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Hoosiers Poised to Dictate to Illinois

2012-02-09T02:19:00.001-08:00

In college basketball, as in life, you have those who dictate and those who submit.

Now that Indiana reaches the home stretch of its season, with seven games that will determine how special this season is, and whether it can be a top-four NCAA tourney seed, it needs to dictate.

That starts tonight with Illinois, a 16-7 team that only occasionally plays to its talent. While a lot of that has to do with the power and parity of the Big Ten (the Illini, like the Hoosiers, are a .500 league team), inconsistency has been a problem.

IU has to make them pay for that.

Guard Jordan Hulls, for one, understands that.

“It’s on us to play our own game, don’t let them dictate what we do,” he said. “They are very versatile –- can run and slow it down. They are very big and athletic. A lot of guys can shoot the ball.”

Illinois shooters start with guard Brandon Paul, who averages 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists. His career-high 43 points sparked the Illini to a 79-74 win over Ohio State last month.

Sophomore forward Meyers Leonard leads the Big Ten in blocks (48, 11 more than anyone else), is third in shooting (58.2 percent) and rebounds (8.0), and averages 13.3 points. Guard D.J. Richardson averages 12.2 points. Forward Bertand Joseph is fourth in the Big Ten in shooting (58.0 percent).

The Hoosiers have shooters of their own, in fact, they have the Big Ten’s two best three-point shooters in Hulls and Matt Roth. They also have resolve steeled from a recent stretch of losing 5 of 7 games, four of those on the road. Four road losses have come against ranked teams -– Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan.

That stretch, Hulls said, plus the big-time victory at Purdue last Saturday, has steeled them for what remains.

“Road wins are hard to come by in the Big Ten,” he said. “Being able to win at Purdue and Penn State, we really feel like that’s going to help us. It’s the big Ten and anyone can beat anyone.”

That includes Illinois. To win this game, which IU is promoting for a “White Out and Loud Out” (coach Tom Crean wants it so loud the Illini won’t be able to think), means playing as if the Hoosiers were desperate more than confident.

“Everyone is going to come into Assembly Hall and try to take us down and get the win here,” Hulls said. “Everyone is going to attack us. We’re going to get everyone’s best shot. We have to prepare ourselves for that and get ready to play.”

Preparations include practicing with Victor Oladiop and Remy Abell as primary ballhandlers given the uncertain status of guard Verdell Jones, who is still recovering from a bruised right shoulder injured last week at Michigan.

“It’s going to be really tight,” Crean said about Jones’ availability. “I won’t say that he won’t play. I’m not being evasive. We’ll see how he continues to heal, but he’s done very little.”

Without Jones on Saturday Oladipo had a career-high 23 points and Abell had a career-high 13 points. Both are likely to get shots at point-guard-like roles against Illinois.

“It’s the decision making,” Crean said. “We were very low on turnovers (against Purdue; the Hoosiers had 11). That’s key. If you’re locked in and you’re focused and you’re asking guys to do things they don’t normally do, the simpler you can keep it, the better.

“What we’ve tried to do this week is make sure that we’re building situations that could come up with different guys handling the ball. How do we react to those? That’s the situational part of it.

“We try to project – ‘We can go to this; they can try this; they’ve done this in the past.’

“It gets you ready for the game. It keeps you more ready for the long term of the season. It keeps your guys focused, keeps changing it up, keeps challenging them to do different things. But at the same time, when you’re coaching the game, you want to keep it as simple as possible because they haven’t done a lot of those things.”

Here’s the simple Hoosier bottom line -– win at least five of these last seven games and they position themselves for a potential Sweet Sixteen run by virtue of a high seed.

Sometimes being a dictator is a very, very good thing.

Are Hoosiers Headed For Top-15 Finish?

2012-02-07T02:36:00.001-08:00

For four straight weeks Indiana has dropped in the polls since topping out at No. 7 with a 15-1 start. That reflects the toughness of the Big Ten as well as its own inconsistency, particularly in losses to Minnesota and Nebraska.

Well, that’s about to end. The now No. 23 Hoosiers (18-6 overall, 6-6 in the Big Ten) are set to finish on a roll. They very well could be a top-15 team by the end of the regular season.

Five of their last seven games are at home. Figure they’ll win at least four of them, with a game against No. 11 Michigan State (18-5) the biggest threat.

They also play at Minnesota (17-7) and at Iowa (13-11). They can split those games.

That means a 23-8 regular season record. Figure they can go 1-1 in the Big Ten tourney, so you’re talking a 24-9 record and very, very solid NCAA tourney seed.

Not bad for a program that won just 12 games last season.

*****

Coach Tom Crean hit on a lot of subjects during his Monday night radio show. For instance, last Thursday his brothers in law, John and Jim Harbaugh, spoke to the team. They were in town for the Super Bowl.

John is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Jim is the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

What they said must have been awfully motivational considering two days later, IU won at Mackey Arena for the first time since 2006.

Anyway, NFL head coaches can command a pretty stiff speaking fee. Crean joked that they, “Probably would have cost $60,000. I got the family discount.”

Also, if you were hoping to follow the Hoosiers to a warm tropical island next fall as part of a non-conference exempt tournament, forget it. They are heading to New York. Crean didn’t specify the event, but it could be the Preseason NIT.

Crean is really pushing for a loud, enthusiastic crowd at Assembly Hall for Thursday’s game against Illinois. The concept is a “White out and a loud out.” He added that, “We need it to be excruciatingly painful for the other team to be able to hear.”

Earlier Crean had tweeted he wants a “bedlam” atmosphere for the game. Specifically he tweeted that, "We need to start the buildup for the Illini game RIGHT NOW! Last year it was the LOUDEST game in AH. It's time to top the Kentucky atmosphere.

"We need this play as crazy and intense as it has been all year. With a start time of 8, there is nothing … to hold back from BEDLAM!"

As far as the Hoosiers, he wants them playing at full throttle all the time. No resting during play. That’s what the bench and timeouts are for, and because of media timeouts – to emphasize, that is basically TV timeouts – players already get plenty of breaks.

“I’ve never met a great team that paced itself, and what I mean by that is guys trying to catch a break on the court,” he said.

*****

During Monday’s Big Ten teleconference Crean was asked about Ohio State’s Value City Arena and the atmosphere there since students were put right behind team benches starting last season.

The language, Crean said, is brutal at times.

"I think security does a pretty good job of trying to make sure it's not directed at the players, but as they say, it's fair game for the coach, so you've just got to do your best to shut that out. It's a little over the top. There's no doubt about that, but that's college basketball, and I think that's part of the pageantry of the whole thing.

"My hat's off to them. It's not a place I want my family sitting anywhere nearby, but I think they're really good. I think that's got a lot to do with what the problem is when you go into a timeout. The fans do a great job of playing up to that. I think they've made a lot of good moves inside that arena in the short time I've been in this league to enhance the atmosphere, and it's one of the tougher ones. There's no doubt about it."

Also during the teleconference, Crean was asked about the Big Ten getting a record number of NCAA tourney participants, much like a record 10 Big Ten football played in bowl games this past season.

Crean, as you might expect, said why not. Ten of the 12 Big Ten teams have at least 13 victories. The conference, by every measure, rates as the nation’s strongest.

"I think if they stay true to the criteria that's been set forth, absolutely because you've got a league that's been on top from the beginning and never wavered," Crean said. "When you look around the at the standings - I remember paying attention to this watching film of our game when I saw the graphic - it's amazing the number of wins and how close so many people are to 20 wins already in this league.

"I think that says a lot about our league. So much of what it's supposed to come down to is criteria … and strength of schedule and you're RPI and all those different things. I think our league has done a great job of that.

"Depending on how the next month goes, it would be a complete shock if we didn't have as many or more than anybody in college basketball in the tournament."

*****

Cody Zeller, as you know, is have a really, really, really good freshman year. He leads the Hoosiers in scoring (15.1 points), rebounding (6.4) and shooting (64.9 percent). He’s already been named Big Ten freshman of the week five times. ESPN.com, The Sporting News and SI.com have named him to their second team midseason All-America squads. He’s also one of four Big Ten players on the top-25 list for the Wooden award, which goes annually to the nation’s top player.

Now we find out he’s one of the 20 contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which also goes to the nation’s best player courtesy of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Finalists will be announced in mid-March.

****

IU recruit James Blackmon Jr. tore is ACL in his left leg over the weekend and is out for the season.

The Fort Wayne Bishop Luers sophomore guard was during during a 73-51 loss at Indianapolis Tech. According to the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel’s Reggie Hayes, Blackmon is “expected to have surgery in the next week or so.” He should be ready to go for next season.

Blackmon was averaging 25.1 points for a 12-6 Luers team that just clinched its second straight Summit Athletic Conference title.

Blackmon tweeted on Monday afternoon that, “Just received the worst news of my life.” He later tweeted that, “My work ethic will get me through this.”

He'll get through it.

Ready To Roll – IU Sets Sight on Illinois and Beyond

2012-02-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

What was Remy Abell thinking?

Seriously. The rivalry game with Purdue was on the line and here’s a seldom-used freshman who had taken one three-point shot (and missed!) in the last six games. Why would he even think about shooting from that far out?

The answer is that, sometimes, it pays to be young and fearless. Let the old worry about consequences and ramifications.

So with 1:27 left and IU clinging to a six-point lead that could disappear almost as fast as you can say, “Nebraska,” Abell shot and hit.

The Boilers never recovered.

For the record, Abell is 4-for-6 on three-pointers in Big Ten play, and 6-for-13 for the season.

So what was he thinking at that moment?

Basically, that he was wide open, that Christian Watford had made a nice pass to get him the ball in position to shoot, and that, well, this was what all the extra shooting work these last few months was for.

“I’ve been working hard in practice, and it paid off,” he said. “It showed a little bit (Saturday night).”

Because it did, because teammate Victor Oladipo played like he was back into non-conference action, because the Hoosiers blasted away all their end-of-game road demons that contributed to a 2-5 slide, they are 6-6 in the Big Ten, 18-6 overall and feeling awfully good about themselves again.

“This is great,” Abell said. “We needed this win. We’ve got some home games left. Thw was a great start coming off the losses we’ve had. We have to be ready to keep it rolling.”

IU had plenty of stars in this win. Victor Oladipo had a career-high 23 points. Cody Zeller had 16 points and eight rebounds. Will Sheehey came off the bench for seven points, seven rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 22 minutes.

And if you like depth, the Hoosiers had eight players with at least two rebounds.

Crean has preached and preached and preached about toughness. It paid off against Purdue in rebounds. The Hoosiers had 53 of them, the most since they had 53 against Penn State in 2001.

“Our guys were committed to the glass,” Crean said. “That was not for the fainthearted inside the lane. It never is when you play Purdue. Our guys were committed to being in position to rebound and, for the most part, we got better in our blockouts. No question that’s a big part of the win.”

IU got so many rebounds in part because Purdue missed 50 -- yes, FIFTY -- shots. It’s hard to miss that many, especially because a lot were wide open ones. IU’s defense was good, but the Boilers also deserve a lot of credit for those misses.

As Purdue coach Matt Painter said, “I don’t mind missing open shots even though you shouldn’t miss open shots. You’re on scholarship. Especially at home, you should consistently knock down open shots. But when you have layups and you just blow them, when you shoot over the goal when you’re right at the rim, you have to make those. You have to step up and play.”

The No. 20 Hoosiers stepped up in Mackey Arena. Now, with five of their last seven games at home, and with the other two against conference bottom-feeders Minnesota and Iowa, they have a chance for a strong finish to solidify a solid NCAA tourney seed and, perhaps, a strong postseason run.

Yeah, this is an all-things-are-possible moment. It's amazing what beating Purdue at Mackey Arena for the first time since 2006 can do.

But that is for later. For now there’s just one over-riding concern in the next few days:

Beat Illinois.

Why?

Because that’s who the Hoosiers play Thursday night.

On IU Transition Defense, Sheehey Setting Hair Style Tone

2012-01-31T01:00:00.001-08:00

So should the Indiana Hoosiers be worried about the defense entering the last eight games of Big Ten play?

Is Will Sheehey's new hair style -- or lack of it (we don't have a new photo that reflects it) -- about to take over the roster?

Are you kidding?

First things, first.

Iowa is a decent offensive team, but it reminds nobody of, say, Ohio State or Michigan State or, yes, IU.

Against the Hoosiers, the Hawkeyes were a scoring juggernaut. They shot 63.0 percent from the field, 79.2 percent in the second half, and totaled 89 points. It was 13 more points than they had scored in any previous Big Ten game.

Why the success?

The short answer is IU defense. The longer answer is IU transition defense. The Hawkeyes ran at will and with arrogance. They attacked and attacked without hesitation, in part because they like to do it, in part because the Hoosiers couldn’t stop it.

The only reason Iowa lost was because its defense was terrible, which reflects a season-long problem, and because of the Hoosiers’ offensive excellence. They love to run and they have multiple weapons to take advantage of it when they do run.

IU goes on the road this week to Michigan and Purdue. Bet the house those teams will run at the Hoosiers at every opportunity. Wisconsin didn’t do it because that’s not the Badgers’ style. They thrive on grind-it-out, possession-by-possession play, especially at home.

Most teams prefer a faster pace. They will attacked IU’s vulnerability until it shows it can stop it or until opponents break the 100-point barrier.

So how can the Hoosiers stop opponents’ fast-break basketball?

One way would be a lineup change.

Coaches treat questions on lineup changes and player minutes with the enthusiasm of discussing their use of Viagra. Tom Crean was not excited to discuss his reasons for not playing Jordan Hulls much in the second half against Iowa.

During the post-game press conference, Crean was asked about that playing time. Specifically he was asked about tweets, referring to the BTN broadcast, that suggested Hulls didn’t play because he was hurt.

Here’s how it went:

Q: Is Hulls okay, Tom?

Crean: What kind of question is that?

Q: There were a couple of tweets that said on the Big Ten broadcast they said he was hurt and that’s why you held him out.

Crean: No. Come on. He’s fine. He’s fine. It wasn’t his best day. He’ll be fine.”

QUICK NOTE: When Crean answers a question with, “Come on,” it usually means he doesn’t like the question.

Later, Crean repeated that Hulls wasn’t having his best game and the matchups favored playing others. In fact, it mostly centered on defense. Hawkeyes were repeatedly blowing by him, not because he wasn’t trying, but because he lacks the lateral quickness to stop penetration. This is nothing new. Good Big Ten guards, and basically every conference team has at least one really good guard, will exploit that.

That means Wednesday at Michigan, figure that whoever Hulls is guarding will attack the basket. Either Hulls will stop it, or he’ll be back on the bench. You might see Verdell Jones, Sheehey and Victor Oladipo playing a lot together. Matt Roth, who WAS sick, should get more than the four minutes he played against Iowa.

Sheehey, by the way, got his first start of the season. He had 10 points and four rebounds, and played solid defense. Crean was asked if Sheehey will start in the future.

“I’m not sure. It’s what worked (Sunday). I feel like we have seven starters, so I’m not married to anything. So much of it right now is based on matchups, personnel, combinations, and things of that nature.”

Crean also was asked about the fact IU won by 14 points with Iowa shooting 79 percent in the second half.

“I’ll worry about that later,” he said. “I’m glad we got the win.”

As far as IU scoring 100 points for the first time in a Big Ten game under Crean, the coach wasn’t impressed.

“It’s nice for the fans and for the team. It meant we moved the ball. I’m excited about the 20 offensive rebounds and the 20 assists.”

That leads to the final point -– what’s up with Sheehey’s hair? He buzzed it off about an hour before Sunday’s tipoff. He surprised players and coaches by doing it. The look was so shocking, assistant coach Tim Buckley warned Crean about it before Crean’s final pre-game talk so the coach could concentrate on his message and not Sheehey’s appearance.

The reason, apparently, was to keep the sweat out of his eyes.

Does this mean other Hoosiers will follow Sheehey’s lead?

Not a chance.

Conspiracy, Zeller Fouls, And Beating Iowa

2012-01-28T18:30:00.001-08:00

Do you see wrong doing in fouls called against Indiana? Do you wonder why official Ted Valentine still works Hoosier basketball games? Are you convinced freshman forward Cody Zeller is a victim of a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of government?

Well, we can’t answer those questions. What we can do is tell you how Indiana coach Tom Crean approaches the subject of Zeller and fouls.

Zeller, as you might suspect, seems to never get the benefit of the officiating doubt. A simple explanation would be that he has fallen into the same habits of former Hoosier Bobby Capobianco and current Hoosier Tom Pritchard, and does foul too much.

But nothing is simple in an era in which an obvious goal-tending call on Syracuse is not called and West Virginia’s potential upset victory becomes gut-wrenching defeat.

But we digress.

Instead, focus on Crean during his pre-game press conference addressing Sunday night’s home game against Iowa.

He is asked if Zeller is getting frustrated with his foul situation (four fouls in four of his last six games), that there’s a perception he gets called for nit-picky stuff while opponents can throw him to the floor without a whistle (IMPORTANT THOUGHT -– Zeller has to get strong enough and stay balanced enough so that no one throws him anywhere) and the fact he only played 19 minutes in Thursday night’s loss at Wisconsin because of foul trouble.

“We point things out to him,” Crean said. “He works extremely hard. I’ll give you a great example.

“We spend a lot of time making sure we understand how to (handle the) block-charge line.”

NOTE: That’s the circle you see under the basket. If you’re outside the line and are set, it’s a charge. If you’re inside, it’s either a blocking foul or a no call.

“An idea we got from John Adams, who runs all the officiating,” Crean said, “was to put a white line six inches above the actual line so you’re never close. That line is always down for us in practice. We’ll rarely try to draw a charge anywhere near the line, and we’ll be set.

“When Cody gets called for a blocking foul (during the Wisconsin game), you can show him, that’s not what happened. It was a charge. Let’s keep doing it, even though it wasn’t called.”

In other words, and Crean was being diplomatic because he didn’t want to incur a fine by ripping the officials, Zeller got a bad call. It was a charge and not a blocking foul, so Zeller should just keep doing what he’s doing because eventually the calls will go his way.

“We work extremely hard to make sure we teach the proper way to do things,” Crean said. “The proper form of verticality in the post. The proper form of offensive rebounding. The proper way of rotating to draw a charge. We’ll continue to do that. It doesn’t mean it’s always going to be called that way. As long as we keep teaching it the right way, that’s what’s most important.”

As far as Zeller, Crean doesn’t want the 6-11 freshman to unnecessarily change his game.

“None of us want him to do anything more than play,” Crean said. “He was so well schooled before he got here. We want to make sure we school him on the speed aspects of the college game.

“If I was frustrated or upset with Cody, then he should have something to think about. I’m not. I’m just challenging him to get better. I’ve spent the last couple of days spending as much time as anything challenging him to get better. That’s where our focus is.

“He’s doing the right things. Is he always being rewarded for it? No.

“When you teach the right things and do the right things, you expect to be rewarded for it during the game. You expect the game to be called in the last two mintues the way it was called in the first two mintues. Those are your expectations going into a game. It doesn’t always happen. You have to make those adjustments along the way.

“Cody has gotten tremendously better at verticality, his hands behind his head, positioning and things of that nature. That’s what we want to focus on.”

In other words, don’t sweat the conspiracy stuff. Just play.

And, oh, yes. Beat Iowa.

Hoosier Necessity – Beat Iowa; Football Recruiting Focus

2012-01-28T02:02:00.001-08:00

Indiana has to beat Iowa on Sunday. Absolutely has to. It cannot afford to allow this struggling stretch of four losses in five games continue. There are too many tough games remaining, including next week’s brutal road run of Michigan and Purdue, to have any slip ups.

The Hoosiers are 16-5 and set to drop even further in the polls. Just a couple of weeks ago they were No. 7 in the country. Now they’re No. 16 and will slide a little more because of Thursday’s defeat at No. 25 Wisconsin.

IU’s recent losing doesn’t mean it’s stunk up Assembly Hall and the rest of the Big Ten. It got hammered at Ohio State, but every visiting team gets that experience, even Duke.

The home loss to Minnesota hurt, although the Gophers are playing much, much better. The blown game at Nebraska was a big blow. Losing a 13-point second half lead, including an 11-point advantage in the final six minutes against a team that reminds no one of, say, Kentucky, is a big problem.

Losing at Wisconsin is no disgrace, although the Badgers have been vulnerable at the Kohl Center with three losses there already. Still, IU trailed just 51-50 in the final two minutes, and was just a couple of tough-minded plays away from a victory at a place it hasn’t won at since 1998.

It didn’t happen, and you bet the Hoosiers were ticked.

“We did a lot of really good things,” coach Tom Crean said. “They got a couple of really big rebounds at the end of the game at crucial times. We put ourselves in position to win, we just didn’t finish it off.”

And yet, IU is playing better. Its overall defense has picked up, its shooting has been solid. Even in the defeats, you can see the potential is there. Once the team’s poise and maturity matches the talent –- and it’s close – more wins will come, even on the road.

The Hoosiers just have to be mentally tough to do what needs to be done at crunch time.

Can they?

You bet.

Will they?

That’s the million-dollar question.

Iowa is a dangerous team. You don’t win at Wisconsin, as the Hawkeyes did this season; you don’t beat Michigan, as they’ve also done, without having impressive weapons.

Iowa’s problem, which is true for so many teams, is that it isn’t consistent. It has defensive lapses, which is the main reason it is 11-10, 3-5 in the Big Ten.

It’s a winnable game, a must-win game. Let’s see if the Hoosiers are up to the task.

******

It’s about recruiting. Jon Fabris understands that. It’s why, from the moment he arrived at IU as the new defensive ends coach, his total focus was on helping the program land the best players possible. He didn’t have time to watch any film of the Hoosiers’ current defensive ends he’ll be coaching in the spring.

“I got into my office (on a Friday morning) and there was nothing on my desk. Now, I can’t see my desk. All I’ve been doing is recruiting. I’ve met with my players, and know some things about them, but I haven’t had a chance to really look at them.”

With the start of the signing period set for this Monday, what does Fabris want in a tight end?

“Defensive ends are just part of the defense. If you can’t stop the run, you’re not going to win, and when you stop the run, if you can’t pressure the quarterback, you’re probably not going to have a real good chance for success, either. That’s one reason why 16 of the top 32 players taken in the NFL Draft are defensive linemen.

“Good ones are hard to find, and they’re difference makers. They come in all shapes and sizes. I’ve had defensive ends that were 6-5 and guys who were 6-foot. Some of them started as tailbacks or linebackers. Most of them had never played the position before.

The only truly great player I ever coached in my life (Georgia All-America David Pollack) was recruited to be a fullback. He never played defensive end until the spring of his college freshman year, and he turned out to be a great player.

“You’ve got to have some physical ability, obviously, but you’re looking for intangible qualities that a lot of kids just don’t possess.”

Fabris is a competitive guy. He thrives on challenges and, as the new defensive ends coach for Indiana, he’ll get plenty of challenges.

He was hired to help boost a defense that was not exactly a national power. He’s certainly got the background to do it. He’s coached for 29 years and been involved in 12 bowls, including five BCS events. He’s worked at Georgia Tech, Washington State, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Kansas State, South Carolina and the Cleveland Browns. He also was at Georgia for nine years. For the 2011 season he was at Northwest Mississippi Community College.

“The thing that attracts me to Indiana is the competitive stage of this league – the personalities and the people,” he said. “I did not know Kevin Wilson real well, but a lot of people who had coached with him had coached with me, and they told me about him. They said he was a very competitive guy and a very intelligent guy. Those are attractive traits to have your boss be that way.”

Attractive traits are great, but winning is the bottom-line reality. Wilson’s 1-11 IU debut was not want anybody wanted. A turnaround is crucial and it starts with recruiting better players and then coaching them to their potential.

We’ll see what happens, starting Wednesday.

IU Returns To Its Winning Basketball Ways; Paterno Passes

2012-01-22T21:38:00.001-08:00

Order to the Hoosier basketball world has been restored.

So have smiles.

Yes, beating Penn State at Assembly Hall doesn’t rank with knocking off Kentucky or Ohio State, but after three straight losses, two of which were VERY winnable games, you take any victory you can get.

You’d better believe Sunday’s 73-54 victory –- clinched courtesy of a 46-25 second-half run –- was huge. It improved Indiana to 16-4 overall, 4-4 in the Big Ten. It showed IU can play defense at a solid Big Ten level -- holding the Nittany Lions (10-11 overall) to 34.0 percent shooting. It gives the Hoosiers valuable momentum entering Thursday’s game at Wisconsin.

Ah, yes, Wisconsin.

Don’t be fooled. Just because Iowa, Michigan State and Marquette have won at the Kohl Center this season doesn’t mean the Wisconsin challenge is any less difficult. The Badgers have recovered from a 1-3 Big Ten start and are now 4-3. Under coach Bo Ryan and his swing offense, they remain a program to be reckoned with.

Plus, the road has not been kind to IU. It has just two Big Ten road victories under Tom Crean, and blew a double-digit lead in the closing minutes against Nebraska.

No matter. This is a different team with a different mindset. It remains on pace to have a program-restoring season.

“It starts with our defense,” guard Jordan Hulls said. “When the offense is not going as well, we have to rely on defense to create off that. It helped being at home. That was great. We’ve got to have that confident mentality the whole game and not let a mistake get us down. Stop them the next play.”

The Hoosiers made the stop against Penn State. The trick is doing it against on the road against the likes of Wisconsin, Michigan and Purdue in the next few weeks.

******

Will Sheehey didn’t talk his way into a one-game suspension.

Sheehey did mouth off enough to warrant a pair of technical fouls and an ejection from the Penn State game, an action that Crean said he has addressed with the sophomore guard.

"To my knowledge there will be no changes to Will's status," Crean said. "There were no punches thrown or anything like that. It wasn't considered a fight. It was more verbal than anything else. We've already talked about that internally, and I don't anticipate anything there."

With six seconds left and the Indiana win secured, Christian Watford was hammered by Penn State’s Matt Glover in front of the IU bench. Things got heated, Crean grabbed Watford to pull him away, Penn State’s Ross Travis got involved, Sheehey started shouting and was restrained, first by director of basketball operations Calbert Cheaney. Assistant coach Steve McClain then calmed him down.

Officials checked the monitor befor issuing a double technical on Sheehey and Travis. Because Sheehey had been given a technical foul a few minutes earlier after making some comments after a hard foul, he was ejected.

"It's just the maturity process," Crean said. "It's a heated battle. All I was trying to do was play NFL head linesman, make sure I get myself right in the middle of it when the referees were in there. It's just part of the game.

"It was a tough foul on Christian at the end, but again, that's the game. Tempers flare, but I don't think anything escalated to any point outside of some verbal and, again, both players were held accountable. I thought the referees handled that as well as possible from my vantage point."

Added Hulls: “It's the Big Ten. It's basketball. It's competitive. It gets a little chippy sometimes. You’ve got to be smart about it, maintaining your composure and that kind of thing. That stuff happens sometimes. It's just not crossing the line and doing anything crazy."

*****

How do you want to be remembered? How will you be remembered? For most of us, it’s a few paragraphs in a newspaper obituary, and in the fading memories of families and friends.

Joe Paterno earned far more than that. He was the head coach at Penn State for 46 years. He was a man and not a saint. He seemed like he would be at the school forever, that at the least he would go out on his terms.

That didn't happen. The end came swiftly. A child sex abuse scandal cost him his job. Lung cancer took his life.

Some will choose to remember Paterno for what he didn’t do amidst child abuse allegations involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Most will focus on the records he set, the lives he touched, the impact he made.

IU basketball coach Tom Crean talked about some of that impact.

“It’s the passing of a great leader,” he said. “You have to capitalize Legend for him. That’s what it boils down to.

“I met him a couple of times. This year during the Big Ten meetings we walked to our (hotel) rooms one night. Neither of us went out -– me because I didn’t have anybody to go out with, and he was probably ready for bed. Our rooms were across from each other.

“He treated everybody with respect. The first time I met him at the Big Ten meetings, he said, ‘Boy, you’ve got your work cut out for you, kid.’ I didn’t know he knew who I was.

“No matter what happened (at the end) or how he was treated, for him to continue to do what he did for Penn State, for him to love his school so much, that’s why you always have to live your life with integrity and respect.

“There was a different aura about him. I think the players who played for him and the people who worked for him will be so much better off because they had that time with the guy, who cared so much about people and education.”

As far as the records, Paterno was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He set the major college football record with 409 wins. His final record of 409-136-3 was a 74.9 winning percentage. He led Penn State to two national titles, five undefeated seasons and a top-25 national ranking 35 times. He also was the all-time leader in bowl wins with a 24-12-1 record. That 66.2 winning percentage ranks third all-time among coaches with at least 15 bowl appearances.

Paterno was the head coach at Penn State for 46 years, five years longer than Amos Alonzo Stagg, the former major college record holder. In the late 1960s the Nittany Lions had a 31-game unbeaten streak. Along the way he passed Bear Bryant and Eddie Robinson for most coaching victories.

Paterno had quite a family, with five children and 17 grandchildren.

Here is the Paterno family statement in the wake of his death on Sunday:

“It is with great sadness that we announce that Joe Paterno passed away earlier today. His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled.

“He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.

“He has been many things in his life -- a soldier, scholar, mentor, coach, friend and father. To my mother he was and is her soul mate, and the last several weeks have shown the strength of their love. To his children and grandchildren he is a shining example of how to live a good, decent and honest life, a standard to which we aspire.

“When he decided to forego a career in law and make coaching his vocation, his father Angelo had but one command: make an impact.

“As the last 61 years have shown, Joe made an incredible impact. That impact has been felt and appreciated by our family in the form of thousands of letters and well wishes along with countless acts of kindness from people whose lives he touched. It is evident also in the thousands of successful student athletes who have gone on to multiply that impact as they spread out across the country.

“And so he leaves us with a peaceful mind, comforted by his “living legacy” of five kids, 17 grandchildren, and hundreds of young men whose lives he changed in more ways than can begin to be counted.

“In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests that donations be made to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania or the Penn State-THON (The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon).”

Reeling Hoosiers Have To Regroup ASAP

2012-01-19T02:36:00.001-08:00

There’s no sense in sugar coating this.

The Indiana Hoosiers are poised to blow a very good thing.

They’ve lost three straight games, and you get the sense it will get worse before it gets better, if it gets better at all.

Why?

Because the previous three years this is where everything tanked. Because, and again there’s no point in sugar coating this, the guard play isn’t nearly good enough.

If you saw the 70-69 loss at Nebraska, you know this.

IU had an 11-point lead with 6:38 and collapsed. It had turnovers and made decisions coach Tom Crean described as “bone headed.” Its offense lost its way –- one basket in the final six minutes. It’s defense, well, it has become the Big Ten’s worst defense, and it’s not even close.

The Cornhuskers outscored Indiana 18-6 down the stretch. These Cornhuskers entered the game 1-5 in the Big Ten. Yes, they had lost some close games, but they hadn’t proven they could win in crunch time.

Now, they have.

That made IU 2-29 on the Big Ten road under Crean. Both wins have come at Penn State, and given the fact the Hoosiers have already played at State College this season, well, the road prospects the rest of the way ain’t good.

In the aftermath of the Nebraska loss Crean asked fans not to “panic,” that the Hoosiers have regained their “edge,” that the players were “disappointed,” but not “discourarged,” that their quality of character and resolve are there to get things turned around.

He might be absolutely right, but the Hoosiers have to prove it, and do it fast. These are the same guys who beat Kentucky, Ohio State and Michigan. Lack of talent is not a problem.

Confidence and sheer toughness might be.

Good guard play certainly is.

Penn State comes to Assembly Hall on Sunday and Crean wants a fired up crowd to spur the team on. He’ll almost certainly get it. Will that be enough to inspire a victory?

It has to be. The schedule really gets nasty after that.

IU plays at Wisconsin, at Michigan and at Purdue in the next few weeks. It hosts an Iowa team that has won at Wisconsin. It hosts an Illinois team that has beaten Ohio State.

The Big Ten is tough. Parity is everywhere. From top to bottom it’s likely the best conference in the country. Nothing is sure except if the Hoosiers don’t rise to the challenge, they will pay the price.

They are 15-4 and still have the look of a NCAA tourney team, but that is not etched in stone. Suddenly you look at the schedule and you’re not sure where more victories will come other than North Carolina Central in the final non-conference game on Feb. 22.

There is still time to turn things around. IU has seven more home games. If it just wins those, it finishes 22-9 and makes the NCAA tourney field with room to spare.

It starts Sunday against Penn State. Let’s just hope it doesn’t end there.

Passionate Crean seeks substance over instant image

2012-01-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Tom Crean is a passionate coach, which you know if you see him during games. The guy paces the sidelines enough to rival the mileage of a marathoner, and he’s not doing it like a zombie.

He yells, fist pumps, points and about everything except hand stands and somersaults.

Crean has busted his behind to get the program back on track (see 15-3 record as Example No. 1), and after a couple of losses to Minnesota and Ohio State, well, feistiness can kick in.

Guess what? It kicked in during Monday night’s radio show.

First, though, an observation.

Crean spent an hour after Sunday’s loss at Ohio State talking to the players in the locker room. He said it wasn’t an angry tirade, but more a matter of teaching points as the Hoosiers look to move on.

Here’s the deal. IU got hammered at Value City Arena. So did Duke. So does just about every team that goes there. You combine Buckeye super talent with home court advantage and that’s what usually happens.

Yeah, there are points to make, but wouldn’t it be better to keep the locker room talk short and to the point, save more for the plane ride home and get in depth in practice the next day?

Granted, we're not a coach, but does it work to talk to players that long right after a game? In theory, players listen to and absorb every word no matter how long the speech, treating it as if it came from a Higher Power. In reality, well, attention span wanders. Guys are tired, ticked and probably hungry, especially after a loss. Yes, some of them might even start thinking about girls. Figure 10 minutes tops and they start tuning you out.

Years ago Mike Davis spent at least an hour chewing out his players after a loss to Kentucky. Again, how much of that sunk in.

It reminds me of my son’s days in youth and high school soccer. After a game the coach gave passionate talks. It might have been the greatest speech in the history of humanity. Afterward, I asked what the coach said. His response consistently stuck to this theme:

“I don’t know. We had to play better.”

Thirty minutes of rambling condensed to six seconds. Yes, it’s the era in which we live in, although figure Ancient Sparta youths, when forced to listen to some elder chew on them for not using proper hand-to-hand fighting technique, also eventually tuned them out. It’s human nature.

Yes, we know. We just did some rambling ourselves.

So back to Crean, passion and his radio show.

He got a question about the roles of his assistant coaches. His answer took an interesting turn.

“I think when you get to the game and you get out there at early at Indiana, you don’t see our (assistants) hob-nobbing with national media members and sitting on the sideline and relaxing,” Crean said. “We don’t have a team of guys that are out wearing their Beats headphones as they’re warming up. Our guys are out there working with them. I don’t have a group of guys that are grandstanders, that are looking to get an article done about them. I’ve got a group of guys that are really, really hungry to make the team better. That’s game night.”

Crean also said his assistant coaches are too nice with what goes on in the recruiting trail.

“Our coaches, they’re very tolerant, and sometimes I don’t like that,” Crean said. “They’re tolerant of some of the things we see in recruiting. They’re tolerant of some of the negativity. They’re tolerant of some of the grandstand assistant coaches that run their mouth constantly against us in recruiting and want to talk about development, yet they’re the guys that are cheerleading and hob-nobbing and all of those kinda things.

“It’s about making your players better, and I don’t think there’s any question whatsoever that our coaches are making our players better. … I’m not good with silver-spoon coaches. I’m not good with male models. I’m not good with guys who need to have a lot said and written about ‘em. I’m good with guys that roll up their sleeves and get to work. I think that’s what we’ve got.”

Crean also was asked about his emotions when Christian Watford hit the three-pointer to beat Kentucky. Some Kentucky players have said it was a lucky shot. Crean saw nothing lucky about it.

“It was a hard-earned shot,” he said. “Every time I walk by that picture I see Marquis Teague coming from behind and Darius Miller come straight up with him. With our team, it’s like today (and the Ohio State loss). When we look at the game, we look at the scoreboard. We didn’t win the game. We look at the scoreboard and it is what it is. Our job is to get into that film room and correct it.

“When we beat Kentucky, all I would say to everybody there, look at the scoreboard. We beat Kentucky. I know I saw the comments out of Lexington where the players referred to it as a lucky shot and they had a two-point lead, but at the end of the day, you lost the game and we won it. There were times inside of the game at the seven minute when I felt we should be up by more. It was a very good game and it was a great shot. We’re not giving the scoreboard back. We’re not giving the win back. We’re not giving the Ohio State win up here back, and the bottom line is we didn’t earn it yesterday. You just move forward, you keep moving forward and trying to get better.”

We told you he was passionate.

*****

IU (15-3) dropped two games last week and barely lost any ground in the national polls. It dropped to 11th in AP and 13th in the coaches poll. Why? Because a lot of teams lost last week; some lost badly. Florida State, for instance, pulverized North Carolina. Conference play is tough on records, especially in an era of increasing parity.

Still, the Hoosiers need to have a big week, which means winning at Nebraska and against Penn State. They don't want to start a freefall that might be impossible to stop.

*****

So it looks like Derek Willis is finally ready to commit to a basketball program and stick with it.

Willis is the 6-9 standout forward from Kentucky who at first wanted to be a Purdue Boilermaker (he committed in last April), then blew up on the summer travel ball circuit (we mean generated a lot of recruiting interest; he didn't ACTUALLY blow up) and decided to reopen his recruiting.

Now it’s down to Indiana, Purdue, Kentucky and Louisville. He’s set to make the announcement Friday.

Given the way Kentucky coach John Calipari seems to get every player he wants not named Gary Harris, figure the Wildcats are the favorites.

Anyway, Willis is ranked No. 23 nationally in the Class of 2013 by Rivals.com, a national Internet recruiting service. He can rebound, shoot the three-pointer, block shots and handle the ball.

IU already has Class of 2013 commitments from Collin Hartman, Luke Fischer and Devin Davis. At the moment it looks like there’s not a scholarship available for Willis because the Hoosiers have already used up their allotment of 2013.

Believe us, if he chooses Indiana, the scholarship numbers will work out.

Verdell Jones In The IU Basketball Arena – Yeah, It Matters

2012-01-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

Verdell Jones is not the next Isiah Thomas or Eric Gordon. That’s fine. Most of us aren’t.

He is a shooting guard by talent playing more of a point guard role by necessity.

How has he done?

Like so many questions in life, it comes down to perspective. For those who like to criticize and boo, Jones has been a disaster. He makes too many turnovers, forces too many plays, takes up too many minutes best reserved for, say, Will Sheehey. They count the days to his graduation.

For those who see the substance behind the all-too-human flaws, Jone’s much more than that. He’s a good teammate and person who does what he’s asked to do, on and off the court.

And then he does a little bit more.

Understand this -– love or hate him, Jones cares. He has the hunger you need to be successful.

And, yes, Jones has been successful in his four years as a Hoosier.

Jones will go down in IU basketball history as one of its best scorers, although he showed none of that against Minnesota. He has 1,261 career points, nine points ahead of Tom VanArsdale and four points behind Steve Green. There were a pair of very good players. Jones has a chance to surpass 1,500 points, which would put him in the top 15 in school history.

Jones also has 353 career assists, which ranks 12th in school history. He will finish in the top 10, and could surpass 400 assists.

QUICK QUESTION -– How many IU players totaled 1,500 points and 400 assists?

QUICK ANSWER -– Two, Damon Bailey (1,741 and 474) and Randy Wittman (1,549 and 432).

As for the part of Jones caring, flash back to late Thursday night. As was first documented by Peegs.com’s Jeff Rabjohns, Jones returned to Assembly Hall’s Branch McCracken Court after his 0-point (on 0-for-6 shooting), three-turnover Minnesota performance and went to work.

It’s the only way to get better.

We were there, as well. We watched him shoot. We watched him dribble, between his legs, around his legs, the pitter-patter of ball hitting floor and fingers echoing through the arena like the beat of distant drums, all the while wearing head phones and listening to music we figure did not include Frank Sinatra or Justin Bieber, although, do you ever really know.

It reminded us of a November night at Purdue’s Mackey Arena. After missing a couple of free throws during a game, Robbie Hummel returned to the court to shoot free throws. A lot of free throws. He stayed for more than an hour.

It’s what you do when you want to be good.

Coach Tom Crean was asked about Jones after the Minnesota game. The questioner started by saying it seemed Jones had lost some of his confidence down the stretch.

Crean, who very much cares about his players, got a little protective.

“Did he tell you that? He told you he just lost his confidence, or is that just your assessment?”

QUICK NOTE: Since Jones was not made available to the media, the questioner was giving his perspective.

“(Jones) is out there battling, I thought,” Crean said. “I don’t know if it’s confidence as much as edge. Again, I use that word, but that’s what it is. Your seniors and juniors, when you have two guards like Verdell and Jordan (Hulls), the’ve got to be on top of the team’s game all the time. Now, they might not be on top of their game because they’re going to struggle, but they’ve got to be on top of the team’s game…

“When you lose a game that you didn’t have that awareness or that edge, it’s on everybody in the program. I’m not going to single any one guy out. We all need to get better.”

So Jones will keep working to get better. He will continue making plays, like the drive-and-dish pass to Christian Watford that enabled IU to stun No. 1 Kentucky. He will have more turnovers and bad shooting nights. It’s what happens when you compete, when you lay it on the line.

Theodore Roosevelt said it best more than a century ago. And no, in case you’re wondering, we were NOT there covering it.

MAN IN THE ARENA

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Jones has known more defeat than victory at IU, but that has changed this season. The No. 7 Hoosiers are 15-2 entering Sunday’s Big Ten showdown at No. 5 Ohio State (15-3). It will have a must-win feel for both teams, who are 3-2 in conference play and who seek to put the pressure on first-place Michigan State, which was stunned by Northwestern on Saturday.

Jones has to play better that he did against Minnesota. So do the rest of the Hoosiers to give themselves a chance at a place where visiting teams seldom win. Ohio State has won 32 straight home games for a reason, and it has rarely come down to luck.

In the end, it will come down to who wants it more. That’s all the Hoosiers, and Jones, can ask for.

******

Memorial Stadium was lit up in snowy spectacle Saturday night as Hoosier football coaches showcased their facilities for recruits. Signing day looms on Feb. 1, and it never hurts to make a big impression.

When it comes to football facilities, at least, the Hoosiers know how to impress.

Hoosiers Ready For Hair-On-Fire Gophers; Fischer Honored: More

2012-01-12T02:19:00.001-08:00

The Hoosiers, as you know, are 15-1 and ranked No. 7 by AP and No. 8 by the coaches. They have won three straight and have the look of a Big Ten contender.

Minnesota does not, but you won’t hear Crean say that.

“What we see is a team that could easily be 2-2 in this league, and with a couple of bounces 3-1,” Crean said. “You’ve got a national championship coach over there (Tubby Smith) with an outstanding staff. You’ve got a lot of players who have been through it. Rodney Williams is playing at a high level. Certainly Ralph Sampson is more than capable of hurting you from the inside and the outside.”

Minnesota’s great non-conference run (12-1) has been spoiled by an 0-4 Big Ten beginning. It’s lost three close games and got blown out at home by Purdue when the Boilers went 10-for-12 on three-pointers in the first half.

“We fully expect they’re going to play like their hair is on fire and we’ve got to do the same thing,” Crean said. “We’ve got to do the absolute same thing. That’s when we’re at our best and there’s no room for error in this league. If you don’t have effort and you don’t have energy and your level of execution and awareness is not at a high level, it can be a tough night. We’ve got to make sure we continue to stay locked in the way that we have.

“Our guys have done that. The last couple of days we’ve locked into game planning, but also worked on some of the things we felt we needed to improve on or that might be slipping. At the same time keep them really confident with shooting.”

IU should be confident shooting. It leads the nation in three-point shooting. Guard Jordan Hulls leads the nation in three-point shooting. Minnesota just got torched by Purdue’s three-point shooting.

Yeah, all signs point to a convincing Hoosier victory.

*****

There was a time when no one in Cream ‘n Crimson circles had ever heard of Don Fischer. He was a young guy from Illinois set to broadcast Indiana basketball and football games via radio.

He was, to be polite, raw.

Now, he is neither young nor raw, but he is very, very good.

Don’t take our word for it. The National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association has named Fischer the Indiana Sportscaster of the Year for the third straight year and 26th time in his 39 seasons with IU.

Over the years Fischer has won enough awards for 10 men. IU honored him with the J.W. Bill Orwig Medal, which goes to non-alumni for distinguished service to the university. He also has been named an honoray “I” Man.

In October of 2008 he was one of eight inductees into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Richard M. Fairbanks Hall of Fame. The Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2004.

He’s also a very, very good golfer.

Fischer has broadcast more than 1,600 games, including three NCAA title games and eight bowls. He hosts the weekly football and basketball coaches’ show, plus the daily IU Sports Today radio show. He’s also anchored Indianapolis Colts preseason telecasts for the past 17 years.

We’re going on a limb here and say that Fischer is a lock to win Indiana Sportscaster of the Year honors again next year for his call of Christian Watford’s Kentucky beating three-pointer.

*****

Did IU REALLY beat out Michigan State, West Virginia, Iowa, Purdue, Georgia Tech and more to land standout running back Tevin Coleman?

It seems that way.

Coleman is a 6-1, 190-pounder from Illinois who is rated as the nation’s No. 39 running back by Rivals.com. He has a sprinter’s speed, which is good because he is a sprinter. He was the Illinois Class 2A runner-up in the long jump (23-1/4) and ran a 10.86 100 meter dash into a wind to finish fourth.

As a football player he was a big play waiting to happen. He rushed for 949 yards and 13 TDs on just 83 carries. He also caught 16 passes for 345 yards and five touchdowns. He had four kickoff returns and returned two for touchdowns. He also played cornerback and totaled 44 tackles and two interceptions.

What does this mean for Indiana coach Kevin Wilson? Basically, he’s getting a guy who can play running back, receiver and defensive back. Heck, maybe he could play all three. Who says the era of two-way college players is over.

Indiana now has 24 commitments for the Class of 2012.

*****

Tom Lemming, one of the nation’s top recruiting analysts has come out with his top 25 recruiting classes. It’s loaded with the superpower programs you’d figure would be on the list.

Indiana, by the way, did not make it.

Alabama, which just won the national championship, is No. 1 with 26 commitments, five in the top 100 senior recruits. Texas is second with 23 commitments and four in the top 100. Michigan is No. 3 with 24 and four. Ohio State is No. 5 with 19 and four.

Lemming, in case you didn’t know, is a very busy guy. He travels about 55,000 mile a year visiting top recruits. He has his own show, the LEMMING REPORT, on CBS Sports Network. He also contributes to CBSSports.com and MaxPreps.com.

Top-10 ranking won’t distract Hoosiers

2012-01-10T02:35:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time, say in October, the Indiana Hoosiers projected as the Big Ten’s ninth-best team. There was logic in this. They had done nothing for three years in the wake of the Kelvin Sampson disaster. They couldn’t play defense to even mediocre standards. If there was a way to lose close games, they would find it.

Respect had to be earned, and it had not been. When you’re fodder for even struggling Iowa, as IU was last year, nobody takes you seriously.

People are taking the Hoosiers seriously now.

They are ranked No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 8 in the coaches’ poll. It’s their highest ranking since they were No. 6 in December of 2002, just before then coach Mike Davis ran out onto the court against Kentucky and the freefall began.

(QUICK NOTE -- I originally had this as December of 2008, which was a typo, as readers pointed out. Thanks for the catch. Sometimes there's a disconnect between my brain and my fingers.)

IU has beaten No. 1 Kentucky, No. 2 Ohio State (a full strength Ohio State, by the way) and No. 16 Michigan, and if they all came at Assembly Hall, so what? How many teams in the country could do that?

Maybe three.

Maybe.

So now the hype builds. Are the Hoosiers really Big Ten championship material? Could they actually contend for a national championship after seasons of 6-25, 10-21 and 12-20?

We’ll know soon enough.

Here’s what we do know in an unseasonably warm mid-January day –- coach Tom Crean isn’t about to let his guys lose focus. Here’s what he had to say during Monday night’s radio show:

“I don’t think our players get caught up in the hype when it comes. I think this is the same team that has no trouble right now remembering that that informal poll of the Big Ten picked them ninth. We had no trouble reminding them of it, and we remind ourselves of that as coaches. There’s no sense getting caught up in all the hype and the accolades if you didn’t let the negatives beat you down. The negatives didn’t beat this team down and they’ve continued to respond. That’s where maturity kicks in. We’re not nearly, nearly good enough to think that there’s any game in this league that we can come into and not be at our best. The moment that happens, we’re gonna lose, and we’re gonna learn a hard lesson.”

IU has had three years of hard lessons to steel them from the dangers of success.

“Our older guys went through some tough deals,” Crean said, “but they didn’t crack. They continued to work. I think the time they spent this offseason, everybody turning it up a notch, or two or three, I think that was really, really important.”

So now the Hoosiers (15-1) face a huge week. On Thursday they host struggling Minnesota (12-5), which is 0-4 in the Big Ten and just got hammered at home by Purdue. Then they travel to Ohio State, which hasn’t lost at home in about a million years. Okay, the Buckeyes have won 32 straight home games, the nation’s third-longest streak behind Duke and Kentucky.

Yes, they will remember their 74-70 loss in Assembly Hall. Yes, the odds won’t favor IU.

But then, the odds also didn’t favor a 15-1 Cream ‘n Crimson start.

Let the anticipation begin.

*****

Cody Zeller continues to rack up the Big Ten freshman of the week awards. He won it again this week. It’s the 6-11 forward’s fifth such honor and it came after he averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in last week’s victories over Michigan and Penn State.

He was especially impressive against Michigan, scoring 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting as the Hooisers won 73-71.

He’ll get to battle 6-11, 260-pound Ralph Sampson of Minnesota. Then comes a second shot at Ohio State inside force Jared Sullinger.

Again, let the anticipation begin.

*****

Do you like numbers? Do you understand numbers? Then Peegs.com, which has all sorts of Cream ‘n Crimson insight, has some good ones for you with its Outside the Box: Penn State feature and its plus-minus analysis.

For the record, this is WAY to complex for us. We like to think it’s because we have an artistic brain that treats numbers as if they were part of the Black Plague and ...

Sorry. Check out the Outside the Box feature and judge for yourself.

Spotlight Finds Roth and the Hoosiers

2012-01-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

So the spotlight finds Matt Roth. It’s been a long time, three years if you’re counting.

Hey, you do a lot of counting when a guy comes off the bench to hit 5 of 6 three-pointers, goes 7-for-7 from the line and scores 22 points, one less than he scored in the previous 10 games.

Yeah, Roth had that kind of game against Penn State.

He wasn’t the sole reason Indiana held on for an 88-82 victory. These Hoosiers are about as far from a one-man team as you’re likely to find in college basketball. They’ve got weapons every where you look, and if the glamour comes from Christian Watford and Cody Zeller, well, don’t forget about Roth.

Penn State apparently did.

To understand how the 6-3 Roth lit up the Nittany Lions means understanding what he is and what he isn’t.

He’s a senior role player with a knack for hitting three-point shots from really long distances. He’s a smart guy, an academic All-Big Ten guy, who has already graduated. He’s enrolled in graduate school for sports administration and management.

Roth is not Victor Oladipo and capable of leaps and dunks that capture the imaginiation. He does not create with quickness or ballhandling. He is not a shutdown defender.

For Roth to get open depends on teammates driving and kicking, and if you’ve seen the Hoosiers play this season, you know they have a bunch of guys who can do that.

And while they do, Roth moves out beyond the three-point line. Sometimes WAY beyond it, so far guys think they don’t have to guard him out there.

They would be wrong.

Roth overcame a foot injury that cost him basically all of second year in Bloomington. He played a lot as a freshman, just two games as a sophomore and basically eight minutes a game as a junior.

He seemed to be an afterthought on this team. Before Sunday his biggest achievement came against Maryland Baltimore County, when he scored 14 points in 18 minutes.

He hit a couple of big three-pointers at Michigan State, lit up Stony Brook for eight points in seven minutes. That was about it.

Then came Sunday at Penn State and suddenly it was three years ago, Jan. 31, 2009, to be exact, when Roth went 9-for-11 from three-point range and scored 29 points in a 93-81 loss to Ohio State.

Roth burned the Nittany Lions in part because they were so focused on the inside and slowing down Watford and Zeller, they didn’t stay out on him. He made them pay with a hot perimeter stroke that has lasted all season (he’s shooting 56.7 percent from three-point range) and a sweet free throw touch that leaves him 10-for-10 for the year.

When he wasn’t draining three-pointers, teammate Jordan Hulls was. He went 7-for-9 from beyond the arc for a career-high 28 points. He and Roth had the bulk of IU’s 16 three-pointers, which was one off the school record.

That was five more than the Hoosiers had made in any game this season, and they did it with the same accuracy (they were 16-for-24) they’ve displayed all season. They shoot 47.8 percent from three-point range, which is ridiculously good.

Why do they shoot three-pointers so well? The short answer is practice. The long answer is lots of practice.

“I think we have good shooters and spacing,” coach Tom Crean said. “These guys spend a lot of time shooting. They’re open to their technique being corrected and we get a lot of reps. Cook Hall is part of that.

“We spend a lot of time at that part of it. I think that’s the development part of it, of really making it crucial in your practices, but them spending a lot of time on it on their own.”

All that has spurred IU to a 15-1 record, 3-1 in the Big Ten. By Monday afternoon the Hoosiers will likely be a top-10 team, with more opportunities to come Thursday against slumping Minnesota and Sunday at dangerous Ohio State.

Yeah, it’s spotlight time. Who knows who it will find next time.

IU Recruiting Coup – Finding Oladipo and Sheehey

2012-01-07T19:17:00.000-08:00

Where were you when Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey commited to Indiana?

Don’t remember? There’s no reason to. That day lacked the historical importance of, say, what you were you doing the day men first landed on the moon, not that we’re admitting we’re old enough to remember that.

Anyway, Oladipo and Sheehey were under-the-radar guys from far, far away. Oladiopo was from Maryland. Sheehey was from Florida. They were not top-15 national material like Cody Zeller was. They lacked bet-the-house NBA certainty, as Eric Gordon had.

Oladiop and Sheehey were a couple of lower-end-of-the-rating-spectrum guys who made some wonder if Tom Crean would ever get this recruit-to-Indiana University stuff right.

Nobody’s wondering now.

Oladipo and Sheehey are on nobody’s lower-end list anymore. They have played HUGE roles in Indiana’s 14-1 start that has a whole bunch of experts not named Doug Gotleib or Bob Knight thinking that maybe, just maybe, the Hoosiers might be Big Ten title worthy.

The 6-5 Oladipo averages 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. He has a team-leading 28 steals. He shoots everything well except three-pointers (he’s just 6-for-24 beyond the arc). Beyond the numbers, he’s IU’s most athletic player, a human highlight film with an explosive first step and an ability to ignite a crowd with a dunk.

Oh, yes. He plays some pretty mean defense, too. So mean, in fact, that Crean has referred to it as “a gift from God.”

The 6-6 Sheehey is nearly as athletic who, when healthy, just might be the Big Ten’s best sixth man. He averages 10.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. He shoots 44.4 percent from three-point range, which on most teams would be really, really good. On this team, one of the nation’s best from beyond the arc, he’s just average.

Yeah, Sheehey is hurt (he’s missed the last three games and likely won’t play until next Sunday’s Ohio State game), and IU treats his injury with the secrecy usually reserved for when you ask for the code to launch the U.S. nuclear arsenal. He is “day to day.” He had a “lower leg” injury. It is as if revealing Sheehey’s ankle injury and projected time to return would cause Justin Bieber to get elected President of the United States.

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION No. 1: We have never actually asked for the nuclear launch code.

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION No. 2: Scientific research indicates that Justin Bieber getting elected president is one of the signs of the Apocalyspe.

Just saying.

Anyway, Sheehey has a strong basketball background. His father, Mike, played basketball at Virginia and St. Bonaventure. His uncle, Tom Sheehey, starred at Virginia, was drafted by the Boston Celtics and played professionally in Spain.

Still, Sheehey was rated as the No. 141 player in his class. Oladipo was at No. 144.

So what was it that Crean saw in them?

“They were excellent, excellent people,” Crean said. “They had a high level of athleticism. They had a little edge to them, which I think is really important. They had won (at the high school and AAU levels). All of those things really played into it.”

Crean said ratings are important, “but I don’t think it’s what you base your decisions on. It’s just part of the process. I think figuring out who really fits and who’s got those attributes, who has a high level of athletic upside, who’s got intelligence, who’s got character, who has a competitive mindset. To me, that’s where the edge comes in.

“You want guys who maybe have been overlooked or underrated, not invited to this or that, because the last thing you want in recruiting, and it’s so hard, but make sure you’re not getting entitled or enabled people. We’ve all done that, but entitled and enabled people get you beat, big time.

“So you want to stay away from that as much as possible. Sometimes you’ve got to peel the onion back and really look at the layers a little bit to see what’s really truen, what’s not, and then make your decision accordingly.”

When it came to Oladipo and Sheehey, Crean decided well. The program is reaping the benefits, and will for two more years.

Neil Armstrong, for sure, would agree with that.

*****

In case you’re wondering, Hoosier Hoopla hasn’t fallen off the earth. We’ve been busy with a whole bunch of projects –- a kid’s book on Ancient Sparta, doing video, tweeting more than the law should allow, getting lost in a Detroit snowstorm (thanks to the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl), teaching journalism and fitness, discovering that blackjack is NOT the way to millionaire status.

And, oh, yes, trying to wrap up the greatest novel ever written, recognizing that "trying" might not ever lead to "doing."

Anyway, we’ll try to be more regular now as IU builds to what should be a very, very special March.

Look Out Big Ten, Here Come the Unbeaten Hoosiers

2011-12-22T20:55:00.001-08:00

So what do we make of the Indiana Hoosiers?

They are 12-0 and ranked No. 17. They are the Big Ten’s only undefeated team. Only two conference schools are rated higher –- No. 2 Ohio State (11-1) and No. 13 Wisconsin (10-2).

They also are one of six remaining undefeated schools nationally. The others are No. 1 Syracuse, No. 4 Louisville, No. 6 Baylor, No. 9 Missouri and No. 22 Murray State.

IU has one more non-conference game, but that’s not until Feb. 22 against North Carolina Central. It will be, without question, an Assembly Hall victory.

So what do we make of these Hoosiers?

They’re a bit banged up, for one thing. Nothing that suggests season-ending problems, but Will Sheehey has a sprained ankle, Derek Elston a surgically repaired nose and Verdell Jones a tweaked hip. This will test the Hoosiers’ depth, but then, so can foul trouble.

This has the makings of the best Cream ‘n Crimson squad since the 2002 team reached the national title game, although that 25-12 group –- coached by Mike Davis and led by Jared Jeffries, Tom Coverdale and Dane Fife -- didn’t peak until the NCAA Tournament.

Kelvin Sampson’s second and final IU team had Final Four potential with future NBA players Eric Gordon and D.J. White, but it also had some questionable characters who failed to understand the importance of academics, good attitude, fitness and representing the university well.

Oh, yes, there were the phone-call violations the resulted in Sampson’s late-season resignation. Indiana lost four of its last five games, flamed out in the opening round of the NCAA tourney, and finished 25-8.

These Hoosiers are nothing like that. They represent the best of Cream ‘n Crimson ideals. Their victory over Kentucky showcased what college sports are supposed to be about.

Are they a Big Ten contender?

Why not?

Will they beat out Ohio State, the overwhelming favorite if Jared Sullinger stays healthy?

Probably not.

Are they a Final Four team?

We don’t see it, although a Sweet Sixteen appearance is possible, with the second round most likely.

Here’s what we know.

IU has the Big Ten’s second-best big man after Sullinger in Cody Zeller. It has an all-conference forward in Christian Watford. It’s got senior backcourt leadership from Jones (who might finish among the top 15 scorers in school history). It has a sharp-shooting guard in Jordan Hulls who doesn’t miss free throws (the one he missed Thursday night against Maryland Baltimore County was a once-a-year rarity) and rarely misses three-pointers. It has two of the most athletic guards in the Big Ten in Victor Oladipo and Sheehey.

It has a decent bench with Sheehey, Elston, Tom Pritchard, Remy Abell and Matt Roth.

Most importantly, it has a defensive resolve and overall tenacity honed from three years of sanction-caused misery. It is as hungry as any team in America.

And thanks to this 12-0 start, it is very, very confident.

So many things are possible.

The Hoosiers have as tough an opening to Big Ten play as you could have with a game at No. 19 Michigan State, then home games against Ohio State and No. 20 Michigan, all in eight days. Okay, all three could be on the road (Ohio State has the nation’s third-longest home winning streak at 28), but not even the most sadistic schedule maker would do that.

If IU goes 2-1 in that beginning, it has a conference-winning chance. A 1-2 mark would keep it in the hunt, especially if the win is against Ohio State. Going 0-3 is too big a hole with road trips to Wisconsin, Purdue (which has the nation’s fourth-longest home streak at 25 straight) and Michigan looming.

A 3-0 start against that schedule, by the way, is unrealistic, but then, so was a win over Kentucky.

For now, though, bask in the Christmas-is-coming glow of a non-conference job well done and the realization that, no matter what the Big Ten might bring, fun is back in Indiana basketball.

IU Basketball – Sweeping the week, and more

2011-12-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

How many shots should Cody Zeller take in a game?

How many free throw attempts should Jordan Hulls take in a game?

The correct answer –- as many as they possibly can.

Zeller has become the Big Ten’s best big man this side of Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger. He can run, score, rebound and take cheap shots without flinching or acting like a fool. He tied his career high by taking 14 shots, and making eight, while scoring a game-high 21 points in the win over Notre Dame. He averages 15.6 points and shoots at a 66-percent clip. He should take between 15 and 20 shots a game.

Hulls went 2-for-2 from the line against Notre Dame, which makes him 13-for-13 for the season and extends his school record to 54 in a row. He hasn’t missed in over a year. In an ideal world, he would take about six free throws a game. Check that. In an ideal world, he'd take 20 free throws a game, but that's not realistic, and we're all about realism.

ABSOLUTELY TRUE FACT NO. 1: Did we mention that we once beat Hulls in a free throw shooting contest?

ABSOLUTELY TRUE FACT NO. 2: Did we also mention we have a hard time telling the difference between reality and fantasy?

But we digress.

If you check the box of the Notre Dame game, you’ll notice IU had 16 offensive rebounds. That’s more than twice as many as the Irish (seven) and reflects coach Tom Crean’s emphasis on the little things that matter.

Here’s what he had to say about it.

“(Offensive rebounding) is huge for us. We’ve spent a lot of time on rebounding, whether it’s a break-down drill or a live 5-on-5 situation. Guard rebounds have to be huge for us.”

Against Notre Dame, Hoosier guards Hulls, Victor Oladipo, Will Sheehey, Verdell Jones and Remy Abell combined for eight offensive rebounds and 22 total rebounds.

“Victor and Will had five offensive rebounds and that’s good, that’s progress,” Crean said. “Those two have to be very good on the offensive glass. That keeps balls alive. That’s an area we know we’ve needed to get better. We are getting better at it, especially in the last three weeks. Still, we have a ton of room for improvement as we get into the Big Ten.”

The Big Ten comes after Christmas. First comes tonight's game against Howard (3-8) and Thursday night's game against UMBC (1-9). Here’s the bottom line – IU will sweep the week.

And then the REAL season will begin.

*****

Want to know why the Hoosiers won’t take Howard and UMBC lightly?

Because Crean won’t allow it. He wants good, strong, energetic practices, and then play to match if not surpass it. If not, well, we’ll let Crean tell you that.

“If there comes a day when there’s not energy we’ll start over later that night,” Crean said. “It’s not a complicated process. This is not where we have anybody in the program who is above having to get better every day.”

Crean has done this in previous seasons. So far he hasn't done it this season, and almost certainly won't because these Hoosiers have the maturity and experience to do what needs to be done.

So now you know.

*****

We learned this secret about Crean while covering the Crossroads Classic in Indy:

He speaks in tongues.

Okay, it was really a kind of coaches’ code, in which Crean shouted instructions using mysterious terms usually found on self-destructing tapes that end with the promise that should we be caught or killed, the Secretary of Defense will disavow any knowledge of our existence.

Seriously, we didn’t know what Crean was saying, all we knew was he looked hyper intense saying it.

And then the Hoosiers responded.

IU stormed back from an early nine-point deficit against Notre Dame, mostly because it defended Notre Dame into some of the worst offense this side of the two-handed-set-shot era. The Irish missed 16 straight shots at one point. That’s hard to do. You’d figure that something would fall in just by chance.

You’d have figured wrong.

It wasn't the most stylish win in Hoosier history, but it was a win and propelled them to a 10-0 start. That hasn't happened since 1989. That's all the style that matters.

Remember When – Hoosier Classic Becomes Crossroads Classic

2011-12-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue and Butler gathered in Indianapolis to play basketball and yea, verily, it was good.

Then it was called the Hoosier Classic. It was a two-day event played at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. It went from 1947-51 and from 1957-59.

IU won it four times. Butler won twice. Purdue and Notre Dame won once each.

Indiana shut it down by stopping its participation in 1960. The event disappeared.

Now it’s back in a new form called the Crossroads Classic. Okay, actually it’s called the Close the Gap Crossroads Classic and it will be held Saturday at Indianapolis Conseco Fieldhouse.

Purdue will open things with Butler. Indiana and Notre Dame will follow.

ESPN2 will be there. So will CBS. So will a sold-out crowd.

Yeah, it’s a big-time event at a big-time facility.

It should be a lot of fun, perhaps enough to warrant more than the two years the four schools have signed on for.

Purdue coach Matt Painter is on record as saying he hopes it becomes an annual tradition. Indiana coach Tom Crean isn’t quite as committed, although he probably will be.

“I’m anxious to see it,” Crean said. “The No. 1 thing when (the idea) came up was, Would it be a big deal? Every team has had a week off, so there is some time for a lead-up to it.

“Would it sell out? Would TV be partnered in and locked it? The fact you have CBS, with (announcers) Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery (for the Purdue-Butler game) and us with ESPN’s Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale –- all those questions are answered.”

Crean would like to see the final results after next year’s event.

“After it has been played a year or two, we will look at it and see if we want to continue this or do we want to change the format,” he said. “I will be in those conversations when (athletic director) Fred Glass brings them to me, but I won’t bring them up unless there was something that didn’t make sense.”

That doesn’t figure to happen.

“There are no fears whatsoever,” Crean said. “We’re really looking forward to it.”

*****

There was one criticism heard in the aftermath of the Kentucky victory, and it came with the subtlty of a James Harrison tackle -- Get Cody Zeller the bleeping ball.

The Hoosiers inability to get Zeller the ball inside down the stretch againt Kentucky contributed to the Wildcats’ end-of-game rally.

It wasn’t like IU wasn’t trying, Crean said, but Kentucky’s length and athleticism made it difficult.

Still, Crean added, “We’ve gotta do a better job of getting it in. But that was one of the hardest teams that we’ve ever seen, that I’ve ever seen as a coach, to get the ball entered in. That’s not an excuse, that’s just a fact. We do have to do a better job of getting the ball in and we have to do a better job of getting him the ball at different times in the clock.”

Beyond that, Zeller has to demand the ball more, both in word and action.

“Holding his seal,” Crean said. “Be more vocal. Continue to create angles. His teammates need to go into it a little bit earlier, but the window against the best teams in pick and roll, the window against the best teams in post feeding, the window against the best teams in getting your shot off, it’s very, very small. When it’s there, you’ve gotta take advantage of it.

“The angle of the pass, the timing of the pass, the quickness of the release of the shot, the better the team you play, the more the margin for error goes up and the more your details and technique have gotta be great. And there were times the other day that it wasn’t.”

Figure Zeller will get the ball plenty Saturday against Notre Dame.

*****

Yes, Maurice Creek uses pre-game time to do some shooting drills. Does that mean the oft-injured guard is healing from his torn Achilles tendon faster than expected? Could he even have a chance to play by the end of the season?

No, Crean said.

“He’s the pre-game act where he goes out there and starts drilling 3s,” Crean said. “He’s not ready to do shooting drills with us, but I saw him yesterday shooting in Cook (Hall) with both shoes on, so he’s not in the boot right now in practice, which is good. But it’s not anytime soon before he’d be in drills or anything like that.

“It’s good for him. Think about how hard that is. He’s such a great teammate and he’s locked in. Two years ago, he was putting 31 (points) on Kentucky. It’s fun to watch him mature and grow up and take of what he can take care of.”

Need A Ticket for IU-Notre Dame Game? We Can Help -- Sort Of

2011-12-13T21:08:00.001-08:00

Do you need another IU basketball fix and can only get it by watching a game? Are you anxious and ready to buy a ticket so you can watch the now No. 18 Hoosiers (9-0) beat up vulnerable Notre Dame (7-4)?

Then you’re in a bind because Saturday’s game, part of a doubleheader that also includes Purdue (9-2) and Butler (4-6) in the first Crossroads Classic at Indianapolis’ Conseco Fieldhouse, is officially sold out.

“Officially” doesn’t mean you can’t get tickets. It just means you’ll have to spend a lot more for them. We went online and were able to find tickets for $119 each. They weren’t the greatest, but then, there really isn’t a bad seat in Conseco Fieldhouse, not like there are in the upper reaches of Assembly Hall.

Or, you can wait to the day of the game, and take your luck trying to get tickets from scalpers, who are always looking to make a deal.

What is the best way to get the best deal on tickets?

We here at Hoosier Hoopla are glad to provide an answer.

Here is an absolutely true story from our experience covering the Big Ten football title game. We were walking from the garage to Lucas Oil Stadium and ran into a college-age couple looking to get some tickets. There were two scalper dudes trying to make an offer the couple couldn’t refuse.

Here is the way the conversation went:

SCALPER DUDE 1: “I got you right here. Two tickets, $60 each. You can’t get anything cheaper. It’s the best deal you’re gonna find.”

SCALPER DUDE 2: “Let me tell you, that’s a great deal. You can’t pass up a deal like that.”

GUY: “I don’t know.”

SCALPER DUDE 1: “I’m telling you, these are great seats. It’s a great deal. If you won’t take it, somebody else will.”

SCALPER DUDE 2: “He’s right. It’s a great deal.”

GUY: “I tell you what. We’ll pass and see what we can find closer to the stadium.”

SCALPER DUDE 1: “Hold on. You’re killing me. Okay, $40 each. These are great tickets.”

And so the deal was finalized.

*****

So who do you think was the best IU football freshman this season?

The easy answer would be quarterback Tre Roberson, who provided a badly needed spark for an offense that struggled to score.

But while Roberson earned some love from BTN.com, as in honorable mention status, it’s safety Mark Murphy, linebacker Chase Hoobler and offensive lineman Bernard Taylor who got the best awards.

Murphy was second on the team with 77 tackles, including a team-best 44 solo. He had one interception and it was big –- he returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. He added one tackle for loss and four pass breakups.

Murphy showed his versatility by starting three games at weak-side linebacker before switching to safety.

Taylor played in 11 games, and started the last 10 at left guard. He only allowed three sacks in 295 pass attempts.

Hoobler, redshirt freshman, totaled 48 tackles, including 23 solo, with two sacks, five tackles for loss, and one foced fumble.

Taylor and Murphy made spots on the BTN (Big Ten Network), ESPN.com and Yahoo Sports all-freshman team. Hoobler got all-conference recognition from BTN.com and Yahoo Sports.

Roberson and kick returner Shane Wynn got honorable mention recognition by the BTN.com

Polls About To Be Very Good For IU Basketball

2011-12-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Sometime Monday afternoon, the polls will come out and Indiana will be ranked for the first time since 2008, when Eric Gordon and D.J. White led the charge despite the imminent fall of the Kelvin Sampson era.

The Hoosiers earned it with a pulse-pounding 73-72 victory over No. 1 Kentucky that suggested, far more than the previous eight blow-outs, that the program was regaining its tradition-rich mojo.

The game was won with heart, effort, drama, passion and a bit of luck. It was everything you want in college basketball, which certainly wasn’t the case in the Saturday rivalry game between Xavier and Cincinnati.

So IU is 9-0 with its biggest victory in a decade. It almost certainly will be 12-0 when Big Ten action begins in a couple of weeks.

So what does this say about the team and the program?

“It says we have a lot of good players,” says freshman Cody Zeller, one of the best of them. “As a team we can do a lot of great things.”

Does that greatness mean the Hoosiers are back to the juggernaut they once were?

“I don’t know what ‘back’ means,” Zeller says. “I know we’re playing well. Hopefully it keeps on going.”

Here’s what we do know. IU went toe to toe with an impressively talented team and beat it. The most obvious reason was junior forward Christian Watford, who was huge with a game-high 20 points, stifling defense and the game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer that will go down as one of the more remarkable shots in school history.

But it was a lot more than that.

Coach Tom Crean scrapped his play-the-bench philosophy. Every starter played at least 30 minutes. Key reserve Derek Elston didn’t play at all, in part, Crean said, because he’d hurt his back earlier in the week, mostly because of a coach’s decision.
Did the Hoosiers get some breaks? Absolutely. The Wildcats were just 10-for-17 from the free throw line, missing the front end of a bonus, and another free throw, in the final 19 seconds.

Will Sheehey bounced in a three-pointer that hit everything but one of IU’s five championship banners. Kentucky shot-blocking monster Anthony Davis played just 24 minutes because of foul trouble, and some of those fouls might not have been called if the game had been anywhere other than Assembly Hall. UK leading scorer Terrence Jones played so poorly (four points and six turnovers) that coach John Calipari said the Wilcats got “absolutely zero” from him.

And then, most dramatically, the Wildcats’ youth and the pressure of playing their first true road game of the season in one of America’s loudest and most intimidating facilities surfaced when they failed to foul in the final seconds when they had two fouls to give.

Why didn’t they foul?

“I have no idea,” UK guard Doron Lamb said. “I made a mistake.”

Added Calipari, who had ordered his players to foul multiple times during a timeout: “I have no idea what went through their minds. Maybe they thought, ‘I’m not fouling, time is going to run out.’”

In the end, the Hoosiers made their own breaks. They overcame their previous vulnerability by beating the Wildcats at their own offensive rebounding game, totaling 14 to the visitors’ 10. They didn’t blink under pressure, going 14-for-17 from the line and 9-for-15 from three-point range, including 7-for-9 in the second half.

Good teams find ways to win, and these Hoosiers, we’re learning are a very good team.

They just have to keep it up.

******

As you probably know by now, Indiana lost its quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Rod Smith when Smith left to join Rich Rodriguez at Arizona. Smith has coached under Rodriguez for years, most recently at Michigan, so the decision wasn’t a surprise.

Here’s what coach Kevin Wilson had to say in a university release:

“We appreciate Rod’s efforts with us this season,” Wilson said. “We’re sorry to see him leave and wish him and his family the very best. Rod has a long-standing relationship with Coach Rodriguez and we understand his decision.

“As we move forward, we’ll take our time to find the fit for our coaching staff that will keep our program headed in a positive direction.”

*****

Matt Weaver of Peegs.com, who is wrong about as often Daniel Moore delivers tomahawk dunks against Kentucky, has reported that IU has picked up its 20th football commitment in Rapheal Green, a 6-5, 325-pound offensive lineman from San Antonio, Texas.

However, Green told Weaver he might end up playing on defense at IU. We’ll got out on a limb and figure he’ll be a run-stuffing inside lineman. The Hoosiers certainly need size and strength up front to stop the running, something they couldn’t do in this past 1-11 season.

Missouri, Colorado, Houston, New Mexico, New Mexico State and North Texas had reportedly offered scholarships, while LSU, Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Baylor were interested. That’s some pretty impressive interest.

Say It Ain’t So -- Will Calipari End IU-UK Rivalry?

2011-12-09T19:39:00.001-08:00

Would John Calipari REALLY want to blow up one of the great rivalries in college basketball history?

Apparently so.

Yeah, just when IU is getting good again (it is 8-0), the Kentucky coach wants to scrap a really good thing.

The teams meet Saturday at Assembly Hall.

Those who believe in conspiracy might smell a little fear, but that seems out of character for a coach who has long been known for fearless scheduling.

Still …

Calipari continues to insist he has to tone down the non-conference schedule to accommodate a possible expanded SEC slate (officials are considering adding two more conference games to 18) and the fact the No. 1 Wildcats (8-0) have more year-to-year player turnover than any other program in the country.

Well, as far as the player turnover, whose fault is that? Calipari brings this on himself by recruiting and then signing one-and-done guys. He doesn’t have to sign top-10 players. He could go for guys, say, No. 60 to No. 100. They’d stay for four years and the turnover would stop. Now, maybe he’d win a few less games, but at least he wouldn’t have to rebuild every year.

That won’t happen, of course.

Anyway, Calipari has a poll on his website to see which of the traditional non-conference rivals -– IU, Louisville and North Carolina -– should be dropped.

At the moment, 69 percent of those responding pick the Hoosiers to go. North Carolina is next at 23 percent. Louisville comes in last at 8 percent.

Nothing is etched in stone. Indiana and Kentucky have played 54 times in a series that started in 1924. The Wildcats have won 31 times, including 16 of the last 20 meetings, and three straight.

Calipari was asked about the schedule during a press conference this week. Here’s what he had to say:

“Let me again state this. We want to play a great schedule, but because our roster turns over more than any other team in the country, maybe ever, we can’t be locked into six games (he’s including the Champions Classic and the SEC/Big East Challenge). You just can’t do it.

“I know people may get mad. You can get mad. That doesn’t affect me in any way. But you can’t be locked in. Playing Kansas or UCLA vs. this or that team, does it really matter? It doesn’t matter.

“I can schedule in August, when I know what my roster is and get seven unbelievable programs to play us. I can do that.

“I have to protect the program. I cannot set up our players for failure.

“Look, I’m one of the originals who said, let’s bring it. I don’t care, let’s play. What time? Midnight –- I’ve done it. Noon or 11 or 10 o’clock? I’ve done it.

“The point is, in the situation we’re in, you can’t lock into seven games. No one in the country does it. Duke doesn’t do it. North Carolina doesn’t do it. UCLA and Kansas don’t do it. No one does it.”

And now you know.

But do you buy it?

*****

Indiana has its best chance at beating Kentucky since Eric Gordon and D.J. White joined forces in December of 2007. The Hoosiers are 8-0 and blowing everybody out, although no one expects that to happen Saturday in Assembly Hall against the No. 1 Wildcats.

They’ve won the last three meetings by an average margin of 18 points.

Still, Calipari sounds concerned.

“This is going to be a hot, contested game. We know it. Hopefully we are ready.

“We’ve had some good practices. I asked my staff last night, ‘Do you think I pushed our guys enough?’ They said, ‘Yeah. Yeah.’ I said, if I haven’t, we will see.”

Hoosiers, Wildcats and Mr. Controversy

2011-12-09T02:29:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Mr. Controversy Show. We aim to provide the kind of provocative content that will raise blood pressures, stir passions and incite the kind of passion normally reserved for Chelsea Handler gatherings.

Accuracy, you see, is sometimes SOOOO over-rated.

Today we’ve come to Indiana in anticipation for Saturday’s epic game against No. 1 Kentucky. This will be a nationally televised chance for the Hoosiers to show whether their 8-0 start marks the beginning of a return to national relevance or reflects good, old-fashioned patsy scheduling.

All that’s well and good, but we want drama, intrigue and dirt –- you know, the kind of truth you get from a Kim Kardashian special.

We remember several years ago, when the Hoosiers played Kentucky in football and a Hoosier player said the Wildcats played dirty. Ahh, the excitement that generated! Those were the days, when real men didn’t eat quiche, they called each other names. We can’t wait for the trash talking and bad mouthing to begin.

We show up at the Assembly Hall media room ready for press conference action. In walks Jordan Hulls and Cody Zeller, who seem as verbally dangerous as Mr. Rogers.

Oh, no. We’ve got a bad feeling about this.

EDITOR’S NOTE -– The questions have been changed to reflect a WWE feel. Truth sometimes has to be altered for the common good. Mr. Controversy will provide what America wants to hear. The player answers, however, are the player answers.

Q: Guard play could be a Wildcats weak link. Do you target that because you know they will break?

HULLS: We just have to keep doing what we have been doing all year - get deflections and have constant pressure with our hands all over the ball. If we do that and play team defense and play help-side defense and not let him get in the lane because he is really good at throwing lobs and things like that. We have to keep that to a minimum and let our on-ball pressure create our offense for us."

MR. CONTROVERSY: The guards are going down, just like the Wildcats.

Q: You guys have gone through a lot of crap the last couple of years. Are you tough enough to kick some Wildcat rump?

HULLS: "I would say we have come a long way over the past couple years. But even two years ago, we prepared the same way with the same intensity. This is a different team and a new year and we feel good about what is going on and we are working hard in practice every day. Yes, we are more mature than my freshman year."

MR. CONTROVERSY: Our time is now. Kentucky is toast.

Q: Forget that line about treating every game the same. Students are so jacked up they want to camp out in the cold. How badly do you want to smoke these guys?

HULLS: “Yes, everyone is real pumped up for the game, of course. They are ranked No. 1 in the country and are coming into our hometown so people are really excited about it. But it is just a basketball game and we are really excited to get this going. It is going to be a fun atmosphere for sure and we are really excited about the fans and their support."

MR. CONTROVERSY: Kentucky is toast.

Q: How do you stay calm considering this is the biggest game of your lives, and everything you do will be magnified, scrutinized and remembered for all time? Win and the most gorgeous women on campus will have their ways with you. Lose and your mothers will disavow your relation to them.

HULLS: “We are preparing for this game as we have every other game. As far as the fan base, everyone on campus is buzzing a little bit. But we are mature enough to keep our composure and take it one game at a time."

MR. CONTROVSERY: To quote Lloyd Bridges in the movie, “Airplane,” Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.

Q: Cody, you get to match up against Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, who is like 7-7 and 360 pounds. He’s blocked like a thousand shots already. What’s up with that?

ZELLER: “He is definitely a great player. I played against him quite a bit in the summer last year. But I have played against a lot of good players already this year -- guys like Andrew Smith (Butler) and North Carolina had a few good guys inside. I think each game I am just trying to improve and this will just be another step for that."

MR. CONTROVERSY: I’m gonna stuff him like he’s a Thanksgiving turkey.

Q: What’s it like playing the No. 1 team in the country in your building?

ZELLER: “I'll tell you after the game on Saturday. I have never experienced it so we are just going to prepare for it like any other game. The fans are excited but inside the locker room and on the practice court we are going to prepare just like any other game."

MR. CONTROVERSY: It’s gonna be better than dating Jennifer Lopez.

Q: You’ve DATED Jennifer Lopez?

Mr. CONTROVERSY: You ask too many bleeping questions.

Deep Conviction – Hoosier Deep Throat Says Wildcats Are Toast

2011-12-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

We got the call, as we knew we would, just after midnight.

It was Hoosier Deep Throat. He was hard to hear because of a grumpy voice in the background, a voice we would have recognized if we weren’t so focused on the news that scientist had discovered a world with basically the same temperature as earth, which means life might be out there hundreds of light years away, which means maybe the Storm Trooper outfit we still have hidden in the closet from our teenage days might one day be fashionable again and …

Sorry.

We managed to understand that Hoosier Deep Throat had big news about Saturday’s Indiana-Kentucky basketball game and wanted to meet us at a secret basement location in a secret level of the Wells Library.

“Just follow the torn blue pieces of a Kentucky t-shirt,” he said with more glee than an adult male should have.

So we did. The shirt pieces led down some stairs to a brown door marked –- DANGER NO ADMITANCE -- that was wedged open by a tattered blue stuffed Wildcat that looked like it had been chewed by a pitbull. We went down more steps, into a cigar-smoke-filled room lit by a single, flickering light bulb, past a wall that listed the scores of every Indiana victory over UK, until we came to a shadowy closet the light couldn’t penetrate.

Inside, was the glowing end of an expensive Cuban cigar. Somewhere behind that end was Hoosier Deep Throat.

EDITOR’S WARNING: Hoosier Deep Throat uses raw language normally reserved for Metallica concerts and Bob Knight soliloquies. Brace yourself.

“I got the scoop,” Deep Throat said. “The Hoosiers are going to attack the (bleep) out of Kentucky on Saturday. They’re going to the rim and those (BLEEPING BLEEPS) won’t know what the (BLEEP) hit them. The Wildcats are going to be in SUCH foul trouble Calipari’s gonna be crying to the refs like a baby!”

“Calm down,” we said. “Take your time.” We didn’t want him working himself into some kind of seizure.

“CALM DOWN! Are you (bleeping) kidding me? Do you know how (BLEEPING) big this game is. Given what’s happened the last three years, this might be the biggest game in the program’s history. Students have been camping out for days outside Assembly Hall to be first in line for good seats. They wanted to pitch tents, but the air heads at IU, who continually screw up good PR opportunities, told them no. You think they’re calm!”

“How on,” we said. “IU officials resolved all that. They gave the students vouchers so they could be first in line as long as they gave up the camping idea. Deputy athletic director Scott Dolson said it was done for their safety and to ensure they were focused on academics. Finals are next week.”

Deep Throat puffed rapidly, as if he was sending smoke signals.

“What did the students think about that?” he asked.

“I think some were disappointed. I think they wanted to camp out in this cold weather.”

“I think students are tougher than what officials give them credit for,” Deep Throat said.

While Deep Throat talked, we heard that voice in the background. This time we recognized it. It was Bob Knight during a recent ESPN segment. When asked by Digger Phelps about IU’s unbeaten start, Knight said this time of year a lot of teams are undefeated because of easy scheduling. He never mentioned Indiana. It was a not-so-subtle shot by a man not known for subtly. The tape was being repeated over and over again, as if Deep Throat was using it to fire himself up even more.

“Kentucky basically only plays seven guys,” Deep Throat said. “Seven guys! Foul trouble is gonna kill them faster than you can say, ‘(Bleep) the BCS. The Oklahoma State football team got screwed!’ God, I can’t wait!!!”

What looked like drool dribbled to the white tiled floor. Deep Throat was apparently frothing at the mouth, either from excitement or rabies. We weren’t sure we could tell the difference.

“Did you hear his radio show?” Deep Throat asked. “Oh, we’re gonna kick (BLEEP)!”

“Whose radio show?”

“Tom Crean’s, you idiot. He wants his guys to kick (BLEEP), and they are nasty enough to do it!”

Deep Throat tossed what was left of the cigar on the floor, stomped it into oblivion and lit up another. Waves of brown smoke rolled toward us like a tsunami.

“I think what he said was he wanted his players to block out by putting a full body on a Wildcat and not an arm or just part of a body,” we said. “In other words, rebounding will be big.”

“Don’t give me that politically correct crap. He said he wanted to kick some (BLEEPING BLEEP!) And it’s gonna happen!”

We nodded without conviction. We knew the odds of an IU victory were slim. Kentucky’s roster is loaded with future NBA players. The Hoosiers have one right now in Cody Zeller, although others might develop into pro potential.

UK coach John Calipari maximizes his talent. Love him or hate him, he wins big and often, thriving with great recruiting and developing players in the short time he has them.

Crean talked about the challenge on his radio show when he said, “They're a very difficult team, no question. They're highly athletic. It's a big rim team. Everything starts with how you protect the rim.”

This isn’t new. Since the early 1990s, Kentucky has had the athleticism edge over the Hoosiers.

“Indiana’s going to have to defend like it hasn’t in years,” we said. “And Crean said it will have to push the pace. Going slow won’t work.”

“You’re God-damn right!” Deep Throat said with a ferocity that made the drool understandable. “Everybody has to buy in and go. If not, Crean has will sit their (bleeps).”

Crean has often talked about his depth this season, reiterating on his radio show that, “My best friend, as much as I love my family, as much as I like my coaches, is the bench.”

Yes, the bench helps because, as Knight famously once said, it sends a message to your rump which in turn sends a message to your brain to play harder and better.

Will that help against Kentucky? Certainly. Will it make a difference? Perhaps.

Logic suggests the Wildcats will win by eight or so points, but logic doesn’t always win games. Heart means something. Home crowds mean something. The ability to respond under pressure means something.

“What are you thinking?” Deep Throat asked, his tone suggesting where he’d stick his cigar if we gave an incorrect answer.

We hesitated.

“That the Hoosiers are gonna kick some (bleep),” we said, conviction giving way to prudence, and Deep Throat’s laughter echoed through the basement like an Assembly Hall cheer.

And then, he was gone.

Tents Or Not, IU Students Ready For Kentucky; A $50,000 Gift

2011-12-07T02:33:00.001-08:00

When Tom Crean talks, student listen.

The problem -– university policy is so out of touch, you wonder if officials still get their news from Walter Cronkite.

Who’s Walter Cronkite?

If you have to ask, you’re way too young, but here’s a hint –- he didn’t date Jennifer Lopez.

Sorry.

Anyway, Crean said on his radio show Monday night that if students want to get a good seat for Saturday’s Kentucky game, they had better camp out early. Some students took him at his word and started camping out on Tuesday.

Yes, in case you’re wondering, it’s cold in Bloomington this week, which followed near biblical rains that flooded parts of the state. But students, who understand that goods seats for this game rival the importance of say, taking the LSAT, aren’t phased by lousy weather.

So they broke out chairs, tents, food and other stuff to survive for basically four days before university police made them break it up because it violated some university policy.

Other universities do this kind of thing all the time for big games. Duke, for instance, has Krzyzewskiville to honor coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has turned the Blue Devils into the New England Patriots of college basketball.

This is as big a game as the Hoosiers have had since, perhaps, Duke showed up inn 2005. IU is 8-0 and playing like its ready for a return to the national stage. Kentucky is ranked No. 1 and aiming for another Final Four berth despite being one of America’s youngest teams.

Student passion is big in Hoosier prospects. You don’t want anything messing that up.

Figure IU officials will lighten up. After the last three years of basketball hell, plus football as you don’t want to see it, it’s time to have fun again.

Even in the cold.

*****

The IU-Kentucky game is so big, it’s even worth $50,000 to the Play Golf America University program courtesy of former Hoosier golfer Jeff Overton.

Overton has that kind of money to give because of his pro success that includes being a member of the 2010 Ryder Cup. Play golf America University is designed to teach and engage students in the game of golf through PGA pro instruction and other programs. Overtone will give a check to Hoosier golf coach Mike Mayer and Bob Kessler, the Department of Kinesiology Program director.

Here’s How Indiana Can Beat Kentucky

2011-12-06T02:23:00.001-08:00

Are you like us? Do you see Kentucky as the most vulnerable No. 1 team in the history of college basketball and that the Wildcats will come to Assembly Hall on Saturday and get their fannies …

Hold on!

For a second Hoosier Deep Throat took control of the keyboard, and this 8-0 Hoosier start has warped his perspective. He’s back smoking cigarettes in some shadowy corner of an IU parking garage. We’ll get his thoughts in a future blog.

For now we are once again in charge of what you are reading. We see the big picture and it starts with the fact Indiana has a HUGE opportunity on Saturday.

Top-ranked Kentucky will visit Assembly Hall and this is not the Second Coming of the veteran 1976 Hoosier juggernaut, the last college basketball team to finish unbeaten.

Still, this is a very talented team.

The Wildcats are 8-0 and directed by a coach, John Calipari, who knows how to recruit studs and maximize their talent. But they have plenty of youth and inexperience (this is basically a freshman and sophomore squad), and have yet to play a true road game.

Let’s repeat that. Assembly Hall will be UK’s first game in front of a hostile crowd. And if enough of the 17,000-plus fans sure to pack the facility are loud enough and energetic enough and intimidating enough, the Wildcats impressive array of talent might buckle.

“Might” is the key word.

IU, by comparison, already has a pair of road victories, the most of any Big Ten team. It is battle tested and pumped because this is the game that could show, better than any poll, the program is back to national relevance.

Understand Kentucky has been tested, most recently by a fiercely talented North Carolina team. The Wildcats hung on for a 73-72 win in Rupp Arena.

Other than that, UK has rolled. It’s won two games by 10 points (including one against Kansas), and the others by 22, 24, 38, 48 and 50 points.

Calipari has again loaded up on top-10 talent that plays above the rim and in the fast lane. Darius Miller is listed as a 6-8, 235-pound GUARD, for goodness sakes. Where else do you see that other than in the NBA?

Kentucky has got 6-9, 252-pound Terrance Jones (15.0 points, 7.5 rebounds); 6-10, 220-pound freshman Anthony Davis (12.3 points, 5.1 rebounds); 6-7, 232-pound Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12.1 points, 7.1 rebounds). Don’t forget Marquis Teague, formerly of Indianapolis. He averages 10.3 points. Sharp-shooter Doron Lamb averages 14.4 points.

Davis, by the way, has 36 blocks in eight games. Jones, the SEC player of the week, has 20. UK has 87 as a team, which is basically 11 game.

Indiana, by comparison, has 33 blocks.

That’s right, three fewer than Davis.

The Wildcats block shots, alter shots and make opponents wish the NCAA would bag the 35-second shot clock and bring back the four-corner stall.

Of course, that ain’t happening. You want to beat the Wildcats, you have to take it to them.

You know something. IU can do that.

It has talent, although not enough to match Kentucky. No matter. It has the home court advantage and a confidence generated from its 8-0 start and comeback victory at North Carolina State. It has tough-minded players who play defense and push the pace. It has a hunger born from three years of basketball misery.

Believe us, that will mean something.

So what do the Hoosiers have to do to win?

Let’s take a look.

1) The Hoosiers have to defend like a date with Jennifer Lopez is at stake and …

IMPORTANT FACT: Okay, at 40, JLo is probably too old to interest college players, but did you SEE her last music award show performance and ...

SECOND IMPORTANT FACT: Sorry. Hoosier Deep Throat snuck back in. He’s gone again and won’t interrupt. We promise. Anyway, IU needs at least 60 deflections to have a chance.

2) Rebound the bleeping ball. IU has to block out, carve out space, as assistant coach Tim Buckley likes to say, and consider every missed shot a birthrite. It doesn’t have to win the rebound battle, although that would be nice, but it has to stay close.

3) Take care of the ball. The Hoosiers have been good about turnovers all season. They are going to play fast, maybe faster than they have all season because of the athletes they’ll be facing. They can’t let that speed cause them to waste possessions.

4) Shoot at least 45 percent from the field, which is worse than what they shoot for the season. That includes making their share from three-point range. They also need to score from inside even though the Wildcats have enough shot-blockers to field two NBA teams. IU will get some shots blocked. Big deal. It has to attack the basket, draw fouls and get to the line.

5) Make free throws. In an ideal world, Jordan Hulls would shoot every free throw. The guy hasn’t missed in a year. Seriously. He’s made a school-record 2 million in a row and …

Sorry. It’s really 52 in a row. Still, Hulls didn’t take a free throw against Stetson last Sunday, and has only taken 11 all season, which is just 11 more than we’ve taken. Reserve guard Remy Abell, for goodness sakes, has more free throw attempts (12) than Hulls.

He needs to get to the line more.

Repeat that -– he needs to get to the line more.

That’s all there is to it. If the Hoosiers do these five things, they beat Kentucky, jump into the national rankings, restore Cream ‘n Crimson glory and save the world from Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh. Then they can concentrate on achieving something that's REALLY difficult:

Getting a date with Jennifer Lopez.

Feeling the love – Hoosiers Making Basketball Fun Again

2011-12-01T02:37:00.000-08:00

Remember back in the day, say in October, when Hoosiers such as Christian Watford talked about making the NCAA Tournament and that seemed, well, overly optimistic given the last three lousy seasons?

Well, Watford might have been dead-on right.

More and more Indiana looks like a team capable of skipping the NIT natural progession and getting NCAA opportunity.

Why?

Glad you asked.

The glow of the North Carolina State victory is still bright. The Hoosiers blasted off to a great start, took the Wolfpack’s best shot, then delivered the knockout.

They did because freshman Cody Zeller played to his considerable hype in the second half, when all great players are at their best, and Christian Watford played like one of the Big Ten’s best.

Mostly, though, they won because Jordan Hulls was a stud. He hit TOUGH shots, he made all his free throws (as he always does) and delivered the kind of leadership you need on the road.

This has been the perfect non-conference schedule for Indiana. It opened with some easy games to build confidence and chemistry. The degree of difficulty gradually increased. Now it has two marquee games against No. 1 Kentucky and banged up Notre Dame, then ends with a soft run of Howard and UMBC before a brutal Big Ten opening of at Michigan State (when IU hasn’t won in like a thousand years), then hosting No. 2 Ohio State (which just crushed Duke) and No. 14 Michigan.

The Hoosiers play 13 non-conference games, including one against North Carolina Central in late February which they will win by 60 points. At worst, they will be 11-2, probably 12-1 and possibly 13-0.

Let’s say 11-2. At this point a 9-9 Big Ten record is VERY realistic. So that makes them 20-11, with a chance to win at least one Big Ten tourney game. That makes the NCAA tourney attractive, and given their national TV draw, well, let’s just say things are looking very good.

And if they manage to beat Kentucky and Ohio State, they might be a top-5 team by the end of the month.

Heck, they might even be No. 1 and …

Sorry.

Suddenly, Cream ‘n Crimson fans have reason to love college basketball again.

One last thought. IU has won all seven games by double digits, the first time that’s happened by a Tom Crean-coached Hoosier team. It was won going away, it was won on the road and it was won when on the brink of being blown out. It is competing as it hasn’t since the 2002 national runner-up postseason.

Yeah, there’s a lot to love about IU basketball.