Early thoughts...

[hoosierpap 14,300]

It's early, and some seasoning will iron some things out but at this point...

 

OVERALL: This team has a lot of talent. That sort of goes without saying, but this is a team who has shown they can go toe to toe with the elites and succeed. It's too early to project a seed or anything but looking like they could win the B10 and I don't think IU is who I'd like to see in the tournament. That said, guard play is still up and down which is huge come tourney time. My biggest concern is who on this team can score on their own, low shot clock, late game kind of stuff. Someone has to step up because that is a situation IU is going to run into, I promise you. Anyways, I'm going to go by position clusters...

Guards: I found myself admitting that my real problem is that there isn't a Yogi anymore and it's unrealistic to expect that. Yogi's defensive intensity, imo, can be matched by Rojo and Newkirk if they are going full throttle. Offensively, there is going to be a decline. No one can run, dish, and pull up like Yogi could which made this offense so incredibly dangerous in transition. Sometimes you can't replace things....So what do we have?

Well, Newkirk played a hell of a game defensively against Joel Berry. That tells me he is capable of locking down nearly anyone- which is a bonus I did not forsee. Offensively, there is work to be done. He seems to be the "creator" which scares me. Far too loose handle on his drives and doesn't have much of an ability to kick the ball off of those "wild ish" drives. Concerning, but, you play defense like Wed. night and you're going to stay on the floor. Leading the team with 3.1 assists per game isn't great on an offense that can really score the ball. 

Rojo showed he can do it on both ends. It's about consistency for him. Idk what's going on there but if he gets himself locked in it's certainly trouble for the opponent. He's an off-guard. Can bring it up some but he just isn't going to give you PG production in terms of ball control, assists, and simply running the offense. Great player, just not who he is.

James is what he is. Deadly scorer, liability on defense. To his credit, I think there has been some improvement but still some "wtf" moments. His big shot ability is what this team needs. I think James is developing a bit of a voice which speaks to confidence. Stay healthy, young man.

Cojo and Green flash talent. They're young, probably giving some more than expected but have their drawbacks- as most freshmen provide. I think there is a bright long-term future if IU can keep them satisfied but for now it seems there will be flashes of brilliance, and some head scratchers. If one can become consistent and dependent it would be huge off the bench.

Wings: OG is just gonna go ahead and do OG things. Sky is the limit for him and the story of his production isn't even told in the stat line despite his numbers. AND he is seeming to just get going. Injury is one that can linger despite whatever timeline they're pushing. Seriously, for this season...fingers crossed. Sprains suck.

I'm putting Juwan here but know he's been bringing the ball up a lot. He showed last night what he can do. I believe he was 8-8 with 10 rebounds? The versatility and grittiness is what he brings to the table. He may not always have the double-double, but he is going to impact the game on both ends in some form or fashion. I trust him guarding a 1 or a 5. These kinds of players don't come around all that often, so I'm enjoying. 

McSwain is a big of a tweener and somewhat of a mystery for me at this point. Certainly has the athletisicm but some confidence issues on the shot. Uber athletic and could impact the game in categories such as rebounds, blocks, but not sure what IU has with him yet. Not a bad piece.

McRoberts is doing literally nothing, statistically, but everything on the court. I know +/- isn't the end all be all but against IPFW I believe he was a +15 while everyone else was like a -7 or 8. Say what you want about that statistic, but he impacts the game and makes smart decisions on both ends. I don't like the idea of him starting, but he provides a spark of sorts with his hustle and defense and I'm not looking at him as a liability on either end. Like I said in some other thread this morning...IU would be wise to make sure he is here going forward

Bigs: Thomas has the ability to change a game. He also can play fairly small at times, ala Cody Zeller. Get big, big man. The threes are cool but IU has plenty of that. Thomas needs to be inside unless the play is some sort of inside out utilizing others versatility. Get your lay-ups and dunks, make your free throws, get your boards. IU wins.

De'Ron Davis has been a pleasant surprise. He is appearing capable but am always hesitant of freshmen before conference play gets going. He knows what he is doing mentally, which is a big deal. He made several small but heady plays against UNC that won't be forgotten in my book. Really a pleasant surprise. It'll be interesting to see if Crean uses him as the spell for Bryant or if he carves out his role with Bryant in the game. Seems like the latter. His defense with such little experience is what has me most excited. 

Priller....beast.

 

Who are you guys liking? And commentary where you disagree/ see it different is always welcome

[chitown hoosier 743]

I agree with almost everything but that yogi was a lock down defender. I know coach praised his defensive ability but he was a liability in too many games last year. He would let people by him constantly which led to too much scramble defense. I still remember him and TB going at it one game because of that. As good of a scorer he was I still like the combo of guards IU had this year over last. No more short guards please.

[IUsince1980 315]

Have to like what your hearing regarding OG. Seems like the injury isnt as bad as what we all thought. Crean seems to think he'll be back sooner than later. Cheers to that.
Great post btw, agree with your synopsis and i am excited for this years team progression as season moves along.

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[Scooter D 928]

Great analysis and post.  I think that De'Ron Davis and Juwan Morgan are the team's X factor.  Davis has exceeded my expectations so far and if Morgan can consistently have at least half the game that he had last night, this team might have a shot at a BT title.  

I am still hesitsant about the team, as that IPFW loss is just sitting there leaving a bad taste in my mouth that I can't get rid of it.

[WayneFleekHoosier 51,240]

Good Analysis.

Things to work on and other:

1) Free Throw shooting. (RoJo, Newkirk, OG) in particular. Hard to win big neutral court games when 3/5 starters don't shoot well from stripe.

2) Bryant needs to play bigger as you mentioned. I like him shooting a 3 or 2 per game. But in general he doesn't get low post position ever and gets pushed out 5-8 feet from where he should be catching it. Use that 7'5" wingspan son.

3) newkirk seems to be trending to be our lead PG. That's okay but his handle is loose. In general he has played some pretty good games and hit some big shots.

4)JBJ has been great for except IPFW and last night. His rebounding is a big strength. His ball handling under pressure is suspect and being our best FT shooter at end of games he needs to simplify is dribble and stay away from trouble. Stay healty.

5) OG- how can you not love OG. BUT he needs much more work with his FT shooting, Dribbling, and Catching. He has Rock hands at times and smacks that ball all over the place. Fantastic player.

6)Juwan does about everything well except shoot from range. His instincts and hustle are second to none. So important to this team. His shot will return, he is a capable shooter.

7) CuJo- really like CuJo. Keep doing what you are doing. Some freshman mistakes here and there but has been great.

8) DeRon Davis- has provided solid minutes almost every time he plays. Probably most deserving of more minutes. Has true low post game.

9) McSwain- I don't see it. He is an athlete. I think he is a great teammate and guy. He lacks almost all other basic ball skills. Crean will have to be creative with him unless he vastly improves. He certainly could with that athleticism and our training. We will see.

10)McRoberts- I really admire his instincts and hustle. He does a lot of things right. BUT if we want him to maximize his potential he needs to be like Hartman and shoot that WIDE open shot that teams are given him.

I'm bullish on this team but we have weaknesses. The players are a TEAM. Louisville game will tell me a lot about our fight. We have had soft teams with Crean and Lousiville is the total opposite. Let's see how we fight their aggressiveness and athleticism.




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[hoosierpap 14,300]

1 hour ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Good Analysis.

Things to work on and other:

1) Free Throw shooting. (RoJo, Newkirk, OG) in particular. Hard to win big neutral court games when 3/5 starters don't shoot well from stripe.

2) Bryant needs to play bigger as you mentioned. I like him shooting a 3 or 2 per game. But in general he doesn't get low post position ever and gets pushed out 5-8 feet from where he should be catching it. Use that 7'5" wingspan son.

3) newkirk seems to be trending to be our lead PG. That's okay but his handle is loose. In general he has played some pretty good games and hit some big shots.

4)JBJ has been great for except IPFW and last night. His rebounding is a big strength. His ball handling under pressure is suspect and being our best FT shooter at end of games he needs to simplify is dribble and stay away from trouble. Stay healty.

5) OG- how can you not love OG. BUT he needs much more work with his FT shooting, Dribbling, and Catching. He has Rock hands at times and smacks that ball all over the place. Fantastic player.

6)Juwan does about everything well except shoot from range. His instincts and hustle are second to none. So important to this team. His shot will return, he is a capable shooter.

7) CuJo- really like CuJo. Keep doing what you are doing. Some freshman mistakes here and there but has been great.

8) DeRon Davis- has provided solid minutes almost every time he plays. Probably most deserving of more minutes. Has true low post game.

9) McSwain- I don't see it. He is an athlete. I think he is a great teammate and guy. He lacks almost all other basic ball skills. Crean will have to be creative with him unless he vastly improves. He certainly could with that athleticism and our training. We will see.

10)McRoberts- I really admire his instincts and hustle. He does a lot of things right. BUT if we want him to maximize his potential he needs to be like Hartman and shoot that WIDE open shot that teams are given him.

I'm bullish on this team but we have weaknesses. The players are a TEAM. Louisville game will tell me a lot about our fight. We have had soft teams with Crean and Lousiville is the total opposite. Let's see how we fight their aggressiveness and athleticism.




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8

Can't believe I left this out. My Grandpa calls me from Indiana after games and this is the first thing out of his mouth. But so true, the FT shooting is so important. The percentage isn't actually as bad as you think, but the guys who IU needs to be clutch aren't at the moment.

[hoosierpap 14,300]

2 hours ago, chitown hoosier said:

I agree with almost everything but that yogi was a lock down defender. I know coach praised his defensive ability but he was a liability in too many games last year. He would let people by him constantly which led to too much scramble defense. I still remember him and TB going at it one game because of that. As good of a scorer he was I still like the combo of guards IU had this year over last. No more short guards please.

 

Ability was there. He may have had some memorable let downs but aside from that we'll have to agree to disagree. Height, with the exception of total cross-positions (1 guarding a 5, 5 guarding a 1), doesn't have a ton to do with defense.

[Brass Cannon 25,380]

Agree with the general tone in this thread. Right now I think we are looking at Bryant returning which is good for next year. But really want him to step it up here soon. 

Morgan is good at the game of basketball

Newkirk is what he is which is why we wanted Waters. If GT fires their coach I hope he go after him again. 

People complain about the cupcakes but the playing time our freshmen are getting is going to pay dividends in February. 

And Yes Pap you are right we need to keep McRoberts. 

[Trish 14,463]

My thoughts 

-Josh is a quick and strong. Needs to work on his finishing and perimeter shooting though. He's not a PG, he's pretty much Rojo. 

-Thomas shooting game has improved and when he gets good position down low, he usually has a decent move. We need to get him more looks down low however. His defense has also improved as well this year it seems. 

-McRoberts is great. I think he's more talented than Grant or Priller ever will be, but that's just my opinion. I believe Zach plays better defense than Collin as well. If Zach could shoot... oh boy. He does all the little things and i'm glad he's a part of this team.

-Freddie. He's not a basketball player, but he's on the team so we will have to suffice. Maybe he could play the baseline like Troy did last year and just use his athleticism to score.

-RoJo seems to be steady. He's a great guard to have and we just need to have him healthy.

-James was doing James things at the start of the season. However, he's been chucking too much the past two weeks. He needs to let his game come to him. Of course, he needs to stay healthy.

-Morgan is that utility guy every team desires. Another great gem from Crean.

-Davis is really out of shape. I had no idea he was that slow. He will for sure be around here for the next three years. He's got a nice touch, but he needs to get in shape.  

[VO5 8,340]

1 hour ago, hoosierpap said:

Can't believe I left this out. My Grandpa calls me from Indiana after games and this is the first thing out of his mouth. But so true, the FT shooting is so important. The percentage isn't actually as bad as you think, but the guys who IU needs to be clutch aren't at the moment.

I'm actually amazed that Rojo and OG aren't better free throw shooters. Both have great 3 strokes, so it has to be somewhat of a mental aspect. Newkirk I don't think will ever be more than an average shooter, so his % doesn't surprise me. Out of all 3, he scares me the most at the line

[Alford Bailey 13,221]

8 hours ago, hoosierpap said:

It's early, and some seasoning will iron some things out but at this point...

 

OVERALL: This team has a lot of talent. That sort of goes without saying, but this is a team who has shown they can go toe to toe with the elites and succeed. It's too early to project a seed or anything but looking like they could win the B10 and I don't think IU is who I'd like to see in the tournament. That said, guard play is still up and down which is huge come tourney time. My biggest concern is who on this team can score on their own, low shot clock, late game kind of stuff. Someone has to step up because that is a situation IU is going to run into, I promise you. Anyways, I'm going to go by position clusters...

Guards: I found myself admitting that my real problem is that there isn't a Yogi anymore and it's unrealistic to expect that. Yogi's defensive intensity, imo, can be matched by Rojo and Newkirk if they are going full throttle. Offensively, there is going to be a decline. No one can run, dish, and pull up like Yogi could which made this offense so incredibly dangerous in transition. Sometimes you can't replace things....So what do we have?

Well, Newkirk played a hell of a game defensively against Joel Berry. That tells me he is capable of locking down nearly anyone- which is a bonus I did not forsee. Offensively, there is work to be done. He seems to be the "creator" which scares me. Far too loose handle on his drives and doesn't have much of an ability to kick the ball off of those "wild ish" drives. Concerning, but, you play defense like Wed. night and you're going to stay on the floor. Leading the team with 3.1 assists per game isn't great on an offense that can really score the ball. 

Rojo showed he can do it on both ends. It's about consistency for him. Idk what's going on there but if he gets himself locked in it's certainly trouble for the opponent. He's an off-guard. Can bring it up some but he just isn't going to give you PG production in terms of ball control, assists, and simply running the offense. Great player, just not who he is.

James is what he is. Deadly scorer, liability on defense. To his credit, I think there has been some improvement but still some "wtf" moments. His big shot ability is what this team needs. I think James is developing a bit of a voice which speaks to confidence. Stay healthy, young man.

Cojo and Green flash talent. They're young, probably giving some more than expected but have their drawbacks- as most freshmen provide. I think there is a bright long-term future if IU can keep them satisfied but for now it seems there will be flashes of brilliance, and some head scratchers. If one can become consistent and dependent it would be huge off the bench.

Wings: OG is just gonna go ahead and do OG things. Sky is the limit for him and the story of his production isn't even told in the stat line despite his numbers. AND he is seeming to just get going. Injury is one that can linger despite whatever timeline they're pushing. Seriously, for this season...fingers crossed. Sprains suck.

I'm putting Juwan here but know he's been bringing the ball up a lot. He showed last night what he can do. I believe he was 8-8 with 10 rebounds? The versatility and grittiness is what he brings to the table. He may not always have the double-double, but he is going to impact the game on both ends in some form or fashion. I trust him guarding a 1 or a 5. These kinds of players don't come around all that often, so I'm enjoying. 

McSwain is a big of a tweener and somewhat of a mystery for me at this point. Certainly has the athletisicm but some confidence issues on the shot. Uber athletic and could impact the game in categories such as rebounds, blocks, but not sure what IU has with him yet. Not a bad piece.

McRoberts is doing literally nothing, statistically, but everything on the court. I know +/- isn't the end all be all but against IPFW I believe he was a +15 while everyone else was like a -7 or 8. Say what you want about that statistic, but he impacts the game and makes smart decisions on both ends. I don't like the idea of him starting, but he provides a spark of sorts with his hustle and defense and I'm not looking at him as a liability on either end. Like I said in some other thread this morning...IU would be wise to make sure he is here going forward

Bigs: Thomas has the ability to change a game. He also can play fairly small at times, ala Cody Zeller. Get big, big man. The threes are cool but IU has plenty of that. Thomas needs to be inside unless the play is some sort of inside out utilizing others versatility. Get your lay-ups and dunks, make your free throws, get your boards. IU wins.

De'Ron Davis has been a pleasant surprise. He is appearing capable but am always hesitant of freshmen before conference play gets going. He knows what he is doing mentally, which is a big deal. He made several small but heady plays against UNC that won't be forgotten in my book. Really a pleasant surprise. It'll be interesting to see if Crean uses him as the spell for Bryant or if he carves out his role with Bryant in the game. Seems like the latter. His defense with such little experience is what has me most excited. 

Priller....beast.

 

Who are you guys liking? And commentary where you disagree/ see it different is always welcome

Pretty much agree on everything. My biggest concern is finding a go to guy when we need a bucket. Thats critical in close games and the tourney.

[Alford Bailey 13,221]

6 hours ago, hoosierpap said:

Can't believe I left this out. My Grandpa calls me from Indiana after games and this is the first thing out of his mouth. But so true, the FT shooting is so important. The percentage isn't actually as bad as you think, but the guys who IU needs to be clutch aren't at the moment.

Agree again. We are probably ranked #1 next week if we hit FTs.

[Alford Bailey 13,221]

I think we are a little more balanced as a team this year compared to last. Last year we go on a 10-15 point run and then give it all back on defense. This year we arent quite as explosive on offense but we arent giving up big runs by the opposition like we did last year.