Opening up gifts on Christmas day, I received some nice IU gear and wondered about our basketball Hoosiers. The season at that point had me asking many questions. Questions about the defense, questions about team chemistry, and questions about the overall direction of the basketball program.
So, less than a month later, I find myself reflecting on those same questions, but with a different perspective given the Hoosiers 6-0 start to Big Ten play. I know, the schedule has been very friendly to the Hoosiers! The questions I asked at Christmas time have seemed to be temporarily answered in the positive.
We have noticed a much improved effort and attitude toward playing defense. We have seen a lot more emotion from the players. This team is starting to forge an identity, an identity of toughness. The credit must go to both the coaching staff and the players. It seemed as though they had lost each other over the holiday season.
There is still a lot to correct, especially as the opponents get much tougher. Turnovers have been way out of control. The loss of James Blackmon has allowed teams to defend differently and adjustments must be constant as the season progresses.
The view from the tailgate lot is a good one for the basketball Hoosiers at this point. There will be some bumps in the road, some losses and poor play. However, this team looks like it could make a decent run in the conference and be a “tough out” in the NCAA tournament.
At Christmas time the Hoosiers were tough to watch and hard to enjoy. The new year has coincided with Hoosier basketball being enjoyable again. Let's hope the changes are more permanent and recent late season swoons do not happen this year.
Good job, Hoosiers! Keep it up!
Certainly a weak schedule couldn't have been better timed. When the Hoosiers get down by 10 to a really good team (a ranked team), let's see how they respond. If they are flat vs. Northwestern at Assembly Hall, I would be ready to stick a fork in them due to having to play Iowa twice, Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan twice (with Caris Lavert back), Ohio State and Whiskey on the road and MARYLAND at home. Yipes. Talk about a back-loaded schedule. Indiana will take some beatings but it's how we come out of the above schedule (i hope i have all that right, i might have a mistake in there or two but I think I am close). If Indiana has a meltdown, it's Crean and the Hoosiers on the hot-seat and we'll see what they are made of, especially Crean's ability to adjust and win tight games on the road against the ranked teams in the B1G.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I believe the results here down the stretch will reveal a lot about the program. The type of play that has led to this start must continue and probably need to even improve if IU is to have a solid record heading into tourney play.
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