Overall 

 

Key Takeaways:

• Being the first loss of the year, it is expected for Indiana's players to be in the red.
• Pritchard and Roth were the only Hoosier players in the green.  Their positive numbers were helped during their stint in the first half with 6:29 remaining with the Hoosiers trailing 14-28.  Led behind two Roth 3's, IU was able to cut the deficit to 7 points at the half.  The lineup of Hulls, Watford, Oladipo, Roth and Pritchard went +7 for this 6 minute stretch.
• Jordan Hulls is an interesting story tonight.  Hulls played all but 5 minutes of the game.  While Hulls struggled and couldn't find his game all night, he didn't hurt the Hoosiers as bad as you might think.  In fact, during the 5 minutes of the game when Hulls was out, IU was outscored by 14 points.
• Remy Abell recorded the worst Pts/Min of the season going -10 in 2 minutes of game time.  Remy was a part of a two minute stretch in the first half where Michigan State increased their lead from 21-14 to 28-14.
• I cannot stress this enough, anything in the GREEN, means the player had a positive impact on the game and helped IU's chances of victory.

Lineups of the Night: 

 

Key Takeaways:

• Here you can see the game flow throughout the night. The chart reads from the beginning of the game to the end from top to bottom.
• Overall, Coach Crean used 14 different combinations of players in the game. Of his 14 combinations, 4 were positive, 2 were neutral (0) and the remaining 8 were negative.
• Of all the stints in this game (19), there were 6 positive, 3 neutral and 10 negative.
• 3 units played multiple times tonight.

Best Lineup of the Night:
The best lineup of the night (+7) belongs to Hulls, Roth, Oladipo, Watford and Pritchard. This group played together once tonight in the first half.  With 6:29 remaining and IU trailing 14-28, Coach Crean subbed in Hulls, Oladipo, Pritchard and Roth for VJIII, Abell, Elston and Zeller (who just went -7). This group went on a tremendous 11-0 run before losing some steam at the end of the half.  

Worst Lineup of the Night:
The worst lineup of the night (-7) belongs to Abell, VJIII, Watford, Elston and Zeller.  This unit played immediately before the best lineup of the night.  The group entered the game at 8:41 remaining in the 1st half with IU trailing 14-21.  This group was replaced with the exception of Watford at the 6:29 mark after giving up 7 unanswered points.

Season to Date:
As many people like to point out, looking at the +/- for one specific game is not entirely telling. Tracking this over the course of the year, will give a much clearer picture as to what each player brings to the team. Below is the updated season to date +/- for each player.

• All players decreased their season averages including Roth and Pritchard (who went positive)
• Cody is still the top guy in the season to date.
• Austin Etherington improved his numbers considerably during the UMBC

Lineup Combinations Here are some quick stats related to the Lineups Tom Crean has used throughout the season:

• Coach has used 178 different lineups this year.
• Of those 178, only 53 are negative year to date. (Increased 11)
• Best lineup is +71 (went -4 vs Mich St; Crean's favorite unit (31 times) of Hulls, Oladipo, VJ3, Watford, Zeller)
• 2nd Best Lineup is +25 (went Even vs Mich St; New Lineup of Hulls, VJIII, Oladipo, Elston and Zeller who went +7 vs Howard)
• New worst lineup is -7. (Consists of Abell, VJIII, Watford, Elston and Zeller.)
• 49 (Increase of 7 this game) lineups have been used multiple times this year.

Lineup Creator! Here is your chance to play Coach Crean!What you can do is go to this link, "+/- Lineup Generator" and it will open an Excel file for you. Using the filters already on the page, you can filter the lineups for the year to see how all the different combinations of players play together.For instance, if you wanted to see how the team does when Oladipo and Sheehey are in the game together, filter both their columns. This will return all lineups for the year that Oladipo and Sheehey have been on the floor together!

Overall
This was one of the craziest seesaw basketball games you will ever witness.  I'm not sure if there was ever a point in the game where IU and MSU exchanged buckets on continuous possessions.  It seemed one team was always on a 10-0, 13-0 or even 20-0 run.  IU showed great poise in the first half to come back from an 18 point deficit.  To start the second half they took an 8 point lead, which most Hoosiers fans figured would spark the Hoosiers to their 13th win of the season.  Michigan State had different plans as they came back on a 20-0 run to put IU out of the game.  The Hoosiers have a lot of questions to answer, and there isn't much time for them to find these answers as #2 Ohio State comes to Bloomington on Saturday.


+/- Player Analysis for Every Game!

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Immediate Post Game Reaction: Michigan State

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

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Hoo's Next: Michigan State

Who: Michigan State Spartans

Where: Breslin Center

When: 12/28/11, 7:30pm

TV: Big Ten Network

Conference play has finally arrived. While IU has proven itself a basketball contender over the course of its nonconference schedule, the true test for the Hoosiers will be how well they fare in the division. The Big 10 is verycompetitive this year, and with the hardest tests in the first couple of games for the Hoosiers (tonight’s game at MSU and a Dec. 31st road game at Ohio State), IU will need to pull off a couple of early wins in order to solidify its elite status in college basketball.

There’s a lot for the Hoosiers to be confident about coming into this game. There is no argument that IU is hot offensively. IU ranks fifth in the nation in FG%, is leading the nation at shooting 46% from behind the arc, and have many offensive options which makes them a threat.

However, the key to success for IU this game is rebounding. The Spartans boast a +10 rebounding margin against opponents compared to Indiana’s +4.5. DraymondGreen and his teammates are in the top 10 teams in the nation when it comes to grabbing from the boards. IU will need to improve this area of their game in order to get a win against the Spartans. Here are a couple of things to watch for as IU opens Big 10 play for the season:

Draymond Green

Green is one of the top players in the Big Ten right now. Green has scored __ consecutive double doubles this season, and scored 34 points against then-ranked #22Gonzaga. Zeller and the Hoosiers will need to step up defensively to minimize Green’s impact.

The Breslin Center

IU has not won a game at the Breslin Center since 1991 (17 consecutive games). This arena is one of the toughest environments to play in for the Big Ten. Coach Crean has mentioned it is important for the Hoosiers to silence the crowd and not allow MSU to score any large plays to allow the crowd to get into the game.

The key to success for the Hoosiers will be to reduce Green’s impact for the Spartans and to zone out the hostile crowd at Breslin arena.

By Mariel Yohe

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Contenders or Pretenders?

Quick note from BtownBanners.com:

We hope everyone had a great Holiday Season and spent some quality time with their families. As the Big Ten approaches, our coverage will increase and we look forward to following and updating you on this Indiana Basketball team. We take great pride in our growth over the last few months and we thank each and every visitor that helps make BtownBanners.com what it is today. We look forward to providing you great analysis and opinions on our Hoosier team. We primarily grow through word of mouth, and we appreciate you all for telling your friends and family about us. With continued growth, we will continue to increase our coverage and enhance the customer experience. The title of this article is “The Real Season Begins Wednesday”…. Same can be said about BtownBanners.com!

The preseason slate is complete. IU took care of business going an impressive 12-0 in the non conference. That is all great and something to pat ourselves on the back for, but that is like going undefeated in Preseason NFL football. Yes, the Hoosiers knocked off NC State and Kentucky. Both wins were great for this team, but IU trailed by 9 in the second half to NC State. IU dominated Kentucky for 38 minutes and let the lead slip away when it mattered most. IU has a lot to cheer about, but there are many questions about this team that Hoosier fans don’t want to see. NOW is the time where the Hoosiers will let us know if they are Contenders or Pretenders.

Starting Wednesday, The Hoosiers will open Big Ten play with a tremendously difficult three game stretch.

Wednesday December 28^th – at #16 Michigan State 7:30pm (BTN)

Saturday December 31^st – vs. #2 Ohio State 6:00pm (ESPN2)

Thursday January 5^th – vs. #18 Michigan 9:00pm (ESPN2)

Questions that might be answered on this 3 game Stretch:

- How do we handle a loss?

- How does Cody handle the bigger bodies in the Big Ten?

- If Cody gets in foul trouble, how do we respond?

- How deep can we go on the bench in big games?

- How do we play when the shots aren’t falling?

This stretch will be very important for our Hoosiers. Before the season, I had IU going 1-2 in this stretch with an “upset” over Michigan at home. Based on the landscape of college basketball today, the Hoosiers are the ones that could be “upset” in 2 of these 3 games. The real season begins Wednesday… let’s hope Coach Crean and his troops come prepared, because the Big Ten will BRING IT.

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Gm 12: +/- Player Analysis - UMBC Edition

This will be a short one as the holidays are approaching and IU completely destroyed UMBC.

Stats for the Game:
Stats for the Season: Lineups used in the game:

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Christmas Comes in Crean

It's time, Hoosiers Nation, to turn the page. It's time to take down the posters from the 70's, 80's and 90's. It's a new era in our great basketball history, and we should celebrate it. 11-0 is nothing to get too hyped about, especially looking forward at the schedule. But seeing our team this year perform the way they have, and to listen to the buzz about how well practices are going day in and day out I am petitioning my fellow Indiana fans to finally let go of the past, and look forward to the now and what is to come in the future.

His name will be forever linked to Indiana, and it still echoes in the walls of Assembly Hall. His voice I'm sure is still heard loud and clear in the locker room. Even Dick Vitale, being a member of the "non-partisan" media, can't call an Indiana game without endorsing his name for the court inside the Hall. But it's time; after eleven years since his departure from Bloomington, it's time to let him go.

Bobby Knight is a LEGEND, don't get me wrong. I was recently asked by a friend, if I could drink with any three men, who would they be? Bobby Knight was on that list. My family has had a dog named after him, and in our house that is the highest compliment. When I met my soon to be wife, to get her to have a better understanding of me and who I am I showed her clips of Knight's great and not-so-great moments. I can say as a man I have love for Bobby Knight and for what he did at Indiana, and for what he did for me as a kid watching those great teams. I still shoot free throws the way he taught those at his basketball camps: look at the basket, dribble three times, fluid motion... and release. Agree or disagree with his methods Bobby Knight will forever be a big part of what Indiana Hoosiers basketball was, is, and what it will be.

But we have a new coach at Indiana who is the face of Hoosiers basketball, and it's time to celebrate him and his efforts and the success he's had so far. Tom Crean came to coach at Indiana for the right reason, "It's Indiana." And he came to do it the right way- the Hoosier way: fair recruiting, high expectations of winning, and even higher expectations off the court. He recruits boys who love their mothers, and he proudly wears Indiana on his sleeve. He's coaching Indiana the way that we as fans want our team coached- with enthusiasm and dedication to the continuous development of the program. He knows that there is no higher goal than banner number six.

I'm done hearing podcast hosts say, "There's just something I don't like about him." They use the word 'arrogant' when describing him. Folks, let us not confuse arrogance for confidence. Look at what he did at Marquette. He took them from nothing all the way to the Final Four and near the top of the national rankings. And then he had the guts to come to Indiana; a program forced into the hollows where a previous coach left us. Tom Crean came to Indiana to rebuild this program, and through strong recruiting of great young men, Indiana, and I love to say it out loud to whoever is listening, Indiana is back! Young men out of high school need a confident man to lead them. Tom Crean is that man.

Even from the state of South Carolina where I now live, with plenty of filter and buffer from the local Indiana media via Kentucky and North Carolina, I run into people who will see the IU on my hat or shirt and they say about Tom Crean, "He's no Bobby Knight." Well who is? And in today's game who wants a coach like that? In the age of Twitter, strong NCAA punishments, and 24 hour news coverage, who wants a coach who is always in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons? Not this guy. I want Hoosiers basketball to be associated with morals and values and all the other good things about sports, and, of course, winning. If we keep dwelling on the closure that we as fans never had after Bobby Knight's firing at Indiana we're going to miss out on one hell of a good coach, and a good man. This man Tom Crean came to us and we're lucky to have him. It's a new era at Indiana, and as heavy as the page is, muster up the energy Hoosier Nation and turn the page to the Crean Era. If we don't we just might see this coach somewhere we don't want to see him, and we might be left out in the cold, again. Let me paint a picture...

There is a program in college basketball that is easily the envy of all programs. It has a coach that we would all love to have associated with our basketball team, and with whom any one of us would be proud to send our own son to play for. Coach Krzewski, or Coach K., of Duke University is one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports. His record speaks for itself. He doesn't always go after the best talent; rather the best kid who he believes can fit into his program. He develops that talent and gets the best out of every single player. He is a direct descendant of Bobby Knight. There is an irony here that can only happen in sports.

Here's the harsh reality folks: Coach K. won't be around forever. And what sort of individual would be best suited to take over for a legend like that? Brad Stevens? Maybe, but I don't think he's the coach yet that Duke would be looking for. You need a coach who has maybe been in the position of being in the shadow of a legend before, and one who knows how to make and cast his own shadow. You need a man who takes pride in the development of boys into confident young men. Among other things you need a proven winner. Now fast forward three years, five years, ten years from now. After Tom Crean does what is shaping out to be done in Bloomington, and takes Indiana back to where it once was, don't you think he would be a strong nomination for that job in Durham? I can hear it now, "It's Duke. It's Duke." It would break my heart if that were to happen.

I miss our former coach, but I don't wish we could have him back. Recently in Bloomington there was a reunion of the 1987 championship team, but there was one key figure not in attendance. It's not like Coach Knight isn't around the game anymore, because I hear him break down games all the time as part of ESPN. But there is one team I have yet to even hear him mention, and it's a team that has fans that still yearn for him to come back and give us closure. The fans did not make the decision to fire him, and therefore should not be associated with his bitterness towards the greatness that is Indiana Hoosiers basketball. And if he doesn't want to give back what us fans gave, than let us focus on what we now have, and what we want for the future of Indiana basketball. I want to see Tom Crean with grey hair, wearing that nice suit with that crimson tie, pacing along the sideline for a long time to come. Maybe one day Knight will come back to Indiana to say hello again, or to say good-bye. But if he doesn't let us hope that we as fans can embrace another name for that court. Crean Court sounds pretty damn good to this Hoosier. In the meantime, we're 11-0, back in the top 25, and headed for greener pastures...Creaner pastures.

-Kenneth Languell
@AskTheWho

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"We're Back" T-Shirt Winner

 

Thanks to everyone for playing! The winner of the "We're Back" t-shirt give away is.....

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Post-game reaction: IU vs. Notre Dame

Rapid Reactions
This game started slowly for IU as they struggled for the first part of the first half against Notre Dame. I was half expecting a slow start coming after a week off following the win versus #1 Kentucky, but this was a little much. They could have also been a little excited about Purdue blowing yet another double digit lead in the second half against a team that IU previously beat by sixteen.

Whatever the reason #TGFC (Thank God for Cody) in the first half. At one point, Cody Zeller had 10 of the team’s 12 points. If it wasn’t for him, I am not sure that IU sticks close enough to be in it at half. At one point I was thinking that Coach Crean should put Daniel Moore in the game for a spark! I am still curious about what in the world Elston was doing at the end of the half with five seconds left on the clock and launching a half court shot, but thanks to Remy he was bailed out.

I never was nervous about this game in the second half. Notre Dame kept it close but they never scared the Hoosiers.  Even though Indiana had several key members in foul trouble, the bench filled in nicely and we expanded our lead to mid-teens and held on, unlike Purdue. I was proud of all the members of the Indiana basketball team and I cannot wait until the Big Ten season starts!

I grew up ten miles outside Notre Dame’s campus and currently live in Lafayette, so today was a good day for me being an IU fan!

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Gm 9: +/- Player Analysis - Kentucky Edition

Welcome back to another addition of the +/- Player Analysis for your 2011-2012 Indiana Hoosiers! It's going to be hard to say anything about this game that Hoosier fans don't already know.  IU basketball is officially back to the National Stage!  I have re watched the game twice now and have picked up on things you don't notice during the actual flow of the game.  For instance, Christian Watford practiced his Buzzer Beater shot EXACTLY earlier in the second half.  This game was one for the ages, an Instant Classic.

Key Players:

• Christian Watford - Did he step up or what?  Watford was a man amongst boys in this game.  He scored, he completely shut down Terrence Jones (although Jones appeared to shut down himself), and Watford played Hero for the night.  This was one of Watford's best games of his IU career.  Christian came up big for IU hitting 4 of 6 from behind the arc.
• Cody Zeller - A lot can be said about Dick Vitale's comments about the Hoosiers lack of effort in feeding Zeller all night.  From listening to Vitale, IU shouldn't have won that game since we didn't feed Zeller every trip down the court.  I do however agree with Vitale, IU has struggled at times this year to get Cody the ball down low.  Our future success will depend greatly on our ability to get Cody involved on the low blocks.
• The Fans - That was deafening.  From 90 minutes before the game, to 90 minutes after the game, Assembly Hall was jumping.  If you don't think a crowd can influence a game, ask Kentucky's freshman what they thought.  This was a great crowd and hopefully we will continue to see the early arrival from all fans.

With that being said, let's jump into the +/- Player Analysis

+/- Player Analysis vs Stetson
*Just in case you forgot, here is a quick breakdown as to what the +/- Player Analysis is looking at.
Example: Here is a quick example of how the +/- stat is determined. Zeller, Watford, VJIII, Hulls and Sheehey start the game for IU. Therefore the score is 0-0. Coach Crean makes his first substitution at 15:00 with the score IU up 15-10. Oladipo comes into the game for Sheehey. For this stint in time, Sheehey would earn a +5 (while Sheehey was in, IU increased their lead by 5 points). The Lineup of Zeller, Watford, VJIII, Hulls and Sheehey also earned a +5. This will continue throughout the game.

Game Overall   

 Key Takeaways:

• Close Game - This was the first single digit game the Hoosiers have been involved in.  It's interesting to see that 4 starters remained positive and the one starter in the negative was Cody Zeller.
• Cody played a game high 37 minutes so he was on both sides of the big runs.  This would be expected.  The interesting thing of note with Cody is, during the 3 minutes he was on the bench, IU outscored Kentucky by +4.
• Coach Crean didn't go very deep on his bench at all.  Only 7 players saw significant time.  Coach Crean did say in his post game press conference that Derek Elston was cleared to play medically, but he decided not to use him.  Hopefully Derek will be okay and can continue playing at the high level he was in the early season.
• I cannot stress this enough, anything in the GREEN, means the player had a positive impact on the game and helped IU get to their blowout win.

Lineups of the Night:  

Key Takeaways: 

• Here you can see the game flow throughout the night. The chart reads from the beginning of the game to the end from top to bottom.
• This is where the analysis gets interesting.  IU had two stints in the game (+8, +10) where they dominated the Wildcats for a short period of time.  It was really only those two stints that won them this game.  They got beat during the rest of the game.
• I'll discuss the stints in more detail below.
• Overall, Coach Crean used 13 different combinations of players in the game (the fewest amount to date).  Of his 13 combinations,  5 were positive, 2 were neutral (0) and the remaining 6 were negative.
• Of all the stints in this game (19), there were 6 positive, 4 neutral and 9 negative.
• Only two units played multiple times tonight.

Best Lineup of the Night:
The best lineup of the night (+5) belongs to Hulls, Oladipo, Sheehey, VJIII, and Zeller. They only played together once Saturday night. They did their damage at the 8:13 minute mark of the first half where they went +5 in 1 minute 30 seconds. This was actually the 8th time all year Crean has used this lineup.  Only 3 other lineups are used more often.

Worst Lineup of the Night:
The worst lineup of the night (-4) consisted of Hulls, Sheehey, Jones, Pritchard and Zeller.  This lineup played in the first half immediately before the Best Lineup of the Night came in.  This game was back and forth, and judging from the chart above, there were plenty of groups who had some negative splits.

Season to Date:
As many people like to point out, looking at the +/- for one specific game is not entirely telling. Tracking this over the course of the year, will give a much clearer picture as to what each player brings to the team. Below is the updated season to date +/- for each player.

• In a close game like this, there isn't going to be many huge misses.  This game was extremely close and you can see that from the plus/minus data.  
• Every player in this games' Pts/Min decreased, which is expect able.

Lineup Combinations
Here are some quick stats related to the Lineups Tom Crean has used through the three regular season games:

• Coach has used 131 different lineups this year.
• Of those 131, only 41 are negative year to date. (Increased by 3 this game)
• Best lineup is +45 (went -1 vs Kentucky;Crean's favorite unit (19 times) of Hulls, Oladipo, VJ3, Watford, Zeller)
• 2nd Best Lineup is +22 (went -2 vs Kentucky: Consists of Hulls, Oladipo, Sheehey, Watford and Zeller)
• Worst lineup is -6. (Consists of Hulls, Watford, VJIII, Sheehey and Pritchard)
• 34 lineups have been used multiple times this year.
• The top 4 used lineups contain these players: Hulls, Oladipo, Sheehey, Jones, Watford and Zeller.  Only Hulls and Zeller are in all 4 lineups together.

Lineup Creator!
Here is your chance to play Coach Crean!
What you can do is go to this link, "+/- Lineup Generator" and it will open an Excel file for you. Using the filters already on the page, you can filter the lineups for the year to see how all the different combinations of players play together.

For instance, if you wanted to see how the team does when Oladipo and Sheehey are in the game together, filter both their columns. This will return all lineups for the year that Oladipo and Sheehey have been on the floor together!

Overall
What an outstanding game this was.  I apologize for getting the +/- Player Analysis out late, but Kirkwood was calling my name Saturday night.  The hall was rocking, IU is back into the top 25, and Kentucky went home a loser.... What a great night!

+/- Player Analysis for Every Game!

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We're Back!

The rankings are out! IU comes in at #18 in the AP poll and #20 in the Coaches! What better way to celebrate than our new t-shirts! IU sent a message on Saturday night... That message was "WE'RE BACK!" Thanks and GO HOOSIERS!!

You can purchase the shirt in our BtownBanners Store!

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IU Players talk Kentucky Win (Video)

See what Chrisitan Watford, Jordan Hulls, Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Verdell Jones and Will Sheehey had to say about this huge win!

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Hoo's Next: Stetson Edition

Hoo's Next

Who: Stetson Hatters

When: 4:30pm ET – Sunday December 4, 2011

Where: Assembly Hall – Bloomington, IN

TV: BTN.com, FirstRowSports

How to watch the game:

There are different avenues to watch the Hoosiers. The first option (and most legal option), is to purchase a subscription from BTN.com to view the game. Another option, is to wait until the game is shown on the BTN Channel on TV. The final option, is utilizing a site like FirstRowSports.tv which broadcasts games. They appear to be broadcasting the Stetson vs IU game today so you can give that a shot!

The Scoop: Out of the Atlantic Sun conference, the Stetson Hatters will be in Bloomington this Sunday to face off with our Cream and Crimson. Stetson (4-3) comes off a recent win over East Tennessee State but has their work cut out for them in this one. The Hoosiers, now 7-0, are sitting at ninth in the nation in field goal percentage (.524). Overall, it is important for Indiana to not overlook the Hatters despite the hype surrounding next week's highly anticipated match-up with number one ranked Kentucky.

What to Expect:

•

Deflections – Although his description of them is quite confusing, Coach Crean's getting a lot of them. Expect the ball to be batted and swatted around often when Indiana is on defense as their intensity and defensive presence has been unquestionable as of late.

•

Scoring – The Hoosiers are averaging 85 points a game this season and have continued to shoot lights out. The Hatters could struggle to contain the many scoring threats of Indiana.

•

Rebounding – The Hoosiers have struggled on the boards and will need to improve in the area to have a decent shot at Kentucky next week. Look for Coach Crean to stress rebounding with his players and emphasizing boxing out.

Outcome: The Stetson Hatters have endured much adversity already this season; however, two of their three losses have come against ranked opponents in Florida and Florida State. The Hoosiers, though, should outmatch the opponents in this one and hopefully move to an impressive 8-0 start. Hoosiers over Hatters, 81-57.

Get some new Threads for The Holidays! BtownBanners.com has partnered with Slumpbusting.com to offer Hoosier fans great shirts! Ranging from the original "The Movement" shirt worn by IU's top recruits, to the classic "Kentucky Sucks" and "Purdouche" shirts! Check them out!

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Oladipo's Reverse ThunderDunk vs NC State (Video)

Man you've just got to love seeing him in the Cream and Crimson! Oladipo had a great game in his limited minutes due to foul trouble. Check out our FULL game analysis which is unlike anything you've seen before! -->HERE

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