The Good and the Bad - IPFW

Breaking down what to like and what not to like about Wednesday's 90-65 victory over IPFW at Assembly Hall.

THE GOOD

1. Yogi - When you set a new record for most points by a player in Tom Crean's IU tenure, you make the good list. It's a pretty scientific formula we use here at Btown Banners. The senior's 38-point night was almost even more historic, as he came just four points shy of breaking Steve Alford's Assembly Hall scoring record for any IU player. So, yeah, guess you could call it a decent day overall for the Hoosier senior.

2. Robert Johnson - Since coming back from the island disaster that was Maui, Johnson has been one of the Hoosiers steadiest performers. Starting his second straight game, the sophomore nailed five 3-pointers en route to 16 points. He's also arguably Indiana's top perimeter defender. If Johnson can provide a steady scoring option and give the team some energy on the defensive side, he could end up being a key piece in determining which direction this Hoosier season ultimately goes.

3. Troy Williams - By now, most know Williams' relationship with Hoosier nation. He constantly alternates between making spectacular plays and playing like his hair was set on fire with a blowtorch. There was a little of both on Wednesday as he pulled down a dominate 19-rebounds to go with five blocks and 15 points. He also turned the ball over six times. It's about the most Troy Williams of box scores you will ever see. Just enough to make you think he's great, just enough to wonder why he insists on playing the game with bacon grease on his finger tips.

4. Max Bielfeldt - Bielfeldt will never be the players that he effectively replaced on the Indiana roster - Hanner Perea or Emmitt Holt - and that's probably perfectly ok. While he'll never grab a quarter off the top of the backboard like Perea was alleged to have done and his ceiling is probably never going to be as high as Holt showed in his one year at IU, but the senior grad transfer gave Indiana exactly what it needs off the bench Wednesday. With Thomas Bryant struggling, he steadied the front line with an 11-point, 8-rebound effort. There's surely growing pains ahead for Bryant, who has never endured the rigors of a Big Ten season. Bielfeldt will be needed most nights to give exactly what he gave on Wednesday.

THE BAD

1. The Assembly Hall crowd - The excuses are rolling in and most have merit. Travel to Bloomington has become a chore with the construction on Highway 37. It's getting near finals time for students. And mid-week games are more difficult than weekend affairs. But the reality is that this is the second straight season Indiana has given its fanbase next to nothing worthwhile of watching in the non-conference season at Assembly Hall. The marquee non conference affairs the past two years have been Pittsburgh and Southern Methodist. The rest of the home slates have been littered with alphabet soup directional programs or states you'll never see on a traditional map. Even though it was an in-state foe, Wednesday's lackluster crowd was an indictment of the fatigue Indiana fans have faced with the marshmallow soft scheduling efforts put forth the past couple of years. Marquee conference games at home are nice and all, but here's hoping there's at least a slight effort to reward one of college hoops most loyal fan bases a bit more in future seasons.

2. BTN Plus - Just go away. This "channel" for watching Big Ten games exclusively on the web is a money-grabbing crock. It's 2015 and it's harder to watch Indiana games than the old four-channel rabbit ear days of television. Telling people who already shell out more than $150 per month for basic cable packages they need to spend more to watch their favorite team is fine capitalism, but a slap in the face to fans across the conference.