IU's Year-End Report Card

Comments and disagreements are welcome. Here we go, in no particular order. Devan Dumes: B- * Offense: B * Defense: B+ * Intangibles: C- Commentary: I was pretty hard on Dumes this year, but that's because I knew that if this team had any chance to win, it would have to be largely on a solid effort from Dumes. The perfect game that illustrates this point was IU's only conference win where Dumes had his best performance of the year. I think Dumes is a very solid player on both ends of the floor and had to try to be the leader and the go-to guy for this team. At times, it was more than he could handle, but I certainly don't fault his effort. He was really playing well in conference play until the MSU elbows led to a suspension and then followed by a couple injuries down the stretch. I look forward to seeing what he can do on next year's team with more talent around him. Per Game Stats: * 12.7 points * 2.9 rebounds * 1.5 assists * 3.1 turnovers * 0.9 steals * 0.1 blocks Shooting Stats: * 41% FGs * 38% 3PT * 72% FTs Best Stats: * 46% 3PT shooting in conference play * 52% 3PT shooting in first 9 games of conference play * 81% FT shooting in conference play Peak Performances: * 27 points on 8-9 FGs and 5-5 3PT in sole Big Ten win over Iowa. * 26 points on 9-16 FGs and 6-10 3PT in 2-point loss to NW. * 21 points on 6-10 FGs and 4-8 3PT in opening season win over NW State. * 20 points on 6-12 FGs and 3-8 3PT in win over TCU. Low Point: The flying elbows against Michigan State and subsequent suspension. Strengths: * Scoring threat. When scoring well, carried the team to victories or at least close games. * 3PT Shooting * Defense * Looks like P-Diddy Weaknesses: * Struggled to finish after great moves and drives * Easily frustrated (flying elbows) * Turnovers * Did not come through in the clutch Outlook for next Year: 4-Very Good (scale is 1-5) I think every player on this year's team will benefit from the increase in overall talent on next year's team. Practices will be more competitive, players will get more rest in games, and defenses will not be able to key on just 1 or 2 players. I think Dumes will be a big beneficiary of all of this. This year, he struggled when he tried to do too much and felt like the team was relying on him to score. Next year, I think he will be able to play within an offense and should be able to spot up for some great 3-point looks. This type of role should also result in fewer turnovers. I look for him to come into next year ready to play and to start at shooting guard. With Jeremiah Rivers likely to start at point guard, that will give us a Junior and Senior starting back-court with both of them being very good defenders. The defensive tone that these two set could be really disruptive to opposing teams offenses and could be one of the biggest keys to a significant increase in the win column next year. Verdell Jones: A- * Offense: A- * Defense: B- * Intangibles: A Commentary: I am incredibly impressed with the progress that VJIII made during the year. He started the year looking like a definite red-shirt in a normal year and looked like he was way too weak to even compete with IU's non-conference opponents. Then, when he got knocked out by that screen in the Cornell game and missed several games, I had little hope that he would ever be much of a contributor. But I give him mad props for the way he came back from that injury. He improved every single game from that point forward. He revised his game to start using a mid-range pull-up jumper rather than driving all the way and getting his shot blocked. He even acknowledged this fact in an interview and really seemed to be taking the coaching he was receiving and applying it to his game. Obviously, the turnovers were very high. However, when you think about how much he had the ball in his hands at the end of the year, it honestly was not that big of a concern for me. With the ball in his hands, he also was able to score and create for others at a high rate. If you use Dumes and Jones as an example, you would expect Jones to have many more turnovers because of how much more he is handling the ball and being asked to create for himself or teammates. Dumes is often working off the ball and receiving in a position to score. So, when I look at the turnovers for these two guys, I think the number of turnovers from Dumes is more of a problem than the turnovers from Jones. I love Verdell's attitude and you could see it on his face that he hated to lose. On the defensive end, he is not the quickest, but his length allows him to be disruptive and recover pretty well. It will be interesting to see what role he plays next year. More on that below. Per Game Stats: * 11.0 points * 3.1 rebounds * 3.6 assists * 3.5 turnovers * 0.8 steals * 0.5 blocks Shooting Stats: * 45% FGs * 33% 3PT * 71% FTs Best Stats: * Set and tied career highs with 23 points in final 2 games of the year * Averaged 14.0 ppg and 4.7 apg in final 13 games of the year * Scored 15+ points in 7 of last 9 games * 11.9 ppg in conference play * 4.3 apg in conference play * 3.8 rpg in conference play Peak Performances: * Final 2 games: 46 points on 14-21 FGs, 6-6 3PT, and 12-13 FTs * 18 pts, 7 assts, 4 rebs, 2 blks, 8-8 FTs, 2-4 3PT in loss to Minnesota * 16 pts, 8 assts, 5 rebs, 6-10 FGs in loss to Penn St * 18 pts, 5 assts, 4 rebs, 3 stls, 3 blks, 10-13 FTs in first game ever as a Hoosier Low Point: Getting knocked out cold and missing a few games after running into screen against Cornell. Strengths: * Ability to create own shot and score, especially using his 6-5 size to shoot mid-range over small defenders * Great court vision, especially looking up the court to start a fast break * Perseverance * Good all-around player that could play the 1, 2, or even the 3 in a 3-guard line-up Weaknesses: * Biggest weakness is his weakness, needs to get stronger * Shooting, but did hit his final 6 treys of the year Outlook for Next Year: 4-Very Good I think we all thought Verdell would get eaten alive in the Big Ten, but he did the exact opposite, he proved he belonged. With the way he finished the season, I don't think there will be any doubt that he will be a key contributor on next year's team. The questions for next year for Verdell are related to what position he will play and will he start or come off the bench? If Jordan Hulls is ready to play as a freshman, then you have Rivers and Hulls at the point. If Maurice Creek is ready to play at the 2-guard, then you have Dumes, Creek, and Roth at the 2-guard. If Watford is ready to play at the 3, then you have Watford, Williams, and possibly Elston at the 3-spot. So, where would that leave Verdell? I think the answer is all 3. If he plays the way he did to finish the year, then Tom Crean is going to simply want to have him on the floor. And it will just depend who is on the floor with him at any given time that will determine what position he will play. I just love the fact that there will be options. I really, really like Verdell and think he could wind up with some great all-around numbers at the end of a 4-year career. Tom Pritchard: B * Offense: B * Defense: B * Intangibles: B Commentary: Tom Pritchard started this year out as the team's best player in the early going. Unfortunately, once conference play came around, the size and athleticism increased and Pritchard hit the freshman wall. Hitting the wall was understandable for a young big kid that was playing about 35 minutes a game when he was not in foul trouble. Pritchard definitely came in and exceeded expectations. For a school that has a history of big white guys being completely useless, Pritchard showed off plenty of nifty moves, held his own on the defensive end, rebounded the basketball, and had more dunks in the first 10 games of his career than Robbie Eggers, Richard Mandeville, Magnus Pelkowski, Todd Jadlow, and Chris Lawson had combined in their entire career. (Note: I could not include Lindeman in that list because I was watching a Big Ten's Greatest Game earlier this year where Lindeman flushed a couple in a single game.) Per Game Stats: * 9.7 points * 6.4 rebounds * 1.1 assists * 2.5 turnovers * 0.7 steals * 0.8 blocks Shooting Stats: * 48% FGs * 58% FTs Best Stats: * 5 double-doubles * Shot 65% from the field in first 6 games of college career * 6.4 rebounds per game is very good for a freshman Peak Performances: * Back-to-back double-doubles in first 2 games of college career (13 & 10 and 19 & 10 on 12-16 FGs) * 23 points on 7-7 FGs plus 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in win over Cornell Low Point: Pritchard completely disappeared in the middle of conference play. He had a 7-game stretch of scoring in single-digits. This included a 5-game stretch of averaging just 4 points and 4 rebounds. The true low point was 0 points and 3 rebounds in 27 minutes against Minnesota. Fortunately, Pritch played a little better and showed some life again at the end of year if you are willing to overlook the 1-12 shooting effort in the Big Ten Tourney. Strengths: * A solid performer on both ends * Some nifty offensive moves * Does a good job shifting to open space when ball-handler drives to get free for some dunks * Not IU's traditional big white guy * Good rebounder Weaknesses: * FT Shooting * Foul Trouble * Turnovers * Numbers dropped significantly in conference play Outlook for Next Year: 4-Very Good Once again, I think Pritchard is a guy who will really benefit from having more talent and scoring options on next year's team. Pritchard got off to a great start this year and then quickly became the focal point of other team's scouting report. When you have guys like Kyle Taber and Daniel Moore playing alongside you, those scouting reports to stop you become pretty damn effective. I expect Pritchard to be a starter next year. He is a true big man that plays in the post and defends the post. That's an area that could still be light next year. I think your other true big men next year will be Capobianco, Maniru, and Jobe. That equals question mark, question mark, and sucks (I'm still a big fan, TJ). With more talent coming into the program, the one thing I would love to see out of Pritchard would be to go from a good rebounder to a great rebounder. Matt Roth: C+ * Offense: B * Defense: C- * Intangibles: C+ Commentary: Great shooter. Can make 3s from anywhere in the gym, makes his FTs, and doesn't make mistakes. However, doesn't really do anything else. The really good news is that Matt Roth just completed his freshman season. I think if he continues to work and the coaching staff does their job, then Roth can start to add some dimensions to his game. Rather than everything ending up with a 30-foot jumper, he needs to watch some serious Steve Alford video and start curling off screens for open 15-footers, using shot fakes to draw fouls and go to the line, and occasionally put it on the floor to keep the defense honest. On the defensive end, he is slow of foot. However, I think he is a smart player that will play smart defense as he gets more experience. I see Matt Roth as the type of player that really adds value in his junior and senior seasons. Per Game Stats: * 6.7 points * 1.3 rebounds * 0.4 assists * 0.5 turnovers * 0.6 steals * 0.1 blocks Shooting Stats: * 38% FGs * 37% 3PT * 80% FTs Best Stats: * Easily led team in FT% * Tied a record with NINE 3-pointers against OSU (there is a pretty good chance this will be mentioned again in the Peak Performances section) Peak Performances: * Went 9-11 from the arc for 29 points against Ohio State * Had a 6-game stretch in the middle of the Big Ten where he scored in double-figures in 5 of those games * 12 points on 4-5 treys against Wake Forest Low Point: I can't really think of a true low point, but Roth did find life a little more difficult after that amazing 9-11 performance from 3-point range. From that point forward, Roth finished the season shooting 18-63 from the arc for 29%. Strengths: * Shooting * Smart player that doesn't make many mistakes * Good teammate Weaknesses: * One-dimensional Outlook for Next Year: 3-Mediocre I think Roth's playing time could potentially get squeezed next year. I still think his overall outlook is good, but it might be crowded at the shooting guard slot. Dumes will be a senior and get his share of the minutes. I'm hopeful that Creek will come in and be a legitimate scorer as a freshman. In addition, you have the possibility that Verdell may slide over and play the other guard position if Rivers and Hulls are holding down the point. But I do think there is always room for a sharp-shooter in the game of basketball. On multiple occasions this year, Roth was able to hit back-to-back 3's and immediately change the landscape of a game. I see him continuing in that role by coming off the bench and seeing if he can knock down a few long-balls. The main question is whether we are talking 20 minutes a game like he played this year or 5-10 minutes a game. I think the answer will be based on whether he can improve in areas of his game other than shooting. Malik Story: C * Offense: B * Defense: D- * Intangibles: C+ Commentary: I was a big Malik Story fan, but I was not at all shocked when I heard he was transferring. His minutes were very likely to disappear next year. However, I do really like his potential as an all-around player and he could end up being pretty damn good someday. Malik struggled to put it all together. He would show flashes of brilliance, but could never consistently perform at a high level. On the defensive end....completely lost. Per Game Stats: * 5.9 points * 2.3 rebounds * 1.2 assists * 2.0 turnovers * 0.7 steals * 0.1 blocks Shooting Stats: * 37% FGs * 25% 3PT * 59% FTs Best Stats and Peak Performances: Nothing really jumps out at me. Like I said, Malik struggled to put it all together for any extended period of time. I would say his peak performance was a 14 point effort on 6-9 FGs against Minnesota. He also nailed a 25-foot 3-pointer before the halftime buzzer where the announcer said he shot that one from Kokomo (of course, this was later outdone by Verdell's beyond half-court halftime buzzer beater). Low Point: Last week, Story decided to transfer. Strengths: * All-around potential Weaknesses: * Defense Outlook for Next Year: 0 (transferred) Kyle Taber: B+ * Offense: C+ * Defense: B+ * Intangibles: A Commentary: I give Taber a lot of credit for putting up with all the BS and sticking it out with the Hoosiers. I think he truly felt a sense of pride to wear that uniform. Even though it was only a 6-win season this year, his leadership helped set a tone for IU to get back to its winning ways in the years ahead. Taber wasn't the most talented player ever, but he played hard and made solid contributions. And I think he would have made solid contributions in his senior year even if this would have been a normal year with typical IU talent. Per Game Stats: * 4.3 points * 5.2 rebounds * 1.0 assists * 1.0 turnovers * 0.9 steals * 0.3 blocks Shooting Stats: * 51% FGs * 40% 3PT (2-5) * 70% FTs Best Stats: * 1st on team in FG% * 1st on team in Steals * 2nd on team in Rebounding * Scored 4 points in 5 straight games. Had another stretch of 3 straight games where he scored 4 points. Not really something for the "Best Stats" category, but I found it interesting. Peak Performances: * Scored career highs in consecutive games with 10 points against Purdue and 12 points against Northwestern. Low Point: Missed entire pre-season after having knee surgery. Strengths: * Work Ethic * Plays within his limits Weaknesses: * Raw talent Outlook for Next Year: N/A (graduated) Nick Williams: B+ * Offense: B+ * Defense: B * Intangibles: B+ Commentary: Nick Williams is a really nice player. I love his attitude and he definitely has some talent. The one concern was that he would disappear at times and even for full games, which is odd for a player who has a great attitude and work ethic. But when he would get into the rhythm of the game, he often looked like the best player on the court. Williams definitely had a really good all-around freshman season that he will be able to build on in future years. Per Game Stats: * 8.9 points * 4.5 rebounds * 0.7 assists * 2.2 turnovers * 0.8 steals * 0.1 blocks Shooting Stats: * 46% FGs * 21% 3PT * 74% FTs Best Stats: * The all-around freshman year numbers of 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 46% FGs, and 74% FTs * Just missed a double-double 3 times with performances of 9 pts & 10 rebs, 10 pts & 9 rebs, and 14 pts and 9 rebs * Conference play: 9.8 points, 47% FGs, and 76% FTs * Although he struggled from the arc at 21% from the year, Williams did make 4 of his final 6 attempts on the year. Peak Performances: * Instrumental in the sole Big Ten win over Iowa with 14 points, 9 rebounds (6 offensive), and 6-6 from the stripe * Career-high 19 points in regular season finale against Wisconsin Low Point: Disappeared for certain games -- 3 points and 1 rebound in 26 minutes in 5-point loss to Lipscomb, 4 points and 0 rebounds in 19 minutes in 2-point loss to Northwestern, and 4 points and 1 rebound in 26 minutes in 3-point loss to Penn State. All winnable games. Strengths: * Mid-range jumper, including defender in face * Good FT shooter, including hitting several in the clutch * Great attitude * Had the best dunk of the year Weaknesses: * Consistency * 3-point Shooting * Height for the 3-spot Outlook for Next Year: 4-Very Good Hmmm, I am planning another post in the near future where we will take a look at next year's newcomers and the team as a whole, so I am not going to spend too much time on it here. But it gets very interesting when thinking about next year. Which freshmen are going to be ready to play right away and which ones aren't? How does that impact some of the incumbents like Williams, Jones, and Dumes? Interesting questions, but good problems to have. There is going to be competition and that is a very good thing. I just get the feeling that Williams might be "the glue" for this team. I don't think he will ever be the leading scorer or the leading rebounder or a great 3-point shooter, but I think he will continue to be a solid all-around player and a great team player. Daniel Moore: B * Offense: B- * Defense: B- * Intangibles: A- Commentary: Listen, there were a shitload of walk-ons on this team, but Daniel Moore was the one that actually started several games and made positive contributions to this team. He didn't offer any scoring punch and sometimes he got over-powered on defense, but he did a nice job running the offense, made some great passes, and hustled his ass off. Next year, it will be back to picking up towels and offering water to the scholarship players, but I give him credit for the job he did this year. Per Game Stats: * 2.5 points * 1.4 rebounds * 2.5 assists * 2.1 turnovers * 0.8 steals * 0.0 blocks Shooting Stats: * 43% FGs * 36% 3PT * 61% FTs Best Stats: * 1st on team in assist-to-turnover ratio * 2nd on team in assists (1st in assists per minutes played) * 2nd (tied) on team in steals Peak Performances: * 8 points (2-2 FG, 4-4 FT), 6 rebounds, and 4 assists against Cornell * 10 points and 5 assists against Chaminade * 8 points, 7 assists (only 1 turnover), 4 rebounds, 2 steals against Lipscomb * 5 assists in only 7 minutes against Ohio State Strengths: * Good passer * Hustle * Heart and dedication Weaknesses: * Not a scoring threat * Significantly less effective against better competition Outlook for Next Year: 1-Not So Good I think Moore's minutes will drop from 17 minutes per game this year to 2 minutes per game next year. Basically, mop-up duty. It's not a knock on him, he's just not at the level where this program is headed. So there you have it, the year-end report card. Sorry Tijan, you know I am a big fan but there just simply weren't enough minutes played to warrant full-blown analysis. Let me know what you think Hoosier fans. Where do you agree with me? Where do you disagree with me? 4/2/09 Update: By popular demand, here is the Tijan Jobe year-end report card. Tijan Jobe: A+ * Offense: D+ * Defense: D- * Intangibles: A+++ Commentary: I'm a big fan of the big fella. And thanks to his first dunk of the year coming with 10 minutes to go in the season, that is my lasting off-season image of Tijan. Per Game Stats: * 0.3 points * 0.8 rebounds * 0.0 assists * 0.3 turnovers * 0.0 steals * 0.1 blocks Shooting Stats: * 43% FGs * 25% FTs Best Stats: * 7'0", 255 Peak Performances: * Dunk with 10 minutes to go in the season * Career-higs of 2 points (tied) and 3 rebounds against St. Joseph's Strengths: * Size * Attitude Weaknesses: * Only one year of eligibility left Outlook for Next Year: 100-Remarkable I think everyone knows that I like Tijan, so my outlook may or may not surprise you. I whole-heartedly believe that Tijan Jobe is going to be the most improved player in the history of college basketball. He is going to lead the Hoosiers to an NCAA title and be the #1 pick in the NBA draft. He will then go on to break Wilt Chamberlain's "scoring" record.

March Sadness

Here we are, the most exciting time of the college basketball season, right? WRONG! Usually that's right, but not this year and probably not next year. And we have Kelvin the a-hole Sampson to thank for it.

This is the time of year that is supposed to be filled with excitement. The time of year where the worst case for an IU basketball fan is something called "the bubble". The time of year where you hear the name "Indiana" announced and it feels like they just announced your name for winning the Nobel Prize. The time of year where no matter IU's seed, you still get to look at the bracket and fantasize about the possible route to the Final Four and a 6th national title. The time of year where I pick up the phone and call all of you guys because writing about it on a blog just isn't good enough. The time of year where you skip work if IU plays in an early game. The time of year where you look for tickets and tell the wife something like "I don't ask for much. In fact, I'm not askin' now. I'm tellin' you that I just bought a $300 game ticket and a $300 flight to Phoenix to go watch the Hoosiers." Wife asks where you are staying and you respond that you don't know and don't care. That's the time of year this is supposed to be.

But instead, we bowed out of the Big Ten Tourney on Thursday and quietly ended our season.

I received an email from Chris yesterday that simply started out by saying "I'm depressed." Chris then made note of the great times and the wild range of emotion that the NCAA Tourney can bring even when you lose.

The game Chris mentioned was 2 years ago when we lost to UCLA. Does it suck to lose? You bet it does. But at least you had the opportunity to play in the Big Dance. And you got to go through all the things I mentioned above. And you have the 5 days of excitement from Selection Sunday up until your opening round game.

In this UCLA game 2 years ago, it was actually the second round game on Saturday. It turned out to be a wild ride for me and Chris that day. Here's a little recap.

Chris bought a bunch of Irish beers in honor of St. Patrick's Day. I went to the Harrell house and it was just me, Chris, and Shana (it should be noted that Shana left the room just a few minutes into the game due excessive rowdiness by Chris. I was rowdy too, but a wife always blames the husband so I'm going to run with that.) Now keep in mind that we are now well into our 30s and have matured quite a......uh-oh, my backspace key is not working.....that maturity part should be deleted.....read on.

Of course, we cracked open a couple beers and went into full blown analysis of the upcoming game while we waited for it to start. The beers taste extra good when you have March Madness and St. Patrick's Day all rolled into one and they were going down in a hurry. Throughout the night, they continued to go down in a hurry even though it was for very different reasons.

Pre-game and early game, the beers were going down due to March Madness excitement. Most of the 1st half, it was due to depression of how horribly we were playing. Late 1st half and halftime, it was due to the fact that it had gotten so horrible that we just had to get drunk and laugh it off. Early second half, let’s drink away any memory of this game (With less than 14 minutes to go in the game, the score was 34-16. Yes, we had only scored 16 points in the first 26 minutes of an NCAA tourney game. You can see why we were trying to drink away any memory of this one.)

Mid-second half, we were drinking to the fact that we managed to make a couple good plays and hit a couple 3s. In fact, the Hoosiers went on an 11-0 run to make it interesting at 34-27. But then it was back to the bottle when the run faltered and the score was 46-33 with just 5 minutes to play.

But then, Roderick Wilmont and Lance Stemler caught fire from behind the arc and the Hoosiers made an incredible late game run to tie the score at 49-49. By this time, Chris and I are already drunk, so we are jumping around, going crazy, and drinking some more. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers could not pull off the miracle and would end up losing 54-49. Nothing to do now but keep the buzz going and drink away the sorrow.

By the end of the night, the empty beer bottles laying around the Harrell house literally looked like there were 10 or more people over there.

So, even though it was a loss for the Hoosiers and it was a painful one, the whole experience was awesome. All the way from Selection Sunday to the first round win to the wild up and down emotional ride of the loss to UCLA.

I live for the NCAA Tournament. I think it is the best sporting event in all of sport.

But there is just one prerequisite -- the Indiana Hoosiers must be one of the 64 teams in the tournament. Period.

Let's raise our glasses to the idea that the Hoosiers will soon again be a shoe-in for the tournament and we get to live the highs and lows that make the NCAA Tourney true March Madness.

It Happened!

I can't believe it, it finally happened! It took until the final 10 minutes of the season, but it really happened. After 6,150 minutes of basketball had been played by IU players this season, Tijan Jobe finally dunked. Damn right, TJ! Way to go out with a big F-U to the rest of the Big Ten.....give them something to think about for next year. Earlier in the year when I was writing an I Love Tijan Jobe post, I said I would jump out of my chair and go crazy the first time Tijan dunked. Well, that didn't happen. I actually sat there in disbelief that it actually happened. You see, a few games back when Jobe scored in a game, he actually probably could have dunked it but he just layed it in. At that point, I honestly gave up all hope that I would ever see Tijan Jobe dunk in an IU uniform. So, when it happened in today's game with just 10 minutes remaining in the entire season, I was literally stunned. I'm not saying that I wasn't excited because I was, but I was honestly shocked. I still say that if Crean would have hired me as Special Assistant Coach dedicated to Tijan Jobe, big TJ would have been throwin' down like that all year. Tijan Jobe....by far, my all-time favorite IU basketball player who has scored under 10 points.

Season Over: IU 51 Penn St 66

Before you head off into the off-season, I do have at least 2 more major posts planned for the near future. At some point over the next few days, I will do a full-season report card for our young Hoosiers. And then, now that the season is officially over, we can really focus our full attention on next year. Therefore, I will do another post that will be a full preview of next year's team. Some stats of note from today's game:

• Verdell Jones: 23 points on 7-11 FGs, 4-4 3PT, and 5-5 FTs
• Verdell Jones: 6 turnovers
• Pritchard: 1-12 FGs
• Pritchard, Roth, Story combined for 3-24 FGs
• Tijan Jobe: 1-1 FGs

Go Hoosiers!

IU 61 WI 85

Well, there you have it. 1-17 in the Big Ten. One more game on Thursday and that will likely close out the worst season in Indiana basketball history. But there is a lot to look forward to and this season has served it's purpose -- wipe the slate clean, start completely over, and do things the right way. If that is your measuring stick for this season, then this season was a success. As for this game, the common themes of turnovers and missed FTs caused the Hoosiers to fall behind and stay behind. Then, in the second half, Wisconsin went to the FT line on nearly every possession. Bright spots were career-highs by both Verdell Jones with 23 points and Nick Williams with 19 points. It was also good to see Roth make some cuts and hit a couple jumpers inside the arc. I guess there's not much more to say that about this one, so I'll leave it at that.

Thank You, Kyle Taber

Let's give a shout-out to Taber on his Senior Night. He is the only one who survived the Sampson fiasco and had the courage to stick around. After suffering a pre-season knee injury (one of several knee injuries he has had in his career), he came back and played better and better throughout the season. As the lone senior on a team full of new-comers, Tom Crean asked Kyle Taber to be a leader. Taber is by no means a natural leader. In addition, in sports, it often helps to be the best or one of the best players to become a team leader. Taber didn't have that luxury either. But he has stepped up and acted as a leader for this young team and shown them how to work hard, play through pain, and do all the little things that help you win. Did those little things help them win this year? No, because they simply had too many obstacles to overcome. However, Taber's leadership of doing things the right way will most certainly lead to a lot of wins for the rest of these young players for years to come. And really, that is what this season was about -- get this thing back on track and ready to compete in the future. So, from that standpoint, Kyle Taber's contributions will continue to be felt for the next 3 years and beyond. For that, we salute you Kyle Taber. You earned the privilege of wearing that IU jersey and you did the Hoosier Nation proud.

IU 59 MSU 64

Now that would have been a signature win that they could have built on for next year. But once again, the Hoosiers could not make the plays down the stretch to pull out the victory. I'm depressed.

IU 58 Penn St 61

IU let this one slip away. They had a 4 point lead with 5 minutes to play, but then only scored 1 point in those final 5 minutes and lost.....again. They were able to stay in this game and even grab that late-game lead by taking caring of the basketball, hitting a few 3s, and hitting their FTs. Unfortunately, in the last 5 minutes, they stopped doing all of those things. They had a couple turnovers, missed some important FTs, and had horrible 3-point attempts that missed. In the final 20 or so seconds, IU had two chances to tie this game up, but Matt Roth forced up a couple extremely difficult shots and missed both. It looked like the plays were designed to go to Roth. The only problem is that if he is not open, he is not the type of guy that is going to make an off-balance 3-pointer. I would have rather seen a drive-and-kick type of play. And if you have to just get the ball to someone to force up a 3, I guess I would rather see it go to Dumes. Dumes at least has a little shake were he might be able to get a defender off-balance and possibly still get a decent look. Who knows.....bottom line is that they once again could not find a way to come through in the clutch. And once again, the guys looked devastated afterward. Other than the last few minutes, Verdell Jones was outstanding again. 16 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. Dumes had a good game with 16 points and 4 assists. Pritchard looked good but was in foul trouble due to some horrible calls that went against him. Nick Williams appeared to be playing hard but it certainly didn't translate to the box score with only 4 points and 1 rebound. Tijan Jobe dominated with a 1-1 FG performance. He should have dunked it, but I was still pretty excited to see him score. Cook commented on the previous post and made mention of the time where Tijan fell down on defense. It was one little head fake and Tijan pretty much just fell over. Cook couldn't decide if it was funny or sad. I actually thought it was funny. I love Tijan, but his body just doesn't seem to do what his mind wants it to. FT shooting is a joke in college basketball these days. Penn State allowed IU to hang around by going just 7-17 from the FT line. Next Up: Michigan State on Tuesday at 6pm CT on ESPN.