Rapid Reaction IU vs. Oakland

[mdn82 25,510]

Welcome to the Evan Gordon show.  There were players who had very solid games, but I almost feel bad bringing them up in regards to this game.  Gordon was all over the place on both ends.  He is a senior who has given us the last couple of games what we hoped Will would give.  As down as I have been on Will lately, he really showed up on the defensive end most of the night against Bader.  This was really an impressive game for the Hoosiers outside of the last minute, but most impressive for the forgotten Gordon.  

 

As a team, I am most disappointed by the last minute of the game.  For 39 minutes they had more assists than turnovers.  I would have loved to have been wrong when after last game I estimated it would be the only time all season that would happen.  We had multiple turnovers in the last minute, and ended up with 16 versus 14 assists.  Oh, and about those rebounds you guys are so used to.  How about 52 against their 28?  Numbers you wouldn't expect would be our shooting.  We shot 50% from the field as well as shooting over 40% from 3.  If we can replicate those numbers in any game this season, we will win.  

 

Individually, as I have said, it was the Evan Gordon show.  He got 26 points on 10-12 shooting, and 4-5 from 3 while getting 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.  That is a game folks.  Jeremy was solid outside of the minute with 6 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists.  Noah had 8 points and 10 boards.  Yogi was in double figures with 11.  Who is not a fan of what Stan and Luke bring?  Man, those guys really are fun to watch at both ends.  Last, but certainly not least is Troy with 13.  His energy was there all game.  Him and Jeremy have really brought it on both ends lately.  The reason I bring up Troy last is the lasting memory of this game.  Up by 30 with 2 seconds left he dives out of bounds for a ball where he appeared to feel the landing.  He has to be smarter than that.  Crean must talk to him and explain not only his importance, and the situation of the game.  

 

In conclusion, it was a game that was great for confidence for a number of players.  The questions of where can find more scoring from may becoming clearer.  Evan Gordon is a player who has been aggressive going to the rim, and that has opened his outside shooting.  His success has opened other opportunities for players following him to the rim.  I hope it is obvious how important another scoring threat is who can score in multiple ways.  It opens up so much for this team.  Yogi is hugely important, but he has fallen in love with the outside jumper.  He will not be efficient doing that.  Noah scores at the rim, which is crucial for this team.  Gordon is the only player for this team who has shown outside shooting, a mid-range, and the ability to get to the rim.  Going forward that may be crucial to this young Hoosier squad.  Back to the Pacers and Heat…  Oh, and this is something we all know as a tease.  We are hopeful to have something new soon for the conference season.  Hopefully if everything goes well, we can explain in the coming weeks.  

[Scooter D 928]

Too many TOs. If they keep that up, they will get murdered in Big 10 play.

[mdn82 25,510]

Tom Crean's team has traditionally been in the 22% range for turnovers per possession.  We are actually on par with that number.  The one thing that scares me is we can't shoot the ball consistently.  That is always a staple of his teams.  If we can't shoot efficiently, and turn the ball over I am worried.  If we can even cut it down to around 18% of the game we get a couple of more possessions.  We need every possession we can get.  IMO

[Stuhoo 81,220]

Yogi's outside shooting may seem too prolific to some, but I believe the fan base is missing its huge value:

 

Yogi Ferrell is the only current Hoosier that can create his own shot at the end of the shot clock or when the offense is bogged down. That may produce at times what looks to be a bad shot choice, but is nevertheless an invaluable asset to the team.