The season is here! IU's one and only exhibition game is Saturday evening (BTN.com, re-aired on BTN on Tuesday at 2pm) and the season opener is just one week away (next Friday vs. Stony Brook). Here's 5 things to watch for this season:
1. Go Whitey!
* Cody Zeller - There's no doubt about it, Cody is the clear-cut #1 thing to watch for. If the Hoosiers make a significant leap this year, it will be because Cody Zeller is as good as advertised.
* Will Sheehey - Lots of offseason buzz that Will Sheehey is ready to have a breakout season. I think he has the length, athleticism, and attitude to do just that. Of course, I might still be riding high on him because I can't help but think of that incredible dunk last season.
* Jordan Hulls - Hulls made huge progress last year, can he build off that and take another step forward in his junior campaign? I say yes. Outstanding work ethic and I could see him playing very well with Zeller -- both feeding Zeller for opportunities and also getting more open looks from having a true big man threat.
* Derek Elston - No doubt about it, Elston had a rough sophomore campaign. Heck, I almost forgot he was on the team. Rumor has it that he is healthy and showing that bounce in his game that we all liked in his freshman season.
* Tom Pritchard - So what if his best 2 games were almost 100 games ago! Let's go out with a solid senior season, Tommy Boy! Grab some boards, get some garbage buckets, foul hard when you foul, and a few more of these would be great.
* Matt Roth - Probably still too one-dimensional to see a lot of playing time, but it never hurts to have a deadly 3-point shooter on the bench.
* Austin Etherington - With all the focus on Zeller, could Etherington surprise some people? I'm guessing he's not quite ready for the big-time, but sounds like he has the tools and well-rounded game to make an impact in his Hoosier career.
* Daniel Moore - On a team that still does not have spectacular ball-handlers and often lacks energy, Moore may still find some minutes.
2. Sheeladipo
We already mentioned Sheehey, but his fellow classmate Oladipo is also rumored to have made progress in his game. The Oladipo/Sheehey recruiting class was unheralded, but I love the athleticism and energy that these guys bring to both ends of the floor.
3. Surprise Me!
At this point, you feel pretty confident in what you have with Verdell Jones III, Christian Watford, and Tom Pritchard. Every off-season, you hear about improvements here, added strength there, defensive focus, blah, blah, blah.
We know Verdell will have some nifty moves, get some points, and probably struggle with turnovers and on the defensive end of the floor.
We know Watford will put up solid points and rebound statistics, but he will frustrate us with his slow-motion and getting his shot blocked.
We know Pritchard will have some moments and will be one of our better defenders, but he will foul too much and miss more than half of his free throws.
What we really need this year is for one of these guys to surprise us on the upside! We need some upper-classmen leadership, clutch plays, improvements in key areas, and a big year from one of these guys.
4. STOP FOULING!!!!
IU fouled at a ridiculous rate last year and it cost them several games. Out of 345 D-1 schools, IU was 333rd in opponent FT Rate. That ain't gonna cut it. Move your feet!
5. Win a close game!
And I'm not talking about playing like shit and pulling out an OT win against the likes of Stony Brook. I'm talking about one of those knock-down drag-em-out Big Ten battles against a decent team. This team still needs "the man". Until they find one and keep fouling down the stretch, they're going to continue to struggle in close games.
With Cody Zeller getting ready to make his debut and a top 5 recruiting class on the way, things are finally looking up in Bloomington. But the question is, how big of a step can they make this year?
Fingers crossed.
Let's go HOOSIERS!!!!
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