In Hindsight: Iowa Hawkeyes

Blogger's Note:  While most of you made resolutions to get healthier or to give up a vice or two, I've decided that one of my New Year's resolutions will be to post more on this blog.  According to the site, I haven't posted since May 12, 2012.  In my defense, there was absolutely nothing going on in the world of Indiana athletics.  However, since my last post Hoosier Men's Soccer added an 8th National Championship (second most in the nation behind the University of Saint Louis); Tom Crean has continued his dominance on the recruiting trail landing 2013's No. 7 overall prospect Noah Vonleh (which increases CTC's head-to-head recruiting record with Roy Williams to 3-0 since coming to Indiana -- Cody Zeller & Troy Williams being the other two recruits); and Robert Montgomery Knight made a step, albeit a really small one, in coming home to Hoosier Nation when he called his first Indiana basketball game on November 19th against the Georgia Bulldogs. 

A lot has happened in between posts.  But the Hoosiers just started B1G play, which will be the focus of this post and hopefully the many more to follow. 

Sully's back ... at least through the basketball season.

 

 

I really think the above picture depicts the type of game we saw in Indiana's B1G opener against Iowa in Iowa City on New Year's Eve.  It wasn't pretty, but it still goes in the "W" column.  There wasn't much to take away from the non-conference schedule other than Assembly Hall is a really tough place to play, the Tarheels were overrated and the Bulldogs were underrated.  So what could we take away after one game into the B1G season?

 

1.  The Hoosiers won in spite of Jordan Hulls's struggles.  The Hawkeyes didn't lose because of Roy Marble's struggles.

 

Simple math would indicate that if Marble went 4 - 14 rather than 1 - 14 shooting the Hawkeye's should have won.  Maybe so.  My point is that nine times out of ten Hulls will not go opher from the floor.  Additionally, nine times out of ten Victor Oladipo will shut down Marble.  The only evidence you need is to go back and look at the shot selection of both players.  Over half of the shots that Hulls attempted were open looks that he normally makes with a blindfold on; while over half of shots Marble took were either highly contested or just forced.  Marble can say that Indiana is a team they know they can beat all he wants (which is exactly what he said postgame), I just hope he knows that if Oladipo is guarding him they'll have to do it without him.

 

2.  Zone defense is something IU fans will have t get used to during the B1G season.

 

I don't have any advanced metrics or crazy statistics to back up what I am about to say, but they're unnecessary.  The eye test confirms the Hoosiers are a much better man-to-man team.  Countless times Iowa would claw their way back into the game by converting uncontested shots given up by the Hoosier zone.  Why does CTC continuously revert to this scheme?  Protection.  There aren't many teams, if any, that the back court of Jordan Hulls and Yogi Ferrell can guard for multiple possessions.  Case and point:  After Hulls picked up his second foul early in the first half (both came while in man-to-man), whenever Hulls saw the floor (up until several minutes into the second half) the Hoosiers were strictly in a zone.  It appeared to me that it was to help prevent Hulls from picking up his third foul.  As much as Hulls has improved his defensive skill set (for those that follow closely, it is obvious that he has), he will still get punished by other guards in the B1G.  Switching to a less effective zone defense shows his worth on the offensive end.  Don't chalk this up to CTC's lack of in game adjustments, this is nothing more than a tactic to maintain Hulls's playing time while only occasionally (at best) catching teams off guard.

 

3.  The Hoosiers have a chip on their shoulder this season... and his name is Will Sheehey.

 

I can list a few recent Hoosiers that had relentless energy and could single-handedly change the momentum upon checking into any given game.  Guys like A.J. Moye, Roderick Wilmont, and most notably the legend that is Tijan Jobe.  Not since Dane Fife has Indiana had some one in which Hoosier Nation adored while every other fan base despised.  Let me paint a picture for you:

 

Will Sheehey steps to the free throw line for the first time in Iowa City.  Even while watching on TV, audible "Shee-hey Sucks!" chants could be heard from the Hawkeye student section (probably because they're jealous of his oh so sweet mid-range game.  I'm not kidding, I would put his mid-range jumper up against anyone else's in the country... P-U-R-E).  As if he's the only person in the arena he bounces the ball twice, eyes the shot.... Swish.  Silence.

 

Sheehey relishes the role of being the thorn to every non-Hoosier fan in the country.  It is that exact attitude that the entire team needs to adopt if they want to meet the lofty pre-season expectations fans and national syndicates alike have bestowed upon them.  They need to be un-flappable, un-phaseable (word?), ultra-competitive, scrappy... they need to be like, Will Sheehey.