The Indiana Hoosiers’ Two Perspectives

It can always go either way with this year’s Indiana squad. The obvious example for fans is “how can we beat Kentucky and Ohio State, then lose to Minnesota and Nebraska!?”

Let’s see what the devil on my left shoulder and the angel on my right shoulder have to say about Indiana this year.

Angel: Cody Zeller has the potential to be a 20-10 guy every night. His footwork and length make him one of the hardest post players to guard in all of the country. Guys like Meyers Leonard, Melsalm Basabe, and even Anthony Davis struggle to contain him without fouling, impacting the game dramatically.

Devil: Cody Zeller has never finished one basket with his left hand. Seriously, he cannot finish with his left for the life of him. I can’t believe no one has noticed this! Cody does the same post move every time, if you can even call it that, and has not developed a right or left hook shot like his older brother Tyler. When someone figures this out, won’t he become easy to stop?

Angel: Fine, but he can be a really effective player off of uncontested dunks and transition layups alone. In terms of post-moves, he is only a freshman…how many 19 year olds do you know with a Hakeem Olajuwon-like arsenal on the block?

Devil: Actually, if you break down his season game by game, Cody consistently struggles against physical big men like Draymond Green and Jordan Morgan. He just doesn’t have the strength to hold his own against those guys.

Angel: We’re not just 2010 Indiana + Cody Zeller. Everyone has improved. Jordan Hulls and Matt Roth are almost automatic from 3. The crowd audibly gasps when either misses. It’s impossible to defend a double-team worthy post player and shooters like Hulls and Roth simultaneously.

Devil: Hulls is also a huge liability on defense. Up by 8 against Kentucky, Marquis Teague beat him off the dribble on 3 straight possessions, cutting the lead to two. His lack of quickness killed us against Minnesota when we couldn’t keep anyone out of the lane.

Angel: Well it’s not just Hulls either, Christian Watford can go off on any given night. He can get his shot off against anyone, anytime, anywhere on the floor. His rebounding has improved significantly, and obviously does not shy away from the big moment. Every possession in the last 3 minutes of the game should go through him.

Devil: You’re right, Christian is now the most under appreciated player on the team, operating in Cody Zeller’s sizable shadow. But then again, you still see flashes of the old Christian on certain nights. Lackluster effort and low intensity sometimes makes you wonder “wait, where has Christian Watford been the last 10 minutes? He’s been on the floor? I haven’t even noticed!”

Angel: Regardless of all these shortcomings, the schedule the rest of the way definitely favors Indiana. Indiana will most likely be favored in 4 of the last 5 conference games of the season, and the Big10 tournament is played in the heart of Hoosier-country. At this point it’s looking like a 4 or 5 seed (if all goes according to plan), which sets up 2 winnable games in the tournament before potentially running into a number 1 seed in the Sweet 16.

Devil: The reason Indiana can’t succeed in the postseason is their lack of swagger on the road and in neutral-site situations. In Assembly, IU can beat anyone. Away from Assembly, IU goes stretches looking like a Division II team.

Angel: No, the reason this team CAN succeed in the postseason is their depth. With Remy Abell and Derek Elston gaining confidence, Indiana has 10 guys that can be put on the floor with confidence. Compare that with teams like Kentucky and Ohio State that only play 6 guys, and Indiana is at a huge advantage. No team can go 6 games in the NCAA Tournament without getting in foul trouble at least once.

Devil: As you may know, Indiana has put a halt to their recent skid by winning its’ last 2 games by 17 and 13 against pretty decent Big10 teams. You know who didn’t play? Verdell Jones. You know who Tom Crean is going to grandfather into the rotation to take 25-30 minutes of Remy Abell and Matt Roth playing time in the NCAA Tournament? Verdell Jones.

Angel: (Searching for a comeback…)