Official 2016-17 IUBB Preseason Thread

[OliviaPope40]

At least carrot top doesn't have eligibility left.

[Crimson and Cream]

12 hours ago, Hovadipo said:

 

Some people have been wanting to take the S off and call them Rutger. I think I'm going to start going with Rut.


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It's Buttgers

[Brass Cannon]

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016/10/iu-looks-to-its-defense-to-compete-once-again-in-conference

 

Quote

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— IU believes its defense could be the strength of the team.

After losing so much offensive firepower from last year’s team, IU turns to its array of defensive weapons to help them win games this season.

“I don’t think there is a ceiling for this team on the defensive end because we keep improving each day,” sophomore center Thomas Bryant said. “We don’t take anything for granted, and we know that defense will win us games. We know last year, defense won us an outright Big Ten championship.”

 

 

Defense helped IU advance to the Sweet 16 last season, but this group believes its defense can be even better than it was last year.

“I feel like we are a little more athletic than we were last year,” Bryant said. “Also, we are all in better condition than we were in last year.”

Conditioning is going to be to key for this defense, as it is instituting more ball pressures.

IU Coach Tom Crean said the Hoosiers are going to use their guards to pressure higher up on the court, hoping to turn teams over.

Depth and finding strength in numbers are the biggest keys to their defensive scheme, Crean said. Injuries have plagued the Hoosiers so far, and he says he wants to establish enough depth so they can start to wear down opposing teams.

“This is a team that should eventually be able to play different ways,” Crean said. “Pressure, half-court, trap, switch, all the different things. The more we can stay on a rotation because of how we can pressure the ball or how we can switch things, and the more we can bring fatigue to the game because of the way we can pressure the ball, the better we will be.”

The Hoosiers have experienced guards who are capable of pressuring the ball. Junior Robert Johnson has been known as a strong defender his entire career, and Crean said junior James Blackmon Jr. is improving defensively.

It goes beyond Blackmon Jr. and Johnson, however. Crean said junior guard Josh Newkirk has a pitbull mentality, and freshman Devonte Green is second on the team in deflections.

The team has a potential stable of guards that can pressure opposing offenses.

On the backline, a trio of sophomores — O.G. Anunoby, Juwan Morgan and Bryant, who all flashed their length and defensive potential last season — anchor the Hoosiers. All three of them can guard multiple positions, which provides the defense with flexibility.

Johnson believes having those three versatile forwards is going to help them create turnovers.

“I think that’s something we’re definitely going to be able to do,” Johnson said. “Especially with Thomas and O.G. having more experience and having those guys on the back line to protect. I think it’s going to allow us to pressure the ball more.”

Pressure leads to turnovers, which lead to easy baskets.

Last season, IU forced an average of 13.1 turnovers per game, up from 2015 when the Hoosiers forced an average of 10.7 turnovers per game. IU’s defense last season was ranked 59th in the nation, according to KenPom.com, a drastic improvement from the 2015 season, when the Hoosiers were ranked 201.

Crean knows turnovers will increasingly help this defense become even better than last season’s improved defense.

“For this team to take the next step, it has to bring fatigue to the game,” Crean said.

 

Hadn't seen this posted.  Gotta say I am ecstatic to hear these things about our D, with 5 quality guards and the ability to play a 3 forward line up if need be would like to use the guards to pressure more.  Stop letting teams set up in the half court.  Especially with Morgan and OGs ability to cover distance.  Get the guards to throw a bad pass then have OG and Morgan intercept it. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Alex Bozich:

2016-2017 Player Profile: Robert Johnson

If Indiana is going to overcome the significant loss of Yogi Ferrell in its backcourt, junior guard Robert Johnson will be a major reason why.

As the Hoosiers are discussed and written about nationally in the preseason, the three names that come up most often are Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby and James Blackmon Jr.

In a way, Johnson is the forgotten man. He’s not on any preseason award lists, but he’s an essential piece on the roster because of his ability, experience and leadership.

Last season as a sophomore, the Richmond (Va.) native started 22 of the 30 games he appeared in, but missed five of the team’s final seven games. Johnson injured his ankle in a 77-73 win over Purdue on Feb. 20 and then re-injured himself in Indiana’s NCAA tournament win over Kentucky. He subsequently missed IU’s Sweet Sixteen loss to North Carolina as a result.

While it’s not fair to argue that Johnson would have changed the outcome against the Tar Heels, his absence was a clear blow to a Hoosier backcourt rotation that lacked depth.

Johnson’s sophomore season was one of major growth as he improved in several key metrics. His 3-point shooting percentage improved from 38.8 percent as a freshman to 44.7 percent in his second season. His turnover rate dropped by 1.5 percentage points. His assist rate grew by five percent.

Following offseason surgery on his ankle, Johnson is back to 100 percent health.

As Indiana’s best returning defender on the perimeter, he’ll be tasked with guarding some of the country’s elite guards. And with Ferrell’s departure, he’ll also be expected to handle the ball more often. With that responsibility, his decision making must continue to improve.

Along with newcomer Josh Newkirk and James Blackmon Jr., who are both returning from injuries as well, Johnson will be a part of Indiana’s committee approach to the point guard position. Given how Indiana’s offense is focused on moving the ball and spacing, having a defined point guard isn’t essential.

What is essential, however, is having the right leadership in the backcourt and Johnson appears ready to step forward and fill at least part of what Ferrell vacated with his graduation. As someone who is viewed as a leader in the program, Johnson has a voice that will resonate in the locker room when he speaks.

When you pair the leadership piece with a work ethic that continues to drive improvement, it’s not hard to see why Johnson is one of Indiana’s most important players on the 2016-2017 roster.

Bottom Line: Johnson should return to Indiana’s starting lineup, which is where he’s been for most of his first two seasons in Bloomington. There will be an adjustment period for him playing without Ferrell, who justifiably had the ball in his hands a lot in Johnson’s first two seasons. As a junior, Johnson should have the opportunity to create more for his teammates while also aggressively seeking out more shots within the flow of the offense.

Quotable: “What has to happen now is those guys have got to learn from what they missed. They’ve got to take those next steps of confidence that come from doing it time and time again. They’ve got to not only do it, they’ve got to bring leadership to the younger guys.” – Tom Crean on Johnson and Blackmon Jr. as they return from missing time this offseason into leadership roles as upperclassmen.

[LIHoosier]

9 hours ago, OliviaPope40 said:

At least carrot top doesn't have eligibility left.

I would've been better off staring directly at the sun.

21 hours ago, Hovadipo said:

 

Some people have been wanting to take the S off and call them Rutger. I think I'm going to start going with Rut.


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I go with 'da Rut', like a funk or depression that takes forever to shrug off.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

6 minutes ago, LIHoosier said:

I go with 'da Rut', like a funk or depression that takes forever to shrug off.

'Da rut' is the mating season of ruminant animals such as deer, sheep, and goats.  Explains why they can't play basketball; too busy in the barnyard!  

[HoosierCoop]

9 hours ago, OliviaPope40 said:

At least carrot top doesn't have eligibility left.

Thanks a lot.....now my coffee doesn't taste good anymore!

[pappy1865]

11 hours ago, Hovadipo said:

 

I don't blame games on referees, but good lord... that was just about as close as I've ever been. I've never seen anything like it.


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Ii remember watching that game at a Norman, Oklahoma Applebees.  Can't remember who the Sooners played that night, but, I do remember the folks at the bar around me were in disbelief of the officiating as well.  

[Brass Cannon]

15 minutes ago, pappy1865 said:

Ii remember watching that game at a Norman, Oklahoma Applebees.  Can't remember who the Sooners played that night, but, I do remember the folks at the bar around me were in disbelief of the officiating as well.  

I got text messages from OSU and Purdue fans basically saying we got hosed.  The purdue fan then said something to the effect of him being fine with it because IU deserved it

[hsrtxp]

I got text messages from OSU and Purdue fans basically saying we got hosed.  The purdue fan then said something to the effect of him being fine with it because IU deserved it

We did get hosed and to be fair, I would be ok with it happening to pudont as well.


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[OliviaPope40]

http://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ranking-the-top-100-and-one-college-basketball-players-for-2016-17/

Bryant is 17th and OG is 54th on the list and JBJ is not on the list.

[Stuhoo]

 

Michigan is being vastly underrated as a B1G contender for the coming season IMO.

 

[HoosiersLoveBanners]

3 hours ago, Stuhoo said:

 

Michigan is being vastly underrated as a B1G contender for the coming season IMO.

 

Contender? I want what you're smoking dude.

 I think the predictions on them are about right. They won't be terrible. But certainly not at the top, either. 

[Stuhoo]

7 minutes ago, HoosiersLoveBanners said:

Contender? I want what you're smoking dude.

 I think the predictions on them are about right. They won't be terrible. But certainly not at the top, either. 

 

Excellent coach with a proven winning record in the B1G, good point guard, experience, outside shooters, and Donnal and that German dude are pretty good bigs.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Zach Osterman - Indianapolis Star

Happy to return to basketball, McRoberts ready to help IU

BLOOMINGTON  —Zach McRoberts needed a year away from basketball to realize how much it meant to him.

The one-time Carmel standout spent last season out of the sport, just another student at Indiana. He had transferred from Vermont, where he played for a year, but he had no designs on taking up the sport in Bloomington. At least, he thought he didn't.

"Taking that year off gives you a different perspective on it," McRoberts said last week. "I think that was important for me, to learn about myself and what I needed from basketball."

So, McRoberts reached out to IU associate head coach Tim Buckley, wondering how he might go about joining the IU basketball program.

The Hoosiers brought him in for a workout in May. By late June, he had joined officially as a walk-on.

"Since then, I’ve just been working out, getting back in shape," he said at team media day last week. "It’s been good."

McRoberts, listed as a guard at 6-6, 200 pounds, joins an Indiana roster looking for depth at the wing position he seems likeliest to take up.

Senior forward Collin Hartman is expected to miss significant time, perhaps the entire season, with a serious knee injury. The Hoosiers lost Troy Williams to the draft, and Max Bielfeldt and Nick Zeisloft to graduation. Former walk-on forward Ryan Burton, who played intermittently as a senior, also graduated.

So there could be minutes within reach for McRoberts, the younger brother of former Pacer Josh McRoberts.

"Me coming in, I think I can help just do those little things like (Hartman) was always doing, being the first guy on the floor, rebounding – whatever it takes to help the team win," McRoberts said. "That’s what I’m focused on."

In his one season at Vermont, McRoberts averaged 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds over 27 games. He also hit 6-of-17 3-point tries. IU coach Tom Crean has praised the gains McRoberts made in the weight room during the summer.

What kind of role McRoberts might fill this season could be determined early on. Buckley pointed out at a recent news conference that Burton's performances during the nonconference season earned him the trust of his coaching staff heading into Big Ten play.

After a year away from basketball, though, McRoberts is mostly just happy to have it back.

"You take that year of just being a student, it kind of helped me realize that I sort of wanted to have that team aspect in my life, wanted to have those guys around me," he said. "These guys at IU have been great for me, being a part of a team again."

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

CTC and son in Cleveland for game 2.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Ryan Corazza -

2016-2017 Player Profile: James Blackmon Jr.

James Blackmon Jr. enters his junior campaign with a clean bill of health and a chip on his shoulder.

“When you hear stuff like that, you want to show your best and I feel like I will do that this season,” Blackmon Jr. said at Big Ten media day about his response to the criticism he received for his defense in 2015-2016.

That criticism was valid. Before a late December season-ending knee injury cut Blackmon Jr.’s sophomore campaign short, he struggled with positioning and awareness.

Indiana’s overall defense was rough in the non-conference and Blackmon Jr. was one but one piece of its larger puzzle. And his exit from the lineup wasn’t the sole factor for Indiana’s turnaround on the defensive end of the court once the Hoosiers hit the thick of their Big Ten season. Still, Blackmon Jr. has something to prove. But he definitely seems aware of this and is up for the challenge.

Where Blackmon Jr. doesn’t need to show marked improvement? His shooting.

In the 13 games he played in last season, he made 50 percent of his 2s (36-of-72), 46.3 percent of his 3-pointers (37-of-80) and 85.2 percent of his free throws (23-of-27). Those high efficiency numbers on his 2s and 3s were good for an effective field goal percentage of 60.2, nearly 10 percent better than his freshman campaign (51.2). Blackmon Jr. came to Bloomington as a prolific scorer and he’s made good on that in his one and a half seasons of play.

But with Yogi Ferrell gone and Indiana entering 2016-2017 looking for a playmaker by committee backcourt, Blackmon Jr. is going to be relied upon to evolve his offense game. He’ll need to make plays for others and himself, play on and off the ball and be a threat to score in transition both at the basket and beyond the 3-point line. And perhaps most importantly, when the shot clock is winding down and Indiana hasn’t found an advantage over the defense, can Blackmon Jr. create his own shot and bail the Hoosiers out,?

Bottom Line: The keys for Blackmon Jr.’s junior campaign: make good on improving his defense and staying healthy. The offense should be there. After testing the NBA draft waters earlier this year, it’s possible this will be his last season in Bloomington—no matter what the draft boards say about his potential to get selected or not.

Quotable: “Making the game simple, him getting better at moving without the ball, him being ready to shoot. Not everybody coming out and trying to show how much better they are at the things that they’ve worked at because they are. I mean, we have added some real skill. I have no doubt. But now we’ve got to transfer it to live, right, and the best way to do that is to make it as simple as possible.” – Tom Crean on Sept. 30.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

NBCSports - College Basketball's Best Wings Forwards:  http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2016/10/27/554157/

6. O.G. Anunoby, Indiana: Anunoby is a tough player to rank on a list like this for a couple reasons. He’s a potential breakout star that didn’t post great numbers last season. His value lies in his ability to play a role more than his ability to score 20 in the Big Ten. He may be a better NBA prospect than a college player. But he’s also a 6-foot-8 defensive menace that can guard four positions, hit threes, get to the offensive glass and beat people off the dribble.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Zach Osterman - Indianapolis Star    IU's Collin Hartman 'doing everything possible' to play senior year

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2016/10/27/ius-collin-hartman-doing-everything-possible-play-senior-year/92825860/

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

http://indiana.247sports.com/Article/Freshman-forward-DeRon-Davis-having-to-adjust-quickly-at-Indiana-48545391

Alex McCarthy - Davis Having To Adjust Quickly

As the case usually is with incoming freshmen, the transition to being his team’s go-to player to being just one of the guys was a bit jarring at first for De’Ron Davis.

“I’ve never had a team like this before,” Davis said. “I’ve always been the man, so coming here and playing with all these highly talented players, it’s a blessing, first off. It’s a great opportunity for me to get better.”

Davis, the highest rated player in this recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite, has even more to get used to than the usual incoming freshman. Davis missed summer workouts when he was back home in Colorado finishing up academic requirements.

He arrived just the day before classes began, and is doing what he can to catch up. He said he talks every day with strength and conditioning coach Lyonel Anderson and spends extra time doing conditioning drills whenever he can. He dealt with a bit of Achilles soreness (after an injury this summer) when he first arrived, but said he’s back to feeling 100 percent.

Not only were the workouts immediately challenging, but his daily matchup in practice got much tougher. Davis, who stands 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, goes up against sophomore center Thomas Bryant in practices. Davis said the daily challenge of facing one of the top big men in the Big Ten has been fun so far.

“It’s crazy,” Davis said, his eyes widening. “I’ve never played against a highly talented big man like that every day. On the circuit you do, but not every day in practice. He’s pushing me and I’m pushing him, hopefully.”

Bryant and other teammates such as sophomore forward OG Anunoby have been impressed thus far with the incoming players. Davis, along with incoming freshmen Grant Gelon, Devonte Green and Curtis Jones have apparently been asking numerous questions to coaches and players throughout practice, and junior college transfer Freddie McSwain has been doing the same.

Anunoby said he spends more time with Jones and Davis than anyone else, and that he’s always willing to talk to them about issues on or off the court. His one message to them has been to play hard on the court, and they’ve apparently taken to that.

“They’ve come along really well,” Anunoby said. “They all listen really well and work hard, so that helps.”

Davis, the all-time Colorado leader in blocked shots, immediately made an impact in the scrimmage at Hoosier Hysteria this past weekend. Fellow newcomer Zach McRoberts drove to the basket on the first possession of the game, and Davis shifted over and blocked his shot. He kept the ball in bounds as well, allowing for his teammate to grab the loose ball and get the offense moving.

Apart from that, Davis was mostly quiet in the scrimmage, especially on offense. Davis has had very little time to adjust to IU head coach Tom Crean’s offense and the speed of the players around him.

Throughout his senior season at Aurora (Colorado) Overland High School, Davis was working to expand his game away from the basket. Ball-handling and perimeter shooting were large focuses for him. Now, those skills are becoming even more important, as Crean likes his players to be able to play any position, regardless of height.

“Guards play the bigs’ positions, bigs play the guards’ positions,” Davis said. “Coach has it so we’re all interchangeable. Wherever coach wants me to be, I’m going to do it and do it to the best of my ability.”