Indiana Basketball: Season in review

IU's season may have come to an end this past Friday, but there is no doubt in my mind that this team will never be forgotten. A young team with an overload of talent coming into the program in the next few years, this was a season that shot the Hoosiers back into national prominence after three years of incredibly lackluster play. To put into perspective how wonderful this season was (and how bad the past three were), Indiana finished with 27 wins this year; they had 28 in the past three years combined. Needless to say, this is a team that is officially back.

This season was nearly perfect for IU fans everywhere; perhaps even more for fans like me, who continually kept turning the television on to watch my team play for the past three years, regardless of the fact that I often knew what the outcome would be before tip-off. Like many other IU fans, I had my spirit crushed again and again, but I and my fellow IU fans stuck through it.

This was a season of resurgence; a season of unbridled joy; a season that featured a multitude of picture perfect moments that IU fans everywhere will carry with them for the rest of their lives. It was a season of surprises -- considering that coming into the season, the optimist in me was predicting a best case scenario of 18 wins and an NIT appearance. I told myself that I would be happy with an NIT bid, while knowing that The Movement was waiting in the shadows.

But I underestimated the coaching brilliance of Tom Crean, the game changing Cody Zeller's impact, and the spirit, fight, and "never give in" instincts of this team.

The signs were there early on that this was going to be a memorable season. Even when they were playing teams like Chattanooga and Evansville, the signs were there. The team was gelling like they hadn't in the past, and Cody Zeller's impact was inarguable. This was a different team, a much improved team from the 12 win Hoosiers of the previous year. The improvement of players like Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey was evident from before the season started. We experienced a victory over the previous year's national runners-up, the Butler Bulldogs. Butler was a different team from the year prior, but it was still an impressive win.

Then came a come from behind road victory over ACC contenders NC State. This was a game that last year's Hoosiers surely would not have won, but then again, this was a different team.

And then came the biggest regular season win arguably in the long, storied history of Indiana basketball. Christian Watford knocked down one of the most iconic shots in team history (according to my dad, who has been an IU fan since the early 80s, THE most iconic, surpassing Keith Smart's national championship winning shot) to knock off IU's biggest rival, the #1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. I was lucky enough to be in attendance at that game, and let me tell you, I have never experienced a more electric atmosphere than that game. Such a roller coaster of emotions, bouncing from immense joy to blinding rage to feel-like-I'm-going-to-throw-up fear. When the shot went in, I leaped into the air, half hugged/half tackled my brother, and we both nearly fell to our deaths. Fortunately, we didn't, as I feel that would have put a damper on the victory.

A few weeks later, IU pulled off another miraculous upset, knocking off the then #2 ranked (and current Final Four participant) Ohio State Buckeyes. Then came the then #3 ranked Michigan Wolverines, featuring a dagger shot from the hands of Verdell Jones III, a senior who joined the team for the horrendous 6-win season that plagued most of our lives until this season.

This was not a perfect season; there were a few disappointing losses, including the only time a team other than IU won in Assembly Hall (Minnesota) and a loss to the cellar-dwelling Nebraska Cornhuskers, a game that IU led for most of the way. There were close losses, at Wisconsin and at Michigan, but then, IU provided their fans with another iconic win with a victory against Purdue at Mackey Arena.

The next huge win came at home against the then #5 ranked (and eventual tournament #1 seed) Michigan State Spartans. Again, I was lucky enough to be in the crowd for that game, and it was another unforgettable atmosphere. This didn't feature any buzzer beaters or near death experiences for me, but it was still a great game.

After the first postseason victory for IU in more than 5 years and a disappointing loss to Wisconsin, IU was ready for their first tournament trip since the 2007 Eric Gordon/DJ White led team. IU was a #4 seed, and after two wins (including one comeback win featuring a last second shot by the great Will Sheehey), their run came to an end at the hands of their rival, the #1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. In what most are describing as the best game of the tournament, there were over 190 total points scored, and Christian Watford and Cody Zeller reminded us just how good they were.

27 wins and 9 losses later, the season came to an end. Although the Hoosiers return all 5 starters, many important men off the bench, and gain one of the best recruiting classes in the country, they do lose Kory Barnett, Daniel Moore, Verdell Jones III, Tom Pritchard, and Matt Roth. One of my friends jokingly said that IU was creating a bronze statue of Tom Pritchard for the front of Assembly Hall, and although that is highly unlikely (obviously), there is no doubt what this senior class meant to this team. These guys came to a program that had been gutted and was only returning two players from the previous year, two walk-ons who played sparingly under the previous head coach, who shall remain nameless. Their impact will never be forgotten.

It would be silly of me to not take this opportunity to thank all of the players and coaches for this season. I know it's doubtful that this will be read by any of them, but the fact that something this special happened this year is obviously not lost on me. This team made Indiana basketball relevant again and awakened the dormant, sleeping giant that is the IU fanbase. They made it fun to root for Indiana basketball again.

The future is bright for Indiana basketball. Although this season has ended, another season will begin, with new incoming freshmen, a new senior class, and the return of Maurice Creek. It should be another season to remember for IU fans.

The possibility of the existence of banner number six in the rafters of Assembly Hall is alive and well again.

Purdue-IU preview

It goes without saying that this is one of the biggest games of the year for both of these teams, both in terms of the rivalry itself and in terms of both seasons as a whole. Coming into this game, IU has a record of 17-6, 5-6 in Big Ten play. Purdue is 15-7, 5-4 in Big Ten play. While Indiana is not necessarily a lock to go to the tournament, at this point, their chances are better than Purdue's. This is not to say that IU will make the tournament and Purdue won't -- I think both teams will go dancing this year -- but Purdue has more to prove. They don't have as impressive a resume as IU does at this point.

The point being, Purdue has a lot to prove in this game. They're looking to knock off their bitter rival, much improved from last year, in order to solidify a legitimate claim to get an at-large bid for the tournament. Doing it on their court gives them an inherent boost, as it does with almost any team in the Big Ten. A loss to Indiana on Saturday would damage Purdue's chances of making the tournament, although I think they're good enough to make the tournament even with a loss to Indiana this weekend.

On the other hand, this game as a lot of bonus implications for IU as well. As many Purdue fans are quick to point out, IU has only won two road games in the Tom Crean era, and both of those were against Penn State. Obviously, IU has been through some very trying times, but they have lost many winnable games not only this year, but in the past too (Michigan State last year immediately comes to mind). The players and Crean himself have to prove that they can win a road game in the Big Ten, and Mackey Arena provides the most hostile environment IU could ever hope to play in. A win in West Lafayette would give the Hoosiers some much needed confidence going into the rest of the season and the tournament, if they are able to make it.

For the first time in a long time, these teams are pretty evenly matched. They're evenly matched, but Purdue doesn't have that low post presence that IU has in Cody Zeller. Hummel is their big man, but at 6'8, 215, he is significantly smaller than Zeller's 6'11, 230 pound frame. Hummel's advantage is that he's a fifth-year senior. He knows how to win basketball games. Zeller, as a freshman, is very talented, but that lack of experience could come back to bite him. It will be interesting to see if Matt Painter decides to play Hummel on Zeller or if he decides to go bigger with, say, Travis Carroll. I personally think Hummel is strong enough defensively that he can at least contain Zeller, but I'm not a Big Ten basketball coach, so what do I really know?

The X factor for Purdue is probably going to be Lewis Jackson. Jackson is very undersized in terms of height at 5'9, but he is one of the quickest guys in the Big Ten, and possibly the country. He can drive to the line so fast that his height, although still a factor, is not as big a factor as it could be.

So how does IU contain this problem? My solution would be to always have either Victor Oladipo or Remy Abell guarding him. Those are arguably the two quickest defenders for the Hoosiers, and maybe the two best. If Zeller is on Hummel (and if he's not, Watford will be), then stopping Jackson needs to be IU's second highest priority. If he is scoring points, then Purdue's chances of winning skyrocket. If he isn't scoring, then IU has a better shot of winning.

In addition to stopping Hummel and Jackson, IU needs to focus on preventing Purdue from making three-pointers as much as possible. Purdue has many capable shooters on their team (I like to say that Purdue has Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson, and then 9 white guys who can shoot threes, even though this is not really accurate), and if guys like DJ Byrd are connecting from long range all night, then Purdue will probably win. Given IU's past this season in allowing three-pointers in bunches, this should be a point of concern for the Hoosiers. But if they can step up their intensity on defense and prevent threes, then I like IU's chances.

Offensively, IU has to run their offense through Cody Zeller. Now, this does not mean give Zeller the ball and have him lay it in (although that would be nice). But if IU is to win this game, Zeller has to be on his game. He has to play well enough for Purdue to pay extra attention to him. If Zeller is effective in the paint, that may force double teams on him, which can lead to open threes. If IU is hitting threes all game, they have a very good chance of winning. I guess you could say Zeller is "the X factor" for that reason. But if only Zeller is playing well, IU won't win. They need guys like Christian Watford and Jordan Hulls to step up. They need Will Sheehey back, and they need Victor Oladipo to continue playing like he has the past couple of games.

This is going to be a very interesting game. For the first time since the Eric Gordon era, both teams have more to play for than just bragging rights within the state. Both are looking to solidify themselves as national tournament participants, and both are looking to prove that they are the best team in Indiana. Rivalry games are always fun, and this one should not disappoint.

An Open Letter to Big Ten Officials

Dear Big Ten,

I am not one to typically place the blame of a team winning or losing a game on those whose responsibility it is to officiate a fair game. In mostly all cases, even though a call may not go the way I want it to, I can accept the call and trust that the officials on the floor had a better view of the play in question than I did. I also trust that the officials on the floor are familiar with the rules and regulations of the game and that they are comfortable making an objective call. Recently as I've been watching sports, particularly Big Ten men's basketball games, I've become a little more uncomfortable with the officiating that not only dictates the outcome of each game, but the rhythm of each contest as well. I understand that there is room for dispute in most foul calls and each official has his own particular officiating style, but in watching some recent games, I've become somewhat disgusted by many of the referees' calls that have often proven vital in the outcome of an important contest.

Many NCAA basketball fans are familiar with the Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech game that took place on November 30th, which was officiated by the Big Ten. Minnesota ended up winning that game 58-55, and VT fans are still bitter, and for good reason. As you recall, the team of Big Ten officials blew a crucial backcourt violation call on VT's Robert Brown which gave Minnesota the ball at the 9 second mark with the lead. Had your team of referees not blown this magnificently simple call, Virginia Tech would've had a much easier chance at winning the game if not sending it into a period of overtime. However, a Big Ten official called an obviously incorrect backcourt violation, granted possession to the Gophers, and effectively shattered any hope that the Hokies had of winning the game. Instead of acknowledging right then that they had blown the call, the officials decided not to review, to let the game end, and to let Minnesota escape with a win. While such a small call didn't seem very important to the referees on the court that night, that single call could easily dictate whether Minnesota or VT (both arguably bubble teams) gets a chance to play in the NCAA tournament come March.

This is just one instance of idiotic officiating.

Not only does your team of officials have the responsibility of making objective calls each possession, but it also has to make calls consistently, at least throughout the duration of a single contest. One case in which inconsistent officiating directly impacted the final outcome of a game is in last night's basketball game between Indiana and Wisconsin. This team of officials, led by Ted Valentine, called one of the most questionable games in my recent memory. What was a foul at one point was not a foul later in the game.  Cody Zeller being hit on the arm during a layup was a called foul early in the game, but with 50 seconds left in the game with IU down three points, the same exact action is not a foul. Such error and irregularity in officiating simply blows my mind. That someone could possibly not recognize that as a foul raises serious questions in my mind as to who should be officiating these important games down the stretch.

Similarly, what was a foul on one player was not called on another. Jared Berggeren hitting Cody Zeller's hand on a lay-in altered his shot, which is something that we can all agree deserves a foul call. However, when he does the exact same thing to the much smaller Will Sheehey, he is credited with a block and play resumes. The play in question happened on the exact same spot on the court. The same player was the offender. The only difference is that Sheehey is smaller than Zeller, so the officials believed that no foul should be called.

The final and most infuriating error in judgement came with Indiana down three, nearing the end of the game. Jordan Taylor from Wisconsin shot a three-pointer, which subsequently rimmed out. Battling Zeller for the best position to grab a rebound, Ben Brust throws his rear into Zeller, sending him flying to the ground. The call? You guessed it: Nothing. Ted Valentine stood and watched as freshman Cody Zeller was thrown to the ground, and not a sound came out of his whistle. Now, I understand and appreciate the concept of physicality. I'm a Big Ten fan. Obviously I enjoy letting the boys play. What I don't understand, however, is how a brush on the arm warrants a whistle and two shots, but tackling another player in the final seconds of a game doesn't. Such incompetence doesn't even belong in suburban church league ball, let alone the best collegiate basketball conference in the entire world. The officiating at the end of this game disgusted me and left me wondering why this group of officials is still employed by the Big Ten.

The conference is better than this. The Big Ten is the cream of the crop not only when it comes to athletics, but arts and academics as well. That we allow a conference of this caliber be officiated by such an incapable group simply bewilders me. The level of consistency at which this game and others have been controlled is unfair and downright wrong. Your conference makes millions of dollars off of each and every player on the court, and it is expected that your officials put forth the same effort that those players do. The fact that your referees are so careless and lackadaisical should be an embarrassment to you. I think it's time to take step back, look at the big picture, and realize what a mistake it is to have such unqualified minds regulating our entire basketball league.

Respectfully,
-DK

IU-Wisconsin: The Aftermath

Indiana had a tough loss tonight in Madison, 57-50. Wisconsin may have won by seven, but it wasn't until the last minute of the game that Wisconsin stretched its lead to more than one possession, and the seven point victory was mostly a byproduct of late, desperate fouling by IU in an attempt to lengthen the game.

I'm sure that there are some IU fans out there who are upset with the team for losing tonight. I am not one of those people. I'm not going to lie; deep down, I expected a win. With that being said, I am not ashamed at or disappointed with IU.

Honestly, I feel like regardless of the score, the Hoosiers outplayed the Badgers tonight. I thought that some mental breaks and unforced errors were the main causes for IU's loss. There were a few times when IU had opportunities to close Wisconsin out, and there were opportunities near the end for IU to take the lead for good. They just didn't capitalize. They gave up some very poorly timed offensive rebounds and they threw the ball away at very inopportune times as well.

I think the toughest thing to swallow about this loss is the fact that IU easily could have won it. Like Tom Crean said in a post-game interview, they were in a position to win, but they just couldn't find a way to pull it off.

Before IU fans declare war on this team and write them off as a disappointment, we need to remember a few things.

First of all, this team has already exceeded expectations. Most people thought this would be a .500 year, at best. Maybe it will still turn out to be a .500 season, but it would take a collapse of epic proportions. Right now, I think it would take many poor performances for them to finish with fewer than 21 wins. My best case scenario coming into this year was a 17-18 win season with a possible NIT bid. If the season ends today, IU is probably a 5 seed in the national tournament. I did not see that coming.

Secondly, this is still a young team in both age and experience. The "seasoned" veterans of this team, Verdell Jones III and Co., had a combined 28 wins coming into this season -- they've already won more than half that amount this season. So it's obviously going to take some time for this team to learn how to play as favorites, with a target on their back. Comparing this game tonight to the losses vs. Minnesota and at Nebraska, this is a COMPLETELY different team. They were much more aggressive on defense and they looked like a real offense as opposed to one who just shoots three-pointers. Obviously, they're a good three-point shooting team and that strategy has worked, but teams that depend on the three-pointer and base their entire offense around it are rarely successful in the long run. Today, they spread the wealth a little and moved the ball into the paint more often than they have in the past. I look at this as a positive, and as something to build on.

Third, IU hung with Wisconsin in Madison without three of their most important offensive players -- Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, and Will Sheehey -- contributing much at all. The three of them combined for 11 points, with Cody Zeller contributing 7 of those and Sheeladipo scoring 2 each. It's hard to win games when three dynamic scorers are effectively taken out of the game; the three played 19, 19, and 25 points respectively. Obviously, these guys need to step it up from here on out, especially Oladipo. For someone who was as good at the beginning of the season as Oladipo was, it's hard to imagine him staying in this funk for much longer, but the truth is that he's very hard to predict. When he can slash and get to the hoop, he's incredible. When he can't get around defenders and he's settling for jump shots, he's a non-factor. That explosiveness that he had earlier in the season is gone for now, most likely due to exhaustion and general wear and tear. I think he'll get his legs back under him soon enough.

So maybe this loss will leave a bitter taste in our mouths, because of what could have been, but looking at it from an optimist's point of view, this team has improved drastically from last week. I think they can only improve from here.

The key to IU's success down the stretch mainly have to do with all of the players producing like they are capable of. IU has yet to have a game where they were firing on all cylinders, in my opinion. I think the closest thing to a "great" game by IU was honestly probably the Evansville game, which will hopefully not be true for much longer.

I think IU will be okay. If they play for the rest of the season like they played tonight, with the additions of Zeller, Oladipo, and Sheehey playing like they can, I think the Hoosiers could make a lot of noise throughout the rest of the season. It's just a matter of executing and learning from their mistakes.