Official Game Thread: No. 5 Indiana @ Penn State

[IU Hoosier41 14,465]

We need to keep getting to the line. Need to have our drives create open jump shots, and make them scramble to cover the shooters.

 

 

No complaints out of this guy.  Quite the impressive start!

[Kineticz 87]

Need to put Hanner or cWat in to corral those boards... Just shows how good cWat rebounds. He goes to the bench we give up 4 point blank chances cause we cant get the board.

[IU Hoosier41 14,465]

Need to put Hanner or cWat in to corral those boards... Just shows how good cWat rebounds. He goes to the bench we give up 4 point blank chances cause we cant get the board.

 Agreed.  would like to see Hanner get some more time.  hopefully Jurkin can get some time as well.

[Kineticz 87]

I didnt think you could slide help like that any more, He was in the restricted area? Can anyone clear that up for me?

[Alumni 1]

Hopefully the lead, and opponent bodes well for Hollowell, Perea, Jurkin gettin their grind on in the 2nd half!

[IU Hoosier41 14,465]

First Half Thoughts:

 

• Indiana got whatever they wanted on offense in the first half. 
• Hoosiers shot an incredible 52% from inside the arc and 6/11 behind the arc. 
• Loved the hustle from the Hoosiers.
• Jordan Hulls - you knew he wouldn't go 0-10 again.
• Christian Watford - Playing like somebody finally lit a fire under his a__!
• Coach Crean Lineups - Why oh why did he play the dreaded lineup of Yogi, Dipo, Sheehey, Watford and Zeller.  See Stats (Lineup 4)
• Overall a Great half of basketball.  Was exactly what I wanted to see and feel much better about our hustle levels.

Thoughts?

[IU Hoosier41 14,465]

Hopefully the lead, and opponent bodes well for Hollowell, Perea, Jurkin gettin their grind on in the 2nd half!

 

Couldn't agree more with you.  I really want to see Peter get some quality minutes in the second half.

[coachmayhew 1,414]

The only bad part of that first half is that we all had to wait a week to see it.

[Alumni 1]

I'd like to see Zeller become more aggressive in terms of attacking the rim....mostly under the basket with the ball.

[hoosier93 33]

Was incorrect on the score but close on the margin and correct on saying the hoosiers will blow them out from the start bring on minnesota

[Khammond 2]

It's good feeling to be 2-0 in the conference so far. I know this is the start of the Big Ten season and to get road wins are important rather it's against great teams or below average teams. Now we need to come home and focus on Minnesota and Wisconsin.

[Will_Padgman 194]

I really wish Hanner got a few more looks, because he isn't going to get better by just being in the game. However, he realllllly needs to cut down on the fouling

[Hoosier_Eric 2]

Rewatching the game from last night. I know stats wise Watford had a good first half, but I am less than thrilled with him this year. Especially on the defensive end. With a minute to go in the half, Watford's man gave a dribble hand off on the right side to Vic's man. Watford made the correct move by hedging, but the hedge was TERRIBLE. He got beat off the first dribble and then got in Oladipo's way.S now Watford is out of position to make the proper rotation back to his man, and Oladipo had no chance to recover to his man. The result of the play was an easy open look from 10 feet from the left baseline. I'm sure that Crean will have that play cued up for Christian, but it's just one more problem that I am having with him this year.

Just wanted to point that one out, because it annoyed me last night, and it annoyed me again today.

[IU Hoosier41 14,465]

Rewatching the game from last night. I know stats wise Watford had a good first half, but I am less than thrilled with him this year. Especially on the defensive end. With a minute to go in the half, Watford's man gave a dribble hand off on the right side to Vic's man. Watford made the correct move by hedging, but the hedge was TERRIBLE. He got beat off the first dribble and then got in Oladipo's way.S now Watford is out of position to make the proper rotation back to his man, and Oladipo had no chance to recover to his man. The result of the play was an easy open look from 10 feet from the left baseline. I'm sure that Crean will have that play cued up for Christian, but it's just one more problem that I am having with him this year.

Just wanted to point that one out, because it annoyed me last night, and it annoyed me again today.

I definitely feel your frustration. I think watford is in a hard place this year. I don't think he knows exactly what is being asked of him. To his credit, I think he has handled it very well from a mental standpoint. I also think he has gotten much better over the last couple of games. Hopefully he will fully by into his new role for this team.

As far as the defensive issue you note, I think our team in a whole struggles with that. (By team as a whole, I am 100% excluding VO. That kid gets it.) We should learn some things this weekend vs Minnesota. I do think people are going to look into the Minnesota game too much. If we come out and win by 15 or more, people will go ahead an annoint us champs. I am much more interested in how we perform on the road.

[Hoosier_Eric 2]

I definitely feel your frustration. I think watford is in a hard place this year. I don't think he knows exactly what is being asked of him. To his credit, I think he has handled it very well from a mental standpoint. I also think he has gotten much better over the last couple of games. Hopefully he will fully by into his new role for this team. As far as the defensive issue you note, I think our team in a whole struggles with that. (By team as a whole, I am 100% excluding VO. That kid gets it.) We should learn some things this weekend vs Minnesota. I do think people are going to look into the Minnesota game too much. If we come out and win by 15 or more, people will go ahead an annoint us champs. I am much more interested in how we perform on the road.

 

I do not mean to bash Watford as a whole, I think the kid has even more potential than he shows, but you are right he might not realize what is being asked. Last year, he excelled, and he did that by allowing the game to come to him rather than try to make things happen.  He has made some good plays this year, but more often than not, the offense has died when the ball gets to his hands, excluding last night, last night he took his shots as they came to them rather than forcing the issue. 

 

If Christian can get back to being the player he was last year, rather than the hero-ball he seems to be wanting to play this year then there wont be many defenses that can stop him, or the team as a whole.