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hoosierpap

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    hoosierpap reacted to hmhernan for a article, IU finds missing piece with OG Anunoby   
    Anunoby doesn’t necessarily always look like a key player in the box scores, but no doubt, he is making a difference for the Hoosiers. It is no accident they have won their last three home games by more than 25 points.
     
    On Saturday against Northwestern, Anunoby finished with three points, three rebounds, two assists and one block in 12 minutes. But he’s the kind of player that can be defined as being at the right place at the right time.
     
    He’s versatile, but quiet. Yet he does the little things right, and the little things go a long way.
     
    “We're starting to expect a lot more out of him,” coach Tom Crean said. “We're as nit-picky with him as we are with the older guys because he's capable. He's smart. His energy is a little mysterious sometimes because he doesn't always talk and he's not as vocal as he needs to be, though he's playing hard. We need more of that from him.”
     
    Anunoby is averaging 14.2 minutes per game since it was announced Blackmon would miss the remainder of the season with another knee injury.
     
    In Big Ten games, the forward now averages 7.3 points per game, compared to 2 points per game before Blackmon was sidelined. It seems Anunoby has it all, with the ability to show a good performance on both ends of the court.
     
    In a time where IU was looking for guys to play defense, Anunoby took the opportunity. But now, he has shown some offensive capabilities that will likely make him one of the most important pieces off the IU bench.
     
    “He can shoot the ball, but he's on the court because he can defend numerous people, and you can do a lot of different things with him,” Crean said. “When he's aggressive to the glass and aggressive defensively he can split out and challenge shots and keep the dribble in front of you, he's really, really important to have on the floor.”
     
    When a guy like Blackmon goes down, Anunoby had to make the choice pretty quickly to fill the position. Seniors like Yogi Ferrell note Anunoby’s importance, even if Anunoby doesn’t exactly realize it yet.
     
    “I think OG's awareness has gone up tremendously,” Ferrell said. “Being aware of what you need to do offensively and what you need to do defensively. I think that's sky rocketed for OG. Definitely was a quicker turnaround than I think people thought.”
     
    Simply stated, IU was presented with a challenge to fill Blackmon’s role, and Anunoby stepped up to that challenge. If IU wants to keep winning, it is going to have to continue to look to guys like Anunoby to fill in the missing pieces.
     
    In his first few games, Anunoby was given some chance to get comfortable on the floor and figure out what he needs to improve. Without Blackmon, Anunoby has gotten a chance to really expand his abilities and show the team what he can really do.
     
    “A guy with a 7'6" wing span can jump out the gym,” Ferrell said. “We saw his potential being as high as it can be. And I feel like O.G. has definitely stepped up in that way for us.”
     
    Anunoby has come a long way so far this season, and one thing to remember, the season for IU is only half way over.
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