See what Coach Crean and the Players had to say about IU's victory over #2 Ohio State!
Coach Crean:
Hulls, Jones, Oladipo:
Coach Crean:
Hulls, Jones, Oladipo:
Plus / Minus Player Analysis
Ever wonder what Coach Crean means when he talks about the Plus / Minus differential after each game? We did too, so we recreated his analysis, and provide it to you here after EVERY game!.
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The Final Buzzer
Come on over to the Final Buzzer when the clock has hit Triple Zeros. We will discuss our Rapid Reactions and game analysis.
Showing posts with label The Final Buzzer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Final Buzzer. Show all posts
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Immediate Reactions - Ohio State Edition
By Brian Hall (@Hoosier_Hall)
IU vs. O$U
This game started out scary for IU. Half way through the first half, Indiana was down ten and didn’t look like they were going to hang close for very long. That all changed when OSU’s big men Sullinger and Thomas picked up their second fouls and headed to the bench. IU took advantage which lead to a one point lead at the half.
The second half continued to go back and forth with no team taking more than a five point lead. Oladipo and Hulls gently placed IU on their back and did not let OSU get too far ahead. Hulls got out of his funk from the MSU game and came up with some huge shots. Oladipo had some key steals and dunks that got the non-student crowd out of their seats and gave Assembly Hall a major lift. I had a similar feeling heading into this game that I had going into the Kentucky game and the last couple of minutes did not fail to bring back that recent UK memories.
Indiana ended up winning by the score of 74-70 over the #2 Buckeyes of Ohio State. This was a true team effort! Hull, Oladipo, Jones, Zeller, and Watford all were in double figures. The Hoosiers fought for half the game without their star Center. Zeller only played 21 minutes because of foul trouble. I could not be any prouder of this IU team. They never give up! Who knows where the Hoosiers will end up this year!
Hoo’s Next: vs. Michigan 1/5 9:00 pm
IU vs. O$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
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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:
+/- 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:
Key Takeaways:
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.
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.
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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.
+/- 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.
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.
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
- 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.
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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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
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...
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
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
Saturday, December 24, 2011
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:
Stats for the Game:
Stats for the Season:
Lineups used in the game:
Monday, December 19, 2011
Coach Crean and Players Talk Howard Blowout
See what Coach Crean and the players had to say about the Howard blowout victory.
See what Verdell Jones, Christian Watford and Will Sheehey had to say about the win.
See what Verdell Jones, Christian Watford and Will Sheehey had to say about the win.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
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.
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!
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!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Post-Game Reaction IU vs. UK
I am not sure I can possibly type what I am feeling after this game! I
have watched the IU/UK game with a friend of mine who went to Kentucky and a die hard
UK fan for the last six years and this is the first time in that many years
that we (IU) came away with a win. I live in Lafayette and I was watching the
game in a bar with many Purdue fans that suddenly turned into UK fans and they
quickly cleared our after Watford hit that three pointer. I am not going to
talk about anything except how Freaking Amazing that game was. I have been a
Coach Crean fan since he has started and I hope that fellow alumni that are
calling for a new head coach after a difficult few years are quieting their voice.
Amazing game and if you want some detailed analysis, go to ESPN3 and view the
playback. AMAZING!!!! Oh wait, Sportcenter is currently highlighting IU victory
over Kentucky currently!!!!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Gm 8: +/- Player Analysis - Stetson Edition
Welcome back to another addition of the +/- Player Analysis for your 2011-2012 Indiana Hoosiers! This was a story of two halves today in Assembly Hall. IU came out into the game lethargic and nonchalant which allowed the Hatters of Stetson to hang close at the half. Coach Crean did some lineup adjustments at the half; only returning 2 starters, to start the second half. This was only the second time this year Coach has opted to start the second half with a different lineup than he did in the first half. The insertion of Daniel Moore, Will Sheehey and Derek Elston proved to do the trick as the Hoosiers ended with a 84-50 victory.
Moore, Oladipo and VJIII talk about Stetson Win (Video)
Check out what the key players in the Hoosiers' victory had to say right after the game! Also make sure to check back for our +/- Player Analysis in the next few hours!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Immediate Post Game Reaction: IU vs NC State
Rapid Reactions:
North Carolina State started rebounding everything in sight (or Indiana forgot how to box out). After the final ten minutes of the first half I felt lucky to only be down one point.
- Jordan Hulls was aggressive taking threes and driving the ball. He was the first player on either team in double figures.
- Victor Oladipo was solid on defense stuffing his statsheet with steals, rebounds, and a couple of emphatic nice dunks.
- Christian Watford looked steady. He didn't throw the ball away as often and made some quality shots.
- Cody Zeller was the “savior” that we all thought he would be. Rebounding, hustling after loose balls, and break away dunks led to a very encouraging eleven point lead.
North Carolina State started rebounding everything in sight (or Indiana forgot how to box out). After the final ten minutes of the first half I felt lucky to only be down one point.
The second half started out with Indiana playing with great confidence. Unfortunately, after the first TV timeout, Indiana played like the team in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Verdell Jones III threw the ball away and took fade away shots in the lane, while Oladipo tried to foul out. This earned Victor a nice little session on the bench.
NC State went up seven and the Hoosiers were down and out....
...at least the teams of the last three years would have been done.
But this isn't your same old Hoosier squad! The Hoosiers of the first ten minutes of the game showed up and kicked ass!!! I have not been that excited since the Illinois victory last year. Hulls hit huge shots, Zeller kept up the pressure, and Oladipo was the Oladipo that jumped over the middle schoolers during Hoosier Hysteria.
There were some things to complain about as an alumnus, but this was an all-around amazing game. I am not going to say that we are back like some people are saying on Twitter, but we are back from the embarrassing level that we have been stuck at for the past three years. I predicted that we would finish fifth in the Big Ten before the year started and I think we are right on track for that. Amazing job HOOSIERS!!!!
NC State went up seven and the Hoosiers were down and out....
...at least the teams of the last three years would have been done.
But this isn't your same old Hoosier squad! The Hoosiers of the first ten minutes of the game showed up and kicked ass!!! I have not been that excited since the Illinois victory last year. Hulls hit huge shots, Zeller kept up the pressure, and Oladipo was the Oladipo that jumped over the middle schoolers during Hoosier Hysteria.
There were some things to complain about as an alumnus, but this was an all-around amazing game. I am not going to say that we are back like some people are saying on Twitter, but we are back from the embarrassing level that we have been stuck at for the past three years. I predicted that we would finish fifth in the Big Ten before the year started and I think we are right on track for that. Amazing job HOOSIERS!!!!
Next up: vs Stetson on 12/4
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Immediate Post Game Reaction IU vs Butler
Rapid Reactions:
In the beginning, I am not sure if it was great defense or extremely sloppy play by both teams. The game turned into a great defensive effort on Indiana’s part in the second half. I was very proud of how Indiana turned up the intensity in the second half.
Statsheet Stuffers:
One of my favorite players from last year, Will Sheehey, came to play tonight. Sheehey and Zeller’s play turned this game from a nail-bitter into a blow out. Hulls showed great leadership and Oladipo continued to show his unbelievable athletic ability.
Not so Great...
Watford and Jones III. What in the world were they doing? They both forgot that this isn't the 2010-2011 season. They didn't pass the ball, they forced shots, and they seemed to pretend as if they were the only players on the court. If I was Coach Crean, I would have sat them down and explained how to play like a team. If they cannot play as a team, they will be sitting the bench.
Overall it was another great win for the Hoosiers. Be sure to check back soon for the +/- Player Analysis. IU will travel to NC State for their next game! Go Hoosiers!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Immediate Post Game Reaction: IU vs. Gardner-Webb
Rapid Reactions:
I will start off by informing you that I was not able to give my full attention to the game as it was played on Monday night which happens to be the same night as my bowling league. I actually bowl in the Purdue staff league (my wife works at Purdue) with a Kentucky fan, so please don’t stop reading my post game reactions, but I did watch the game on BTN live stream without the sound.
From what I saw, IU started out fast and blitzed Gardner-Webb from the start. Our offense was clicking and the defense started off locking down all of their shooters. One thing I noticed was Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo picked up where they left off at in the Savannah State game. Both players showed some tenacity and hustle out there tonight.
Also, Verdell Jones III looked like the Verdell Jones III of last year, inconsistent! I am sorry for this short and non-informative reaction, but IU kicked some butt and I bowled a 210.
Next game: November 27 vs. Butler
I will start off by informing you that I was not able to give my full attention to the game as it was played on Monday night which happens to be the same night as my bowling league. I actually bowl in the Purdue staff league (my wife works at Purdue) with a Kentucky fan, so please don’t stop reading my post game reactions, but I did watch the game on BTN live stream without the sound.
From what I saw, IU started out fast and blitzed Gardner-Webb from the start. Our offense was clicking and the defense started off locking down all of their shooters. One thing I noticed was Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo picked up where they left off at in the Savannah State game. Both players showed some tenacity and hustle out there tonight.
Also, Verdell Jones III looked like the Verdell Jones III of last year, inconsistent! I am sorry for this short and non-informative reaction, but IU kicked some butt and I bowled a 210.
Next game: November 27 vs. Butler
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Immediate Post Game Reaction-Evansville
Rapid Reactions:
The game started out at a much faster pace than the first two games that IU has played this year. The team seemed focused on feeding Cody Zeller early and often. This not only gave him more looks, but also let the double team come to him which allowed Zeller to pass the ball out to the open perimeter look. My brother-in-law and I texted each other at the same time talking about how good Zeller looked early. Besides Cody, the entire team looked great in the first half. Verdell Jones III was going inside and out and controlled the ball while hitting some quality buckets. Indiana pushed the ball down the court in transition and played quality defense throughout the first half.
The game started out at a much faster pace than the first two games that IU has played this year. The team seemed focused on feeding Cody Zeller early and often. This not only gave him more looks, but also let the double team come to him which allowed Zeller to pass the ball out to the open perimeter look. My brother-in-law and I texted each other at the same time talking about how good Zeller looked early. Besides Cody, the entire team looked great in the first half. Verdell Jones III was going inside and out and controlled the ball while hitting some quality buckets. Indiana pushed the ball down the court in transition and played quality defense throughout the first half.
The second half started slowly and Indiana was a little sloppy, but Evansville never came close to making it a game. Christian Watford looked like the Watford of old. He made long three pointers, grabbed rebounding, and looked like he actually wanted to be out on the court! Indiana almost had a 1 to 1 assist to field goal ratio! The Hoosiers have not been that efficient since I was in undergrad down in Bloomington. All around, Indiana looked good on offense, defense, and transition. Haven’t looked at the television schedule for the rest of the year, but hopefully there are not anymore on ESPN3!
Final Score: IU 94 Evansville 73
Up Next: Savannah State on November 19th 8:00 EST
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Hulls, Oladipo, Moore Reflect on Win
Check out Jordan Hulls, Victor Oladipo and Daniel Moore as they discuss the Hoosiers victory tonight!
The New and Improved Hoosiers
It is still extremely early, but a lot has been learned after the Hoosiers’ first two games. There is more than enough room for improvement, but what I have seen so far is much more than what I had hoped. Cody Zeller has arrived, and he is the real deal. He is very mobile for his size, a tremendous passer, and an unquantifiable value to this team. The pre-season media “experts” who predicted the Hoosiers to finish near the very bottom of the Big Ten are simply wrong. The two main woes from last year, turnovers and fouls, are much closer to being corrected. It is still to be seen just how much we can expect from this squad, but one thing is for sure. Tom Crean’s team will be competitive all season long.
Crean has spoken often about the importance of a deep team that can challenge each other for minutes. He finally seems to have it. I don’t expect this team to have a consistent top scorer as there are several players who could put up the most points on any given night. The team also seems to have enough discipline defensively this season for players to be held accountable. Perimeter defense will likely be a struggle all season, but strides have been made and will continue to be made on the defensive end. Victor Oladipo appears to have made himself the lock-down defender that Indiana will so greatly need as the season progresses.
Offensively, Oladipo has looked fearless. His ability to get to the rim has always been there, but his shot looks to be much improved. Apparently nothing gets Victor fired up like a Seawolf or a Moc. His energy is contagious, and he has clearly given the Hoosiers a big boost. His athleticism is crucial to the Hoosiers as they must be effective in transition to be successful. Combine this with shooters like Jordan Hulls and Zeller’s ability to run the floor, and Indiana will win games.
After two games, I am projecting the Hoosiers to finish the year 18-13 heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Brace yourselves for this one...I also expect the Hoosiers to finally crack the top 25 once again this season. Yes, you read that correctly but let me explain. I anticipate the Hoosiers to head into the game against Kentucky (Dec. 10th) with a perfect 8-0 record. Highlighted by wins at N.C. State and home against Butler, it should be convincing enough for voters. After that, it’s a mystery how Crean’s team will fare against much stronger competition.
I have heard several players listed as the “X-Factor” for this ballclub. Players like Maurice Creek before his injury and Verdell Jones have been mentioned. In my opinion, the player that will determine just how good or mediocre this team will be is Christian Watford. Will his presence be diminished by that of Cody Zeller, or will the two team up to be one of the most feared front courts in the Big Ten? It is just one of the many questions we will have to wait to learn, but it will be fun to watch nonetheless.
--Travis Cunningham
Crean has spoken often about the importance of a deep team that can challenge each other for minutes. He finally seems to have it. I don’t expect this team to have a consistent top scorer as there are several players who could put up the most points on any given night. The team also seems to have enough discipline defensively this season for players to be held accountable. Perimeter defense will likely be a struggle all season, but strides have been made and will continue to be made on the defensive end. Victor Oladipo appears to have made himself the lock-down defender that Indiana will so greatly need as the season progresses.
Offensively, Oladipo has looked fearless. His ability to get to the rim has always been there, but his shot looks to be much improved. Apparently nothing gets Victor fired up like a Seawolf or a Moc. His energy is contagious, and he has clearly given the Hoosiers a big boost. His athleticism is crucial to the Hoosiers as they must be effective in transition to be successful. Combine this with shooters like Jordan Hulls and Zeller’s ability to run the floor, and Indiana will win games.
After two games, I am projecting the Hoosiers to finish the year 18-13 heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Brace yourselves for this one...I also expect the Hoosiers to finally crack the top 25 once again this season. Yes, you read that correctly but let me explain. I anticipate the Hoosiers to head into the game against Kentucky (Dec. 10th) with a perfect 8-0 record. Highlighted by wins at N.C. State and home against Butler, it should be convincing enough for voters. After that, it’s a mystery how Crean’s team will fare against much stronger competition.
I have heard several players listed as the “X-Factor” for this ballclub. Players like Maurice Creek before his injury and Verdell Jones have been mentioned. In my opinion, the player that will determine just how good or mediocre this team will be is Christian Watford. Will his presence be diminished by that of Cody Zeller, or will the two team up to be one of the most feared front courts in the Big Ten? It is just one of the many questions we will have to wait to learn, but it will be fun to watch nonetheless.
--Travis Cunningham
Chattanooga Postgame Immediate Reaction
Well this game was a great game to watch. Indiana started off a little slow and kept Chattanooga around early in the game. The Hoosiers, especially Watford and Jones III, were playing out of control and taking early shots, but later calmed down and began to play confidently. Led by the one and only Victor Oladipo!
Oladipo ended the night with a career high 21 points, many of which were scored in high flying fashion. Jordan Hulls hit six three pointers and had a few nice assists to help out the Hoosiers in the second half.
Daniel Moore sparked the Hoosiers coming off of the bench and as @Chronichoosier noted" another “Pepperpot.""
Issues:
Some of the issues I found during this game were the number of turnovers IU had vs. Chattanooga. 18 turnovers against a Southern Conference team are WAY too many. What is going to happen when we play a team from the Big Ten? Also, one word Watford! OK I will stop obsessing and be grateful for the product we are putting out on the court.
Up Next: @Evansville November 16th
-Brian Hall
Oladipo ended the night with a career high 21 points, many of which were scored in high flying fashion. Jordan Hulls hit six three pointers and had a few nice assists to help out the Hoosiers in the second half.
Daniel Moore sparked the Hoosiers coming off of the bench and as @Chronichoosier noted" another “Pepperpot.""
Issues:
Some of the issues I found during this game were the number of turnovers IU had vs. Chattanooga. 18 turnovers against a Southern Conference team are WAY too many. What is going to happen when we play a team from the Big Ten? Also, one word Watford! OK I will stop obsessing and be grateful for the product we are putting out on the court.
Up Next: @Evansville November 16th
-Brian Hall
