Quick Hits: Victory over Michigan

-Verdell Jones commits turnovers that I used to make in 6th grade travel basketball. He makes them in crucial possessions. He drives to the hole with no plan B, and sometimes no plan A. He commits himself by jumping after dead-end drives, giving himself only a split-second to make a decision with the ball before he lands. He struggles with making important free throws. Half of those free throw attempts are referee bailouts for near-turnovers. He cannot defend the pick and roll. He fails to create separation on pick and rolls on offense. I would rather have Matt Roth, Remy Abell….and yeah, even Austin Etherington on the floor in the last 3 minutes over Verdell Jones. I realize he hit a big shot, but we can get those shots from Oladipo, Watford, Hulls or Zeller in that spot.

OK, I’m done.

GET VERDELL JONES ON THE BENCH RIGHT THIS INSTANT.

Ok, ok, now I’m really done.

– Cody Zeller put on a clinic in the first 12-15 minutes of the 2nd half. He could not be stopped, drawing triple teams at some points in the game. Then? Wasn’t heard from again. This is a significant and ongoing problem the Hoosiers need to solve before February. Many like to blame his teammates for not getting him the ball. Some blame Cody for not creating space for himself in the lane. I believe it’s a combination of both…Cody clearly struggles to establish post position vs. bigger opponents like Michigan’s Morgan, and Michigan State’s Nix, Payne, and Green. On the other hand, teammates stop looking for him in possessions down the stretch, especially if the game is close. Perhaps it is a self-perpetuating cycle? Since Cody can’t get open on a few possessions, teammates stop looking, even further dis-incentivizing Cody from working hard to get position etc etc. This Catch-22 is the only explanation I can come up with.

-Victor Oladipo is still the MVP of this team. Offensively, he had a bad shooting night, and still managed to have a profound impact on the outcome of the game. Hardaway Jr. was shut down, which is tough to see from the stat line. Most of his points, upon closer review, came on the fast break or off of ball screens where Oladipo switched off of him. The Ola Depot is going to give Aaron Craft a run for his money for Big 10 Defensive Player Of The Year, and if he can become more consistent with his 3 point shot, will be fascinating to watch.

-Another stellar performance for Watford…his extra scoring has almost single-handedly made up for Will Sheehey’s absence. It seems like he’s getting more comfortable handling the ball as well, which leverages his capability to hit contested jumpers by creating space between him and his defender.

– Derek Elston came up with a few, quiet yet huge defensive rebounds late. He also hit a nice 3 early, only it was right after a rushed shot on the last possession. Elston is a very hot-and-cold player (depending solely on his confidence on that given day, in my opinion) and can be a huge contributor off the bench for this squad. I think Crean should find ways to get him a few easy buckets early to get him in a rhythm…a move that will surely pay dividends in the 2nd half if successful.

-There’s an old phrase: A win is a win is a win. While this wasn’t a pretty one, the selection committee will only see one thing when they review this game in March: “W”. Keep in mind all these wins are coming without Will Sheehey.

-Over the next 5 games, Indiana has 4 games it should win just by playing hard. Penn State twice, Minnesota, and Nebraska are all fantastic opportunities to tack on crucial Big 10 wins early. I simply want Indiana to keep it close in Columbus, to prove we can hang with the best on the road and quiet the critics of this team (I AM LOOKING AT YOU DOUG GOTTLIEB).

-Dan Dakich is head and shoulders the best color guy ESPN has (save Jay Bilas). I love hearing his unabated, in-depth and insightful observations, rather than the overplayed buzzwords used by other color commentators across television. Check out his podcast, where he completely stumps the aforementioned Doug Gottlieb when he criticizes Indiana’s lack of quality road wins.