10 Games Down: Statistical Review

There was a shroud of mystery surrounding this year's Indiana team. With so many new faces populating the roster, no one was quite sure what to expect. Here's what we now know after 10 games:

The Good

Free throws and rebounding...that's what Indiana does.

(photo credit: btn.com)

Indiana is fourth in the country in made free throws and seventh in free throw attempts. Not only are they finding ways to get to the line, but they are knocking down shots once they get there. Since seven of the first 10 games have been played at home, it will be interesting to see if the free throw attempts go down away from Assembly Hall. Is IU really that good at drawing fouls, or do officials really give them that many calls at home?

The super-athletic Hoosiers rank in the top 10 of the country in virtually every rebounding category. They are third in total rebounds, second in rebounds per game, and second in rebounding percentage (essentially the rate at which a team comes up with a rebound when one is available). The only team with a higher rebounding percentage? The number one overall Arizona Wildcats.

The Bad

(photo credit: Inside the Hall)

Hopefully Evan Gordon's 26 point outburst was a coming out party and not a fluke. Heaven knows Indiana needs a shooter to emerge alongside Yogi Ferrell. They rank 74th in points scored per possession, 114th in field goal percentage, 173rd in effective field goal percentage, and a deplorable 284th in three point field goal percentage.

They've also struggled generating turnovers as they rank 183rd in steals per game. That doesn't appear to be from a lack of aggressiveness however as they rank 195th in fouls committed per game.

The Ugly

Indiana's worst statistical category (other than three point shooting) centers around it's ability to pass the basketball. They rank 278th in assists per game, 319th in assist percentage, and their assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 320th. They are also ranked second to last in the B1G in each of those categories in front of only Nebraska.

I will say that I don't think point guard Yogi Ferrell is to be blamed for this. As in last night's game, he has found his teammates for plenty of open shots; teammates just miss the shots. Poor shooting plus excellent rebounding indicates that Indiana relies more on missed shots than passes to generate points.

What to make of the 8-2 start

Not much. Indiana has dropped two games thus far, and both were played outside of Assembly Hall against top 10 teams with Final Four experience. Nothing for a young team to get down about. However, while it's true that Indiana doesn't have any "bad" losses, they also don't have any good wins.

The Washington win initially looked impressive, but the Huskies are now 4-4 and rank 201 in the RPI. In fact, the Hoosiers have yet to beat a team ranking in the top 100 of the RPI rankings, and the biggest chunk of their wins (five) have come against teams ranked 200 or worse. The Hoosiers won't have a chance to "prove it" any time soon either. Indiana won't play a top 50 RPI team until January 4 when Michigan State visits Bloomington.

Yes the youthful Hoosiers were one play away from upsetting the ninth ranked team in the country. Yes they played the second ranked team close for a half. And yes, they have blown out the teams that they should be blowing out. Still, they haven't proven their legitimacy with a big win.

If they win the games they are supposed to, they should be 12-2 when Michigan State comes to town. Win that game and...

(photo credit: inkonindy.com)

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Players and fans may be excited, but Tom Crean knows better. Ten games down. Many more to go.

Go Hoosiers.